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

Tone Ranger Guitars Show Pony

Tone Ranger Guitars makes its channel debut with the Show Pony — Jeff Mark Leavitt's Gretsch-inspired solid body built from Los Angeles urban tonewoods. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Tone Ranger Guitars Show Pony takes center stage — into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The R2R Electric Rangemaster and Effectrode Tube Vibe join for the second half.

Follow Tone Ranger Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/tonerangerguitars/ Order a Tone Ranger Guitar: https://www.tonerangerguitars.com

In Jeff's own words: "Tone Ranger Guitars grew from my love of the West: the culture, the environment, the music, and the history of the western American deserts and forests. Lovingly hand-crafted in my one-man shop in LA with the finest components and pickups, Tone Ranger Guitars are made entirely from sustainable, local, urban trees from Los Angeles and her surrounding counties. These trees lined our city streets, shaded our parks, and grew in our backyards — now rescued by arborists such as Street Tree Revival and Angel City Lumber who choose to repurpose these beautiful trees and give them a second life. You're a Tone Ranger now. Keep on truckin'."

The Show Pony is Jeff's take on the Gretsch solid bodies of the 1950s — the Nashville Sound, the Bakersfield Sound, and your sound. Full specs (Serial #1002724):

Urban black acacia body and neck. Urban Indian rosewood fretboard. C neck profile. 24.75" scale. 22 frets, 12" radius. Jescar 55090 medium/highest nickel silver frets. Bone nut. 9 lbs. TV Jones Super'Tron neck pickup, TV Jones Classic Plus Filter'Tron bridge pickup. 2x CTS 500k audio taper with treble bleed. 2x CTS 500k audio taper with 22nf Orange Drops. WD 3-way switch. PureTone multi-contact jack. Tone Pros T3BP Tune-o-matic bridge. Bigsby B5 tailpiece. Grover 18:1 Sta-Tite tuners. Gold hardware. Turquoise fret markers. Copper side dots. Three-ply cream pearloid pickguard. Hand-rubbed Walrus Oil finish. Silkscreened headstock logo. Made in Los Angeles, California.

Also watch: the full 6-model Tone Ranger Guitars showcase: [LINK]

🎸 Tone Ranger Guitars: https://www.tonerangerguitars.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

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

Tone Ranger Guitars — 6 Smokin' Models! — Sustainably Built Guitars with Killer Tone!

Tone Ranger Guitars makes its channel debut — six models, all built from Los Angeles urban tonewoods, one man's shop. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode six Tone Ranger Guitar models take center stage — into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander.

Follow Tone Ranger Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/tonerangerguitars/
Order a Tone Ranger Guitar: https://www.tonerangerguitars.com

In Jeff's own words: "Tone Ranger Guitars grew from my love of the West: the culture, the environment, the music, and the history of the western American deserts and forests. Lovingly hand-crafted in my one-man shop in LA with the finest components and pickups, Tone Ranger Guitars are made entirely from sustainable, local, urban trees from Los Angeles and her surrounding counties. These trees lined our city streets, shaded our parks, and grew in our backyards, but are felled due to storms, disease, or normal senescence. They are now rescued by arborists — such as Street Tree Revival and Angel City Lumber — who choose to repurpose these beautiful trees and give them a second life. You're a Tone Ranger now. Keep on truckin'."

Six models, six serial numbers, all hand-signed by Jeff Mark Leavitt:

Show Pony (#1002724, 05:35): Gretsch solid body-inspired. Urban black acacia body and neck, Urban Indian rosewood fretboard, C neck profile, 24.75" scale, 22 frets, 9 lbs. TV Jones Super'Tron neck, TV Jones Classic Plus Filter'Tron bridge. 2x CTS 500k w/ treble bleed. Tone Pros T3BP Tune-o-matic, Bigsby B5. Turquoise fret markers, copper side dots, cream pearloid pickguard.

Desert Star (#1200423, 12:18): T-style with a set neck and 24.75" scale. Reclaimed old-growth Douglas Fir body, Urban black walnut neck, Bocote fretboard, 21 frets, 8.4 lbs. Lollar Regal "low-wind" neck, Lollar Alnico 3 Telecaster bridge. Kluson ashtray bridge with gold-plated compensated steel saddles, string-through tailpiece. Decoboom Redtail pickguard.

High Horse (#1002924, 19:21): Offset design, late '50s space-age inspired. Urban California redwood body, Urban black acacia neck, Jatoba fretboard, 24.75" scale, 22 frets, 6.2 lbs. Lollar Staple P90 neck, Lollar '50s Wind P90 bridge. 2x CTS 500k w/ treble bleed, 47nf Orange Drops, Centralab 3-way toggle. Mastery M1 bridge, Mastery OMV tailpiece. Aged white pearloid pickguard.

Rodeo Queen (#0401324, 25:52): S-style with set neck, 7 pickup configurations via push/pull volume pot. Urban California redwood body, Urban black walnut neck, Urban Indian rosewood fretboard, 24.75" scale, 22 frets, 7.4 lbs. Lollar Blonde Stratocaster neck and middle, Lollar Special Stratocaster bridge. Bourns 250k push/pull w/ treble bleed (pull to add bridge pickup). Oak-Grigsby 5-way, Mastery M1 bridge, Mastery MV tailpiece.

Double Barrel (#0401124, 34:23): Double-cut LP Jr-inspired, 24 frets, Bigsby B5. Urban elm body with reclaimed walnut top, Urban elm neck, Urban Indian rosewood fretboard, Urban black acacia headcap, 24.75" scale, 8 lbs. TV Jones Ray Butts Ful-fidelity set. CTS 500k w/ treble bleed, 22nf Orange Drop. Tone Pros T3BP Tune-o-matic, Bigsby B5. Mother of pearl fret markers, gold hardware.

High Horse VI (#1002524, 41:29): Bass VI format on the High Horse offset platform. Urban black walnut body and neck, Reclaimed Indian rosewood fretboard, 30" scale, Soft V neck profile, 22 frets, 8.6 lbs. TV Jones Super'Tron neck, TV Jones Classic Plus Filter'Tron bridge. 2x CTS 500k, 22nf Mallory. Mastery M1 bridge, Mastery OMV tailpiece, Centalab 3-way toggle. Turquoise fret markers, copper side dots, cream pearloid pickguard.

All six guitars share the same hallmarks: Jescar 55090 medium/highest nickel silver frets, bone nut, Grover Sta-tite 18:1 tuners, PureTone multi-contact output jack, hand-rubbed Walrus Oil finish, silkscreened headstock logo. Made in Los Angeles, California.

🎸 Tone Ranger Guitars: https://www.tonerangerguitars.com
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

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

Browne Carbon X — Dual Bluesbreaker Overdrive

Browne Amplification returns to the channel with the Carbon X — a dual Bluesbreaker overdrive born from a collaboration with David Ryan Harris. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Browne Amplification Carbon X Dual Bluesbreaker Overdrive takes center stage — into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander.

In Browne Amplification's words:

"The Carbon X was born from a simple question posed by David Ryan Harris — 'Can this be done?' The answer ('probably?') led to a journey of innovation and experimentation that resulted in the Carbon X. Imagine the fusion of two blue sides, the classic Carbon sound elevated to new heights. Stripping the right side of some of its sheen and headroom, we unleashed its grittier, raw essence and added a touch of sag, letting it unleash its barbaric yawp into the world of tonal richness. To perfect the art of stacking and gaining it up, we introduced a high cut to the left side, taming the top end with surgical precision."

The Carbon X is a dual overdrive housing two distinct variants of Browne Amplification's Bluesbreaker-circuit Carbon overdrive in one enclosure with two independent footswitches.

Right side: the grittier, rawer Carbon voice. Stripped of some headroom and sheen compared to the standard Carbon, with added sag — a looser, more pushed, more organic character. This is the more aggressive of the two sides, explored from 01:47.

Left side: the more refined Carbon voice, with the addition of a 3-way high-cut switch for surgical control over top-end content. The three high-cut positions allow the left side to be voiced from its natural brightness down to a mellowed, more vintage character — essential for controlling harshness when stacking. Explored from 04:49.

Both sides stacked from 08:01 — the architecture intentionally designed for stacking, with the right side's sag and grit feeding the left side's high-cut refinement. Into a pushed Benson Vincent from 09:21. Additional features: soft-switching, adjustable startup state (which side or combination is active when the pedal is first engaged), and an internal switch for use with a looper.

David Ryan Harris has worked with John Mayer, India Arie, and numerous other major artists. His request and collaborative refinement across multiple prototypes shaped the final Carbon X voicing.

🎛️ Browne Amplification Carbon X: https://www.browneamplification.com
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

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

Thorpy FX Peacekeeper Low Gain Overdrive

ThorpyFX returns to the channel — this time with the Peacekeeper Low Gain Overdrive, their benchmark low-gain dirt pedal. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the ThorpyFX Peacekeeper Low Gain Overdrive takes center stage — featuring the Kauer Guitars Super Chief with Lollar Firebird Neck and Lollar Mini-Humbucker Bridge, into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 07:21.

Get a ThorpyFX Peacekeeper: https://thorpyfx.com/en-us/collections/thorpyfx-pedals Follow ThorpyFX: https://www.instagram.com/thorpyfx/

Adrian Thorpe designed the Peacekeeper with one specific architectural insight that separates it from most low-gain overdrives: the Presence/Mids control sits before the gain stage, not after it. This changes what the control actually does. On a conventional overdrive, an EQ control after the drive stage shapes the tone of the overdriven signal. The Peacekeeper's pre-gain Presence control shapes what frequency content gets driven in the first place — turn it up and the mids get amplified before hitting the gain stage, producing a mid-humped, vocal, Dumble-adjacent character. Turn it down and the mids are scooped before the drive, producing a smoother, glassier, more open gain texture. The character of the overdrive itself changes, not just its tonal balance.

Post-gain, active Treble and Bass controls then shape the overdriven signal — wide-ranging, interactive with each other, and explored in depth from 03:49 and 05:35. The combination of pre-gain Presence shaping and post-gain active Treble/Bass gives the Peacekeeper a genuinely wide tonal range for a low-gain overdrive. Five controls total: Volume, Gain, Presence, Treble, Bass.

Premium components throughout: 1% metal film resistors, Wima and Panasonic capacitors, Burr-Brown op-amp, gold-plated PCB, Neutrik jacks, dust-sealed Alpha potentiometers. Stainless steel laser-etched centre console in Adrian Thorpe's signature enclosure. Top-mounted jacks. Recessed knobs. Built like a tank. 9V DC centre negative.

🎛️ ThorpyFX Peacekeeper: https://thorpyfx.com/en-us/collections/thorpyfx-pedals 🎸 Kauer Guitars Super Chief: https://www.kauerguitars.com/instruments/super-chief 🎸 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 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

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

Templo Devices Incandescent

Templo Devices makes its channel debut with the Incandescent Fuzz — and the Model 66 Vibrato/Phaser joins the party. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Templo Devices Incandescent Fuzz takes center stage — featuring the Grez Guitars Mendocino Junior with P90 pickups, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Templo Devices Model 66 Stereo Smooth Vibrato/Phaser joins from 08:06.

Get an Incandescent Limited Edition: https://templodevices.com/products/incandescent-limited-edition Follow Templo Devices: https://www.instagram.com/templodevices/

Templo Devices builds in Los Angeles — a small operation making unique, genuinely different circuits that don't fit neatly into standard effect categories. The Incandescent is described by the builder as "not quite a tube-amp-in-a-box, not quite a fuzz pedal — its own thing." The architecture backs that up: a MOSFET preamp is blasted into the front end of a CMOS amplifier with a built-in compressor or expander circuit. The result is a fuzz-adjacent dirt pedal that adds dynamics to the distortion rather than compressing them away.

Bias controls the voltage bias of the fuzz stage — at lowest settings it produces almost-clean drive with bite when you dig in, then gets aggressive quickly as it's turned up without sacrificing clarity.

Expand/Contract switch selects between two distinct dynamic voices. Expand: crisper, clearer distortion that swells slightly with pick attack — the opposite of a compressor. Great for cutting through a mix or searing lead tones. Contract: slightly more overdriven with a subtle pick-responsive compression similar to tube amp sag — warmer, more organic breakup with natural squash. Both modes explored thoroughly across the demo, compared directly at 13:43.

Volume has a very large range — unity at most settings is well below noon. Slamming the amp from 05:32 explores what the full output range can do to a Monarch on the edge of breakup.

The Templo Devices Model 66 Stereo Smooth Vibrato/Phaser is the stereo evolution of the beloved Model 33. Analog vibrato using a sinusoidal LFO — no delay involved, pure pitch modulation from ultra-slow warble through ultra-fast pulse. The Phase pot blends in dry signal to crossover from vibrato into phaser territory. Red light jewel pulses to the vibrato speed. 9V DC center negative, stereo I/O with dual XLR output.

🎛️ Templo Devices: https://templodevices.com 🎸 Grez Guitars: https://www.grezguitars.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

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

Curtis Novak Strat-TB Cojones Bridge & Strat-V High Wind Pickup Set — Fender Stratocaster Upgrade

Curtis Novak Pickups returns — this time with the Strat-TB Cojones in the bridge, paired with Strat-V High Wind neck and middle. The most powerful bridge pickup configuration in the Journeyman Strat series yet. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Curtis Novak Strat-TB Cojones Bridge + Strat-V High Wind (Neck + Middle) take center stage — installed in the Fender Custom Shop 1960 Journeyman Relic Stratocaster with Emerson Custom S5B Blender 5-Way Wiring Kit and Treble Bleed, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. Effectrode Tube Vibe, R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44, and Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact all feature.

Get the Strat-TB Cojones bridge: https://www.curtisnovak.com/shop/strat-tb/ Get the Strat-V High Wind neck and middle: https://www.curtisnovak.com/shop/strat-v/

This is the fourth bridge pickup configuration explored on the Journeyman Strat in this pickup series: Strat-V High Wind (all three positions), Strat-TB standard, Strat-V Cojones, and now the Strat-TB Cojones — Curtis's most powerful bridge pickup option in a Strat form factor.

Two variables are in play here simultaneously. The Strat-TB format puts a Telecaster bridge pickup coil geometry into a Strat bridge routing — the Telecaster construction adds midrange body and thickness that a conventional Strat bridge single coil doesn't produce. The Cojones wind then adds output on top of that, making the Strat-TB Cojones the highest-output and thickest-sounding option Curtis offers for the bridge position in a Stratocaster.

The practical result: the bridge position no longer sounds like a Strat bridge pickup. It sounds like a Telecaster bridge pickup with more output — full, present, thick, capable of driving an amp hard without the thin or brittle quality that makes conventional Strat bridge pickups difficult at higher gain settings. The bridge/middle position (02:59, 08:36) with the Strat-V Middle's vintage character next to the Strat-TB Cojones is the combination that makes this configuration most versatile across all five positions.

Get the Emerson Custom Strat Blender Kit: https://emersoncustom.com/products/s5b-blender-5-way-strat-prewired-kit?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG Treble Bleed: https://emersoncustom.com/products/2017-treble-bleed-circuit-volume-mod?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG

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

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

🎸 Fender Custom Shop '60 Journeyman Relic Strat | Curtis Novak Strat-V High Wind (Neck + Middle) + Strat-TB Cojones (Bridge) | Emerson Custom S5B Blender + Treble Bleed 🎛️ R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44 | Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" | Boss Waza TAE

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

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

Moon Guitars Moonburn Deluxe — Feat. Fish Circuits Lunatique

Moon Guitars and Fish Circuits return to the channel together — the Lambertones-loaded Moon Burn Deluxe meets the Lunatique Fuzz. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Fish Circuits Lunatique Fuzz takes center stage — featuring the Moon Guitars Moon Burn Deluxe with Lambertones Lamber'Tron Filter'Tron-style pickups, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander.

Get a Fish Circuits Lunatique: https://fishcircuits.com/products/lunatique-fuzz Follow Fish Circuits: https://www.instagram.com/fishcircuits Order a Moon Guitars: https://www.moon-guitars.com Follow Moon Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/moonguitars

Also on the channel: the Fish Circuits Lunatique demo with the Wide Sky Guitars Tawa and the Moon Guitars Moon Burn Deluxe debut with the R2R Electric Rangemaster.

The Fish Circuits Lunatique is a gated fuzz with two distinct fuzz circuits blended by the Chaos knob, plus a low-pass filter on the same control. Noon is the warmest, most balanced point. Counterclockwise from noon pushes toward a classic gated fuzz character — bright, biting, Tone Bender-like, increasing top end presence the further left you go. Clockwise from noon introduces ring modulation and octave-up content that builds progressively — simultaneously the low-pass filter cuts high frequencies, mellowing the top end while the octave and ring modulation take over the mid and upper-mid presence. Four controls: Chaos, Level, Body toggle (full bass vs. rolled-off low-end), and Fuzz toggle (lower vs. higher gain — upper position removes the gate entirely).

The Lambertones Lamber'Tron is a Filter'Tron-size pickup with custom AlNiCo cast magnets (Neck AlNiCo IV / Bridge AlNiCo VIII), injection-molded bobbins, and nickel-silver baseplates. Filter'Tron-style pickups interact with gated fuzz circuits differently than PAF humbuckers — the Lamber'Tron's more scooped midrange and articulate high-end response gives the Lunatique's Chaos knob a wider apparent sweep, and the gate behavior responds more dramatically to the Filter'Tron's specific impedance characteristics.

The Moon Burn Deluxe is Kyle Wolfe's build from Moon Guitars in New Jersey — tempered Swamp Ash body with Figured Myrtle top, Aged Honduran Mahogany neck, Brazilian Walnut fingerboard, 25" scale, Jescar Jumbo Stainless Steel frets, Hipshot hardware throughout.

🎛️ Fish Circuits: https://fishcircuits.com 🎸 Moon Guitars: https://www.moon-guitars.com 🎸 Lambertones: https://lambertones.store 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

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

Horrothia Effects Lutz Fuzz

Horrothia Effects returns to the channel with the Lutz Fuzz — the most feature-packed fuzz pedal Tom Oakes has ever built. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Horrothia Effects Lutz Fuzz takes center stage — featuring the Grez Guitars Mendocino Junior with P90 pickups, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander.

Follow Horrothia Effects: https://www.instagram.com/horrothia_effects/ Get a Lutz Fuzz: https://www.horrothia.com/

Also on the channel:

Horrothia Triage Ge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W88EC9NrCOo&t=4s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvVNIhJvXBU&list=RDKvVNIhJvXBU&start_radio=1&t=2s

Horrothia Berkeley Uni-Vibe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAyNQVsQdSg

At its core the Lutz is a two-transistor fuzz — the simplest, most archetypal circuit in guitar electronics. Tom Oakes' approach on the Lutz is to take that minimal circuit and add every meaningful control variable a fuzz player could want without adding a single feature that doesn't serve the tone.

Two 12-way high-pass filter switches — one pre-fuzz, one post-fuzz — create a 144-way filter matrix. Every combination of input and output filter settings produces a distinct frequency balance feeding and leaving the fuzz stage. Explored from 05:02 with the full range covered.

Two "curly cable simulator" switches on the top edge add the dulling capacitance of a curly cable — to the left simulating a shorter cable, to the right a longer cable, center position off. These subtle tone changes interact with the filter matrix and pickup impedance in musically useful ways.

The Bias knob sets the voltage bias of the fuzz transistors — start at 50% for the most musical range. Lower bias gives broken, spluttering, distressed textures (explored from 06:36 and 13:30). Higher bias gives more gain and sustain.

The Voltage Sag control lowers the voltage and current fed to the circuit — simulating a dying battery. It rolls off top end and adds compression and squash, explored from 07:59 and 12:22 as a creative tone tool rather than just a malfunction simulator.

Three footswitches: Bypass (relay), Buffer (switches a JFET input buffer in/out — boosts gain and sustain when on, explored from 15:10), and Cap Defeat (removes the power capacitor from the circuit, allowing the circuit to self-oscillate at some settings for drone notes and sound design textures — explored from 06:36 and 15:41). Volume control has enormous range — unity at most settings is around 25%.

Sold out within hours. Check the Horrothia website for future batches.

🎛️ Horrothia Effects: https://www.horrothia.com 🎸 Grez Guitars: https://www.grezguitars.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

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

Walrus Audio Voyager MKII

Walrus Audio returns to the channel with the Voyager MKII — the Klon-inspired overdrive that started the company, now massively expanded. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Walrus Audio Voyager MKII Preamp/Overdrive takes center stage — featuring the Grez Guitars Mendocino Junior with P90 pickups, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 15:42.

Get a Voyager MKII: https://walrusaudio.com Follow Walrus Audio: https://www.instagram.com/walrusaudio/

The original Voyager was Walrus Audio's first pedal in 2011 — a three-knob Klon-style overdrive that found its way onto the boards of Joe Bonamassa, Ed O'Brien, and Nels Cline. The MKII keeps everything that made the original work and adds a five-way clipping mode selector and a footswitchable parametric mid-frequency EQ — features that make the Voyager MKII a fundamentally different tool from the original.

Five clipping modes via rotary switch, explored from 07:32 onward:

Mode 1: Classic 1N34A Germanium Diodes — the original Voyager sound. Most compressed, warm, smooth character. Mode 2: Classic 1N34A Germanium Diodes with bass boost — the same germanium warmth with additional low-end body. Mode 3: Symmetric Silicon Diodes — tighter, more focused, slightly brighter than the germanium modes. Mode 4: Asymmetric Silicon Diodes — open, less compressed, more dynamic response to pick attack. Mode 5: Asymmetric Silicon Diodes with bass boost — the least compressed mode, most open and driven, with added low-end girth.

The footswitchable parametric mid-frequency EQ is the other headline feature. The Freq knob selects the center frequency for boost or cut, ranging from 250Hz to 2kHz. The Mid knob then boosts or cuts that selected frequency by up to ±12dB. Stomping the Mid footswitch engages or bypasses the EQ section independently of the main bypass — explored from 07:32 and at 15:42 with the Tube Vibe. The combination of all five modes with the parametric mid EQ gives a near-infinite range of available sounds from a fundamentally transparent Klon-style foundation.

Six controls: Volume, Tone, Gain, Mid, Freq, Mode. Two footswitches: Bypass and Mid. True bypass. 9V DC 100mA. Designed and assembled in the USA.

🎛️ Walrus Audio Voyager MKII: https://www.walrusaudio.com/products/voyager-preamp-overdrive-mkii 🎸 Grez Guitars: https://www.grezguitars.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

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

R2R Electric PKIII Fuzz

R2R Electric returns to the channel with a new limited release — the PKIII Fuzz, an homage to a very specific variant of the Tone Bender MKIII. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the R2R Electric PKIII Fuzz takes center stage — featuring the Black Bobbin Chicago Phantone with Lollar JM Pickups and Mastery hardware, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 14:09.

Follow R2R Electric: https://www.instagram.com/djlavalamp/
R2R Electric mailing list: https://www.r2relectric.com

Chris Vincent (@djlavalamp) builds every R2R Electric pedal in Los Angeles using exclusively NOS and vintage components — hand-selected, tested, measured, and matched. Every R2R build is unique in its specific component selection but verified for tonal consistency before shipping. Get on the mailing list — drops go extremely quickly.

The PKIII Fuzz is Chris's take on the Tone Bender MKIII, and more specifically it's based on a particular vintage unit that Chris had on loan from @themadcap1. The Tone Bender MKIII was the third iteration of the Sola Sound Tone Bender family, produced in the late 1960s and early 1970s — three transistors, a circuit that bridges the rawness of the MKI with the more refined saturation of the MKII, adding Tone and Gain controls to the two-knob format of earlier Tone Benders.

One important note on the control layout — the PKIII runs counterclockwise on both the Tone and Gain knobs. Turning the Tone knob counterclockwise from noon adds brightness. Turning the Gain knob counterclockwise from noon adds gain. The Volume knob behaves conventionally — clockwise for more output. This is explored throughout the demo, particularly the Tone knob range from super bright (05:45) to darkest possible (07:55).

As with all R2R vintage fuzz builds: place first in signal chain before any buffered bypass pedals. These are true to vintage circuit design and do not work with buffered inputs.

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

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

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

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

Righteous Sound Pickups Opal Road Stratocaster Pickups — Feat. Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster

Righteous Sound Pickups returns to the channel with a new model — the Opal Road Stratocaster Set. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Righteous Sound Pickups Opal Road Set takes center stage — installed in the Fender Custom Shop 1960 Journeyman Relic Stratocaster with Emerson Custom S5B Blender 5-Way Wiring Kit and Treble Bleed, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44 and Effectrode Tube Vibe feature in the second half.

Get a set of Opal Road pickups: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com/product-page/opal-road-set Other Righteous Sound models: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com/ More Righteous Sound demos on the channel: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLY1KzQHoiH3u9yublDURkjZf-zGMBtnS&si=NMy7cYv7era2_vMe

The Righteous Sound Opal Road is a hybrid of two existing Righteous Sound Stratocaster families: the Opal and the High Road. The Opal is Righteous Sound's '60s-voiced Strat set — bright, chimey, vintage character. The High Road is their higher-output option — more drive into the amp's front end, more girth in the bridge position. The Opal Road combines the magnet specifications of both into one calibrated three-pickup set.

Neck and middle pickups are wound to Opal specs — the '60s vintage character and bloom in the positions where Strat players spend most of their time. The bridge pickup is available in either High Road spec (more output, more push into the amp for players who want a hotter bridge) or Opal spec (traditional Strat bridge voicing, consistent with the neck and middle character). The magnet combination means the Opal Road spans '50s and '60s Strat tones across the full five-position sweep — a wider tonal range than either the Opal or High Road sets deliver on their own.

🎸 Righteous Sound Pickups: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

🎸 Fender Custom Shop '60 Journeyman Relic Strat | Righteous Sound Opal Road Set | Opal (Neck + Middle) + High Road or Opal (Bridge) | Emerson Custom S5B Blender + Treble Bleed 🎛️ R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44 | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" | Boss Waza TAE

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

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

Black Volt Sparrow 5w Tube Amp with P90s — Feat. Wide Sky Guitars P125c

The Black Volt Amplification Sparrow returns — this time with P90s and the Wide Sky Guitars P125C. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Black Volt Amplification Sparrow 5W takes a third run — featuring the Wide Sky Guitars P125C Cutaway with Curtis Novak P90s and Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds, with the R2R Electric x Waterslide Guitars Time-O-Lite Fuzz and Effectrode Tube Vibe.

Watch the first Sparrow demo with the Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul: https://youtu.be/y_IdcyLuOz0 Watch the second Sparrow demo with the 1967 Gibson ES-335 / Humbuckers: https://youtu.be/gQGczTbZIbE Buy a Black Volt Sparrow with R2R Electric Booster Channel: https://blackvoltamplification.com/products/the-sparrow-amplifier Follow Black Volt: https://www.instagram.com/blackvoltamplification/

Giovanni "Gio" Loria builds Black Volt Amplification completely by hand in Los Angeles. The Sparrow was born from a specific Gibson GA5 that Johnny Depp left with Gio for repair — that amp's character, combined with the Fender Tweed Champ and Princeton, became the circuit foundation. 5 watts, one 6V6, one 12AX7, custom 10" speaker on this unit. One Volume, one Tone. Hand-wired in LA.

Three demos, three very different guitars and pickup types. The first covered solid mahogany with humbuckers — the Les Paul's density and output pushing the Sparrow hard. The second covered semi-hollow laminate maple with vintage humbuckers — the ES-335's acoustic bloom and open midrange against a cranked 5W single-ended circuit. This third demo covers a P90-equipped semi-hollow with a solid Spanish Cedar body — the Wide Sky Guitars P125C with Curtis Novak P90s, a combination that brings the Sparrow's GA5-inspired circuit something fundamentally different from the first two videos: the P90's raw, aggressive upper-mid bite and the P125C's acoustic projection working together.

The R2R Electric x Waterslide Guitars Time-O-Lite Fuzz enters from 09:37 — the 25-unit collaboration between Chris Vincent (@djlavalamp) and Waterslide Guitars, built into vintage darkroom light timer enclosures with NOS 1950s and 1960s OC44 or AC107 germanium transistors. Fuzz Face tones with P90s into a cranked 5W amp is a very specific combination. The R2R Electric Booster Channel built into the Sparrow comes on at 18:45 — the Rangemaster-style boost designed specifically for this amp's input stage.

🔊 Black Volt Amplification: https://blackvoltamplification.com 🎸 Wide Sky Guitars: https://www.wideskyguitars.com 🎸 Curtis Novak Pickups: https://www.curtisnovak.com

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Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

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

Ron Ellis Pickups Signature Humbuckers

Ron Ellis Pickups makes its channel debut — and the Signature Humbuckers in the R8 Historic are something special. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Ron Ellis Pickups Signature Humbucker Set takes center stage — installed in the 2002 Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul R8 Historic, wired with the Emerson Custom x Edge of Breakup Les Paul Prewired Kit and Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds on both volume pots, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. R2R Electric Rangemaster, Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact, Effectrode Tube Vibe, and Echo Fix EF-X3 all feature.

Get the EoB x Emerson Custom Les Paul Kit: https://emersoncustom.com/products/eob-les-paul-prewired-kit-premier-pro?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG
Learn more about Ron Ellis Pickups: https://www.ronellispickups.com/collections/humbuckers/products/signature-humbucker
Follow: https://www.instagram.com/ronellispickups/

Ron Ellis is an engineer by profession — over 35 years of experience in materials and mechanical design — based in Carlsbad, California. In 2004 he began using high-tech laboratory equipment, including spectrometers, to reverse-engineer the materials used in 1950s and 1960s guitar pickups at the molecular level. Rather than simply copying vintage wire types or old winding machines, Ron identifies what materials actually make a measurable difference in the final sound and selects them accordingly. Each set is hand-wound in Carlsbad.

The Signature set is Ron's own recipe rather than a PAF clone. Where his LRP set aims for a traditional old PAF sound with a stronger signal into the amp's front end, the Signature deliberately reduces midrange content — hitting the preamp less aggressively and allowing greater headroom, clarity, and note separation. Bridge 10K / Neck 9K, but they don't sound overwound in any conventional sense. The higher resistance number doesn't translate to the compressed, thick midrange of a typically overwound pickup. Historically correct nickel silver covers.

In Ron's own words: "The Signature set is the result of finding single-coil clarity in the humbucker format. It clearly articulates both high and low notes to create a clean and melodic tonal signature. It's great for articulate playing and works well in combination with Telecaster, Stratocaster, and P90 pickups."

Notable players who use Ron Ellis humbuckers: Ariel Posen, Doyle Bramhall II, Guthrie Trapp, Joey Landreth, Kirk Fletcher, Bill Frisell.

🎸 Ron Ellis Pickups: https://www.ronellispickups.com
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

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

Curtis Novak Strat-V Cojones Bridge & Strat-V High Wind Pickup Set — Fender Stratocaster Upgrade

Curtis Novak Pickups returns — this time with the Strat-V Cojones in the bridge, paired with Strat-V High Wind in the neck and middle. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Curtis Novak Strat-V Cojones Bridge + Strat-V High Wind (Neck + Middle) take center stage — installed in the Fender Custom Shop 1960 Journeyman Relic Stratocaster with Emerson Custom S5B Blender 5-Way Wiring Kit and Treble Bleed, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44, Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact, and Effectrode Tube Vibe all feature.

Get the Strat-V Cojones bridge: https://www.curtisnovak.com/shop/strat-v/ Get the Strat-V High Wind neck and middle: https://www.curtisnovak.com/shop/strat-v/

The Strat-V family covers three wind levels: Vintage Low, Vintage High, and Cojones — each available in any position, though the Cojones is designed specifically for the bridge. The Strat-V Vintage High Wind has been the bridge pickup in the Journeyman across previous demos on the channel. The Cojones steps above it in output — same vintage-voiced Strat-V character, same dynamic response and chimey vintage quality, but with more power to push an amp at lower volume settings and more body in the bridge position where single coils are naturally thinnest.

This is the third distinct bridge pickup configuration on the Journeyman Strat across this pickup demo series: the Strat-V High Wind (previous demo), the Strat-TB Telecaster-style bridge (previous demo), and now the Strat-V Cojones — all with the same Strat-V High Wind neck and middle. The Cojones sits between the Strat-V High Wind and the Strat-TB tonally: more thickness and output than the High Wind, but with the Strat-V's vintage single coil character rather than the Strat-TB's Telecaster-influenced midrange push.

The Emerson Custom Blender wiring is explored from 03:53 and 09:02 — blending the Cojones bridge into neck and bridge/middle combinations not available on a standard 5-way. The Rangemaster into cranked Monarch from 12:31 is where the Cojones output makes the biggest difference over the High Wind, with a fatter, more authoritative cleanup sweep and more signal available to drive the boost.

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

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

🎸 Fender Custom Shop '60 Journeyman Relic Strat | Curtis Novak Strat-V High Wind (Neck + Middle) + Strat-V Cojones (Bridge) | Emerson Custom S5B Blender + Treble Bleed 🎛️ R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44 | Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" | Boss Waza TAE

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

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

Black Volt Sparrow Amplifier w/ R2R Electric Booster Channel — Feat. 1967 Gibson Guitars ES-335

The Black Volt Amplification Sparrow returns — this time with the 1967 Gibson ES-335 and semi-hollow tones. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Black Volt Amplification Sparrow takes a second run — featuring the 1967 Gibson ES-335, with the R2R Electric Booster Channel, R2R Electric Time-O-Lite Fuzz, and Effectrode Tube Vibe.

Watch the first Sparrow demo with the Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul: https://youtu.be/y_IdcyLuOz0 Buy a Black Volt Sparrow with R2R Electric Booster Channel: https://blackvoltamplification.com/products/the-sparrow-amplifier Follow Black Volt: https://www.instagram.com/blackvoltamplification/

The optional R2R Electric Booster Channel — designed by Chris Vincent (@djlavalamp) specifically for this amp's input stage — is explored at length from 01:48. At lower Boost settings it pushes the 6V6 into warm, singing breakup. Cranked, it delivers super-distortion and fuzz territory. Bypassed from 10:04, the Normal Channel cranked shows the Sparrow's natural voice — which is equally compelling, and where the 1967 ES-335's acoustic resonance and semi-hollow character comes through most clearly.

The first demo with the Custom Shop Les Paul showed what the Sparrow does with a solid mahogany instrument. This demo is the other side: a 1967 ES-335, maple/mahogany laminate semi-hollow with its own acoustic projection and bloom. The semi-hollow body adds a different kind of complexity to the interaction with the Sparrow's 5-watt single-ended circuit — particularly in the fuzz cleanup sections, where the ES-335's natural sustain and open midrange character give the Time-O-Lite Fuzz (explored from 14:41) a different starting point than the Les Paul provided.

🔊 Black Volt Amplification: https://blackvoltamplification.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

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

Black Bobbin Phantone

Black Bobbin Chicago returns to the channel with a brand new model — the Phantone. Get ready to see this one in a lot of upcoming videos. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Black Bobbin Chicago Phantone takes its channel debut — Aged Seafoam Green nitrocellulose lacquer with beautiful finish checking, Black Bobbin Lollar JM Pickups, Mastery hardware throughout — into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC 65W speakers via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44, Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact, Effectrode Tube Vibe, and Echo Fix EF-X3 all feature.

In Shelby's words:

"Designed in partnership with Carlos Lopez, the Black Bobbin Phantone takes inspiration from the rich history of instrument manufacturing in Chicago during the 1950s and 1960s. The guitars and basses produced during that era left a lasting impression on the culture and were used on some of the most fundamental music of that time. Drawing influence from our favorite mid-century guitars, the Phantone design is centered around our exclusive Lollar JM pickups and an offset-waist body for unmatched tone and comfort. Equipped with Mastery Bridge hardware, the Phantone plays smooth and effortlessly.

With the legacy of Harmony and Kay instrument manufacturing nearly forgotten by the people of Chicago, we are introducing the Phantone to help honor and celebrate the deeply rooted connection between electric guitar and this city. Just a few miles from Black Bobbin, at the end of an elevated pedestrian pathway, sits one of many long-gone Harmony factory sites — completely devoid of any acknowledgment of what once stood in its place. The Black Bobbin Phantone is assembled in Chicago continuing the storied heritage of guitar making in this city."

Full specs: Aged Seafoam Green nitrocellulose lacquer, light relic, finish checking. Alder body with offset waist and arm contour. Roasted Quarter-Sawn Maple neck, Vanguard tint. Jescar 51100 fretwire. 25.5" scale length. 12" fretboard radius. 1.67" nut width. Black Bobbin Lollar JM Pickups. Vintage-inspired 280K pots. NOS K40Y-9 33nF capacitor. Mastery M1 Bridge, Mastery OMV, Mastery STV. Mono Vertigo gig bag.

🎸 Black Bobbin Chicago: 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 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12

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

Fender Custom Shop Journeyman '63 Jaguar

The 2022 Fender Custom Shop Journeyman '63 Jaguar in Taos Turquoise — stock, as-delivered, before any mods touch it. Would you mod it or keep it as-is? Let me know in the comments, and stay tuned for the follow-up video where I get into the mods. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the 2022 Fender Custom Shop 1963 Jaguar Journeyman Relic takes center stage — stock Custom Shop parts, pickups, and components throughout — into the Benson Amps Monarch and Benson 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44, Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact, Effectrode Tube Vibe, and Echo Fix EF-X3 all feature.

The Jaguar debuted in 1962 as Fender's top-of-the-line offset — more features, shorter scale, and more complex circuitry than anything else in the lineup at the time. Individual pickup on/off switches, a separate rhythm circuit with its own volume and tone thumbwheels, shielded pickups for reduced hum, a string mute, and a distinctive floating tremolo system. The 1963 Journeyman Relic recreates those originals faithfully, with the Journeyman Relic finish representing the middle ground in Fender Custom Shop's relic spectrum — played-in but not abused.

Full specs: Taos Turquoise Journeyman Relic nitrocellulose lacquer. 2-piece Select Alder body. Quarter-Sawn Maple neck with '62 Jaguar C profile (.820"-.900"). Round-Lam Rosewood fingerboard. 24" short scale. 9.5" radius. 22 narrow tall 6105 frets. Bone nut, 1.650" width. Handwound Custom Shop '62 Jaguar Flat Magnet pickups — shielded, hum-reduced. Individual pickup on/off switches. Lead circuit (Volume + Tone) and Rhythm circuit (two thumbwheel Volume + Tone) with circuit selector. Strangle switch (tone circuit bypass — explored at 09:43). Vintage-style floating tremolo. RSD Jaguar adjustable bridge. Vintage-style tuning machines.

The Strangle switch is explored at 09:43 — it bypasses the tone capacitor in the lead circuit, removing the high-frequency rolloff that the Jaguar's circuit inherently produces. The result is a brighter, more cutting top end that was considered an unusual feature in 1962 and remains one of the most distinctive sounds in the offset guitar world.

🎸 Fender Custom Shop: https://shop.fender.com
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12

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

Black Volt Sparrow Amplifier with R2R Electric Booster Channel Feat. Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul R8

Black Volt Amplification makes its channel debut with the Sparrow — a 5-watt hand-wired gem with a very special origin story. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Black Volt Amplification Sparrow takes center stage — with the optional R2R Electric Booster Channel installed, featuring a Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul with Ron Ellis Signature Humbuckers wired with the Emerson Custom x Edge of Breakup Les Paul Prewired Kit and Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds. The R2R Electric Time-O-Lite Fuzz and Effectrode Tube Vibe also feature.

Buy a Black Volt Sparrow with R2R Electric Booster Channel: https://blackvoltamplification.com/products/the-sparrow-amplifier
Get the EoB x Emerson Custom Les Paul Kit: https://emersoncustom.com/products/eob-les-paul-prewired-kit-premier-pro?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG

Black Volt Amplification is Giovanni "Gio" Loria, building completely by hand in Los Angeles since 2014. A professional musician with over two decades of experience — including early work with Atban Klann, the precursor to The Black Eyed Peas — Gio trained under electronics restoration expert David Riddle before channeling deep vintage circuit knowledge into his own amplifiers. Every Black Volt amp is hand-wired using a combination of new and vintage components, housed in cabinets built from reclaimed century-old barn wood.

The Sparrow name has a specific origin: a Gibson GA5 that Johnny Depp left with Gio for repair. That amp — and its unique overdriven character — became the primary inspiration for the Sparrow's circuit. Gio blended the best qualities of the Gibson GA5, Fender Tweed Champ, and Fender Tweed Princeton into one coherent voice, filtered through the Black Volt lens. The result is a 5-watt, 1x8" Jensen Alnico combo that is small enough to take anywhere and loud enough to play with a full band. However, this unit has a 10" speaker in it - this is a customization available upon ordering from Black Volt.

One Volume, one Tone. One 6V6 power tube, one 12AX7 preamp tube. 8" or 10” Jensen Alnico speaker. Completely hand-made and hand-wired in Los Angeles.

The optional R2R Electric Booster Channel is a built-in collaboration with Chris Vincent (@djlavalamp) — a Rangemaster/fuzz style booster circuit designed specifically for this amp's input stage. On/Off switch and Boost control knob on the amp face. At lower Boost settings it pushes the 6V6 into warm, singing breakup. Cranked, it sends the amp into super-distortion and fuzz territory — explored in depth from 02:40 onward. The R2R Electric Time-O-Lite Fuzz (from the Waterslide Guitars collaboration) then adds another fuzz layer from 08:50.

🔊 Black Volt Amplification: https://blackvoltamplification.com

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 12

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

Thorpy FX Heavy Water Boost

ThorpyFX returns to the channel — this time with the Heavy Water, a dual boost that starts subtle and ends with your amp absolutely smashed. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the ThorpyFX Heavy Water Dual Boost takes center stage — featuring the Moon Guitars Moon Burn with Lambertones Lamber'Tron pickups, into the Benson Amps Monarch via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander set to the edge of breakup.

Get a ThorpyFX Heavy Water: https://thorpyfx.com/en-us/products/heavy-water-double-booster

Follow ThorpyFX: https://www.instagram.com/thorpyfx/

The Heavy Water was born from player demand for the boost side of The Dane to be its own pedal. Adrian Thorpe being Adrian Thorpe, he didn't stop there — he paired it with a second boost featuring germanium diodes, giving the Heavy Water three genuinely distinct voices from two footswitches.

Right side (The Dane Boost): the same high headroom, transparent clean boost from The Dane. At low levels it sweetens and enhances without altering the core tone. Push the Boost knob and it drives the front of the amp progressively harder. The Lows control adds or removes low-end content — useful for fattening up single coils, tightening humbuckers into a drive pedal, or focusing the character of a cranked amp.

Left side (Germanium Boost): the same circuit architecture but with germanium diodes in the clipping stage. The result is a grittier, slightly compressed, more saturated boost character — more aggressive than the clean side, with a chewy warmth that the transparent right side doesn't produce. Higher output than the clean side at equivalent Boost knob settings.

Both sides combined (explored from 08:29): the clean boost runs into the Ge boost, combining the transparent level-lifting of the right side with the germanium grit of the left. Into an amp already at the edge of breakup, both sides stacked produces results that range from heavy saturation to genuinely intense amp-smashing distortion. Each side independently set allows enormous range of stacked character.

Four controls total: Boost and Lows per side. Independent footswitches. Built in Adrian Thorpe's signature custom stainless steel enclosure — bulletproof construction, top-mounted jacks, compact footprint. 9V DC center negative only. No battery.

🎛️ ThorpyFX Heavy Water: https://thorpyfx.com/en-us/products/heavy-water-double-booster
🎸 Moon Guitars: https://www.moon-guitars.com
🎸 Lambertones: https://lambertones.store
🔊 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 12

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

Curtis Novak Pickups Strat-V High Wind Pickup Set — Essential Fender Stratocaster Upgrade

Curtis Novak Pickups returns to the channel — this time with a full Strat-V High Wind set in all three positions. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode the Curtis Novak Strat-V High Wind Pickup Set takes center stage — all three positions, installed in the Fender Custom Shop 1960 Journeyman Relic Stratocaster with Emerson Custom S5B Blender 5-Way Wiring Kit and Treble Bleed, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact, R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44, and Effectrode Tube Vibe feature in the second half.

Get a Curtis Novak Strat-V High Wind set: https://www.curtisnovak.com/shop/strat-v/

The Strat-V is Curtis Novak's vintage-specification Stratocaster single coil — voiced for the warm, chimey, bloom-heavy character of a classic '60s Strat. The High Wind variant adds output compared to the standard Strat-V, pushing the amp harder at lower volume settings and delivering more body and fullness across all five positions. Middle pickup is reverse-wound/reverse-polarity for hum cancellation in positions 2 and 4.

This demo contrasts with the previous Curtis Novak Strat video, which featured the Strat-V High Wind neck and middle paired with the Strat-TB Telecaster-style bridge pickup. Here, the Strat-V High Wind runs in all three positions — a more consistent tonal character across the full sweep of the 5-way, with the bridge position showing what a high-wind vintage-voiced single coil sounds like against the beefier Strat-TB alternative from the previous demo.

The Emerson Custom Blender wiring is explored from 08:21 — blending the neck pickup into the bridge and bridge middle positions, giving parallel neck+bridge combinations unavailable on standard Strat wiring. The Rangemaster into pushed Monarch combination from 12:00 is where the High Wind output shines most: more input level to the boost means a wider cleanup sweep and a fatter, more authoritative fuzz character.

Grab an Emerson Custom Treble Bleed: https://emersoncustom.com/products/2017-treble-bleed-circuit-volume-mod?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG
Emerson Custom Strat Blender Kit: https://emersoncustom.com/products/s5b-blender-5-way-strat-prewired-kit?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG

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

Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.

🎸 Fender Custom Shop '60 Journeyman Relic Strat | Curtis Novak Strat-V High Wind (All 3 Positions) | Emerson Custom S5B Blender + Treble Bleed
🎛️ Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact | R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44 | Effectrode Tube Vibe
🔊 Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" | Boss Waza TAE

Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 12

Edge of Breakupinfo@edgeofbreakup.studio

Edge of Breakup
info@edgeofbreakup.studio