Recommendations For Tone Bender Style Pedals?

AlexC

Inspired partly by the thread re the new Boss pedal (and seeming unavailability thereof) and partly because I’ve been thinking about getting a TB style pedal in the last weeks... what would folk here recommend from personal use? I’ve trawled YT and gear sites of course, but I either can’t stand the playing styles used for demonstration or I can’t afford some high end collectible thing. Personally, I won’t spend more than £125-150 on a pedal. But that’s for realistic reasons not some moral code. 

I like the look (and sound) of the Magnetic Effects Solar Bender. I’m not keen on anything too raspy or ‘splatter fuzz.’ 

What say you knowledgable people?

monquixote

Magnetic FX stuff is always great and reasonably priced and made in the UK.

Otherwise I'm not sure if Frederic make anything suitable?

Keefy

I've been very happy with my EQD Colby [Park in the US] Fuzz Sound - based on the Mk III TB, runs off standard Power supply, doesn't mind buffers, sounds massive.

sergio

I have a Magnetic Effects Solar Bender and it is a great choice: reasonably priced tonebender with modern features - such as not being huge or being standard powered.

An alternative could be to build your own. Tonebenders are very simple circuits, so if you are OK with soldering you can find kits in the £60 range for every type of TB flavor you prefer.

AlexC

Thanks so far Got me thinking. I’ll check out Frederic - know they do a lot of desirable stuff. Good to hear Magnetic Effects are praised.

ICBM

Ramble FX Twin Bender.

Possibly slightly out of your budget, but not impossibly rare second hand. Fixes all the problems with running a vintage-style germanium fuzz on a modern pedalboard and has a couple of extra useful functions, as well as Mk1.5 (lower gain) and Mk2 (higher gain) settings.

Beexter

Lovepedal Bonetender is worth a look if pedalboard space is tight. 

menamestom

I fancy something like a tone bender.  There’s the Keeley Fuzz Bender.

I think I’ll go for the Magnetic, smaller, cheaper and UK made.

YellowLedBetterMan

I remember peaking into this rabbit hole when I wanted to get my Ronson on. After discovering the price of some of the "good" ones, I ran away and didn't look back.

That being said - of the ones I did look at, the Bonetender was my favourite sounding of the bunch. The Fulltone one sounded pretty good too.

Sassafras

Doesn't Fredric Effects do a 2 in 1 type of Tonebender or is that a Fuzz Face?

AlexC

@Sassafras Just checked it out.thanks for the heads up The DuoFace - it’s a Fuzz Face style thingy.

DoctorX

Check out Super Electric. Jimmy makes good stuff: https://reverb.com/item/38994901-super-electric-mki-oc75-2g306-fuzz-pedal-tone-bender?utm_source=rev-ios-app&utm_medium=ios-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=38994901

ljs

I have a few pedals from William Audio. He’s Uk based and I really like my RangeMaster and my MK1.5. 

No affiliation 
https://www.williamsaudio.co.uk/

JCA2550

ICBM said:

Ramble FX Twin Bender.

Possibly slightly out of your budget, but not impossibly rare second hand. Fixes all the problems with running a vintage-style germanium fuzz on a modern pedalboard and has a couple of extra useful functions, as well as Mk1.5 (lower gain) and Mk2 (higher gain) settings.

Joe's Pedals are expecting some of these in a week or so.
The JHS Bender is great but is a very good take on a Ge mk3 Tone Bender using silicon transistors. Both are around the £175 mark new.

Moe_Zambeek

Skreddy Rover might be an option.

DesVegas

Best one i ever heard was the Tomkat Bender but they're as rare as hens teeth.

AlexC

Thanks for all these - I'll check them out on YT, etc.

Redlester

I can second, third and fourth all the comments in praise of the Magnetic Effects Solar bender. Tons of tone, and some modern upgrades to make it ultra compatible with other pedals. 

It does have a control where you can get that 'splatter' fuzz thing, but then I do like that 'Jimmy's nine volt is dying half way through the solo on Shapes of Things' tone. 

It's a superb pedal. I ought to use mine more, but it does everything from gnarly Yardbirds stuff to that massive sound Mick Ronson used to get. The other thing I like about the TB sound- which the Solar Bender does- is that it's got that properly intense, fuzz-like rasp, but it's also a full-frequency distortion box. Basically it's like having a serated knife through the ears while being kicked in the solar plexus. 

And on that vile note, thank you and good night.

victorludorum

Ghost Effects

MtB

Catalinbread Katzenkonig

birtner

Throbak stone bender is my favourite and I wish I’d never sold mine. Currently got the solar bender which ticks all the boxes