Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Origin Effects DCX Boost

The Origin Effects DCX Boost back on the channel — this time going deeper into how it interacts with other Origin Effects pedals in the chain. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Origin Effects DCX Boost takes center stage alongside the Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact and Deluxe61 — featuring the Giordano Guitars '60s S-Model, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander.

The DCX is Origin Effects' translation of the Universal Audio 610 recording preamp into guitar pedal format — a studio preamp that engineers have used for decades at all gain levels, from transparent signal enrichment to saturated harmonic complexity. Four knobs: Level, Drive, LF, HF. Two switches: Mode (EQ or OD) and Voice (Dark, Flat, Medium).

OD mode keeps the treble rolloff fixed and active regardless of dynamics — the more consistent, higher-gain voicing. EQ mode engages Origin's Adaptive Circuitry: treble stays flat when the signal is clean, then progressively rolls off as overdrive increases, responding to picking dynamics and guitar volume changes. This makes the DCX behave like a living signal chain rather than a fixed EQ.

The LF and HF knobs are active EQ specifically voiced for electric guitar — bass boost without mud, treble boost without harshness, flat at noon on both. This demo begins in OD mode with Gain maxed, moves into EQ mode, then inverts the control scheme — Level maxed, Gain used as a level control to push the amp — before the DCX is used as a boost slamming the Deluxe61 and Revival Drive Compact. Using the DCX as a clean line boost driving another overdrive's input is where the 610 preamp character really opens up — the LF and HF shaping changes the frequency content feeding the downstream pedal, not just the level.

🎛️ Origin Effects DCX Boost: https://origineffects.com/product/dcx-boost/
🎸 Giordano Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/_giordanoguitars_/
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Cunningham Amps Zonk MKI Fuzz Pedalboard Edition

Cunningham Amps returns to the channel with the Pedalboard Edition of the Zonk MKI — the same two legendary circuits from the collaboration version, now in a pedalboard-friendly enclosure. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Cunningham Amps Zonk MKI Pedalboard Edition takes center stage — featuring the Giordano Guitars '60s S-Model, into the Benson Amps Vincent via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander with the Benson Tall Bird Reverb in the effects loop. The R2R Electric Vintage Wah and Effectrode Tube Vibe also feature in the demo.

Get on the Cunningham Amps email list and follow Tim on Instagram — limited drops go extremely quickly: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz

The Zonk MKI Pedalboard Edition pays homage to two legendary circuits from 1965 that are close relatives but meaningfully different: the Hornby Skewes Zonk Machine and the Sola Sound Tone Bender MKI. Both are descended from the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone. A single mode switch selects between them, and two knobs — Fuzz/Attack (gain) and Swell/Level (output) — cover both circuits.

This run of the Pedalboard Edition uses three hand-matched NOS transistors: Texas Instruments 2N1307 in Q1, a Black Glass OC45 in Q2, and Texas Instruments 2G308 in Q3. Tim optimises each build specifically for its transistors — no two Cunningham builds are exactly alike.

The two circuits differ in one critical way: the Tone Bender MKI's input capacitor is ten times larger than the Zonk Machine's. This allows significantly more bass and midrange content through the circuit, delivering a fuller, throatier, more fat attack. The Zonk Machine, by contrast, is more angular — more distinctively gating, more mid-forward and gnarly, particularly when adjusting guitar volume or pick attack. Both respond dramatically to the guitar volume knob, which is explored in depth throughout this demo. Level set higher adds low-mid body and fattens the overall character; lower Level is brighter and more articulate. The interaction between Fuzz, Level, and guitar volume is the core of this pedal.

Signed certificate of authenticity and custom carry bag included. Handmade in New Zealand by Tim Cunningham.

🎛️ Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz
🎸 Giordano Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/_giordanoguitars_/
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Kingtone Duellist v2

KingTone Guitar returns to the channel with the V2 of their most celebrated dual overdrive. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the KingTone Guitar Duellist V2 takes center stage — featuring the Frank Brothers Arcade Thinline with Lollar The Bird Humbuckers, into the Benson Amps Monarch and Benson 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The KingTone Vibe 1968 joins for the second half.

Jesse Davey (based in Los Angeles, building KingTone pedals by hand in the USA) describes the Duellist's origin: on tour, he would run two overdrive pedals — one for rhythm, one for lead, both together for full-on moments. The Duellist puts both in one box with independent footswitches, plus the ability to stack them in either order and add extensive tonal shaping via dipswitches.

Two channels. String Singer (Side A) is built around Tube Screamer DNA — vocal, mid-forward, singing lead tones from the cleanest of cleans through crunched lead. Heavy Hand (Side B) is built around the Marshall Bluesbreaker — highly dynamic, sensitive to pick attack, blues-to-Marshall breakup territory.

Each channel has Drive, Volume, and Tone controls plus the Fat/Stock/Glass pre-clipping EQ voicing switch unique to KingTone. Fat is the amp-like, full-bodied setting with more low-mid content — cranked tube amp character. Stock is the circuit at its standard voicing. Glass is brighter and more cutting, pulling back low-mid content for a cleaner, more articulate attack. These three voicings dramatically expand the usable tonal range of each channel independently.

The V2 additions over V1: a custom CNC-machined 6061 aluminum enclosure. Side-panel quad dipswitches — Add Warmth to Side A, Symmetrical Clipping for Side A, Add Distortion to Side B, Symmetrical Clipping for Side B — accessible without opening the pedal, adding near-infinite tonal variations when combined with the Fat/Stock/Glass switches and the stacking. A-B/B-A channel order switch on the right side panel (V1 required TRS cables to swap order). TRS FX loop between the two drives still available for inserting effects between the channels. High quality 4558 op-amp chips. Hand-wired. 9V DC or internal battery.

🎛️ KingTone Duellist V2: https://www.kingtoneguitar.com
🎸 Frank Brothers Guitar Company: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com
🎸 Lollar The Bird: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Walrus Audio Lore

Five programs of time-warping reverse delay and reverb, two DSP chips feeding into each other, and Mix that goes 100% full wet. The Walrus Audio Lore is an ambient creation machine. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Walrus Audio Lore Reverse Soundscape Generator takes center stage — all five programs explored in full — featuring the Frank Brothers Arcade Goldtop with Lollar Mini Humbuckers, into the Benson Amps Monarch and Benson 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander.

The Lore is built around two discrete DSP chips running in series, each with their own independent analog feedback path. The feedback paths interact differently in each program — they ping-pong, swell, and feed into each other in ways that change character based on where Feedback and Regen are set. The X knob changes function per program.

Five programs:

Program 1 — Reverse Delay into Reverse Reverb. The feedback paths ping-pong the reverses into each other, building atmosphere that swells and expands. X controls the depth of the reversal. Full wet Mix with this mode is the highlight of this demo.

Program 2 — Reverse Delay into Octave Up Reverb. The Regen knob introduces a shimmering octave-up harmonic into the reverb decay. X controls the reverb decay.

Program 3 — Reverse Delay into Octave Down Reverb. The counterpart to Program 2 — the octave is pulled down instead of up, giving an oceanic, heavy atmospheric weight below the dry signal. Some of the most musical and immediately usable sounds in this demo.

Program 4 — Reverse Reverb into Forward Reverb. The Feedback knob adds a lower octave to the reverse reverb; Regen adds an octave up. X controls the decay of the forward reverb. Time-stretching allows control of the size and character of the space — transforms guitar into rich ambient pads instantly.

Program 5 — Pitch Delay into Pitch Delay. Two complementary pitch delays working together. Can function as a harmonizer at short delay times or a step sequencer at longer settings.

Seven controls: Feedback, Regen, Mod, X, Mix, Tone, Time. Tap tempo. Momentary Dive/Rise (hold tap switch to warp clock rate). Mod rate adjustable by holding bypass and turning Mod knob. Buffered bypass. 9VDC 300mA.

🎛️ Walrus Audio Lore: https://www.walrusaudio.com/products/lore-reverse-soundscape-generator
🎸 Frank Brothers Guitar Company: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com
🎸 Lollar Mini Humbucker: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Reeves Electro Darlington Flyer Fuzz | Humbucker Tones!

The Darlington Flyer returns — this time with humbuckers, to show the other half of what this pedal can do. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Reeves Electro Darlington Flyer takes a second run — this time featuring the Frank Brothers Arcade Thinline with Righteous Sound RAF Humbuckers (A4 neck / A2 bridge), into the Benson Amps Monarch. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins for the second half.

Watch the first Darlington Flyer demo with the Giordano Guitars single coils here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPrLfFMoBXk&t=2s

The Daughterboard Series is built entirely by Izzy Reeves — Markus' daughter — in their garden workshop in Northamptonshire, UK. Izzy handles the design, powder coating, drilling, screen printing, and assembly. Get on the Reeves Electro mailing list, these sell out extremely quickly: https://reeveselectro.co.uk

Quick recap of the circuit: a single-transistor fuzz with two switchable transistor voices. The Darlington Flyer mode uses a 1979 Motorola MPSA013 Darlington transistor — smooth, compressed, high-sustain. The Bipolar Junction mode uses a late-1980s Philips Silverface BC546 — more open, grittier, slightly gated. Fat Controller EQ toggle is full-range and bold. Narrow Gauge (Skinny) reduces low end for a more focused forward voice. Volume is the only knob. Fuzz gain is fixed.

What humbuckers reveal here versus the single coil demo: the Righteous Sound RAF's higher output — particularly the Alnico 4 neck pushing more signal into the circuit — compresses the Darlington transistor earlier and more completely, giving the Darlington Flyer mode an even thicker, more saturated character than with single coils. The Bipolar Junction mode's gated quality shifts meaningfully with humbuckers — the gating is less dramatic with higher output, which actually makes the BJT mode more immediately usable across more of the volume sweep. The Narrow Gauge switch does more useful work with humbuckers than with single coils, tightening up the low end that the RAF's alnico magnets naturally emphasize.

🎛️ Reeves Electro Darlington Flyer: https://reeveselectro.co.uk/products/the-darlington-flyer-switchable-transistor-fuzz
🎸 Frank Brothers Guitar Company: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com
🎸 Righteous Sound Pickups: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

🎸 Frank Brothers Arcade Thinline | Righteous Sound RAF Humbuckers (A4 Neck / A2 Bridge)
🎛️ Reeves Electro Darlington Flyer | MPSA013 Darlington + BC546 BJT | Fat Controller / Narrow Gauge | Daughterboard Series
🎛️ Also: Effectrode Tube Vibe
🔊 Benson Amps Monarch

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Dazatronyx Transistor Fuzz

The most faithful recreation of the Tall Font Russian Muff available — hand-built in Melbourne, with one very welcome addition. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Dazatronyx ТРАНЗИСТОР (Transistor) Fuzz takes its channel debut — featuring the Black Bobbin JM by Iconic Guitars with Lollar Black Bobbin Jazzmaster Pickups, into the Benson Amps Monarch, with the Echo Fix EF-X3 Tape Echo added later in the demo.

🎛️ Grab a Transistor: https://www.dazatronyx.com/#transistor

Dazatronyx is the work of Darron Thornbury, building pedals entirely by hand at home in Melbourne, Australia — designed, powder coated with Dulux Australia's industrial powder coat (tougher than the originals), drilled, printed, soldered, and assembled in one place by one person.

The ТРАНЗИСТОР (Transistor) — the Cyrillic spelling is the point — is a faithful recreation of the V7C Tall Font Russian Big Muff, the most sought-after variant of the Russian-era Electro-Harmonix muffs produced in the 1990s. The Tall Font Russian is famous for its more musical low-frequency clarity and bloom compared to earlier muff variants — thicker in the low end, smoother in the midrange, less nasal and scooped. Darron has kept the entire design true to the original: carbon film resistors (period-correct), polystyrene capacitors in a 1000pF dual series configuration at each gain stage (exactly as the originals), and Soviet black glass clipping diodes.

The one addition that Darron considers too useful to leave out: a Mids control. Rotated fully counterclockwise it delivers exactly the original Russian Muff tone — the deep mid scoop that defines the circuit. Move it clockwise and the mid scoop fills in progressively, taking the Transistor from classic scooped Muff territory into a more focused, present, cutting character. The Mids control interacts with the Tone knob in a way that expands the usable range of the circuit significantly beyond what the original hardware could do.

Controls: Volume, Sustain (fuzz gain), Tone, Mids. All hand-wired.

🎛️ Dazatronyx: https://www.dazatronyx.com
🎸 Black Bobbin: https://blackbobbin.com
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Which Mule to Get? Mulecaster or Mavis — Mule Resophonic

Two Mule Resophonic guitars, back to back — the Mulecaster and the Mavis — clean, pushed, and through a full pedalboard. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Mule Resophonic Mulecaster and Mule Resophonic Mavis go head to head — both into the Benson Amps Monarch and Benson 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander with the Benson Tall Bird for reverb. The pedalboard features the R2R Electric Supa MK Fuzz Pro, Lauren Audio Aerocomet, Browne Amplification Protein, Effectrode Tube Vibe, and Meris LVX.

Matt Eich of Mule Resophonic Guitars in Saginaw, Michigan has been building instruments that defy easy categorization since the beginning — and the Mulecaster and Mavis are proof that two instruments can share a builder's DNA and spirit while being fundamentally different objects.

The Mulecaster is Mule's bridge between the resonator world and the electric guitar world. Hollow steel body — single or double cutaway, Strat and Tele-inspired outlines — with no resonator cone at all. 25" scale length. The hollow steel body gives the Mulecaster its characteristic three-dimensional resonance and singing sustain — a quality distinct from both a conventional solid-body electric and a traditional resonator. Mule Tomthumbucker mini-humbucking pickup, set up like an electric guitar. Available in standard and baritone tuning across a range of powder coat colors.

The Mavis is the most ambitious and unusual instrument in the Mule lineup. Matt Eich describes it himself as part archtop guitar, part electric guitar, part resonator, and something completely different to the ear. Solid roasted wood construction — carved roasted pine arched back with roasted maple top, bolt-on roasted maple neck, ebony fingerboard with 20" radius, 21 medium frets, biscuit bridge over a single resonator cone. Single Mule Tomthumbucker mini-humbucker, master volume and tone. Where the Mulecaster delivers electric guitar playability with resonator overtones, the Mavis delivers resonator acoustic projection in a solidbody that responds like an electric. The difference is immediately audible — and this demo puts both in the same signal chain so you can hear it directly.

Artists who have gravitated to Mule guitars include Jeffrey Foucault, Joey Landreth, Ariel Posen, and Celisse Henderson.

🎸 Mule Resophonic Guitars: https://www.muleresophonic.com
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Lauren Audio Aerocomet

The preamp section of the most recorded compressor in history — extracted from the compression circuit and put in a pedal. God tone. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Lauren Audio Aerocomet takes center stage — a guitar preamp built around the preamp stage of the UREI 1176 Rev. A Blue Stripe compressor, featuring the Giordano Guitars '60s S-Model, into the Benson Amps Monarch.

A note on the name: Lauren Audio is a small independent pedal builder — not related to Lauten Audio, who makes the LS-208 microphone in my recording rig.

The UREI 1176 is one of the most recorded pieces of audio hardware in history — the FET-based peak limiter used on countless records across every genre since 1968. Its compression is famous, but a closely held studio secret is that many engineers use the 1176 with the compression circuit bypassed entirely, running the signal through the preamp stage only. The preamp imparts a specific mid and low-frequency coloration, harmonic saturation, and girth that is difficult to describe and immediately recognizable once heard. That specific quality — the 1176's preamp coloration without any compression — is what the Aerocomet delivers in pedalboard format.

Three controls. Gain takes the preamp from warm saturation up through increasingly fuzzy distortion — the 1176 preamp stage was not designed for guitar-level signals and it saturates in a uniquely musical way as gain increases. Filter is a variable low-pass filter for dialing back high-frequency content as needed — essential when pushing Gain hard, as the saturation adds upper harmonic content that can become harsh without it. Output sets the overall level. The tonal character is mid and low focused with increased harmonics throughout the sweep — it adds girth and color to anything, and pushes an amp's input stage with a unique quality that no conventional overdrive circuit produces.

Built by James with premium audio-grade components. Limited production.

🎛️ Lauren Audio Aerocomet: https://www.lauren.audio/products/aerocomet
🎸 Giordano Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/_giordanoguitars_/
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

🎸 Giordano Guitars '60s S-Model
🎛️ Lauren Audio Aerocomet | UREI 1176 Rev. A Blue Stripe Preamp | Gain / Filter / Output | 3 Knobs
🔊 Benson Amps Monarch

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

R2R Electric MKI Pro Fuzz | Strat Tones!

The best Tone Bender ever made, now with Stratocaster single coils. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the R2R Electric MKI Professional Tone Bender / Zonk Machine returns for its second demo — this time featuring the Giordano Guitars '60s S-Model, into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander with the Benson Tall Bird Reverb in the effects loop. The R2R Electric Vintage Wah, Effectrode Tube Vibe, and Strymon Volante also feature throughout.

Watch the first demo with the Frank Brothers Ultralight and Lollar Low Wind Imperial Humbuckers here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQDwI-UY-4M

The MKI Pro houses two fully independent vintage fuzz circuits switchable via a front-panel toggle — a Tone Bender MKI and a Zonk Machine — built with hand-matched Philips/Mullard OC75 and Texas Instruments 2G308/303 NOS germanium transistors, vintage CTS/Stackpole potentiometers, 1960s Aerovox and paper-in-oil capacitors, and NOS resistors throughout. Every R2R build is unique in its specific component selection but verified for tonal consistency before shipping.

What single coils reveal in this pedal that humbuckers don't: the Giordano's Stratocaster-style pickup response is faster and more transparent at the input of the fuzz, meaning the Bias control's sweep has a wider audible range — the transition from starved and gated at minimum to full and blooming at maximum is more dramatic and more musically useful across the sweep. The middle pickup position and bridge/neck comparisons expose how differently the two circuits interact with varying input impedance and output level, even within the same guitar.

The Bias control is the primary creative variable throughout this demo: minimum bias gives spitting, dying-battery MKI chaos; maximum gives the full bloom and sustain the circuit is capable of. The Rapid Comparison section at 11:19 puts both circuits directly against each other at identical settings — the most direct way to hear what Tone Bender MKI versus Zonk Machine actually means in practice.

Get on the R2R Electric mailing list: https://www.r2relectric.com/how-to-order
Follow Chris: https://www.instagram.com/djlavalamp/

🎸 Giordano Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/_giordanoguitars_/
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Reeves Electro Darlington Flyer Fuzz | Strat Tones!

A debut that matters — Reeves Electro on the channel for the first time, with the pedal that started the Daughterboard Series. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Reeves Electro Darlington Flyer takes center stage — featuring the Giordano Guitars '60s S-Model, into the Benson Amps Monarch. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins for the second half of the demo.

Reeves Electro is the work of Markus Reeves in Northamptonshire, UK — a builder best known for stunning point-to-point handwired designs with equally stunning enclosures. The Daughterboard Series is a new chapter: PCB-based builds designed, built, painted, drilled, and screen-printed entirely by Markus' daughter Izzy in their garden workshop. The Darlington Flyer is the first Daughterboard Series release, and Izzy is nailing it. Get on the Reeves Electro mailing list — these sell out extremely quickly: https://reeveselectro.co.uk

The Darlington Flyer is a single-transistor fuzz with two switchable transistor voices occupying the same circuit at different times — two very different tonal characters from a minimal control set.

The Darlington Flyer mode uses a 1979 Motorola MPSA013 Darlington transistor. A Darlington pair is an arrangement of two transistors in a single package wired in series — the output of the first transistor drives the input of the second, yielding extremely high current gain from a single circuit position. The sonic result is smooth, compressed, high-sustain fuzz — the MPSA013 tracks notes with a polished, violin-like quality at high fuzz settings and a singing lead voice as it cleans up.

The Bipolar Junction (BJT) mode uses a late-1980s Philips Silverface BC546 transistor — a standard single bipolar junction transistor that is fundamentally different in character. More open, grittier, slightly gated at the low end of the volume sweep, with less compression than the Darlington. Where the MPSA013 smooths and sustains, the BC546 bites and spits.

Two toggles complete the control set. The transistor selector (Darlington Flyer / Bipolar Junction) is on the right. The Fat Controller / Narrow Gauge EQ switch is on the left — Fat Controller is full range and bold, Narrow Gauge (Skinny) is a leaner, more forward voicing with reduced low end. Fuzz gain is fixed at the optimal level — Volume is the only knob. The optional Plexiglass bottom panel lets you see the beautiful internals.

🎛️ Reeves Electro Darlington Flyer: https://reeveselectro.co.uk/products/the-darlington-flyer-switchable-transistor-fuzz
🎸 Giordano Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/_giordanoguitars_/
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

🎸 Giordano Guitars '60s S-Model
🎛️ Reeves Electro Darlington Flyer | MPSA013 Darlington + BC546 BJT | Fat Controller / Narrow Gauge | Fixed Fuzz | Daughterboard Series
🎛️ Also: Effectrode Tube Vibe
🔊 Benson Amps Monarch

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Echo Fix EF-P2 Spring Reverb

Real springs in a pedalboard enclosure, and the most glassy silicon fuzz cleanup I've ever heard. Two channel debuts on the same day. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Echo Fix EF-P2 Spring Reverb and R2R Electric Si Distorter TFK take center stage together — featuring the Giordano Guitars '60s S-Model, into the Benson Amps Monarch and Benson 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. Also debuting today: the Echo Fix EF-X3 Tape Echo, used here only as a preamp — the delay, reverb, and chorus are bypassed to keep the sonic focus on the EF-P2.

The Echo Fix EF-P2 is a genuine three-spring reverb tank in a pedalboard-format enclosure — not a digital simulation, not a bucket-brigade approximation. Real springs. The three-spring tank is visible through a clear acrylic window with a blue LED glow that intensifies as the Spring Drive is pushed harder. A VU meter shows exactly how hard the signal is hitting the springs — keep it at 0 for clean reverb, push past 0 for spring breakup and harmonic distortion in the wet signal. The Bass and Treble controls boost or cut from flat at noon — effective and wide-ranging, enough to take the EF-P2 from bright and splashy surf territory to deep, dark, washy ambience. A Kill Dry footswitch removes the direct signal entirely for wet-only use on a studio aux send or parallel FX loop. Hidden function: hold the bypass switch to engage tremolo on the reverb. Internally boosted voltage for studio-grade headroom. 9VDC 200mA.

The R2R Electric Si Distorter TFK is a special limited edition of Chris Vincent's (@djlavalamp) silicon fuzz built around NOS Telefunken transistors — not the standard 1972 Siemens BC109B silicon transistors used in the regular Si Distorter. The circuit is Chris's blend of the 1970s silicon Fuzz Face and the 1970s Schaller Distorter — two circuits similar in topology but with meaningfully different tonal characters that he has merged into a unique voice that sounds like both and neither. Silicon transistors are temperature-stable — no warm-up ritual, no bias drift between the studio and a cold stage — while still achieving the glassy, harmonically rich cleanup that defines the best silicon fuzz. Roll back the guitar volume for crystal clean tones; push it up for full-range fuzz. The TFK Telefunken transistors give this version a slightly different upper-midrange character compared to the BC109B standard version.

Note: as with all R2R vintage fuzz builds, the Si Distorter TFK works best placed first in the signal chain before any buffered pedals.

Get on the R2R Electric mailing list: https://www.r2relectric.com/how-to-order
Follow Chris: https://www.instagram.com/djlavalamp/

🎛️ Echo Fix EF-P2 Spring Reverb: https://echofix.com/products/echo-fix-ef-p2-spring-reverb-pedal
🎸 Giordano Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/_giordanoguitars_/
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Origin Effects Halcyon Gold

Origin Effects has finally taken on the Klon — and done it with the full Adaptive Circuitry treatment the Green Halcyon brought to the Tube Screamer. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Origin Effects Halcyon Gold Overdrive takes center stage — featuring the Frank Brothers Arcade Thinline with Lollar The Bird Humbuckers (humbucker-sized Firebirds), into the Benson Amps Monarch and Benson Tall Bird via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander, with the Horrothia Effects Berkeley Uni-Vibe and Meris LVX in the demo.

Also on the channel: Origin Effects Halcyon Green and DCX Boost.

The Klon Centaur's defining characteristic is its parallel clean blend — wet and dry signals combined, which is why it sounds both driving and transparent at the same time. Its limitation is that the mid hump and clipping characteristics are locked in at whatever the Gain control is set to. Roll back the guitar volume to clean up and the mid hump stays exactly where it was — you get a quieter, cleaner version of the same EQ shape, not an actually different tone.

Origin's Adaptive Circuitry fixes this. The Adapt switch has three positions: 0 is standard Klon behavior, no adaptation. Position II is maximum adaptation — as you roll back your guitar volume, the mid hump gradually fades and the frequency response flattens toward the transparent boost tones the Centaur is famous for at low gain settings. Position I is intermediate. The Adaptive behavior is more noticeable the higher the Drive is set — which means you can run the Gold with more drive than you'd normally use on a Klon, then roll back the guitar to access the clean, transparent boost character without touching the pedal.

The Voice switch adds two distinct characters. KLN is the classic Klon — resonant, focused mid peak, vintage diode clipping. MOD is broader mid hump, softer clipping, more compressed and rounded — particularly well suited to single coil pickups and higher gain tones. The Dry knob makes the parallel clean blend adjustable — the original Centaur had a fixed clean blend ratio; turning Dry down emphasizes the wet drive signal, turning it up adds body and definition.

Six controls total: Level, Drive, Tone, Dry, Adapt (0/I/II), Voice (KLN/MOD). Built in the UK.

🎛️ Origin Effects Halcyon Gold: https://origineffects.com/product/halcyon-gold/
🎸 Frank Brothers Guitar Company: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com
🎸 Lollar The Bird: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Horrothia Effects Triage Germanium Pre-Amp

The Horrothia Triage Ge returns — this time with humbuckers and a semi-hollow body to show the other side of what this germanium preamp can do. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Horrothia Effects Triage Germanium Pre-Amp takes a second run with the Frank Brothers Ultralight Semi-Hollow loaded with Lollar El Rayo Humbuckers and Lollar Firebird on a Blender Pot, into the Benson Amps Monarch. The Horrothia Berkeley Uni-Vibe and Meris LVX join throughout the demo.

Watch the first Triage Ge demo with the Novo Serus P2 and Lollar Gold Foils here: [LINK TO FIRST DEMO]

Also on the channel: Horrothia Teeth Overdrive and Horrothia Berkeley Uni-Vibe.

The single coil pairing from the first video confirmed what germanium diode clipping does when it's working with inherently bright, articulate pickups — the Ge filter control adds sizzle and fuzz texture without robbing the Gold Foils of their natural shimmer. This demo is the other side of that picture: what happens with the warmer, fuller, higher-output Lollar El Rayo humbucker into the Triage Ge, particularly in the semi-hollow Frank Brothers Ultralight which has its own acoustic resonance and harmonic complexity underneath the pickups.

In Tom Oakes' own words:

"The Germanium Triage is a slightly re-voiced standard Triage, with a sweepable filter on the output. The filter sends the high frequency content — swept range 50Hz to 15kHz — to a pair of NOS 1N3470 germanium diodes which act as a high frequency compression control. This adds some sizzle to the pedal but without taking away the volume which is often the case with germanium fuzz or overdrive pedals. With the control all the way one way, all frequencies above 50Hz — the whole guitar — are sent through the diodes (imagine fuzzzzz). The other way, the diodes receive only the very highest harmonics — essentially it behaves as a standard Triage. Every Germanium Triage uses hand-selected diodes and ships in a hammertone finish."

The rest of the circuit: high impedance JFET front end with output control trimmer. Completely discrete transistor op-amp secondary gain stage. HF Balance control. Mid hump/peak switch. Relay bypass. Zinc milspec footswitch. Hand-built one by one in Falmouth, South West UK.

The Lollar Firebird on the Blender Pot adds a third voice throughout this demo — blending single coil clarity and mid-forward bark into the El Rayo humbucker signal. The combination of all three pickups cleaned up through the Triage Ge at 12:46 with the Berkeley Uni-Vibe and Meris LVX is the highlight.

🎛️ Horrothia Effects: https://www.horrothia.com
🎸 Frank Brothers Ultralight: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com
🎸 Lollar El Rayo & Firebird: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

🎸 Frank Brothers Ultralight Semi-Hollow | Lollar El Rayo Humbuckers + Lollar Firebird (Blender Pot)
🎛️ Horrothia Effects Triage Ge | NOS 1N3470 Germanium Diodes | Sweepable Filter | JFET + Discrete Op-Amp
🎛️ Also: Horrothia Berkeley Uni-Vibe | Meris LVX
🔊 Benson Amps Monarch

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Cunningham Amps Octave Fuzz

Cunningham Amps is back on the channel — this time with Tim's latest release, an absolutely perfectly tuned NOS octave fuzz. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Cunningham Amps Octave Fuzz takes center stage — through the Benson Amps Monarch and Benson 2x12" cabinet with the Benson Tall Bird for reverb. The KingTone Vibe 1968 and Meris LVX join later in the demo.

Tim Cunningham has been building fuzz pedals in Auckland, New Zealand for years — each one hand-built, individually voiced, and signed with a numbered certificate of authenticity. The Octave Fuzz is Tim's hand-wired interpretation of the Foxx Tone Machine — the 1971 circuit that combined a Big Muff-adjacent fuzz with an upper octave generator, and that became one of the most sought-after octave fuzz circuits of the vintage era. The Foxx Tone Machine format descended from the Roger Mayer Octavia, the pedal responsible for the upper-octave lead tones on Hendrix's Purple Haze and Third Stone from the Sun. Tim's build uses a hybrid Germanium/Silicon circuit with four transistors and four diodes, voiced specifically for this build.

Two modes: Fuzz (standard, full-range analog fuzz without the octave) and Octave Fuzz (the upper octave summoned with full fuzz underneath). The octave effect is most pronounced at the bridge pickup on single notes in the upper register of the neck — the demo explores where and how to use it musically rather than just as a novelty.

Five controls give this Cunningham build significant tonal flexibility for an octave fuzz. Sustain dials the fuzz intensity. Volume sets output. Tone and Mids shape the overall frequency character of the fuzz — an EQ capability rarely found on octave circuits of this type. The Octave Hi-Cut switch is the unique addition: three positions, each applying a different level of treble attenuation to the octave signal, allowing the upper harmonic to be dialed to sit anywhere from piercing to mellowed into the fuzz body.

Beautifully built. Signed and numbered certificate of authenticity. Custom carry bag included. Handmade in New Zealand.

🎛️ Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Still need the guitar and pickups for this one when you have them.

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Kingtone MiniFuzz v2 — Jesse Davey

KingTone Guitar returns to the channel — this time with the most versatile fuzz Jesse Davey has ever built. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the KingTone Guitar MiniFuzz V2 takes center stage — featuring the Frank Brothers Arcade Thinline with Lollar The Bird pickups (humbucker-sized Firebirds), into the Benson Amps Monarch and Benson Tall Bird via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander and Benson 2x12" cabinet. The KingTone Vibe 1968 joins for the second half of the demo.

The V2 is the convergence of both previous MiniFuzz models into one pedal. The V1 required choosing between silicon or germanium at the time of purchase — the V2 puts both on the front panel via a Type toggle switch. BC183 silicon transistors (matched with the MP10b — KingTone's preferred silicon pairing, tonally identical to their germanium version but temperature-tolerant for hot stages) and hand-selected germanium transistors, switchable mid-performance.

Three-way mode toggle: Fat (full frequency range to the fuzz — classic, warm, low-end rich character), Vintage (simulates aged capacitor degradation — more mid-focused, cutting, closer to a Fuzz Face character), Zonk (mid-range focused gritty tone, especially effective at low bias settings for gated, aggressive textures). Six side-panel dipswitches expand the palette further in a Chase Bliss-style layout: Buffer On/Off (for long cable runs and complex rigs without tone loss), Tone 1 and Tone 2 (four combinations of smoother/silkier tone voicing vs. bright and gritty), Fatness/Classic (extended low-end lift), Vintage/Boost (output level boost to slam amp inputs harder). All accessible without opening the pedal.

The Bias knob is the most player-practical feature. Germanium transistors change character with temperature — what sounds great in a warm studio can behave differently on a cold stage. The MiniFuzz V2's LED indicator shows when the bias is set correctly for the current ambient temperature, eliminating the need to open the pedal and measure internal voltages before every show. Under-biasing gives gated, spitty, starved textures. Over-biasing gives smooth, thick, violin-sustain fuzz. The LED is the reference point between them.

Hand-wired. Battery simulator for DC power supplies. True bypass. 9V center negative.

🎛️ KingTone Guitar MiniFuzz V2: https://www.kingtoneguitar.com
🎸 Frank Brothers Arcade Thinline: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com
🎸 Lollar The Bird: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Horrothia Effects Triage Germanium Pre-Amplifier

Horrothia Effects returns to the channel with a genuinely new idea in overdrive — the Triage Germanium Pre-Amp. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Horrothia Effects Triage Germanium Pre-Amp takes center stage — featuring the Novo Guitars Serus P2 with Lollar Gold Foils and Emerson Custom Treble Bleed, into the Benson Amps Monarch and Benson Tall Bird via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Horrothia Berkeley Uni-Vibe and Meris LVX also feature later in the demo.

In Tom Oakes' own words, from Horrothia Effects in Falmouth, UK:

"The Germanium Triage is a slightly re-voiced standard Triage, with a sweepable filter on the output. The filter sends the high frequency content — swept range 50Hz to 15kHz — to a pair of NOS 1N3470 germanium diodes which act as a high frequency compression control. This adds some sizzle to the pedal but without taking away the volume which is often the case with germanium fuzz or overdrive pedals. With the control all the way one way, all frequencies above 50Hz — the whole guitar — are sent through the diodes (imagine fuzzzzz). The other way, the diodes receive only the very highest harmonics — essentially behaving as a standard Triage."

The result is a sweepable germanium clipping control that goes from subtle top-end sizzle to full-range fuzz character — an approach that lets you dial in exactly how much of your frequency spectrum gets the germanium treatment without committing to a fixed fuzz voicing. Every Germanium Triage uses hand-selected diodes and ships in a hammertone finish.

The rest of the circuit: high impedance JFET front end with output control trimmer. Completely discrete transistor op-amp secondary gain stage. HF Balance control. Mid hump/peak switch. Relay bypass. Zinc milspec footswitch. Hand-built one by one in Falmouth, South West UK.

Controls explored in this demo: Ge Diodes filter knob (new to this variant), Gain, Output, Tone, Mids switch, HF Balance.

The Novo Guitars Serus P2 is the work of Dennis Fano — the builder behind the original Novo and Fano guitar lines. The P2 body is chambered swamp ash with an eastern curly maple top and German carve, 24.75" scale, chunky C neck (.880"), quartersawn tempered maple neck, rosewood fingerboard with compound 9.5"-14" radius and MOTO hollow block inlays. This unit has been loaded with Lollar Gold Foils and wired with an Emerson Custom Treble Bleed.

🎛️ Horrothia Effects: https://www.horrothia.com
🎸 Novo Guitars: https://www.novoguitars.com
🎸 Lollar Gold Foil: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

Frank Brothers Signature

The dedicated debut demo of my Frank Brothers Signature — the most resonant and versatile Frank Brothers guitar I've played. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Frank Brothers Arcade Signature takes center stage — loaded with a Lollar '50s Wind P90 in the neck and Lollar Low Wind Imperial in the bridge, fitted with a MojoAxe Trap Wrap compensated wraptail bridge and Emerson Custom Treble Bleed, into the Benson Amps Monarch and Benson 2x12" cabinet. The pedalboard features the R2R Electric Pre-Amp, Caroline Guitar Co. Arigato Phaser, Spruce Effects Tone Bender, Meris Polymoon, Origin Effects Deluxe61, and Mythos Wildwood Vipera.

Frank Brothers Guitar Company was built on the Signature Model — their original design, predating the Arcade and Ultralight. The Signature's defining construction feature is inverse chambering: a partially hollowed solid mahogany core with a bookmatched bigleaf curly maple top and back press-laminated over it. There is no f-hole. The chambering is internal — the treble side is semi-hollow, the bass side solid — giving the guitar a voice that blends semi-hollow resonance and acoustic projection with solid-body sustain and attack. At around 7.5 lbs, it's noticeably lighter than the Arcade and sounds meaningfully different: richer, more balanced EQ, with a natural acoustic complexity in the note that no fully solid guitar can produce. The double-bound body with seamlessly bound heel is the most premium presentation in the Frank Brothers lineup.

This specific build pairs two Lollar pickups from different families in the same guitar — the '50s Wind P90 (Alnico 2, lower output, brighter and more chime-forward, from the Sean Costello '53 Goldtop spec) in the neck, and the Low Wind Imperial humbucker (Alnico 2 neck / Alnico 5 bridge, 6.1K-7.4K, the semi-hollow voicing) in the bridge. The middle position blends them in parallel — a genuinely unique tonal combination not available with any matched P90 or matched humbucker set.

The MojoAxe Trap Wrap is a compensated wraptail bridge — a thoughtful upgrade over a standard wraparound tailpiece that adds individual saddle compensation for accurate intonation per string, while retaining the wraptail's distinctive warmth, sustain, and string feel. The Emerson Custom Treble Bleed on the volume pot preserves high-end detail through the entire volume sweep — essential for fuzz and overdrive cleanup.

🎸 Frank Brothers Guitar Company: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com
🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

J. Rockett Audio Designs HRM V2

Massive gain texture, Dumble DNA, two years of firsthand research into the real thing. The J. Rockett HRM V2 is exactly what it claims to be. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the J. Rockett Audio Designs Hot Rubber Monkey V2 takes center stage — featuring the Frank Brothers Ultralight Semi-Hollow with Lollar El Rayo Humbuckers and Lollar Firebird on a Blender Pot, into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander, with the Effectrode Tube Vibe and Meris LVX.

The Hot Rubber Monkey circuit is J. Rockett's recreation of the Alexander Dumble ODS amp with the HRM (Hot Rubber Monkey) EQ modification — a second tonestack placed post-gain that allows players to shape the overdriven EQ independently of the clean tone. The HRM mod is what gives the Dumble its specific vocal, low-mid-centric character: that throaty, forward midrange presence that sits in exactly the frequency range where a guitar lives in a mix.

For the V2, J. Rockett spent approximately two years living with an actual Dumble amplifier with the HRM EQ mod installed — an experience that led to the complete replacement of the V1's EQ section and the sourcing of carefully selected NOS components. The result is an even more authentic version of a circuit that was already the most convincing D-style pedal they'd built.

Four controls. Level and Gain are highly interactive — they're essentially the same knob played against each other, much like a real amp's volume and master volume. Midrange shapes the important guitar midrange frequencies, controlling the thick low-mid girth. Top End shapes the high frequencies and the amount of bite in contrast to those low mids — not a standard treble knob, but a silvery bell-like presence control. The combination of Midrange and Top End dialed against each other is the entire tonal vocabulary of the HRM sound.

Even at lower gain settings the HRM V2 blooms and feedbacks like the real amp. True bypass. 9V. NOS parts throughout.

🎛️ J. Rockett Audio Designs HRM V2: https://jrockettaudiodesigns.com
🎸 Frank Brothers Ultralight: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com
🎸 Lollar El Rayo & Firebird: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

LPD Seventy4 Deluxe

No one makes gain pedals like LPD Pedals. The Seventy4 Deluxe is the definitive proof of that. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the LPD Pedals Seventy4 Deluxe takes center stage — featuring a new Frank Brothers Arcade build in all-Korina with Seymour Duncan Antiquity Humbuckers and a stunning aged nitro finish, into the Benson Amps Vincent and 2x12" cabinet. The board also includes the R2R Electric Vintage Wah and Pre-Amp, Greer Amps Lightspeed, Effectrode Tube Vibe, and Strymon Volante.

LPD Pedals is Lawrence Petross Design out of Arizona — one of the very few boutique builders who have made the Marshall-in-a-box category genuinely interesting. The Seventy4 name comes from 1974, the year that produced two defining Marshall platforms: the late metal-face Plexi and the newly introduced JMP, the first master volume Marshall. Both are in the Seventy4's tonal DNA.

The Deluxe is the two-channel evolution of the original single-channel Seventy4. Two footswitches: bypass, and channel switch. The channels cannot be stacked — LPD designed the pedal for deliberate, intentional switching between two dialed-in voices rather than cumulative gain stacking. Set them up and switch musically.

Red channel: the original Seventy4 circuit — immediacy, intensity, and the golden-era British full-stack character. Mid-boost voice in the toggle. Green channel: a new, complementary circuit designed specifically to work alongside the Red. It adds low-mid girth to the sonic profile — darker overall, edge-of-breakup territory, the rhythm side. More gain and high-mid presence via the Green voice toggle.

Both channels share a global four-band EQ: Bass, Mids, Treble, and Presence. This is the feature that separates the Seventy4 Deluxe from most amp-in-a-box pedals — with active EQ across the full frequency range, you can dial in the pedal to suit literally any amp or guitar combination. Each channel also has its own independent Gain and Level.

The Frank Brothers Arcade in this demo is an all-Korina build — both body and neck — with a wicked aged nitro finish with checking across the body, neck, and headstock. Seymour Duncan Antiquity Humbuckers installed. Korina is the wood Gibson used in the late '50s Flying V and Explorer — tonally similar to mahogany but lighter, with a slightly more open, airy midrange.

🎛️ LPD Pedals Seventy4 Deluxe: https://www.lpdpedals.com/audiodevices/p/seventy4dlx
🎸 Frank Brothers Guitar Company: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26 Edge of Breakup . 7/26/26

R2R Electric MKI Pro Fuzz

Two legendary fuzz circuits from the dawn of British rock, both inside one hand-wired NOS germanium box. The R2R Electric MKI Pro is over the moon. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the R2R Electric MKI Professional Tone Bender / Zonk Machine takes center stage — featuring the Frank Brothers Ultralight with Lollar Low Wind Imperial Humbuckers, into the Benson Amps Vincent, with the R2R Electric Vintage Wah, Effectrode Tube Vibe, and Strymon Volante later in the demo. A Strat demo is coming separately.

Chris Vincent (@djlavalamp) describes the MKI Pro as his pedalboard-friendly evolution of the MKI Fuzz — the same 100% vintage and NOS hand-wired point-to-point eyelet board construction as all R2R builds, now in a compact enclosure with an LED indicator, true bypass switching with pulldown resistors to eliminate pops, and the defining new feature: a toggle switch between Tone Bender MKI mode and Zonk Machine mode.

The Tone Bender MKI and Zonk Machine are two circuits from 1965 that are close relatives but distinctly different characters. The MKI is Sola Sound's original three-transistor design — the fuzz that Jimmy Page used before the MKII existed, fat and sustaining and full. The Zonk Machine is John Hornby Skewes' version of a similar circuit — more angular, more texturally quirky, a slightly more aggressive and gnarly character. In one pedal, both voices are footswitch-accessible and directly comparable in the same rig.

Components: hand-matched set of Philips/Mullard OC75, Texas Instruments 2G308/303 germanium transistors. Vintage CTS or Stackpole 500K and 50K potentiometers. 1960s Aerovox mouldseal and paper-in-oil input capacitors. NOS ERO KT1801 or STC paper-in-oil .1uf capacitors. Every component tested, measured, and matched individually. Every R2R build is unique in parts used but verified for tonal consistency before it leaves.

Controls: Attack (gain) and Volume. Two knobs. The interaction between Attack, Volume, and your guitar's volume knob is the entire tonal palette.

Get on the R2R Electric mailing list: https://www.r2relectric.com/how-to-order
Follow Chris: https://www.instagram.com/djlavalamp/

🎸 Frank Brothers Ultralight: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com
🎸 Lollar Low Wind Imperial: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

Edge of Breakup
Video Categories

Origin Effects DCX Boost

Cunningham Amps Zonk MKI Fuzz Pedalboard Edition

Kingtone Duellist v2

Walrus Audio Lore

Reeves Electro Darlington Flyer Fuzz | Humbucker Tones!

Dazatronyx Transistor Fuzz

Which Mule to Get? Mulecaster or Mavis — Mule Resophonic

Lauren Audio Aerocomet

R2R Electric MKI Pro Fuzz | Strat Tones!

Reeves Electro Darlington Flyer Fuzz | Strat Tones!

Echo Fix EF-P2 Spring Reverb

Origin Effects Halcyon Gold

Horrothia Effects Triage Germanium Pre-Amp

Cunningham Amps Octave Fuzz

Kingtone MiniFuzz v2 — Jesse Davey

Horrothia Effects Triage Germanium Pre-Amplifier

Frank Brothers Signature

J. Rockett Audio Designs HRM V2

LPD Seventy4 Deluxe

R2R Electric MKI Pro Fuzz

Other R2R Electric videos you might like:

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Edge of Breakup Video Categories

Other R2R Electric videos you might like:

Edge of Breakupinfo@edgeofbreakup.studio

Edge of Breakup
Video Categories

Edge of Breakup
info@edgeofbreakup.studio