TONE BENDER (MkI/Metal Case) [Shipping Free〜8/31]

Welcome to TC Gakki! All photos are of the item for sale. Please note they are for sale in our store and may sell out. Thank you for looking! Feel free to ask any questions!

Product Details
________________________________

A model many pedal fanatics may only get the chance to own once in a lifetime — this is a TONE BENDER MkI, one of roughly 50 units built in 1965!

The Tone Bender is built around a 3-transistor circuit based on the Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone, and it went on to influence countless later fuzz pedals, with replicas still being built to this day. Engineer Gary Hurst began building and selling these around the summer of 1965. Early units were housed in wooden cases reportedly built by his brother — a prototype design later replaced by a folded steel enclosure with a gold finish. MkI production is said to have ended in December 1965, followed by the Mk2 (famously used by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin), the Mk3/Mk4, and the 2-transistor Mk1.5 in between.

Size: 20.5 x 10.5 x 6cm (including the feet on the bottom). Weight: 970g — a genuinely hefty, substantial feel. Material: steel, with either instant-lettering or silkscreen logos depending on the unit; this one has the silkscreen logo. The folded-steel construction and gold finish give it a luxurious look, with the gold catching the light and sparkling as the angle changes — reminiscent of the gold top finish on a Les Paul. The lettering "TONE BENDER" is tall and fairly narrow, with a small "SOLA SOUNDS LTD" near the upper left. It can be opened by removing four small screws on the sides. There are no rubber feet; instead, four rounded bumps on the enclosure itself keep it stable, and its solid, substantial build means it stays put no matter how hard you stomp on it, and won't break even if it gets kicked around.

Even with the ATTACK control at zero, it's already breaking up; like the wooden-case examples, distortion increases sharply from around the 9 o'clock position and then changes relatively little beyond that. Overall it's a mild, gated, rounded high-gain fuzz — rolling back the guitar volume gives more of a mild overdrive tone than a bell-like clean. It's a wilder sound than the wooden-case version, and quite different from any modern replica.

Transistors: one OC75 (Mullard) and two 2G381 (Texas Instruments). Also fitted with 500kΩ (LEVEL) and 50kΩ (ATTACK) pots, Cliff in/out jacks, chunky black Hunts A337 capacitors, Wima 25/15 and 0.01/400V capacitors, and Allen Bradley resistors. The battery snap has been replaced, and there are some other signs of past repair work in the solder joints.

Year: 1965
Accessories: none
______________________________
Please note that all items are for sale in our Tokyo store.
There is a chance they might be sold out. All items are shipped tracked and insured. All import duties or customs fees are the buyers responsibility - please be aware of the requirements for your country. If you have any questions please ask.