Timbre Twister (Vintage Versions)
Timbre Twister (Vintage Versions)
The “Timbre Twister” series are clones of the various incarnations of the Tonebender fuzz pedals. These are the big-box vintage-style versions, done in a variety of custom one-off paint jobs, with or without additional relic-ing.
The Mk1 was an early fuzz box, a predecessor and very close relative of the Zonk Machine. Like the Zonk Machine, it was originally made and sold in a large wedge-shaped, folded steel enclosure, and also like the Zonk Machine, the circuit was difficult to tune, so was produced in very small numbers and soon updated to the much more common MkII Pro which came in cast enclosures.
The raw vintage distortion, bags of sustain and controllable, musical feedback provided by the MkI made it a favourite of players such as Mick Ronson and Jeff Beck, and with good reason. A well-made MkI Tonebender is a joy to play.
The MkII was perhaps most famously used by Jimmy Page, possessing a sound somewhere between fuzz and overdrive, and it is not typically gated like the MkI. The Marshall Supa Fuzz was virtually identical to the MkII and is offered here as the “Supa Twister”.
The MkIII/IV has quite a different circuit again, adding a very effective tone control to the mix. Other famous variants of this circuit are the Park Fuzz and Prescription Electronics Yard Box.
I build these pedals onto hand-wired eyelet boards or vintage style PCB’s, and most versions include trim pots that allow the user to compensate for temperature changes, which can affect the bias.
The lettering is either hand-applied using vintage Letraset dry transfer, or UV printed for more complex designs and then varnished for protection.
Due to the material costs of putting these versions together, I usually only offer them as pre-order items. Please contact me if you are interested in placing an order.