Tone Bender any good on bass ?

Wud · #1 04-11-2009, 08:50 AM

Hi,

I've just obtained one of the old Vox Tone Bender MKIII Fuzz pedals.
It's the "late model with silicon transistors" as seen on this page -

http://filters.muziq.be/model/vox/co...tonebender/mk3

I've not got access to my bass rig at the moment, so I was wondering if there were any opinions of its use on bass, or any info on modifications that might help improve its use with a bass.

Cheers

rcubed · #2 04-11-2009, 10:16 AM

MKIII's should work with bass since they have a tone control that will let out more bass than the MKII will.

Kooldac · #3 04-11-2009, 01:36 PM

Audio clips if you can prz!!!

rcubed · #4 04-11-2009, 01:40 PM

The Tone Bender circuit is a hybrid Fuzz Face/Big Muff circuit. I've been a couple of clones up and neither did much for me. I think the circuit lacks character in the fuzz produced. But it might be what you're looking for and could sit well in the mix.

RCCollins · #5 04-11-2009, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcubed

The Tone Bender circuit is a hybrid Fuzz Face/Big Muff circuit. I've been a couple of clones up and neither did much for me. I think the circuit lacks character in the fuzz produced. But it might be what you're looking for and could sit well in the mix.

That's an interesting description because the Tonebender predates the Big Muff by several years

roflol · #6 04-11-2009, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcubed

The Tone Bender circuit is a hybrid Fuzz Face/Big Muff circuit. I've been a couple of clones up and neither did much for me. I think the circuit lacks character in the fuzz produced. But it might be what you're looking for and could sit well in the mix.

no its a tonebender is a fuzz face with a buffer stage infront of it to drive it that bit harder. The big muff circuit is fairly different

tonebenders sound GREAT with passive bass and active if you can get some kind of buffered attentuation infront of them.

rcubed · #7 04-12-2009, 12:28 AM

The buffer stage is just like a Big Muff. And the Fuzz Face part of the circuit has diode clipping, like a Big Muff.

Wud · #8 04-12-2009, 05:38 AM

Many thanks for the replies.
Hopefully I'll get to give it a blast next week.
The case is a bit battered (and big) so I might look at re housing it and getting an led added while I'm at it.

RCCollins · #9 04-12-2009, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcubed

The buffer stage is just like a Big Muff. And the Fuzz Face part of the circuit has diode clipping, like a Big Muff.

Maybe - but to say it's a combo of the fuzz face and something that came after it makes you look pretty doofy

rcubed · #10 04-12-2009, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCCollins

Maybe - but to say it's a combo of the fuzz face and something that came after it makes you look pretty doofy

Alright, you're making me have to explain.

As you pointed out, the Big Muff circuit came later. I'm just looking at all these schematics I have for fuzz circuits and looking for similarities between them. Maybe EHX stole the buffer section of the Tone Bender for the Big Muff. I have no idea. I'm NOT saying that the Tone Bender was designed to be a hybrid Big Muff/Fuzz Face. That's just what I see looking that the schematic and what I hear when playing through the pedal. I may alone on this one but I don't care.

RCCollins · #11 04-12-2009, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcubed

Alright, you're making me have to explain.

As you pointed out, the Big Muff circuit came later. I'm just looking at all these schematics I have for fuzz circuits and looking for similarities between them. Maybe EHX stole the buffer section of the Tone Bender for the Big Muff. I have no idea. I'm say that the Tone Bender was designed to be a hybrid Big Muff/Fuzz Face. That's just what I see looking that the schematic and what I hear when playing through the pedal. I may alone on this one but I don't care.

you're just wrong on this one buddy. and you're digging a deeper hole.

How could the tonebender be "designed to be a hybrid Big Muff/Fuzz Face" when the Big Muff wouldn't exist until several years later? Did sola sound put a friggin TIME MACHINE in there because that would account for the high vintage prices!

Circuitry is one thing but history is another. It seems pretty obvious to me that ehx borrowed some design concepts from the bender, not the other way around

rcubed · #12 04-12-2009, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCCollins

you're just wrong on this one buddy. and you're digging a deeper hole.

How could the tonebender be "designed to be a hybrid Big Muff/Fuzz Face" when the Big Muff wouldn't exist until several years later? Did sola sound put a friggin TIME MACHINE in there because that would account for the high vintage prices!

Circuitry is one thing but history is another. It seems pretty obvious to me that ehx borrowed some design concepts from the bender, not the other way around

Damnit. It's too early in the morning and I had too many typos. I'm going to edit my post.

**grygrx** · #13 04-12-2009, 09:12 AM

Agreed, The MKIII Tonebenders (which is what is being discussed...) first appeared in like... 68. Which still precedes the Muff by a few years.

Wud · #14 04-12-2009, 09:33 AM

Its interesting to hear the contrasting views that people have towards these pedals.
I'm looking forward to hearing the sounds of a pedal that may just well predate my time on this here planet...I was born in 72.
Maybe I shouldn't consider re housing it after all.

RCCollins · #15 04-12-2009, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wud

Its interesting to hear the contrasting views that people have towards these pedals.
I'm looking forward to hearing the sounds of a pedal that may just well predate my time on this here planet...I was born in 72.
Maybe I shouldn't consider re housing it after all.

you can join the "old" club with me (also a 72er) and Jimmy (older than the Tutmarc bass from what I gather)

Wud · #16 04-12-2009, 09:43 AM

Old yes, but probably none the wiser.
but like the old Tone Bender, I think theres plently of life left yet

Wud · #17 09-25-2010, 03:54 PM

Still wondering if anybody has any ideas for easy mods to a mkIII Vox Tonebender ?
Maybe I should just get a ghost fx box ?

dune2k · #18 09-25-2010, 03:57 PM

diodes, tonestack, coupling caps, different transistors.
since mk 3 tonebenders and big muff style circuits have that much in common the mods are kind of similar.

Wud · #19 09-25-2010, 04:01 PM

Hi dune2k,

Many thanks for the reply.
Don't suppose you have any links to online info/idiots guides ?

dune2k · #20 09-25-2010, 06:08 PM

Google is your friend.
I'd start with finding a schematic for both the big muff and the tonebender mk 3 and spotting the main differences.
If you want to fiddle with the tone stack there's a wonderful tool around that's called "Duncan's Tone Stack calculator", makes life a lot easier.
Also check out what R-C-Filters do, muzique.com does have a calc for their corner frequencies.