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

Wide Sky Guitars P125C

The Wide Sky Guitars P125C — one of the best guitars I've ever played. Full stop. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Wide Sky Guitars P125C Cutaway takes center stage — featuring Curtis Novak P90s and Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds, into the Benson Amps Monarch and Benson 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander, with the Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact, Echo Fix EF-X3 Tape Echo/Analog BBD Chorus, Meris Mercury X Reverb, and R2R Electric Rangemaster OC202 Silicon.

Watch the Wide Sky Guitars Tawa demo with Curtis Novak Humbuckers: https://youtu.be/rqPKY1MYA-M?si=e9qQ2QUnwtInF8sH

Follow Wide Sky Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/wide_sky_guitars/
Wide Sky Guitars: https://www.wideskyguitars.com

Patch Rubin builds Wide Sky Guitars from Hawaii's Big Island — one at a time, by hand, as sculptures that sing. The P125C is his signature model: a single-cutaway semi-hollow inspired by the cross between a vintage ES-125 and a Les Paul. Carved maple top over chambered mahogany body. Mahogany neck with 12" radius ebony fretboard. Contoured neck heel for full upper-register access. Trapeze tailpiece. At 6.8 lbs it plays and resonates like an acoustic guitar while responding like an electric — full low-end projection, woodiness in the fundamental tone, and detail and clarity that emerges clearly on volume knob rolloff. The Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds on both volume controls are explored in depth at 10:38 — essential for keeping high-end detail through the full cleanup sweep. Notable P125 players include Gary Clark Jr.

The R2R Electric Rangemaster OC202 Silicon is Chris Vincent's (@djlavalamp) silicon version of the Dallas Rangemaster circuit — built around a 1960s Mullard OC202 metal can silicon transistor rather than a germanium device. Silicon is temperature-stable at any ambient temperature — no warm-up, no drift on hot outdoor stages. The OC202 version uses a 6-position rotary input capacitor switch with a selection of paper-in-oil and mylar audio grade capacitors, plus vintage CTS potentiometer, NOS West-Cap paper-in-oil output capacitor, and Piher and Allen-Bradley carbon comp resistors. The 6-position switch is the creative feature: each input cap changes the frequency content sent to the transistor, shifting between tighter treble-focused boost and fuller, darker, more fuzz-like character — explored in detail from 16:50 onward.

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

🎸 Wide Sky Guitars: https://www.wideskyguitars.com
🎸 Curtis Novak Pickups: https://www.curtisnovak.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 R-121 & R-10 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

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

Righteous Sound Monte P90 Pickups

P90s and a top boost amp — one of the great guitar combinations. The Benson Earhart Reverb Combo returns with the Righteous Sound Monte P90s and the Stonk Box. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Benson Amps Earhart Reverb Combo returns with the Frank Brothers Arcade Goldtop and Righteous Sound Monte P90s — alongside the Benson Amps Stonk Box, JAM Pedals Ripply Fall, and Meris LVX, through the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander and Benson 2x12" cabinet.

Watch the first Earhart demo with the Frank Brothers Arcade Thinline and Righteous Sound RAF Humbuckers here: https://youtu.be/bhI30yG8jao

Watch the first demo on Righteous Sound Monte P90s here: https://youtu.be/S6kuUolmZ54

The Earhart Reverb Combo's two core features explored in depth here: the top boost switch and its interaction with P90s specifically. The Earhart's top boost circuit adds shimmer and three-dimensional clarity in the upper midrange — a voicing that responds to P90 pickups differently than it does to humbuckers. The Monte P90's aggressive, raw upper-mid character and tight chunky low end meet the Earhart's top boost presence control in a way that feels made for each other. Bridge pickup with top boost on and the Monarch pushed is the rhythm tone that makes this combination so compelling.

The Benson Stonk Box entering the chain at 06:44 adds the other key dynamic: the Automatic Thermal Bias germanium fuzz pushing the Earhart's input stage, with the top boost shaping how the amp responds to that fuzz signal. The Stonk Box's Filter control changes the amount of signal feeding the germanium transistors, which interacts with the Earhart's top boost and the Monte P90's natural character — lots of tonal variables all working together musically.

The Ripply Fall's chorus and phaser sides are explored both independently and stacked from 05:02, and the Meris LVX adds ambient space from 09:10.

🔊 Benson Amps Earhart Reverb Combo: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
🎸 Righteous Sound Monte P90: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com
🎸 Frank Brothers Guitar Company: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

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

Cunningham Amps Zonk MKI Fuzz Pedal

The Cunningham Amps Zonk MKI Pedalboard Edition returns — this time with humbuckers, to show the other half of what this NOS germanium dual fuzz can do. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Cunningham Amps Zonk MKI Pedalboard Edition takes a second run — featuring the Frank Brothers Arcade with Seymour Duncan Antiquity Humbuckers, into the Benson Amps Vincent via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander with Benson Tall Bird Reverb in the effects loop. The Strymon Volante, R2R Electric Vintage Wah, and Effectrode Tube Vibe also feature.

Watch the first Zonk MKI Pedalboard Edition demo with the Giordano Guitars single coils here: https://youtu.be/jsbdWrYMtho

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

Quick recap: the Zonk MKI Pedalboard Edition is Tim Cunningham's compact-format dual fuzz housing both the Hornby Skewes Zonk Machine and Sola Sound Tone Bender MKI circuits in one enclosure. This run features NOS Texas Instruments 2N1307 (Q1), Black Glass OC45 (Q2), and Texas Instruments 2G308 (Q3) germanium transistors, hand-matched and individually biased. The MKI input capacitor is ten times larger than the Zonk's — fuller bass and midrange, throatier attack. The Zonk is more angular, more gating, more gnarly character. Mode switch selects between them. Fuzz/Attack and Swell/Level are the two controls.

What humbuckers reveal here that single coils don't: the Seymour Duncan Antiquity's higher output — particularly in the neck position — pushes the germanium transistors earlier into saturation, giving the MKI mode a fatter, more compressed character at identical fuzz settings. The Zonk mode's gating behavior is less dramatic with the higher-output humbucker signal, which paradoxically makes it feel more controlled and usable across a wider portion of the Fuzz sweep. The octavia-like tones that emerge at 08:01 with the Strymon Volante and guitar volume rolled back are a direct result of the humbucker's output interacting with the NOS transistors at a specific bias point.

The "cannot set it wrong" moment in this demo — 13:11, adjusting Fuzz and Volume in different amounts across both modes — is the best demonstration of the circuit's essential character. Two knobs, two modes, infinite useful results.

🎛️ Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz
🎸 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 R121 & R10 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

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

Lollar Pickups DC-90 — Hum-Canceling P-90

The P90 for players who need silence on stage. Lollar's brand new DC-90 makes its channel debut. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Lollar DC-90 Hum-Cancelling P-90 takes center stage — in the Frank Brothers Arcade, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12", with the R2R Electric MKI Tone Bender Wedge System Circuit, Lollar Overdrive, and Caroline Guitar Company Arigato Phaser in the second half.

Get on the Lollar Pickups mailing list: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups

Jason Lollar's P-90 was one of the pickups that first put Lollar Pickups on the map. For years, the most common request from P-90 players has been the same: keep the character, eliminate the hum. Lollar designer Kevin Moe went through numerous iterations over a lengthy period of trial and error — stacked designs and sidewinders were explored and set aside because they changed the voice too fundamentally. What they landed on is the DC-90: a genuinely new dual-coil design in a soapbar-size P-90 enclosure that shares the tonal profile of the Lollar '50s Wind P-90 while eliminating 60-cycle hum, hiss, and noise.

The name tells the story: DC = Dual-Coil. 90 = P-90 tonal inspiration.

Voicing is midrange-forward, articulate, with the snap and natural grind that defines P-90 character. DC resistance: Neck 11K / Bridge 12.3K. Recommended pots: 250K or 500K (250K gives a warmer tone). Recommended capacitor: 0.022μF.

One mounting note: the DC-90 fits any guitar routed for a standard P-90 soapbar, but mounts differently. The dual-coil layout means mounting screws are at the outer edges of the pickup rather than between pole pieces as on a standard P-90. Lollar offers an acrylic mounting template to align new holes. Available in black, cream, or white covers.

🎸 Lollar DC-90: https://www.lollarguitars.com/dc-90
🎸 Frank Brothers Guitar Company: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

🎸 Frank Brothers Arcade | Lollar DC-90 Hum-Cancelling P-90 (Neck 11K / Bridge 12.3K)
🎛️ R2R Electric MKI Tone Bender Wedge | Lollar Overdrive (KGR Harmony Effects) | Caroline Arigato Phaser
🔊 Benson Amps Monarch 2x12"

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

Wide Sky Guitars Tawa

The Wide Sky Guitars Tawa debut on the channel — and what a debut. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Wide Sky Guitars Tawa takes center stage — the largest semi-hollow in Patch Rubin's lineup, fitted with a special set of Curtis Novak Humbuckers, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander with the Echo Fix EF-X3 running in the TAE effects loop for analog tape delay, spring reverb, Echoplex-style preamp, and analog BBD chorus. Three Origin Effects pedals — DCX Boost, Deluxe '61, and Revival Drive Compact — feature in the second half.

Wide Sky Guitars is Patch Rubin, operating from Hawaii's Big Island. Patch trained at the Guitar Institute of Technology in Los Angeles and worked for two years at Andy Brauer's legendary Studio Rentals business, servicing instruments for countless major-name artists. Ten years of touring followed, alongside work as a jeweler, carpenter and custom furniture maker, before he established Wide Sky Guitars in Taos, New Mexico in the mid-2010s — then relocated the business to Hawaii. His goal, in his own words: "I want to make sculptures that sing." Notable players associated with Wide Sky Guitars include Gary Clark Jr. and Thom Yorke.

The Tawa is Patch's largest semi-hollow model — a fully chambered body with genuine acoustic resonance and depth that behaves differently from a traditional thinline. The extra size means more air volume inside the body, which translates to fuller low-end projection, a slower attack bloom, and more wood character in the fundamental tone than smaller chambered guitars. With Curtis Novak Humbuckers installed — a pickup maker known for vintage-accurate winding and exceptional sensitivity to pickup height and volume knob position — the Tawa's natural acoustic complexity becomes the foundation for an extremely dynamic electric instrument.

This demo covers the full range: all pickup selections, volume and tone knob exploration, amp-derived gain cleanup, then Origin Effects pedals into the amp, then Echo Fix tape effects.

Learn more: https://www.wideskyguitars.com
Follow Wide Sky: https://www.instagram.com/wide_sky_guitars/

🎸 Curtis Novak Pickups: https://www.curtisnovak.com
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

🎸 Wide Sky Guitars Tawa | Curtis Novak Humbuckers | Handmade in Hawaii by Patch Rubin
🎛️ Origin Effects DCX Boost | Origin Effects Deluxe '61 | Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact
🎛️ Echo Fix EF-X3 | Analog Tape Delay / Spring Reverb / Echoplex Preamp / Analog BBD Chorus
🔊 Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" | Boss Waza TAE

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

Meris MercuryX

The hottest reverb release of 2023 — Meris is back on the channel with the MercuryX. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Meris MercuryX Modular Reverb System takes center stage — Presets 1 through 10, tweaked to taste — featuring the Kauer Banshee with Lollar Pickups, recorded in true stereo with the Benson Amps Monarch and Milkman Super Creamer running simultaneously, mic'd with Royer R10/R121, Lauten LS-208, and Sennheiser E906. The Mask Audio Electronics Part Garden Germanium Fuzz joins throughout.

The MercuryX is what happens when Meris takes the Mercury7's legendary algorithms — Ultraplate and Cathedra, both inspired by the moody sci-fi reverb textures of Blade Runner — and expands them into the full modular architecture first introduced with the LVX. The result is simultaneously the most flexible reverb pedal ever built and one of the most immediately playable.

Eight reverb structures: Ultraplate (lush plate, fast build, wide studio texture), Cathedra (massive and ethereal, slow build — the deep sci-fi algorithm), 78 Room (inspired by a classic studio reverb unit), 78 Plate, 78 Hall, Spring, Prism, and Gravity. Each structure has Gate Envelope controls for percussive gated reverb, reverse-tail sounds, and slow breathing textures. Each also has an independently configurable Predelay Blend — some or all of the predelay reflections can run in parallel with the reverb tank rather than in series.

Five categories of processing elements can be placed in multiple positions before and after the predelay and reverb structure: Dynamics, Preamp, Filter, Pitch, and Modulation. Processing elements include 79 Chorus, Vibrato, Vowel Mod, Tremolo, Hazy Lo-Fi and more. A Deep Modifier section routes control signals — LFOs, envelope generator, sample and hold, sequencer — to processing parameters for animated, evolving presets.

2.54 seconds of stereo predelay with modular feedback routing. 99 presets in 33 banks plus a Favorites Bank for the three most-used. Hold Modifier footswitch for real-time freeze, tremolo, and tap tempo of predelay. ARM processor. MIDI I/O with full CC and program change. Expression pedal and external footswitch compatible. Color display with graphic view UI. Designed and built in California.

The two-amp stereo setup in this demo — Monarch dry, Super Creamer wet — means every preset is heard with true spatial separation rather than blended mono. It makes a profound difference for any reverb, and the MercuryX's stereo algorithms are specifically designed for this kind of rig.

🎛️ Meris MercuryX: https://meris.us/product/mercuryx/
🎸 Kauer Guitars: https://www.kauerguitars.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

Lollar Overdrive

100 units. Sold out in three hours. Lollar Pickups' first-ever pedal — and it's extraordinary. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Lollar Overdrive takes center stage — the limited edition collaboration between Lollar Pickups and KGR Harmony Effects, demonstrated across four completely different guitars and pickup configurations: Novo Serus P2 with Lollar Gold Foils, Frank Brothers Arcade Thinline with Lollar The Bird pickups, Gibson SG with Lollar El Rayo Humbuckers, and Nash T63 Telecaster with Lollar Vintage Neck and Special Bridge Telecaster pickups.

Get on the Lollar Pickups email list for future drops: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups

The Lollar Overdrive is the product of a specific visit. KGR Harmony Effects owner and pedal designer Keijiro Fukushima traveled from Japan to the Lollar workshop in Washington — the team played through his pedal with a wide variety of Lollar pickups and found it to be the ideal platform. Limited to 100 units worldwide, one per customer, all sales final.

The enclosure is the immediate first thing. Keijiro builds his enclosures using nambu-tekki — a centuries-old Japanese cast iron forging technique originating from Iwate Prefecture, best known for producing traditional cast iron teapots. The forge used for this collaboration has been in continuous operation for over 200 years, since before the American Civil War. The result is a heavy, beautifully textured cast iron enclosure unlike anything else on a pedalboard.

The circuit inside is a Timmy-influenced overdrive with an active 3-band EQ — Volume, Gain, and Bass/Mid/Treble controls. The active mid control in particular is the feature that Lollar found made their pickups respond most musically: it allows compensation for the natural EQ character of each pickup type rather than fighting it. Gold Foils, single coils, Firebird-style minis, full humbuckers, and Telecaster single coils all respond differently — this demo covers all of them sequentially so you can hear exactly how the pedal behaves across the full range of Lollar's catalog.

This pedal is sold out and Lollar has no announced plans to reissue it. If you find one, you'll understand why it sold out in three hours.

🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

🎸 Novo Serus P2 (Lollar Gold Foils) → Frank Brothers Arcade Thinline (Lollar The Bird) → Gibson SG (Lollar El Rayo) → Nash T63 (Lollar Vintage T + Special Bridge)
🎛️ Lollar Overdrive | KGR Harmony Effects | 100 Units | Nambu-Tekki Cast Iron | Volume / Gain / 3-Band EQ
🔊 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 Germanium Amplifier

Dazatronyx returns to the channel — this time with the Class A Germanium Amplifier, a vintage-voiced treble booster that's not for the hi-fi crowd. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Dazatronyx Class A Germanium Amplifier takes center stage — featuring the Baum Guitars Wingman, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander, with the Echo Fix EF-X3 Tape Echo/Spring Reverb/Analog BBD Chorus throughout.

Dazatronyx is Darron Thornbury, building pedals by hand in Melbourne, Australia. The Germanium Amplifier has been part of the Dazatronyx lineup since the beginning — a Class A single-transistor boost built around a PNP germanium "tin can" transistor, hand-selected for low leakage and suitable gain, individually biased for that specific transistor's character. No two germanium transistors are identical, so no two Germanium Amplifiers sound exactly alike.

This is not a clean boost and Darron is explicit about that. The transistor runs at its limits — a hard strum causes the circuit to break up, and the output has its own levels of distortion and grit built into the character. It's a germanium amplifier in the Dallas Rangemaster tradition: a vintage-voiced boost that reshapes tone, adds sustain, and slams an amp or fuzz's input stage with warm, rounded harmonic content. Best appreciated by fuzz players.

Three EQ modes via the frequency selection switch: Mid (effective at boosting for drive without the low end getting flabby — the most amp-pushing focused setting), Bright (slightly fuller than a classic treble booster — brighter but not thin), Full Cream (extra body and fat tone — point it straight up and leave it there). The Ge/Si switch mechanically hot-swaps the transistor — Si mode offers less background noise and sharper clipping, useful in extreme temperatures or for a different gain texture. Note: expect a small pop when switching between Ge and Si.

Power note: positively grounded circuit — requires isolated power supply or battery. Not compatible with daisy-chain power.

🎛️ Dazatronyx: https://www.dazatronyx.com
🎸 Baum Guitars Wingman: https://baumguitars.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

Boss Pedals DM-101 Delay Machine

Two amps, four mics, stereo wet/dry, and the most sophisticated analog delay pedal Boss has ever built. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Boss DM-101 Delay Machine takes center stage — featuring the Black Bobbin JM by Iconic Guitars with Lollar Black Bobbin Jazzmaster Pickups, running wet/dry into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" (dry) and Milkman Super Creamer 2x10" (wet), with the Boss DS-1W Waza Craft Distortion joining for the second half.

This is the DM-101's killer feature used properly: stereo wet/dry. Dry guitar goes to one amp for the unprocessed signal; wet delay goes to the second amp entirely. The result is a physically separated stereo image where your clean guitar tone and your delay ambience occupy different points in the room — a sound that's impossible to achieve through any single-amp setup regardless of how good the pedal is.

The DM-101's engineering is what makes this possible cleanly. Eight 2048-stage BBD chips under precision CPU control — smaller than the common 4096-stage BBD, which allows finer tuning of each chip's behavior across the 12 modes. The signal path is 100% analog throughout. The CPU controls clocking rates, BBD connection order, and low-pass filter settings per mode without touching the audio signal. The result is analog warmth and character with digital-level mode flexibility and parameter control.

Twelve modes — all explored in this demo:

Classic: Traditional warm BBD delay up to 1200ms, modulation waveform selectable via Variation knob. Doubling + Delay: Short pre-delay doubles the source before the main delay tail. Wide: Expanded stereo field, modulation phase-shifted between outputs. Dual Mod: Independent modulation on each BBD path. Pan: Each BBD and its feedback loop routes to alternating stereo positions. Pattern: Rhythmic delay with selectable note division patterns. Modern: Extended high-frequency clarity, cleaner BBD character. Multi-Head: Multiple virtual tape heads producing complex rhythmic repeats. Non-Linear: Unusual decay characteristics without traditional feedback behavior. Ambience: Short reverb-like wash from the BBD circuit. Reflect: Reverse-character ambience. Vintage: Direct homage to the 1981 Boss DM-2.

Seven knobs: Delay Time, Intensity (feedback), Delay Volume (mix), Mod Rate, Mod Depth, Variation (mode-specific), Mode selector. Four onboard presets. 127 MIDI memories. Tap tempo with note subdivisions. Carryover on bypass.

🎛️ Boss DM-101 Delay Machine: https://www.boss.info/global/products/dm-101/
🎸 Black Bobbin: https://blackbobbin.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

BeeTronics Nectar Tone Sweetener

A Beetronics channel debut — and a new guitar debut on the same day. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Beetronics Nectar Tone Sweetener takes center stage — alongside the channel debut of the Kauer Guitars Banshee with Lollar Mini Humbucker bridge and Lollar Firebird neck pickups, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Echo Fix EF-X3 Analog Tape Delay/Reverb runs in the Waza effects loop throughout.

Beetronics FX is known for striking enclosure artwork and equally striking tones. The Nectar Tone Sweetener is their most approachable pedal — two gain modes in a compact enclosure, three controls, and a tonal range that spans vintage tweed crunch to full-bodied overdrive to modern high-gain fuzz, all accessible from the same three knobs.

Three controls: Honey (gain), Taste (tone), Volume. A top-mounted toggle switch selects between Drive mode and Fuzz mode — LEDs indicate the selected mode even when the pedal is bypassed, so you always know which voice you're queued up for before you stomp. Drive mode is harmonically rich, smooth, and full-bodied — warm overdrive with plenty of headroom and dynamic response. Fuzz mode is tight, saturated, and modern-voiced — controlled compression, contemporary edge. The Taste (tone) control and Honey (gain) control interact with the character of each mode differently, giving each voice its own useful range of shaping. True bypass. 9V 30mA.

The Kauer Banshee is Doug Kauer's take on the reverse Firebird outline — the "winged" guitar silhouette that Kauer has made a signature of the brand since around 2010. Built from solid Spanish Mahogany body and three-piece neck-through construction, 24.75" scale, wenge fretboard. Artists who have worked with the Banshee include Brad Whitford (Aerosmith), Scott Holiday (Rival Sons), Tom Dumont (No Doubt/DREAMCAR), and Dennis Casey (Flogging Molly). This specific build combines Lollar Mini Humbucker in the bridge and Lollar Firebird in the neck — a pairing that covers the Banshee's full tonal range from the Mini Humbucker's tight, articulate PAF-adjacent clarity to the Firebird's mid-forward, snappy bark.

🎛️ Beetronics FX Nectar: https://www.beetronicsfx.com/products/nectar-tone-sweetener-p-babee-series
🎸 Kauer Guitars: https://www.kauerguitars.com
🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

🎸 Kauer Guitars Banshee | Lollar Mini Humbucker (Bridge) + Lollar Firebird (Neck) | Neck-Through Mahogany
🎛️ Beetronics Nectar Tone Sweetener | Drive + Fuzz Modes | Honey / Taste / Volume | True Bypass
🎛️ Also: Echo Fix EF-X3 Analog Tape Delay/Reverb (effects loop)
🔊 Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" | Boss Waza TAE

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

Part Garden Germanium Fuzz — Mask Audio Electronics

In this episode the Mask Audio Electronics Part Garden Germanium takes center stage — featuring the Frank Brothers Arcade with Righteous Sound Gazing 1991 Pickups, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander, with the Echo Fix EF-X3 Analog Tape Delay/Reverb throughout the demo.

Mask Audio Electronics is the work of Alec Breslow — a builder who started with DIY projects and has grown into a line of production pedals, making the things he wants to see out in the world for people who share the love of fuzz and noise. The Part Garden concept grew from a simple idea: what if you took two fuzz circuits, tuned them to bring out the best in each other, and built the stacking architecture directly into the pedal? The original Part Garden is silicon. The Germanium version is a softer, more vintage-voiced interpretation — "if Part Garden is a fuzz that can be turned into an overdrive, Germanium Garden is an overdrive that can be turned into a fuzz."

Four controls, no tone knob — because the gain controls do the tone shaping.

Knob I sets how much signal enters the first fuzz stage — the general gain level. Set it higher for clangy, high-end-forward character. Knob II sets the gain between the two fuzz circuits, and subtly attenuates bass frequencies as it's turned down — higher II for thicker, lower-mid content. Knob III is master volume. Because all three knobs interact with each other's tonal character as well as level, every combination is a slightly different voice. There is no wrong setting — compensate with III and you've found a new tone.

The Texture knob changes the gain structure of the first stage — increasing gain and compression as it's turned clockwise. At maximum it's so compressed nothing passes through unless boosted by an external pedal. The YUH toggle switch changes the effective range of the Texture control: up position gives optimal range for general adjustment, down position allows finer tuning of more extreme compressed sounds — functioning as a second channel in practice.

The guitar volume knob cleanup on this pedal is exceptional. Rolling back produces glassy, open, bell-like tones that retain all the harmonic complexity of the fuzz without the saturation — this demo explores that range in depth, particularly in combination with the EF-X3 tape echo.

🎛️ Mask Audio Electronics: https://maskaudioelectronics.com
🎸 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.

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 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 Breakupinfo@edgeofbreakup.studio

Edge of Breakup
info@edgeofbreakup.studio