All Things ToneBender!

[dronerstone]

I don't have any experience with JDM pedals. Tbh the first time I'd heard of them was when you posted the MKII they'd built for you in a different thread. Always good to hear about more helpful European based builders.

Nah, it wasn't an mkII that I had him build. I had a highly-specific idea brewing for some time and several folks thought it was complicated or didn't understand my approach, but Joe did - and delivered like a pro:

A loop switcher with a blendable/parallel Ringer-style analog octave up, including separate level controls for the loop and the octave circuit, as well as a "mix" knob to seamlessly blend between the two signals, along with phase (loop) and hi-cut (octave) toggles.

EDIT: This is where all my drive pedals go.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Nah, it wasn't an mkII that I had him build. I had a highly-specific idea brewing for some time and several folks thought it was complicated or didn't understand my approach, but Joe did - and delivered like a pro:

A loop switcher with a blendable/parallel Ringer-style analog octave up, including separate level controls for the loop and the octave circuit, as well as a "mix" knob to seamlessly blend between the two signals, along with phase (loop) and hi-cut (octave) toggles.

EDIT: This is where all my drive pedals go.

Ah someone else must have posted the jdm mkii build on here recently. I hadn't heard of them before that.

Can you post some pics of that build? It sounds cool.

 

[dronerstone]

Ah someone else must have posted the jdm mkii build on here recently. I hadn't heard of them before that.

Can you post some pics of that build? It sounds cool.

Here's the JDM "OLST" ("Octave Loop Switching Tool")

 

[SillyOctpuss]

I will report back with gut shots. I have some of an older Lumpy's Tone Shop MkII.

Nice. Tropical fish, a mullard oc82d and is that two NKT transistors?

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Here's the JDM "OLST" ("Octave Loop Switching Tool")

View attachment 52296

That's cool. I like that

 

[DrewJD82]

I've got vectorised artwork of the tone bender/fuzz face logos/controls so make my own, however as you're in the states check this place out. They have every decal you'll ever need in really high quality. They'll even do custom decals using the correct font but will say whatever you like.

Products

Guitar headstock logo decals and guitar effects pedal decals for restoration. Fender, Charvel, Ibanez, Jackson, Harmony, Carvin, Hondo, Guild, Gretsch, Ernie Ball, Fernandes, B.C. Rich, Dean, Washburn, Epiphone, Gibson, PRS, Les Paul, Fuzzface, ESP, EVH, G&L, Hagstrom, Kent, Hamer, H.S...

guitar-restore.net

Thanks, dude!!!!! This is awesome!!!

Now I gotta fight myself to hold out and wait for the bare enclosure and parts to make my own, instead of just ripping the EJ FF apart. I’ve wanted a faded blue (looks teal, really) FF since I was 11 years old and golly dangit, I’m gonna have one!

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Thanks, dude!!!!! This is awesome!!!

Now I gotta fight myself to hold out and wait for the bare enclosure and parts to make my own, instead of just ripping the EJ FF apart. I’ve wanted a faded blue (looks teal, really) FF since I was 11 years old and golly dangit, I’m gonna have one!

These guys are in the UK but if you want a really high quality case they're hard to beat. No point taking your EJ apart. They sell the FF cases with the correct jacks and beardy bit.

Home/Store - Fuzzcases

Fuzz pedal cases. Hand made cast aluminum enclosures. Made from original castings for the exact correct vintage size.

fuzzcases.com

Let me know if you need any help getting the right parts. I've already got BC183s that measure correctly for a EJ fuzz face which you can have. I was building one for myself but it didn't float my boat so took it apart.

 

[DrewJD82]

These guys are in the UK but if you want a really high quality case they're hard to beat. No point taking your EJ apart. They sell the FF cases with the correct jacks and beardy bit.

Home/Store - Fuzzcases

Fuzz pedal cases. Hand made cast aluminum enclosures. Made from original castings for the exact correct vintage size.

fuzzcases.com

Let me know if you need any help getting the right parts. I've already got BC183s that measure correctly for a EJ fuzz face which you can have. I was building one for myself but it didn't float my boat so took it apart.

Yeah, I’ve got these guys bookmarked for the empty FF case. I keep hoping to find one non-functioning for cheap but that hasn’t seemed to happen yet and the best way to learn the circuit is to actually build it out, so I need to stop being lazy and just order it.

I know I want to get my hands on some BC108’s, I dunno why the EJ FF is as dark sounding as it is, but I want to go in a different direction with it. Have I sent you the clip from EJ’s Total Electric Guitar that spawned this obsession?

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Yeah, I’ve got these guys bookmarked for the empty FF case. I keep hoping to find one non-functioning for cheap but that hasn’t seemed to happen yet and the best way to learn the circuit is to actually build it out, so I need to stop being lazy and just order it.

I know I want to get my hands on some BC108’s, I dunno why the EJ FF is as dark sounding as it is, but I want to go in a different direction with it. Have I sent you the clip from EJ’s Total Electric Guitar that spawned this obsession?

Yes it's a cool sound in that video and it's dark because it's biased at 3v. The JHF1 is biased at 5.75v which is one of the reasons it's a lot brighter. Definitely experiment with transistors though. Ive had tons of fun trying different transistors and gains. It's a really simple circuit and fun to learn on, it makes it easy to learn what each part does.

These guys are cool for fuzz face pcbs when you're ready to build. They often have lots of different coloured boards. I've got a purple one here for a build I've got coming up.

Modern PCBs

Our Modern PCB range is made from FR-4 substrate with a choice of coloured solder-mask and silkscreen and a RoHS compliant lead-free HASL finish on the exposed copper.

pigeonfx.com

 

[dronerstone]

Day-um!!!!

I might have to get this just for shits and giggles.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Day-um!!!!

I might have to get this just for shits and giggles.

Is this new?

 

[dronerstone]

Is this new?

Yup, right off the press.

It's only EHX, but interesting nonetheless. Despite the cheap parts etc. I have a lot of respect for them as a reputable company.

Some of their pedals are instant potatoes, but every once in a while they still hit it out of the park.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Yup, right off the press.

It's only EHX, but interesting nonetheless. Despite the cheap parts etc. I have a lot of respect for them as a reputable company.

Some of their pedals are instant potatoes, but every once in a while they still hit it out of the park.

I haven't bought another one after pots disintegrated on two I had.

 

[dronerstone]

I haven't bought another one after pots disintegrated on two I had.

I feel you...

I've had a similar experience when I tried to replace the knobs on a Memory Toy - the shaft broke right off despite careful handling (that's what she said?).

They got cheapo parts all over, but their post-"Trapezoid" phase upper tier units are usually fine. My POG 2 still works like new after all these years.

Anyhow, if you're aware of their weaknesses, you know what you're in for. If that doesn't scare you off, it's alright.

 

[dronerstone]

Fwiw, I checked out the Bender Royale manual on the EHX website, and I gotta say it ticks a lot of boxes: bias knob, additional treble shelving control, bias knob, "fat" mode, two clipping options, internal impedance trimmer, and momentary/latching footswitch

Street price in EU seems to be around 140€

Much better "just for fun" Bender than the Turdinger.