If you could only have one fuzz 🤔 Expresso FX Fuzz Bender Mojo Edition (MKII & MK1.5) | Jules Leyhe
Two legendary Tone Bender circuits. Three NOS Mullard CV7005 transistors. One toggle switch. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Expresso FX Fuzz Bender Mojo Edition is played by Oakland blues guitarist Jules Leyhe, running into the Grez Guitars Mendocino Junior with a Wolftone Meaner Dog Ear P-90, into a 1957 Fender Tweed Princeton 5F2-A with a Weber CVA-8 pre-broken-in 8" alnico speaker. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins from 06:21.
Expresso FX builder Sof has built his Fuzz Bender line around one of the most historically rich fuzz lineages in existence — the Sola Sound Tone Bender family. The Mojo Edition houses both the MKII and MKI.V circuits in one enclosure, selectable via toggle switch, with a side-mounted Bias knob for further tweaking. The MKII (explored from 00:42 and 08:41) is the three-transistor circuit that defined late-1960s British rock in the hands of Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton — an extra gain stage slamming the circuit harder for more sustain, gain, and midrange density. The MKI.V (explored from 03:46) sits in transitional territory between the raw, maximally-saturated MKI and the more refined MKII — looser, more unpredictable, deeply expressive. Having both voiced with the same trio of transistors makes for an extraordinary A/B experience.
At the heart of the Mojo Edition: three hand-selected NOS Mullard CV7005 germanium transistors — two black glass, one metal can. Military-spec, same family as the celebrated NKT275, delivering a warm, articulate, touch-sensitive voice that responds to every nuance of pick attack and guitar volume. NOS WIMA TFF polyester film capacitors, NOS Philips and ROE electrolytic capacitors, NOS Allen-Bradley carbon comp resistors, premium Cliff UK jacks, 22 AWG solid core silver-plated copper wire with Teflon insulation. Fully hand-wired on genuine Vero stripboard. True bypass. Three-year warranty.
The Grez Guitars Mendocino Junior — reclaimed old growth Redwood body, one-piece Honduran mahogany neck, 24.75" scale, 5.75 lbs, wood harvested from 800-year-old timber — pairs with a Tone Bender-style fuzz in a way that rewards the exercise. The Wolftone Meaner Dog Ear P-90's midrange character feeds the MKII's front end with exactly the right signal, acoustically vibrant enough that the guitar's resonance opens up through the fuzz rather than compressing or flattening.
Jules Leyhe brings slide and fingerstyle blues to both circuits — including a genuinely impressive slide performance on low-action 9-gauge strings from 09:29.
🎛️ Expresso FX: https://expressofx.com
🎸 Grez Guitars: https://www.grezguitars.com
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🎸 Grez Guitars Mendocino Junior | Reclaimed Old Growth Redwood | Wolftone Meaner Dog Ear P-90
🎛️ Expresso FX Fuzz Bender Mojo Edition | NOS Mullard CV7005 Ge (2x Black Glass, 1x Metal Can) | MKII & MKI.V Selectable | Effectrode Tube Vibe
🔊 Vintage 1957 Fender Tweed Princeton 5F2-A | Weber CVA-8 Pre-Broken-In 8" Alnico Speaker
🎵 Guest Artist: Jules Leyhe
Recording Rig: Absolutely no virtual/IR/direct sounds. 4 mics on a real cab. Royer R-121, Lauten Audio LS-208, Ohma Ribbon on front of cab, Royer R10 on back of cab. All mics sent through Universal Audio Apollo x4 with default preamps and no digital preamp emulation plugins, mixed in Ableton Live 12.
The Perfect P90 for a Single Pickup Junior! | Ron Ellis in a Grez Mendocino Jr
Ron Ellis Pickups returns to the channel with a P90 bridge pickup, installed in the Grez Guitars Mendocino Junior. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Ron Ellis P90 bridge pickup — installed in the Grez Guitars Mendocino Junior with Emerson Custom Prewired Kit, 500K pots, and Treble Bleed on the volume pot — runs into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers. The Expresso FX Beige Dual Ge/Si Fuzz and Ge Boost and Effectrode Tube Vibe both feature.
The Ron Ellis P90 brings Ron's molecular-level materials research to the soapbar format — the same engineering approach he applies to his humbuckers, delivering clarity and dynamic touch response rather than the raw, uncontrolled midrange some P90s are known for. Paired with the Mendocino Junior's compact offset body, the result is articulate and expressive across clean, pushed, and cranked amp tones.
The Expresso FX Beige Dual Ge/Si Fuzz and Ge Boost is a two-circuit pedal from Sof, built in the UK with zero compromise on components. The Fuzz Face-style side is switchable between three transistors — NOS CV7005 germanium, NOS OC202 silicon, and NOS AC188 — giving three distinct fuzz voicings from a single circuit. The Ge Boost side uses an NOS OC45 germanium transistor — the same transistor found in the earliest Dallas Rangemaster units — delivering classic treble booster character.
The Emerson Custom Prewired Kit's Treble Bleed keeps the P90's clarity intact through the full volume knob sweep, and the Effectrode Tube Vibe rounds out the demo with rich, three-dimensional modulation.
🎸 Ron Ellis Pickups: https://www.ronellispickups.com 🎸 Grez Guitars: https://www.grezguitars.com 🎛️ Expresso FX: https://expressofx.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
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🎸 Grez Guitars Mendocino Junior | Ron Ellis P90 (Bridge) | Emerson Custom Prewired Kit | 500K Pots | Treble Bleed 🎛️ Expresso FX Beige Dual Ge/Si Fuzz & Ge Boost | CV7005 + OC202 + AC188 (Fuzz) | OC45 (Boost) | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC