Jump to content

Advice on MkII Tonebender clones?


Phil O'Keefe

Recommended Posts

  • Members

if i remember correctly the kit came with "vintage" oc75 transistors, and a short google says they are PNP germanium transistors, PNP they are for sure, as the pedals does not like daisy chaining with others because of negativ polarity (if you know a bit electronics you know why PNP is the reason)

 

but i never cared if they are germanium or silicon :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Given the number of clones made, I'm surprised by just how few MKII's are made. There are countless numbers of other drive pedals. Tube screamers which are far more complex and expensive to build can be bought as low a $25, but the cloners don't touch any of the MK versions unless they charge $100 or more for some reason. They only use 2~3 transistors and you can still buy the original germanium for $1 each. $10 in parts and you have a pedal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

if i remember correctly the kit came with "vintage" oc75 transistors, and a short google says they are PNP germanium transistors, PNP they are for sure, as the pedals does not like daisy chaining with others because of negativ polarity (if you know a bit electronics you know why PNP is the reason)

 

but i never cared if they are germanium or silicon :)

 

You can always install a charge pump to take care of the power issues... if I build one, that's what I'm probably going to do.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Given the number of clones made' date=' I'm surprised by just how few MKII's are made. There are countless numbers of other drive pedals. Tube screamers which are far more complex and expensive to build can be bought as low a $25, but the cloners don't touch any of the MK versions unless they charge $100 or more for some reason. They only use 2~3 transistors and you can still buy the original germanium for $1 each. $10 in parts and you have a pedal.[/quote']

 

The original MkII Professional used OC81D's - good luck finding those for a dollar a piece. Even OC75's and AC125's are going to cost you more than that today. And you still have to go through them (or buy pre-tested ones) to get the correct gain, leakage, etc.

 

By the time you factor in knobs, case, paint / labels, perfboard (or a pre-made PCB or the materials to etch your own PCB), jacks, pots, and the various other parts (caps / resistors / trim pot), I'd say you're looking at closer to ~$50 to DIY. And that's if you value your time that it takes to make it at $0.

 

But I agree - it's curious / interesting that so few clones of the MkII are made, and that the prices for them tend to be fairly high.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

Just read an article in Distortion LTD today about the Solar Bender V3 by Magnetic Effects...I have yet to see one, but you might be able to get one for a review ;)

The designer, Christian Livingstone, says he has solved the inline issues [like not being 'buffer friendly'] from his original version [which had a reverse polarity circuit], and now his new version [not a clone], the V3 is coming on the market. The older versions run around 120-140 used.

 

I liked the Fulltone Soul Bender [they are just recently getting to under $100 used] it does a very credible MKII dirt/fuzz, and sincerely regret selling my Sola Sound unit way back when [they are going for ~$400 now!]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • Members

Put this one high on your list.

 

https://www.ramblefx.com/twin-bender

 

 

 

 

It gets more playtime than my high gain white dot NKT275 Sunface by far, and does palm mutes with balls better than any fuzz I've played.

 

I have the original version with I believe NOS Mullard OC44's iirc, though I could be confusing it with the Keeley Java.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...