Cunningham Amps ZONK MKI Fuzz — Lost in Crystal Canyons
Two of the rarest circuits of the 1965 British Fuzz Boom — a Tone Bender MKI and a Zonk Machine — matched NOS germanium throughout, in single-digit production runs. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the Lost in Crystal Canyons x Cunningham Amps ZONK | MKI takes center stage — running into my Frank Brothers Arcade goldtop with Lollar '50s Wind P90 pickups, Bigsby and Emerson Custom Treble Bleed, into my Benson Amps Vincent with Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander for reverb.
The story behind both circuits: In 1965, Gary Hurst of Sola Sound took a Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone to a three-transistor germanium design with more sustain and bite, launching the Tone Bender MKI. It made instant converts of The Beatles, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, and Mick Ronson. Almost simultaneously, John Hornby Skewes — operating out of Leeds — produced the Zonk Machine, a three-transistor germanium circuit closely related to the MKI Tone Bender. Two circuits from the same cultural moment, built on the same Germanic transistors, with subtly different characters. Both are among the rarest and most sought-after vintage fuzzes in existence.
Tim Cunningham of Cunningham Amps — building by hand in Auckland, New Zealand — matched the NOS germanium parts for this collaboration specifically. Robert Hart of Lost in Crystal Canyons brought the aesthetic: minimalist, classic rock period design, solid steel enclosure, NOS knobs, high quality switches, retro colorway. Each release drops in single-digit quantities.
The ZONK | MKI has exactly what it needs and nothing it doesn't. Two knobs: Fuzz (left, gain) and Level (right, overall output). Two switches: one kills the battery circuit so you can leave the pedal wired to your board safely, the other toggles between the Zonk Machine (left position) and Tone Bender MKI (right position). The two circuits clean up extraordinarily from the guitar volume, respond differently to pickup selection, and have distinctly different characters at every gain setting — you'll hear both in detail in this video.
Robert Hart: https://www.instagram.com/lostincrystalcanyons/
Tim Cunningham: https://www.instagram.com/cunninghamamps/
🎸 Frank Brothers Arcade | Lollar '50s Wind P90s | Bigsby | Emerson Custom Treble Bleed
🔊 Benson Amps Vincent: https://www.bensonamps.com/amps/vincent
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🎸 Frank Brothers Arcade Goldtop | Lollar '50s Wind P90 Pickups | Bigsby | Emerson Custom Treble Bleed
🎛️ Lost in Crystal Canyons x Cunningham Amps ZONK | MKI | NOS Germanium | Zonk Machine + Tone Bender MKI
🔊 Benson Amps Vincent
Recording: Royer R121 & SM57 on cab | Royer R10 on room | Universal Audio Apollo x4
