The Jimmy Page Fuzz Secret - On Your Pedalboard! | Cunningham Amps MKII Professional Fuzz (OC76 Ge)

The Jimmy Page Fuzz Secret - On Your Pedalboard!

A trio of NOS Mullard OC76 metal can germanium transistors. Sherwood Green, aged and relic'd. And one of the most important fuzz circuits of the 1960s, hand-built in Auckland, New Zealand. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.

In this episode, the Cunningham Amps MKII Professional Fuzz takes the spotlight — running into my Kauer Guitars Electroliner loaded with Lollar Sixty-Four Stratocaster pickups, into my 1957 Fender Tweed Princeton 5F2-A with a 12" speaker.

The Tone Bender Professional MKII is one of the most consequential fuzz circuits ever created. Sola Sound introduced it in 1966, designed by Gary Hurst on Denmark Street in London's Tin Pan Alley. The MKII evolved from the earlier MK1.5 — adding a crucial third transistor gain stage to the front end that slams the circuit harder, producing more sustain, gain, and midrange density. Think of it as a Fuzz Face with a booster built into the front. Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck all used the MKII to define the sound of late 60s British rock. The MKII was also manufactured for Vox and Marshall, making it one of the most widely distributed boutique fuzz circuits of the era.

Tim Cunningham's MKII Professional Fuzz is his deeply faithful hand-crafted take on this legendary circuit, built in a heavy-duty wedge enclosure with premium components throughout. This Sherwood Green aged and relic'd edition features Tim's weathered paintwork and hardware treatment, giving it the look and feel of a pedal that has genuinely lived a full life. The transistor selection is a trio of NOS Mullard OC76 metal can germanium transistors — components with plenty of gain on tap for massive fuzz tones, wide dynamic control, and beautiful cleanup off the guitar volume and with pick attack.

Each Cunningham MKII is built by hand, one at a time, and individually voiced to its specific trio of transistors — no two are ever exactly the same. Level sets the overall output and Attack dials up the intensity, ranging from soft and subtle to full sonic destruction. Raising the Level hits your amp's input harder, unlocking natural preamp breakup and beautiful overtones throughout. The three-way Gain Mode switch is the secret weapon: Low is a bright, firm boost setting, Med adds overdrive character, and High delivers fat, juicy, fully saturated germanium fuzz. Each setting imparts its own distinct character and makes the pedal remarkably versatile across different guitars, amps, and musical situations.

Into a 5-watt, single 6V6, Class A tweed Princeton and the pre-CBS Alnico clarity of Lollar Sixty-Four single coils, the Cunningham MKII finds exactly the environment it was born for. This is the British Invasion in a box — built by hand in the Southern Hemisphere, sounding like Denmark Street in 1966.

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🎸 Kauer Guitars Electroliner | Lollar Sixty-Four Stratocaster Set

🎛️ Cunningham Amps MKII Professional Fuzz | Sherwood Green Aged Relic | NOS Mullard OC76 Germanium Transistors

🔊 1957 Fender Tweed Princeton 5F2-A | Modded Baffle with 12" Speaker