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1981 Inventions DRV No. 2 (LED Mod)
One of the most talked-about distortion pedals in the boutique world — in its most unique configuration yet. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The 1981 Inventions DRV No. 2 Blackout, running in LED clipping mode, pairs with the Kauer Guitars Electroliner — Lollar Sixty-Four Stratocaster pickups — into the vintage 1957 Fender Tweed Princeton 5F2-A with a re-coned vintage Jensen P12Q. The JAM Pedals RetroVibe MK.4 joins from 05:18.
The DRV2 is builder Matt's new standard circuit and enclosure — heavily textured black powder coat, slightly raised logo, long pointer black knobs. But the real story is what's happening inside: this unit runs LED clipping, specifically white LEDs, Matt's current personal favorite iteration of the circuit — and it changes the pedal's character in meaningful ways.
With standard diode clipping, the DRV has a familiar compression and softness at lower gain. LED clipping rewires that entirely. At zero gain the pedal is cleaner, firmer, more open — barely clipping clean, genuinely one of the most beautiful tones this circuit produces. More output, less compression, striking clarity on complex chords that lets the Lollar Sixty-Fours breathe fully. Explored from cranked Gain with Volume at amp unity (00:23), increasing DRV volume to slam the amp harder from 01:36, brighter tones with the Cut knob lowered from 03:23, and lower gain territory with Drive at noon from 04:26. Opening the CUT knob all the way is one of the great discoveries with this circuit — an unexpectedly excellent sound that rewards experimentation, explored at 05:56.
The DRV V2 circuit itself was over a year in development. Originally engineered by Jon Ashley of Bondi Effects, subsequently redesigned by John Snyder of Electronic Audio Experiments — who also worked on the LVL circuit. Quieter, more efficient, capable of running at 9V or 18V via internal switch. Hand assembled in Nashville, Tennessee.
Into a 5-watt, single 6V6 Class A Tweed Princeton with a vintage Jensen P12Q providing warm, mid-focused alnico character, the LED-clipped DRV2 finds a sweet spot a higher-wattage amp might never reveal. The JAM Pedals RetroVibe MK.4 brings its all-analog photocell-and-bulb Uni-Vibe character back into the chain, with tap tempo, ramping, and Chorus/Vibrato modes.
This is a rig built around the edge. Every knob setting tells a different story.
🎛️ 1981 Inventions: https://1981inventions.com 🎸 Kauer Guitars: https://www.kauerguitars.com 🎛️ JAM Pedals: https://www.jampedals.com
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🎸 Kauer Guitars Electroliner | Lollar Sixty-Four Stratocaster Set 🎛️ 1981 Inventions DRV No. 2 Blackout (LED Clipping) | JAM Pedals RetroVibe MK.4 🔊 Vintage 1957 Fender Tweed Princeton 5F2-A | Re-coned Vintage Jensen P12Q
Cunningham Amps Supa Fuzz | Guitar Pedal Demo
Cunningham Amps Supa Fuzz: Handmade New Zealand fuzz. A shell-pink relic Kauer. Lollar Sixty-Four single coils. A 5-watt tweed Princeton pushing a re-coned vintage Jensen into the room. And a photocell Uni-Vibe swirling through all of it. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Cunningham Amps Supa Fuzz runs into the Kauer Guitars Electroliner — Lollar Sixty-Four Stratocaster pickups — feeding a vintage 1957 Fender Tweed Princeton 5F2-A with a re-coned vintage Jensen P12Q, with the JAM Pedals RetroVibe MK.4 along for the ride.
The Cunningham Supa Fuzz is Auckland builder Tim Cunningham's faithful interpretation of the legendary Sola Sound Supa Fuzz — the circuit that sits between a Tone Bender and a Fuzz Face in character, used to define British rock tone in the mid-to-late 1960s. Tim builds each Supa Fuzz by hand, one at a time, in a heavy-duty sand-cast Olivetti-style enclosure that nods directly to the original hardware. Each pedal is individually voiced to its specific trio of NOS germanium transistors — no two are the same. Explored from cranked Attack with Volume at amp unity (00:17), boosting fuzz volume to slam the amp into compression from 01:11, and Attack and Volume both maxed at 03:03, with guitar volume lowered for clarity at 03:37.
The 1957 Fender Princeton 5F2-A is about as stripped-down and honest an amp platform as exists — single 6V6 power tube, 12AX7 preamp, 5Y3 rectifier, 5-watt Class A circuit with a smooth negative feedback loop keeping the breakup warm and musical. This unit has been fitted with a re-coned vintage Jensen P12Q in place of the original 8" speaker — an alnico-magnet, mid-focused 12" that was found in some of the most revered tweed-era American amps, giving a bigger, fuller low end and warm upper-mid bite.
The Lollar Sixty-Four Stratocaster set brings pre-CBS 1964 character — scatter-wound, wax-potted, Alnico 5 magnets degaussed to vintage spec. Prominent mids, clear treble, full piano-like attack — everything the classic Fuzz Face circuit was designed to work with.
The JAM Pedals RetroVibe MK.4 joins from 04:08 — the latest generation of JAM's celebrated all-analog Uni-Vibe, staying true to the photocell-and-bulb topology of the original 1960s units while adding tap tempo, a ramping function, and expression pedal control. Built in Athens, Greece.
This is a rig built for feel, not features. Every element in the chain earns its place.
🎛️ Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz
🎸 Kauer Guitars: https://www.kauerguitars.com
🎛️ JAM Pedals: https://www.jampedals.com
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🎸 Kauer Guitars Electroliner | Lollar Sixty-Four Stratocaster Set
🎛️ Cunningham Amps Supa Fuzz | JAM Pedals RetroVibe MK.4
🔊 Vintage 1957 Fender Tweed Princeton 5F2-A | Re-coned Vintage Jensen P12Q
Your Tube Screamer Search is Over | Jam Pedals Double Dreamer
Six gain stages, a swirling Uni-Vibe, a shell of single-coil clarity, and one very special 60-year-old amp. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The JAM Pedals Double Dreamer Dual Overdrive and JAM Pedals RetroVibe MK.4 pair with the Nash Guitars S63 — Lollar Blonde Special Stratocaster Set — into a vintage 1966 Fender Princeton Reverb.
The Double Dreamer is a handmade Greek masterpiece housing two of JAM's most celebrated overdrives in a single enclosure. Tubedreamer (left) is JAM's take on the legendary TS808 — carbon comp resistors, the JRC4558D chip (the same one found in original sought-after 808s), asymmetrical clipping via three diodes that makes it exceptionally responsive to picking and fretting nuance. Lucydreamer (right) is a Dry/Wet overdrive with less mid-hump and more low-end reach than the Tubedreamer, spanning from dynamic tube-amp-style breakup to full-bodied high-gain saturation via a high-gain-stage footswitch. A 3-way toggle assigns that footswitch to either side or both — up to six distinct gain stages accessible in real time.
Explored from 00:13 with Tubedreamer's Level and Gain cranked, Lucydreamer stacked into Tubedreamer from 03:45, the High Gain function engaged on both sides from 08:40, and each side isolated for boosted clean tones from 12:36 and 13:59. High Gain Mode revisited from 16:03, with both sides on and the RetroVibe MK.4 joining from 17:08.
The RetroVibe MK.4 is built with photocells, a bulb, original NOS 2SC828 transistors, and carbon comp resistors — delivering the character of the best vintage Uni-Vibe pedals in a modern, pedalboard-friendly enclosure with 9V DC operation internally lifted to 15V.
Through the warm, compressed voice of the Princeton Reverb's 6V6 circuit and the clear, touch-sensitive response of Lollar's Blonde Special set, the swirl gets intimate in all the right ways.
This is boutique tone done right — NOS components, handmade in Athens, singing through one of Fender's finest small-watt vintage circuits.
🎛️ JAM Pedals Double Dreamer: https://jampedals.com/shop/double-dreamer/ 🎛️ JAM Pedals RetroVibe MK.4: https://jampedals.com/shop/retrovibe/ 🎸 Nash Guitars: https://www.nashguitars.com 🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups
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🎸 Nash Guitars S63 | Lollar Blonde Special Stratocaster Set 🎛️ JAM Pedals Double Dreamer (Tubedreamer + Lucydreamer, Up to 6 Gain Stages) | JAM Pedals RetroVibe MK.4 (NOS 2SC828) 🔊 Vintage 1966 Fender Princeton Reverb
Keeley-Modded Ibanez TS9 | The Most Sought After Tube Screamer Strat Tone
Warm. Singing. Unmistakably Tube Screamer. The Keeley Plus-modded Ibanez TS-9 is one of the most respected modifications ever applied to one of the most iconic overdrive circuits in guitar history. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Keeley Plus-Modded Ibanez TS-9 pairs with the Nash Guitars S63 — Lollar Vintage Blonde (Neck + Middle), Lollar Special Strat (Bridge) — into a vintage 1966 Fender Princeton Reverb sourced from LA Vintage Gear in Los Angeles. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 08:49.
This is the same rig used for the R2R Electric x Waterslide Time-O-Lite Fuzz video — same guitar, same amp, same mics. Two completely different conversations. Watch that video here: https://youtu.be/M_EAIZxNRRU
Robert Keeley has been modding Tube Screamers since the early 2000s, and the Plus mod remains the benchmark. True bypass, enhanced clipping options, and a refinement of the TS-9 circuit that brings out its best qualities without losing what made the original special. Explored from cranked Volume and Gain with Tone at 2 o'clock at 00:00, through darker tones and lower gain from 04:20, gain cranked back up from 07:46, and the Effectrode Tube Vibe joining from 08:49 for classic post-overdrive modulation placement.
The Nash Guitars S63's pickup combination — Lollar Vintage Blonde in the neck and middle, Lollar Special Strat in the bridge — is a considered choice that delivers warmth and articulation where you need it and push where you don't, giving the Keeley-modded TS-9 a genuinely dynamic foundation to work from.
If you've been chasing that singing, vocal Tube Screamer tone into a vintage Fender, this is what it sounds like done right.
🎸 Nash Guitars: https://www.nashguitars.com 🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups 🎛️ Keeley Electronics: https://www.robertkeeley.com
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🎸 Nash Guitars S63 | Lollar Vintage Blonde (Neck + Middle) + Lollar Special Strat (Bridge) 🎛️ Ibanez TS-9 (Keeley Plus Mod) | True Bypass | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Vintage 1966 Fender Princeton Reverb
WAT Ranges Overdrive I Met This Builder at NAMM and His Overdrive Blew My Mind
Wonderful Audio Technology returns to the channel — this time with the Ranges Overdrive, a hand-wired, garage-built cascading gain machine from Ralf Gottschalk in Redlands, California. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Wonderful Audio Technology (W.A.T.) Ranges Overdrive pairs with the Wide Sky Guitars Tawa Semi-Hollow — Curtis Novak Humbuckers, Emerson Custom wiring and treble bleeds — into the Cunningham Amps Custom 35 through a 2x12" cab with Scumback H75-PVC speakers. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 13:21.
Buy a WAT Ranges Overdrive: https://www.wonderfulaudiotechnology.com/ranges
Also on the channel: the WAT Fuzz Lands.
Warm. Dynamic. Endlessly explorable. The Ranges is built around three carefully voiced JFET gain stages that cascade into each other through a full 3-band EQ, with a "More" switch that adds a fourth gain stage when you need to push further. From clean preamp shimmer to full-bore crunch, this pedal covers more tonal ground than anything previously featured on this channel.
Ralf Gottschalk was met at Wood Wire Volts during NAMM 2026 in Los Angeles — and the Ranges immediately felt like it belonged in this signal chain. Explored from unity level into a clean amp at 00:00, boosting the amp with pedal volume above unity from 10:18, and with the Effectrode Tube Vibe layered in for modulation from 13:21.
The Wide Sky Guitars Tawa's Curtis Novak Humbuckers and Emerson Custom wiring give the Ranges' cascading JFET stages plenty of dynamic range to work with — the treble bleed keeping clarity intact as the volume knob interacts with three or four stages of gain.
If you've ever wondered what happens when a boutique overdrive meets a boutique amp with no shortcuts in the signal chain — this is it.
🎛️ Wonderful Audio Technology Ranges: https://www.wonderfulaudiotechnology.com/ranges 🎸 Wide Sky Guitars: https://www.wideskyguitars.com 🎸 Curtis Novak Pickups: https://www.curtisnovak.com 🔊 Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz
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🎸 Wide Sky Guitars Tawa | Curtis Novak Humbuckers | Emerson Custom Wiring + Treble Bleeds 🎛️ Wonderful Audio Technology Ranges Overdrive | 3-4 Cascading JFET Gain Stages | 3-Band EQ | "More" Switch | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC
Now THIS is a MKI Tone Bender!!! | Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz
Cunningham Amps returns to the channel with the MKI Fuzz — Tim Cunningham's take on the iconic Tone Bender MKI circuit. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz pairs with the Gibson Custom Murphy Lab SG — Righteous Sound RAF A4/A2 Humbuckers — into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers.
The Tone Bender MKI is the original British fuzz — the 1965 Sola Sound circuit that predates the Fuzz Face and produces a distinctly saggy, compressed, explosive character. Tim Cunningham's take brings vintage-inspired fuzz tone with his own modern refinements — the same raw, expressive attitude that made the original a favorite of the earliest British Invasion players.
Explored from the introduction with Attack cranked and Volume at amp unity, pulling Attack back to noon from 00:59 for a more controlled character, and settling into a genuinely chug-tastic rhythm territory from 01:55. The Righteous Sound RAF A4 neck (~6.9K) and A2 bridge (~7.5K) humbuckers give the MKI a vintage-correct PAF foundation — open and airy in the neck, warm and vintage-voiced in the bridge — that suits the fuzz's saggy, compressed character particularly well.
🎛️ Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz/effect-pedals 🎸 Righteous Sound Pickups: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
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🎸 Gibson Custom Murphy Lab SG | Righteous Sound RAF (A4 Neck / A2 Bridge) 🎛️ Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz | Tone Bender MKI Circuit | Attack + Level 🔊 Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC
The Rarest American Fuzz, Recreated | R2R Electric Right-Fuzz
The Mosrite Fuzz-Rite — the rarest American fuzz circuit — recreated to exacting standards with original-era NOS parts by R2R Electric. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The R2R Electric Right-Fuzz pairs with the Shock the Fox TGF — Righteous Sound King St. P90, Emerson Custom wiring with Treble Bleed — pushing a Benson Redland 35 head through a Benson 2x12" cab. The Benson Tall Bird Plus adds reverb depth, and the JAM Pedals Retro Vibe MK4 makes a guest appearance running after the fuzz.
Designed in Bakersfield, California in 1966, the Mosrite Fuzz-Rite was America's answer to the Tone Bender and Fuzz Face — while the boutique fuzz world has spent decades obsessing over British germanium, this circuit has been hiding in plain sight. Fewer than 250 germanium versions ever left the factory before Mosrite went bankrupt in 1968. You've heard it on Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" and The Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog."
This R2R Electric Right-Fuzz was picked up directly from Chris Vincent at NAMM 2026, at the Wood Wire Volts booth in Los Angeles — and it hasn't left the board since. Three prototypes went into this build, loaded with USA-made germanium transistors, 1960s CTS pots, and period-correct capacitors — an exacting recreation of a circuit most players have never had the chance to hear, let alone own.
Explored from the introduction with Attack and Volume both cranked, through lower Attack levels from 01:42, and max Attack with the JAM Pedals Retro Vibe MK4 engaged from 03:22. Fuzz Attack maxed while exploring lower Volume levels from 05:53, with brighter amp EQ from 06:57. The new Benson Redland 35's Bass Scoop EQ knob gets its own dedicated exploration from 07:42, showing how the reimagined Redland tone stack interacts with a genuinely rare vintage American fuzz circuit.
The Shock the Fox TGF's Righteous Sound King St. P90 gives the Right-Fuzz exactly the raw, gnarly American character this circuit was built around — a single-pickup platform that lets the fuzz's unique voicing come through unobstructed.
If you've been sleeping on American germanium fuzz, this is your wake-up call.
🎛️ R2R Electric: https://www.r2relectric.com 🎸 Shock the Fox: https://www.instagram.com/shockthefox 🎸 Righteous Sound Pickups: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/amps/redland-35-head
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🎸 Shock the Fox TGF | Righteous Sound King St. P90 | Emerson Custom Wiring + Treble Bleed 🎛️ R2R Electric Right-Fuzz | Mosrite Fuzz-Rite Recreation | USA Germanium | 1960s CTS Pots | Period-Correct Caps | JAM Pedals Retro Vibe MK4 🔊 Benson Amps Redland 35 Head | Benson Tall Bird Plus | Benson 2x12" | Boss Waza TAE
This Silicon Fuzz Face is the holy grail | Reeves Electro 2n2 Face
Fast. Articulate. Dangerously loud. The Reeves Electro 2N2 Face is not your typical silicon Fuzz Face — a high volume, point-to-point hand-wired circuit tuned entirely by ear. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Reeves Electro 2N2 Face pairs with the Gronlund Guitars SC18 — TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons — into the Greer Amps Mini Chief and Smallblock 1x12" cab via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 04:10.
The 2N2 Face is built around carefully selected 2N2222A transistors, JB capacitors, and Fischer resistors, tuned by ear in Markus Reeves' garden workshop in Northamptonshire, England — no boards, no circuit traces, just components, solder, and decades of instinct.
What sets it apart from every other Fuzz Face on the market is the sheer volume on tap. Unity sits around 9-10 o'clock with the fuzz maxed — meaning cranked, this pedal becomes a massive boost into a breaking amp, unlocking complex overtones and harmonic richness most Fuzz Faces simply can't reach. Tight bass response, fast attack, articulate note separation, and a decay that never gets fizzy or spitty. Control the gain from the guitar's volume knob — that's the whole game.
Explored from 01:28 with fuzz volume at amp unity, moving through the neck pickup at 02:54 and extensive volume knob cleanup — "that Fuzz Face thing" — from 03:34. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 04:10 for classic Uni-Vibe modulation. Bridge pickup into a gainier amp from 05:26, with volume knob cleanup revisited on neck at 06:02 and with the Tube Vibe from 07:14.
The fuzz volume itself is pushed to slam the amp from 09:50, with amp volume progressively reduced for headroom and guitar volume reduced for clarity from 10:33 — a genuinely careful balancing act between all three variables that this circuit rewards. Maxed fuzz volume with the amp volume lowered to accommodate closes the demo from 12:56.
If you've been chasing the holy grail Fuzz Face tone, this might be the last stop.
🎛️ Reeves Electro 2N2 Face: https://reeveselectro.co.uk 🎸 Gronlund Guitars: https://www.gronlundguitars.com 🔊 Greer Amps: https://www.greeramps.com
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🎸 Gronlund Guitars SC18 | TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons 🎛️ Reeves Electro 2N2 Face | 2N2222A Si | JB Caps | Fischer Resistors | Point-to-Point | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Greer Amps Mini Chief | Greer Smallblock 1x12" | Boss Waza TAE
The Perfect Octavia Fuzz | Reeves Electro Twin Sound
Raw. Harmonically rich. Brutally musical. The Reeves Electro Twin Sound is not your typical octave fuzz — a vintage NOS circuit that snarls, blooms, and cleans up with a sensitivity that makes every note feel alive. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Reeves Electro Twin Sound Octave Fuzz pairs with the Gronlund Guitars SC18 — TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons — into the Greer Amps Mini Chief and Smallblock 1x12" cab via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 11:01.
The Twin Sound is built around three vintage NOS transistors: a 1968 Micro Electronics BC137, a 1980 CIL BC108 (white ceramic), and a 1980s Philips BC549c silver face. Not a straightforward octave fuzz clone — this circuit snarls, blooms, and cleans up with a sensitivity that makes every note feel genuinely alive.
The Attack knob is the primary character control, explored extensively across the demo. Different octave fuzz tones on the neck pickup from 03:06, very low Attack settings from 04:19, and Attack maxed alongside amp gain for high gain octave fuzz from 05:11 — with max Attack "absolutely wailing" from 06:37. Lower Attack levels revisited from 07:57 for contrast.
Fuzz volume pushed to boost the cranked amp for more compression from 08:28, then amp volume reduced to noon from 09:51 to make room for the fuzz volume to be cranked further. Extensive guitar volume knob cleanup from 10:37, with the Effectrode Tube Vibe joining from 11:01 for classic Uni-Vibe modulation on top of the octave fuzz character.
The TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons in the Gronlund SC18 give the Twin Sound plenty of clarity and chime to cut through with — from snarling octave lead lines to massive, piano-like low-end textures.
If you live on the edge of breakup and beyond, this one is for you.
🎛️ Reeves Electro Twin Sound: https://reeveselectro.co.uk 🎸 Gronlund Guitars: https://www.gronlundguitars.com 🔊 Greer Amps: https://www.greeramps.com
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🎸 Gronlund Guitars SC18 | TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons 🎛️ Reeves Electro Twin Sound Octave Fuzz | 1968 ME BC137 + 1980 CIL BC108 + 1980s Philips BC549c | NOS | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Greer Amps Mini Chief | Greer Smallblock 1x12" | Boss Waza TAE
Why the Supa MKI is one of the best fuzzes ever | R2R Electric Supa MKI
R2R Electric returns with the ultra-rare Supa MKI Fuzz — a stripped-down, high-impact vintage circuit with massive attitude and zero distractions. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The R2R Electric Supa MKI Fuzz pairs with the Gronlund Guitars T-Style — McNelly A5 Tele Pickups, Treble Bleed — into a vintage 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb fitted with a Fat Jimmy 1225 speaker.
The Supa MKI is one of the great unsung heroes of early British fuzz — Chris Vincent's build of just 12 units, loaded with NOS 1960s Philips OC75 germanium transistors, hand-selected and matched. Chris's take on the Marshall Supa Fuzz MKI circuit, the late-1960s amp builder version of the Tone Bender MKI family — immediate, punchy, harmonically aggressive, and incredibly expressive under the fingers, with the response kept tight, musical, and usable in modern rigs.
Explored from 00:00 with Fuzz Volume at amp unity and the Filter set at 10 o'clock on the bridge pickup, moving to neck pickup with volume knob cleanup at 03:47, bridge cleanup at 04:12, and guitar volume back to 10 on the bridge at 04:23.
Sonically, the Supa MKI lives in a fast-attack, mid-forward zone — tight low end, complex harmonic grind, and a bold top end that cuts through a mix without getting brittle. Cleans up beautifully from the guitar volume, responding instantly to pick dynamics.
The signal chain is all analog, four microphones from Royer, Lauten Audio, and Ohma into a Universal Audio Apollo x4, mixed in Ableton Live 12 — no IRs or virtual amps used on this channel, ever.
This closes out the five-fuzz R2R Electric series on this rig — also featuring the Time-O-Lite, PKIII, Replica Series MK1.5, and Replica Series MKII.
🎛️ R2R Electric: https://www.r2relectric.com 🎸 Gronlund Guitars: https://www.gronlundguitars.com 🎸 McNelly Pickups: https://mcnellypickups.com
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🎸 Gronlund Guitars T-Style | McNelly A5 Telecaster Pickups | Treble Bleed 🎛️ R2R Electric Supa MKI Fuzz | NOS Philips OC75 Ge | 12 Units Only | Marshall Supa Fuzz MKI Topology 🔊 Vintage 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb | Fat Jimmy 1225 Speaker
Why the MKII Tone Bender is legendary | R2R Electric Replica Series MKII Fuzz
R2R Electric returns with the Replica Series MKII Fuzz, Serial #3 — paired with the Gronlund Guitars T-Style on the same rig as the companion MK1.5 demo. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The R2R Electric Replica Series MKII Fuzz pairs with the Gronlund Guitars T-Style — McNelly A5 Tele Pickups, Treble Bleed — into a vintage 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb fitted with a Fat Jimmy 1225 speaker.
Also watch: R2R Electric Replica Series MK1.5 Fuzz, Serial #2.
This MKII was won in the same fiercely competitive R2R Electric eBay auction as the MK1.5 — Serial #3. The MKII is Chris Vincent's part-for-part recreation of the 1966-1969 Sola Sound Tone Bender MKII, the two-transistor germanium circuit that defined the fuller, thicker evolution of the earlier MKI, used extensively by Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and the early Rolling Stones.
The MKII delivers classic Tone Bender authority — thick low mids, aggressive harmonic texture, long sustain, and a bold, articulate top end that cuts without getting brittle. Explored from 00:00 with Attack cranked and Level at amp unity on the bridge pickup, moving to neck at 01:34, then exploring lower Attack levels from 01:45. Volume knob cleanup at 03:07, and again with Attack maxed at 03:29, showing how the fuzz's response character shifts across the full Attack range before guitar volume returns to 10 at 04:03.
Reacts beautifully to pick dynamics and guitar volume — a genuinely expressive vintage fuzz tone with modern consistency and reliability. The Gronlund T-Style's McNelly A5 Telecaster pickups and treble bleed give the MKII plenty of clarity, and the 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb's Fat Jimmy 1225 speaker delivers the air movement and dimensional breakup that lets the circuit's full character come through.
🎛️ R2R Electric: https://www.r2relectric.com 🎸 Gronlund Guitars: https://www.gronlundguitars.com 🎸 McNelly Pickups: https://mcnellypickups.com
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🎸 Gronlund Guitars T-Style | McNelly A5 Telecaster Pickups | Treble Bleed 🎛️ R2R Electric Replica Series MKII Fuzz | Serial #3 | Part-for-Part Recreation of 1966-1969 Sola Sound Tone Bender MKII 🔊 Vintage 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb | Fat Jimmy 1225 Speaker
Why the MK1.5 Tone Bender is goated 🐐 | R2R Electric Replica Series MK1.5
R2R Electric returns to the channel — this time with the Replica Series MK1.5 Fuzz, Serial #2, paired with the Gronlund Guitars T-Style. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The R2R Electric Replica Series MK1.5 Fuzz pairs with the Gronlund Guitars T-Style — McNelly A5 Tele Pickups, Treble Bleed — into a vintage 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb fitted with a Fat Jimmy 1225 speaker.
Also watch: R2R Electric Replica Series MKII Fuzz, Serial #3: https://youtu.be/-r1_SXLquoA
This particular MK1.5 was won in a fiercely competitive R2R Electric eBay auction — salute to the other bidders. Serial #2, loaded with two NOS 1964 Mullard OC75 germanium transistors, the same transistor type found in original MK1.5 units. The MK1.5 sits as the transitional circuit between the Fuzz Face and the Tone Bender MKI — a two-transistor design that delivers chewy low-end, complex harmonic bloom, fast pick attack, and that unmistakable early British fuzz midrange, cleaning up beautifully from the guitar's volume knob.
Explored from 00:00 with Attack maxed and Volume at amp unity on the bridge pickup, with extensive volume knob cleanup from 01:41 before guitar volume returns to maximum at 04:15. Touch-sensitive, dynamically rich, and brutally honest to hands and pickups.
The R2R Electric Replica Series represents Chris Vincent's most exacting work — part-for-part, component-for-component recreations using the exact same types of components found in the originals, hand-wired point-to-point.
The Gronlund T-Style's McNelly A5 Telecaster pickups and treble bleed give the MK1.5 plenty of clarity to cut through, and the 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb's Fat Jimmy 1225 speaker delivers real air movement and dimensional breakup that lets the pedal's character come through fully.
🎛️ R2R Electric: https://www.r2relectric.com 🎸 Gronlund Guitars: https://www.gronlundguitars.com 🎸 McNelly Pickups: https://mcnellypickups.com
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🎸 Gronlund Guitars T-Style | McNelly A5 Telecaster Pickups | Treble Bleed 🎛️ R2R Electric Replica Series MK1.5 Fuzz | Serial #2 | NOS 1964 Mullard OC75 Ge | Part-for-Part Recreation 🔊 Vintage 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb | Fat Jimmy 1225 Speaker
Other R2R Electric videos you might like:
https://www.edgeofbreakup.studio/latest-videos/the-best-nos-fuzz-face-r2r-electric-geface-deluxe
https://www.edgeofbreakup.studio/latest-videos/r2r-electric-uniform-fuzz
https://www.edgeofbreakup.studio/latest-videos/electric-machine-fuzz-r2r-electric-zonk-machine
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Don’t Sleep on this rare fuzz ⚡️ R2R PKIII Tone Bender into a Vintage ’65 Deluxe
A dedicated deep dive into the R2R Electric PKIII Fuzz — raw, articulate vintage fuzz that lives right on the edge of chaos while staying musical and expressive. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The R2R Electric PKIII Fuzz pairs with the Gronlund Guitars T-Style — McNelly A5 Telecaster Pickups — running straight into a vintage 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb.
The PKIII is based on the Park/"MKIII" style fuzz — a really important and often misunderstood chapter of British fuzz history. It's the evolutionary bridge between the wild early Tone Benders and the more refined, amp-like fuzz tones players started demanding toward the end of the 1960s.
Explored across bridge pickup from 00:00, neck from 00:55, a lower-gain exploration from 01:34, brighter EQ dialed in from 02:59, and max gain with darker tone from 04:22 through low gain dark tone at 04:47 and fully cranked gain at 05:03. The PKIII handles everything from glassy edge-of-breakup textures to fully saturated vintage fuzz, responding beautifully to pick attack, guitar volume changes, and amp interaction throughout.
The McNelly A5 Telecaster pickups bring clarity, punch, and extended top-end detail, while the 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb's dimensional compression and natural tube warmth let the fuzz breathe instead of flattening the signal.
Also watch: the full five-fuzz R2R Electric showcase featuring the PKIII, Time-O-Lite, Replica Series MK1.5 and MKII, and Supa MKI Fuzz.
🎛️ R2R Electric: https://www.r2relectric.com 🎸 Gronlund Guitars: https://www.gronlundguitars.com 🎸 McNelly Pickups: https://mcnellypickups.com
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🎸 Gronlund Guitars T-Style | McNelly A5 Telecaster Pickups 🎛️ R2R Electric PKIII Fuzz | Park/MKIII-Style British Fuzz | NOS Ge 🔊 Vintage 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb
A Vintage Darkroom Timer Became a NOS Germanium Fuzz Face! | R2R Electric into a Vintage ’65 Deluxe
A dedicated deep dive into the R2R Electric x Waterslide Guitars Time-O-Lite Fuzz — rare NOS OC44 black glass germanium transistors from the 1950s and '60s in a genuinely inspiring modern fuzz build. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The R2R Electric x Waterslide Guitars Time-O-Lite Fuzz pairs with the Gronlund Guitars T-Style — McNelly A5 Telecaster Pickups — into a vintage 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb pushing a Fat Jimmy 1225 speaker.
The Time-O-Lite is a collaboration between Chris Vincent (@djlavalamp) and Waterslide Guitars — a run of just 25 units built into genuine vintage darkroom photographic light timer enclosures, filled with NOS OC44 black glass germanium transistors from the 1950s and '60s. This circuit captures everything that made the earliest Fuzz Face-style fuzz so compelling — rich harmonic bloom, touch-sensitive cleanup, complex midrange grind — with the consistency and reliability of a modern boutique build.
Fuzz gain at max with amp at unity volume on the bridge pickup opens the demo, moving to the neck pickup with volume knob cleanup from 01:30. Bridge cleanup from 02:46 and neck cleanup from 03:05 are compared directly, with both pickups stacked in serial from 03:16 showing a genuinely thick, combined tonal option. Guitar volume back to 10 on the bridge closes the demo from 03:31.
The Gronlund T-Style's McNelly A5 Telecaster pickups give the Time-O-Lite exactly the kind of articulate pick attack and Tele snap that lets a vintage fuzz circuit breathe rather than collapsing into mush — wide dynamic range from clean twang through fully saturated fuzz. The 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb's original blackface circuit, paired with the Fat Jimmy 1225 speaker, gives the fuzz real air movement and dimensional breakup with authentic edge-of-breakup compression.
Also watch: the full five-fuzz R2R Electric showcase featuring the Time-O-Lite, PKIII, Replica Series MK1.5 and MKII, and Supa MKI Fuzz.
🎛️ R2R Electric: https://www.r2relectric.com 🎸 Gronlund Guitars: https://www.gronlundguitars.com 🎸 McNelly Pickups: https://mcnellypickups.com
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🎸 Gronlund Guitars T-Style | McNelly A5 Telecaster Pickups 🎛️ R2R Electric x Waterslide Guitars Time-O-Lite Fuzz | NOS OC44 Black Glass Ge ('50s-'60s) | 25 Units Only 🔊 Vintage 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb | Fat Jimmy 1225 Speaker
The Most Beautiful Tone Bender MKII Fuzz I’ve Ever Played | Reeves Electro
Classic Tone Bender bite with modern control. The Reeves Electro Red Dot Sound Fuzz is a deeply considered homage to the legendary Tone Bender MKII circuit, expanded with an external bias control that completely reshapes the pedal's feel and aggression. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Reeves Electro Red Dot Sound Fuzz pairs with the Gronlund Guitars SC18 — TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons, Treble Bleed — into the Greer Amps Mini Chief and Smallblock 1x12" cab with a Scumback S75-PVC speaker. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 09:40.
Built true point-to-point, the Red Dot Sound Fuzz uses a carefully selected set of vintage NOS silicon transistors: a matched pair of ME C1016 "Red Dot" TO-106 transistors from August 1975, and a single RCA 2N3053 from 1977. This delivers unmistakable classic Tone Bender character — tight bass, aggressive mid focus, and a fast, articulate attack that pairs beautifully with Filter'Trons and humbucker-style pickups. Silicon doesn't mean sterile here — with carefully measured components and intentional biasing, the difference between silicon and germanium in this circuit is far more subtle than the myths suggest.
The Bias control is the defining feature. Clockwise: thick, chewy, open, loud, dynamic fuzz — explored from 03:19. Mid sweep: classic MKII bite with vocal mids and authority — the starting point at 01:33. Anti-clockwise: brighter, cutting MKI-style aggression — explored from 04:49. To dial the classic MKII "edge-of-collapse" tone, mute the strings and slowly turn the bias until the background hiss disappears — the transistors are technically switched off, but the instant you touch the strings they roar back to life. Push further and the attack becomes spitty, stop-start, unstable, until the signal collapses entirely.
Unlike the Black Hat Sound Fuzz, the Red Dot cleans up very differently from the guitar's volume knob. With bias fully clockwise, the volume knob behaves almost like a gain control for the first quarter turn — clear, dynamic, articulate. As bias moves anti-clockwise, cleanup gets more brittle, raw, and spitty. Explored extensively from 08:44 for high gain clarity, and again from 10:39 with Bass Cut mode engaged.
Bass Modes are compared directly from 07:05 — the Bass boost/cut switch adds weight without turning the low end to mush, explored on both neck (01:33) and bridge (08:13) pickups. Through the Mini Chief and Scumback S75-PVC, the fuzz stays tight in the lows, forward in the mids, incredibly responsive to right-hand dynamics — think Mick Ronson on Ziggy Stardust: biting, present, aggressive, never thin.
Every Reeves Electro pedal is entirely hand-built in a garden workshop in Northamptonshire, UK — drilled, painted, acid-etched, true point-to-point construction using JB and Vishay capacitors, Lumberg jacks, and Alpha pots. Each pedal tested by ear, not meters. Boss-style 2.1mm center-negative DC jack only, no battery — stable, reliable, and immune to the power quirks that plague germanium circuits.
If you love your fuzz biting, reactive, vintage-correct, and alive under your fingers, this one delivers.
🎛️ Reeves Electro Red Dot Sound Fuzz: https://reeveselectro.co.uk 🎸 Gronlund Guitars: https://www.gronlundguitars.com 🔊 Greer Amps: https://www.greeramps.com
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🎸 Gronlund Guitars SC18 | TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons | Treble Bleed 🎛️ Reeves Electro Red Dot Sound Fuzz | ME C1016 Red Dot x2 (Aug. 1975) + RCA 2N3053 (1977) | Tone Bender MKII Homage | External Bias | Bass Boost/Cut | Point-to-Point | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Greer Amps Mini Chief | Greer Smallblock 1x12" | Scumback S75-PVC
British Rock Grit, No Apologies | Reeves Electro 108Master Treble Booster
The Reeves Electro 108Master gets a dedicated deep dive — a silicon-driven British rock boost built for Beano-era Clapton, Jimmy Page swagger, and Rory Gallagher fire, with zero apologies for being anything but polite. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Reeves Electro 108Master pairs with the Gronlund Guitars SC18 — TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Tron pickups, Emerson Custom Treble Bleed — into the Greer Amps Mini Chief and Smallblock 1x12" cab. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 03:56.
The 108Master is not a transparent boost — it's meant to add attitude, grit, and urgency. As you increase the boost, the grit comes with it: raw, forward, and unapologetic. Explored across the neck pickup from 01:15 and bridge from 02:59. The Range control lets you bring back low mids to fatten the sound and add a touch more gain when needed, explored from 04:36. The Bright switch gently pulls back presence if things get too spiky, without sacrificing the pedal's snarling character — explored from 05:48.
This is a pedal that doesn't want to live into a pristine clean amp — it can genuinely sound lifeless that way. The magic happens paired with a slightly breaking-up tube amp, or stacked into a Klon-style or Bluesbreaker-style overdrive set to low gain. Goose it hard and the tone leaps out of the mix, picking dynamics sharpen, and articulation becomes effortless. Volume knob cleanup explored extensively from 07:40 and again with the Tube Vibe from 09:12, with the amp fully cranked and guitar volume back to 10 from 10:33.
The 108Master is a genuinely misunderstood pedal until you spend real time with it — after that, it becomes essential.
Every Reeves Electro pedal is entirely hand-built in a garden workshop in Northamptonshire, UK — enclosures etched and drilled in-house, every circuit built true point-to-point using only component leads, no PCBs, no traces. The gunmetal finish is an oxidation process that shows natural patina from casting and aging, and will wear and polish gracefully over time, especially around the corners, just like great vintage gear. Requires a Boss-style 2.1mm center-negative DC power supply — no battery snap.
If you believe a boost pedal should add attitude, grit, and urgency rather than transparency, the 108Master belongs in your rig.
🎛️ Reeves Electro 108Master: https://reeveselectro.co.uk 🎸 Gronlund Guitars: https://www.gronlundguitars.com 🔊 Greer Amps: https://www.greeramps.com
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🎸 Gronlund Guitars SC18 | TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons | Emerson Custom Treble Bleed 🎛️ Reeves Electro 108Master | Silicon British Rock Boost | Range + Bright Switch | Point-to-Point | Hand-Built in Northamptonshire, UK | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Greer Amps Mini Chief | Greer Smallblock 1x12"
Hand-Wired Like a Sculpture | Reeves Electro Tone Bender MKI Fuzz
Messy. Vocal. Unhinged — but musical. The Reeves Electro Black Hat Sound Fuzz is a brutally expressive, vintage-inspired fuzz for players who live on the edge of breakup and beyond. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Reeves Electro Black Hat Sound Fuzz pairs with the Gronlund Guitars SC18 — TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons, Treble Bleed — into the Greer Amps Mini Chief and Smallblock 1x12" cab with a Scumback S75-PVC Alnico speaker, via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 09:19.
Based on the 183Sound Fuzz but pushed further, the Black Hat Sound Fuzz adds an external bias control that sweeps from smooth, flowing sustain to spitty, buckling, voltage-starved chaos — without ever losing low-end authority or midrange cut. At its heart is a matched pair of ultra-rare NOS ME4003 "Black Hat" silicon transistors from the 1970s, housed in TO-106 metal cans. The result is a fuzz that feels genuinely alive under the fingers — insanely pick-sensitive, highly responsive to the guitar's volume knob, and packed with grainy, vocal character reminiscent of early MKI-style circuits.
With the Bass switch engaged, the low end stays tight and massive rather than flabby — explored from 05:26 (cut) and 06:56 (engaged, with higher amp gain and more fuzz compression). Flip the output cap switch and the fuzz tightens up for a more nasal, cutting character that recalls early FZ-style fuzz textures, especially when the Bias is pushed into its final gated range. The last 20% of the Bias sweep gets wonderfully unstable — broken, saggy, squelchy, and gloriously rude, explored from 02:50 through 04:25 and revisited with cleanup from 12:36.
This circuit especially lifts humbucker-equipped guitars, adding attack, presence, and articulation without smearing the low strings — chewy and fractured down low, blooming and sweet higher up the neck while still slicing through a mix. The TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons in the Gronlund SC18 give it a Filter'Tron character to cut through with, tested here at length.
Every Black Hat Sound Fuzz is entirely hand-built in a garden workshop in Northamptonshire, UK — drilled, painted, and acid-etched with true point-to-point construction, no PCB, no traces, no shortcuts. Each pedal is played and signed off by ear, not by meters or tone generators, and no two acid-etched gunmetal enclosures look exactly alike. Boss-style 2.1mm center-negative DC jack only, no battery.
Volume knob cleanup explored extensively from 10:22, with amp volume pushed harder from 11:26.
If you like your fuzz messy, squelchy, vocal, and unapologetically raw — but still tight where it counts — this one might be dangerous for your wallet.
🎛️ Reeves Electro Black Hat Sound Fuzz: https://reeveselectro.co.uk 🎸 Gronlund Guitars: https://www.gronlundguitars.com 🔊 Greer Amps: https://www.greeramps.com
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🎸 Gronlund Guitars SC18 | TV Jones TV Classic Filter'Trons | Treble Bleed 🎛️ Reeves Electro Black Hat Sound Fuzz | NOS ME4003 "Black Hat" Si (TO-106, 1970s) | External Bias | Bass Switch | Output Cap Switch | Point-to-Point | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Greer Amps Mini Chief | Greer Smallblock 1x12" | Scumback S75-PVC Alnico | Boss Waza TAE
Get that Brian May Queen Tone ⚡️ Reeves Electro May Boost (Rangemaster / Treble Booster)
If you love Brian May or Mick Ronson tones, the Reeves Electro May Boost might be your new mid-hump secret weapon. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Reeves Electro May Boost pairs with the Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul R8 Historic — Ron Ellis LRP Humbuckers, Emerson Custom x Edge of Breakup Prewired Kit — into the Milkman Sound 10W Tweed with a Scumback S75-PVC speaker. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 06:05.
Get the Emerson Custom x Edge of Breakup Les Paul Prewired Kit: https://emersoncustom.com/products/eob-les-paul-prewired-kit-premier-pro?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG
The May Boost is Markus Reeves' Brian May-inspired silicon Rangemaster-style circuit — an NOS Micro Electronics C1016R Red Dot transistor dating back to December 1984, hand-selected and expertly tuned to avoid the icepick highs some treble boosters are known for, delivering snarling mids instead.
The secret weapon is a built-in input transformer wired to act as an inductor right at the pedal's input. This acts as a pickup simulator, meaning you can place other pedals in front of the May Boost without it destroying your tone — a genuinely unusual capability for a treble booster. It also creates a specific resonant peak around 900Hz, the exact frequency behind that classic Queen guitar bite. First-in-chain placement is still the classic move for the most glassy volume knob cleanup, but the transformer opens up placement flexibility most Rangemaster-style boosts simply don't have.
Two voicings via toggle switch: Laser Beam mode (traditional lean low end with bright, searing high mids — explored from 02:22 and again at 07:41) and Dynamite mode (a darker boost, better suited to already-bright amps and pickups — explored from 05:07). Volume knob cleanup explored from 03:44, with the Effectrode Tube Vibe joining from 06:05 for added movement.
Run it into a cooking tube amp, or stack it into a low-gain drive — that's when it really comes alive.
🎛️ Reeves Electro May Boost: https://reeveselectro.co.uk 🔊 Milkman Sound: https://milkmansound.com 🎸 Ron Ellis Pickups: https://www.ronellispickups.com
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🎸 2002 Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul R8 Historic | Ron Ellis LRP Humbuckers | Emerson Custom EoB LP Kit 🎛️ Reeves Electro May Boost | NOS Micro Electronics C1016R Red Dot (Dec. 1984) | Built-In Input Transformer/Inductor | Laser Beam/Dynamite Voicing | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Milkman Sound 10W Tweed | Choke-Filtered Class A | Scumback S75-PVC 12"
Unbelievable Treble Booster – Tiny Size! | Expresso FX Ge Boost Mini | NOS Philips OC141 Transistor
The Expresso FX Germanium Boost Mini gets a dedicated deep dive — NOS Philips OC141 transistor, paired with a low-watt tweed amp for a genuinely musical boost experience. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Expresso FX Ge Boost Mini (NOS Philips OC141) pushes the Milkman Sound 10-Watt Tweed Amplifier, with the Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul R8 Historic wired with the Emerson Custom x Edge of Breakup Prewired Kit — Premier Pro Pots, Caps, and Treble Bleeds. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 07:22.
Get the Emerson Custom x Edge of Breakup Les Paul Prewired Kit: https://emersoncustom.com/products/eob-les-paul-prewired-kit-premier-pro?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG
The Expresso FX Ge Boost Mini is a compact Rangemaster-style germanium boost hand-wired around an NOS Philips OC141 transistor — an NPN device that's negative ground and daisy-chain friendly, with a creamy, well-balanced tonal character. Genuine Hammond aluminium enclosure.
This demo is a genuinely thorough exploration of the pedal's internal EQ voicing options against the Milkman 10W Tweed's own natural compression. Bypassed comparison from 00:31, then boosting high frequencies from 00:46, mids from 02:21, full frequency from 03:01, and back to highs from 03:25 — each pass showing how the OC141's warmth and clarity translate differently depending on which frequency range is being pushed into the front end of a Class A tweed circuit. Guitar volume dialed back into a cranked amp from 04:38 shows the cleanup response, and further mids and low-mid boost variations are explored from 05:58 and 06:09.
The amp's own gain is dropped to a lower setting from 06:57 for a cleaner boost character, with the Effectrode Tube Vibe entering from 07:22 for rich, psychedelic modulation that stacks effortlessly with the Ge Boost Mini. Amp volume progressively increased from noon (07:53) through 3 o'clock (08:33), with the Tube Vibe's own boost maxed to slam the amp even harder from 09:45.
This is germanium boost done right — enhancing what's already there rather than covering it up.
What's next: treble boosters vs. germanium boosts, Milkman comparisons, or full edge-of-breakup rigs? Drop your vote in the comments.
🎛️ Expresso FX: https://expressofx.com 🔊 Milkman Sound: https://milkmansound.com 🎛️ Emerson Custom: https://emersoncustom.com
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🎸 2002 Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul R8 Historic | Emerson Custom EoB LP Kit + Premier Pro Pots + Caps + Treble Bleeds 🎛️ Expresso FX Ge Boost Mini | NOS Philips OC141 Ge | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Milkman Sound 10W Tweed | Choke-Filtered Class A | Jupiter 12-LA-P Alnico
The MKII Tone Bender Perfected | Expresso FX Fuzz Bender MKII
Expresso FX returns to the channel with the Fuzz Bender MKII — Sof's faithful three-transistor recreation of the Tone Bender MKII circuit. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Expresso FX Fuzz Bender MKII pairs with the Giordano Guitars Tributo Korina Special — Sunbear '58 Reserve SB-PAF Humbuckers, Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds — into the Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers and Echo Fix EF-X3 Tape Echo.
Reach out to Sof on Instagram DM for current inventory: https://www.instagram.com/expressofx/ Learn about the Fuzz Bender MKII: https://expressofx.com/product/fuzz-bender-mkii/
In Sof's own words:
"Our Fuzz Bender MkII is a faithful recreation of the three-transistor-based fuzz circuit of the Bender family. This is an immaculate reproduction of a classic pedal, but with a few tweaks for performance and reliability improvements. We have sourced an amazing stock of rare and highly sought after NOS components — some amazing NOS Mullard and Philips capacitors, NOS Allen Bradley carbon composition resistors, and an array of top grade NOS Mullard germanium transistors. Every component used is of the highest quality, with absolutely no compromise. The circuit is housed in a high quality large aluminium enclosure, professionally powder coated to our exact specification."
This build is loaded with two NOS Mullard OC75 and one NOS Mullard OC76 germanium transistors. The Tone Bender MKII was the fuller, thicker evolution of the original MKI — three transistors producing more sustain and a richer low end than its predecessor, the sound behind the sludgier end of British psychedelic and early hard rock guitar. Explored on the Cunningham Custom 35's Tweed channel from 01:24, with the Bias knob sweep from 03:22 across both Sunbear '58 Reserve bridge and neck humbucker positions, and extensive volume knob cleanup from 04:13.
The interaction between Level, Attack, Bias, and the amp's own gain and compression is the real story of this demo — reducing MKII Level while raising amp gain sharpens the fuzz's top end edge (06:07), while lowering Attack and cranking Level pushes more amp compression (07:26). Max Attack, Level, and Bias together from 08:35, then pulled back for more clarity from 09:20. The demo closes on the Cunningham's Plexi channel from 10:32 for a final comparison with more amp gain on tap.
The Sunbear '58 Reserve (now '58 Archive) SB-PAF set — inspired by guitarist Bob Wootton's original 1958 Burst — gives the Fuzz Bender MKII a genuinely vintage-correct PAF foundation. Bridge Alnico II (~8.1K), Neck Alnico III (~7.4K).
🎛️ Expresso FX: https://expressofx.com 🎸 Giordano Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/giordanoguitars/ 🎸 Sunbear Pickups: https://www.sunbearpickups.com 🔊 Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz
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🎸 Giordano Guitars Tributo Korina Special | All-Korina | Sunbear '58 Reserve SB-PAF (AII Bridge ~8.1K / AIII Neck ~7.4K) | Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds 🎛️ Expresso FX Fuzz Bender MKII | NOS Mullard OC75 x2 + OC76 | NOS Mullard/Philips Caps | NOS Allen Bradley Carbon Comp | Level / Attack / Bias | Echo Fix EF-X3 🔊 Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC | Tweed + Plexi Channels