Cunningham Amps ZONK MKI Fuzz — Strat Tones — Lost in Crystal Canyons
Three demos, three completely different guitars. The ZONK | MKI sounds different every time. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
This is the third Lost in Crystal Canyons x Cunningham Amps ZONK | MKI demo on the channel — this time with the Nash S63 Stratocaster into the Benson Amps Vincent with Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander for reverb.
Previous demos:
With Frank Brothers Arcade / P90s: https://youtu.be/4QP_uT-XDXU
With 1967 Gibson ES-335 / Humbuckers: https://youtu.be/w_CSIo9B5i8
The short version of the pedal: two fully independent NOS germanium circuits — a Zonk Machine (left toggle) and a Tone Bender MKI (right toggle) — in a solid steel enclosure with NOS knobs and a battery kill switch. Two knobs: Fuzz (left, gain) and Level (right, output). Single-digit production drops. Built by Tim Cunningham in Auckland, New Zealand. Designed by Robert Hart of Lost in Crystal Canyons.
What the Nash S63 single coils bring to this pairing that the P90s and humbuckers don't: a tighter, clearer initial transient that makes the NOS germanium transistors' response feel more immediate and touch-sensitive. The Fuzz knob has more usable range across the full sweep. The guitar volume cleanup — particularly in the neck/middle position — is extraordinarily linear and musical. The Benson Vincent's clean headroom keeps everything open and three-dimensional in a way that rewards the single coil's frequency response.
The comparison between the Tone Bender MKI and Zonk Machine circuits is explored in detail in this demo — both at full crank, both cleaned up, and both with the level inverted as a volume control while the gain acts as the character adjuster.
Robert Hart: https://www.instagram.com/lostincrystalcanyons/
Tim Cunningham: https://www.instagram.com/cunninghamamps/
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
🎸 Nash Guitars S63: https://nashguitarsusa.com
Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.
🎸 Nash Guitars S63 Stratocaster | Lollar Pickups
🎛️ 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
