Del Rey Custom Shop PRO MKI+

Can you really get a decent MKI Tone Bender type fuzz for under $200?

Tone Benders are some of the most successful fuzz pedals ever made. Since the introduction of the very first hand-built, wood-cased units in 1965 there has been a dizzying array of Tone Bender versions released under a variety of brand names - so many in fact that it can be hard to keep track of them all. The most difficult version to find on the vintage market and the toughest to try to find a modern reproduction of has undoubtedly been the original MkI Tone Bender. This vintage three transistor fuzz was designed to improve on the original Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz Tone by offering greater sustain and output level, and it is where it all started for the Tone Bender. It has fueled hits for the Beatles (Paul's fuzz bass on Think For Yourself), Jeff Beck with the Yardbirds (Heart Full Of Soul), Eric Clapton and Cream, as well as David Bowie via his longtime guitarist Mick Ronson (Suffragette City being but one classic example), but their extreme rarity and the goop that was often applied to the inside of them to disguise components and values made it a difficult pedal to clone, and one that has a reputation of being difficult to dial in for the proper sound. However, the original's secrets eventually leaked out and more and more builders have started offering their take on it, and it's just such a pedal that is under review here. From California based boutique builder Del Rey Custom Shop, it's called the PRO MkI+.

What You Need To Know

• Del Rey Custom Shop is a Southern California based boutique pedal company that currently concentrates their efforts on building modern reproductions that are inspired by classic 60s era vintage fuzz pedals.

• The PRO MKI+ is a three transistor germanium fuzz that is inspired by the earliest MkI Tone Benders. The review unit utilizes a black glass bodied OC75 in the first position as is commonly found in the originals, with a pair of metal can AC128's rounding out the transistor complement in place of the Texas Instruments 2G381 transistors that the original MKI used and that are nearly impossible to find today. The Del Rey Custom Shop PRO MKI+ is also available with the OC75 replaced with another germanium transistor at a slightly lower price.

• The case is made from heavy gauge folded metal and while it's not identical to the vintage MKI case, it was obviously inspired by it. It's noticeably bigger than your typical 125B sized pedal, but smaller than the original MKI, measuring 6 1/4" long and 2 9/16" tall, including the knobs. The case itself is three inches wide, but the 'thumb" screws used extend the actual width to 3 7/8".

• Like the vintage pedal it is based on the PRO MKI+ case is finished in a gold Hammertone type paint with black lettering and comes equipped with three black chicken head knobs. White knobs, as seen in the review unit photos, can be requested if you prefer. The graphics are reminiscent of the original's stripped down appearance, although the PRO MKI logo and Union Jack give it a bit of its own character.

• Wait - three knobs? The original MkI 'Benders only have two knobs - Level and Attack. Level controls the overall output level of the pedal, and there's plenty of level on tap to go well past unity gain if you wish. Attack adjusts the character and nature, and to a degree, the amount of fuzz. The added Bias control is non-stock; you won't find it on vintage MKI Tone Benders, but its inclusion gives this pedal extra sonic versatility, allowing you to get splattier, more gated tones or thicker, smoother ones relatively easily.

• Powering options are much better with this pedal than what you might expect. Most germanium fuzz pedals can be powered with a 9V battery, and this pedal is no exception. It even comes with a 9V battery included. Germanium fuzz pedals often have unique powering requirements and can not share a daisy chain or external power supply with other standard pedals, but that's not the case here. Unlike the vintage MKI, the PRO MKI+ has a charge pump circuit built-in; it doesn't change the sound of the pedal in any way, but it takes the standard 9V center negative power that juices the majority of pedals out there and converts it to what's needed internally. This allows it to run with all your other pedals, chains and power supplies without hassle - a huge plus! The standard 2.1mm center negative 9V DC power jack is located on the side of the pedal.

• The 1/4" input and output jacks are also side-mounted. The input jack is a switching type and will cut off power to the circuit from the battery when it's unplugged to help prolong its life. According to my measurements the current draw is a very reasonable 3mA, so if you remember to unplug the input when you're not using it, a 9V battery should last a long time.

• Switching is true bypass, and a small red LED illuminates when the effect is active.

• Build quality is excellent. Point to point wiring via perfboard construction is used, and the soldering is neat and clean. The wiring is all done with silver-copper stranded Teflon wire which is also nicely organized and bundled. The Del Rey Custom Shop PRO MKI+ uses carbon comp resistors and high quality capacitors. A battery clip is provided to hold the 9V battery securely in place.

• Four rubber feet come pre-installed on the bottom of the PRO MKI+.

• The sound of this pedal definitely pays tribute to the original, with a somewhat more gated, raspy, raunchy and primitive sound than other Tone Bender versions, and way more sustain than a Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz Tone. It's obviously a classic sound for guitar, but it can work equally well on bass too, although with bass I prefer running it in a split signal path configuration so I can mix back in some unprocessed signal for a fuller sound in the lows.

• While not a bargain basement pedal in terms of price, the price is quite reasonable for a custom-built pedal with a non-stock and somewhat unique enclosure and fairly rare transistors, and is considerably less expensive than many of the other MKI inspired pedals on the market.

Limitations

• It's not an identical clone of a vintage MKI in all respects, and that may be a deal-breaker for the truly authenticity-obsessed. The case, while similar to the MKI case in styling, is smaller, and the charge pump and external bias knob certainly never appeared on the originals, but while the cosmetic differences may be of concern to some, many others may actually prefer the PRO MKI+ over the originals since its smaller size and less rigid powering makes things easier and move convenient for modern guitarists and bassists, and the added bias control provides extra tonal versatility.

• MKI inspired fuzzes are not known for their ability to clean up when you lower your guitar's volume control like you can with a MK 1.5 Tone Bender or Fuzz Face based circuit. It will clean up a little bit, but if you need to clean up completely with just a twist of your volume control, this may not be the best type of fuzz circuit for you.

• Pedalboard mounting may be a little challenging due to the pedal's larger size and weight. For those who like to use the bike chain link method of pedal mounting, the Del Rey Custom Shop PRO MKI+ would require right angle brackets due to the location of the case screws on the side of the pedal.

Conclusion

While it's not an identical clone in all respects, I appreciate the changes that have been made to the basic MKI design with the Del Rey Custom Shop PRO MKI+. The smaller sized enclosure retains some of the vibe and style of the original while being far more pedalboard friendly. Speaking of pedalboards, I also love that the PRO MKI+ works and plays well with the other pedals on your board and doesn't require a separate power supply. The external bias knob is another change that I appreciate since it gives added sonic versatility to the user and doesn't require you to open the case to change the bias setting. If you're into classic rock tones and want a pedal that gives you the sound and character of the earliest Tone Benders, you should check out Del Rey Custom Shop's excellent take on this classic pedal. It delivers great tone and looks very cool too.   

For years you've had several options when it comes to other versions of the Tone Bender, but pedals inspired by the MKI have been much more scarce; it's nice to finally see cool takes like this one on that classic circuit starting to appear at prices that working musicians can afford.

Resources

DRCS PRO MKI+ with a NOS OC75 and two AC128 germanium transistors: $155 "street"

DRCS PRO MKI+ with three NOS matched germanium transistors: $145 "street"

DRCS product web page

Soundcloud Demo Clips: