Following weeks of anticipation and conjecture from the pedal community, Boss has revealed the latest in its boutique-minded Waza Craft series: the TB-2W Tone Bender MKII Fuzz. This pedal is set to offer a meticulous recreation of the classic Tone Bender MKII circuit in Boss’ iconic compact pedal enclosure.
The new pedal comes as the result of a collaboration between Boss and Sola Sound and sports the original Tone Bender font and classic style knobs, along with a variable voltage selector. Per Boss’ press release, “...each TB-2W features rare germanium transistors carefully tested for optimum tone.” While no pricing has yet been announced, Boss’ release indicates that the pedal will be a limited run and not available until this coming spring.
As part of the Waza Craft series, this pedal will join other reimagined classics like the Boss CE-2W chorus and DM-2W delay. Unlike these earlier entries, however, the TB-2W will be the first Waza pedal based around a pedal outside Boss’ own historic catalog.
The Tone Bender itself first came out in the mid-’60s in London and was one of the defining pieces of gear of the classic rock era. First designed by Gary Hurst and sold through Maccarri’s music shop on Denmark Street, the Tone Bender and its variations can be heard all over the classic recordings of David Bowie, Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin and countless others.
Stay tuned for more information on this epic fuzz collaboration. And for morsels from the history of pedals, stay tuned for the release of “The Pedal Movie,” Reverb’s first documentary film.