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

Thorpy FX The Veteran SI

ThorpyFX returns to the channel — this time with the Veteran Silicon Dual Fuzz, putting a Rangemaster and a Fuzz Face in one box with two independent footswitches and extraordinary stacking results. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the ThorpyFX Veteran Silicon Dual Fuzz takes center stage — featuring the Wide Sky Guitars Tawa with Curtis Novak Humbuckers, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander with the Meris Mercury X in the effects loop.

The Veteran is the third pedal in ThorpyFX's "Vintage Reimagined" Series — Adrian Thorpe's mission to build the definitive versions of the most important vintage fuzz circuits with modern control, quieter noise floor, and more tonal flexibility than the originals. The Veteran Silicon combines a 1960s Fuzz Face-style silicon fuzz (think the Smiley face reissues) and a Rangemaster-style silicon treble booster in one enclosure. Two independent footswitches. Fuzz first in the signal chain, running into the Boost. Stack them and the Rangemaster's Range control shapes the frequency content hitting the Fuzz Face's output — the stacking behavior is a genuinely distinct third voice from either circuit alone.

Six knobs across two circuits:

Fuzz side: Fuzz (gain), Volume, Smooth (input impedance — controls bass response and how the circuit interacts with pickups; lower is more bass-heavy and traditional, higher rolls back bass for a less heavy, smoother fuzz), Bias (controls the "heat" available to the circuit — increases output volume and adds mids as it's pushed).

Boost side: Boost (output level) and Range (frequency selection, from bass-heavy through mids-focused through treble-boosted — essentially choosing where in the frequency spectrum the boost is most active, from a full-range push to a classic Rangemaster-style treble emphasis).

The silicon versions of both circuits are specifically voiced to replicate germanium character while delivering lower noise and greater temperature stability — designed to be used in all conditions without the drift and sensitivity of period germanium transistors.

🎛️ ThorpyFX Veteran Silicon: https://thorpyfx.com
🎸 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 R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

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

Van Diemens A.A.D. Red Ochre Deluxe Treble Booster

A Tasmanian treble booster and Kauer's most audacious guitar yet — welcome Van Diemens A.A.D. to the channel. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Van Diemens Analogue Audio Disruptors Red Ochre Deluxe Treble Booster takes center stage — featuring the Kauer Gripen with Wolfetone Kauerbuckers, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander with the Echo Fix EF-X3 Chorus Echo Analog Tape Echo in the loop.

Join the Van Diemens email list: https://www.vandiemenseffects.com.au/subscribe
Red Ochre Deluxe product page: https://www.vandiemenseffects.com.au/red-ochre-deluxe
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/van_diemens_aad/

Richard builds Van Diemens Analogue Audio Disruptors in Tasmania, Australia — named after Van Diemen's Land, the original colonial name for the island. The Red Ochre Deluxe takes its name from a secluded, rocky beach near Richard's house on the Tasmanian coast. Every pedal is hand-built point-to-point, one at a time, with carefully selected vintage components, and biased by ear rather than by spec — the transistor voltage is set as a starting point, but the final bias position is found aurally, dialing in the sweet spot specific to that transistor.

This specific build features a Mullard CV7003 transistor — the military specification version of the legendary OC44 used in the original 1960s Dallas Rangemasters. The CV7003 delivers the thick, balanced, woolly character that remains the benchmark for treble boosters. Tuned slightly darker than the original Rangemaster in its brightest position — designed to add classic drive and snarl without ear-piercing high-frequency spikes. The 3-way EQ toggle switch covers the range from tightest/highest frequency response (most low-end cut) through a middle position to full low-end retained — explored throughout this demo with the Wolfetone Kauerbuckers responding differently at each position. All NOS Philips, Mullard Mustard, and Mullard Tropical Fish capacitors. NOS Piher and Allen-Bradley resistors. Handcrafted turret board.

The Kauer Gripen is Kauer's first truly new design in nearly eight years — a joint design between Doug and Max Kauer, angular, cubist, and immediately identifiable. Spanish Mahogany neck-through construction. 24.75" scale. Wenge fretboard with Gripen-specific crown inlays. Beveled edges for comfort despite the aggressive geometry. Under 7 lbs. Wolfetone Kauerbuckers are custom-wound humbuckers designed specifically for Kauer guitars. Tom Dumont of No Doubt debuted his Gripen at the Fire Aid benefit concert in Los Angeles.

🎛️ Van Diemens A.A.D.: https://www.vandiemenseffects.com.au/red-ochre-deluxe
🎸 Kauer Guitars Gripen: https://www.kauerguitars.com/instruments/gripen
🔊 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

Seymour Duncan Antiquity Humbuckers

The Seymour Duncan Antiquity Humbuckers in the all-Korina Frank Brothers Arcade, into the Benson Earhart's top boost channel. A pickup demo that earns its runtime. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Seymour Duncan Antiquity Humbuckers take center stage — installed in the Frank Brothers Arcade all-Korina build with aged nitro finish, into the Benson Amps Earhart Reverb Combo 1x12" with top boost engaged via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Benson Amps Stonk Box, JAM Pedals Ripply Fall, and Meris LVX join for the second half.

Check out more guitar pickup demos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLY1KzQHoiH1WyoqFxSBsbFPm_RjF3Ef_

Seymour Duncan's Antiquity series is their Custom Shop's answer to the most elusive vintage PAF question: what do those original 1950s Patent Applied For humbuckers actually sound like, and can you make them again? The answer involves going back to the same factory that built the original PAF mold for Gibson — Seymour Duncan's Custom Shop uses the same butyrate bobbin mold. Every Antiquity humbucker is wound on Seymour's original Leesona winding machine from the early Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan, using 42AWG plain enamel mag wire. Each pickup is aged both cosmetically and magnetically — the Alnico 2 bar magnet is degaussed to simulate decades of natural aging, the covers are chemically treated, and the hardware is hand-worn. Not wax potted — true to the original Gibson PAF, which takes the pickup right to the edge of harmonic breakup and keeps it there.

The result: airy openness in the top end, Alnico 2 warmth and bloom in the low mids, clear single-note singing quality with just the right amount of treble emphasis. The bridge is wound slightly hotter than the neck for balance and added warmth. Not over-wound, not aggressive — this is the pickup that rewards picking dynamics and guitar volume knob position.

The Korina Frank Brothers Arcade is a specific test. Korina (Spanish cedar) is the wood Gibson used in the late 1950s Flying V and Explorer — tonally similar to mahogany but lighter and more open in the midrange. The Antiquities' Alnico 2 character and the Korina's natural warmth and resonance interact in a very particular way, especially into the Earhart's top boost circuit.

🎸 Seymour Duncan Antiquity Humbucker: https://www.seymourduncan.com/single-product/antiquity-humbucker
🎸 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

Kauer Guitars Banshee Standard

One of the finest goldtop finishes I've ever seen on an electric guitar — and a pickup configuration that opens up tonal combinations most guitarists have never explored. The Kauer Banshee Standard makes its return to the channel. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Kauer Banshee Standard takes center stage — three Lollar pickups, a Cocked Wah switch, a middle pickup on/off switch, and more tonal variables than any three-pickup guitar I've played — into the Benson Amps Monarch and Benson 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact, R2R Electric Rangemaster OC202 Silicon, Meris Mercury X Reverb, and Echo Fix EF-X3 all feature.

The pickup configuration is the headline. Lollar Firebird neck and middle, with a Lollar Mini Humbucker in the bridge — aesthetically styled to match the Firebird covers so all three pickups look identical from the front. The Mini Humbucker's tighter, more articulate character in the bridge sits distinctly against the Firebirds' mid-forward bark, and the middle Firebird pickup's on/off switch allows blending it with either the neck or bridge independent of the standard 3-way toggle — an unusual and genuinely versatile pickup routing explored in depth from 08:38 onward.

The Cocked Wah Switch is a custom Kauer feature: a fixed wah-position tone cap that simulates a wah pedal parked at a specific frequency — engaged at 12:22 across various pickup combinations, then combined with the Rangemaster for a particularly expressive set of textures at 21:33.

Full Banshee Standard specs: Spanish Mahogany back and neck. Brown Mahogany finish on back and back of neck. White binding. Gold Top finish. Standard C neck profile (0.87" at 1st fret / 1.01" at 12th fret). Nut width 1.70". Wenge fretboard, 24.75" scale, 22 frets, 12" radius, Jescar 47095NS fretwire. Keystone inlays. TonePros Nashville Tune-o-matic. Bigsby tremolo. Rickard Banjo Tuners. 3 Volume / 1 Global Tone / 3-Way Toggle. 7 lbs 4 oz. Serial #625. Built 04/10/2023.

🎸 Kauer Guitars: https://www.kauerguitars.com
🎸 Lollar Firebird & 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 R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11

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

Bennett Custom Audio Lighthouse | Feat. Wide Sky Guitars P125C

The tremolo-equipped amplifier in a pedal — Bennett Custom Audio's Lighthouse is the most thoughtfully designed tremolo I've encountered. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Bennett Custom Audio Lighthouse Amplitude Modulating Amplifier takes its channel debut — featuring the Wide Sky Guitars P125C Cutaway with Curtis Novak P90 Pickups, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander, with the Echo Fix EF-X3 Tape Echo and Meris Mercury X Reverb.

Mark Bennett of Bennett Custom Audio (Canada) has built the Lighthouse around a specific idea: not just a tremolo pedal, but a tremolo-equipped amplifier. An all-analog preamp with Gain, Presence, and Volume controls precedes the tremolo stage — capable of delivering edge-of-breakup and overdriven tones on its own. The tremolo then acts on that preamp signal the way tremolo circuits in vintage tube amplifiers did: as part of the amplifier, not after it.

Two tremolo modes, each with a separate individually-tuned signal path:

Bias Tremolo uses an additional long-tailed pair and push-pull amplifier stage to modulate the volume of the full signal — the LFO pushes the amplifier in and out of distortion just like an old tube amp's bias-varying tremolo. This is the tremolo of Fender blackface and brownface normal-channel amplifiers.

Harmonic Tremolo modulates bass and treble frequencies out of phase from one another — they fade in and out alternately, creating the lush, vibey shimmer of Fender brownface amplifiers from the late 1950s and early 1960s. The most sought-after tremolo sound in vintage amp history, now available with independent signal path tuning.

Three waveforms (Sine, Triangle, Square) combine with both modes for six distinct flavors. When Bias mode and Square wave are combined, Chop mode is activated — the Intensity control changes the duty cycle (ratio of on/off time) rather than depth, creating anything from subtle rhythmic pulses to full choppy stutter.

The Tilt EQ acts exclusively on the wet tremolo signal — adjusting the tone of the modulated signal independently from the dry signal creates interesting tonal contrasts between the two, an unusual and genuinely creative control. Tap tempo with quarter/eighth/triplet subdivisions. Holding either footswitch ramps the tremolo rate up or down and returns to the original tempo when released. Proprietary high-voltage internal power circuitry for massive headroom and low noise.

🎛️ Bennett Custom Audio Lighthouse: https://www.bennettcustomaudio.ca/lighthouse
🎸 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

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

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