Sola Sound Tone Bender MKI
Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2017 2:42 pm
...number nine, number nine, number nine, number nine, number nine, number nine.
Cool new project, yes you guess it, number nine. Likely the thee coolest most wondrous project to date. A project of such epic magnitude it has taken not one but four individual transistor wizards to manifest this product of god tier nerdism. 52 years after they were originally created we present to you, the root of it all, the genesis, the motive and he embryo of all the Tone Bender family. The golden triangle. The Tone Bender MKI.
Over a year in the making with enough research conducted to send a man insane four black masterminds offer to you four different incarnations of this legendary bringer of distortion. Castledine Electronics, Ghost Effects, Pigdog Pedals and D*A*M Stompboxes. Each builder has undertaken the heroic quest of producing 50 pieces. Each with their own unique style, flavor and tonal palette and each with their own distinct graphic representing the changing face of the originally produced units.
The enclosure was painstakingly replicated from an original 1965 device. The exact dimensions, weight, grade of steel and method of paint application were utilized making for a truly authentic visual experience that goes hand-in-hand with raw and savage nature of the fuzz tones contained within.
Sonic Attack
I'm starting in reverse this time around. Philip has done a truly outstanding job of capturing the essence and the behavior of these things which is likely an easier, and more enjoyable, way to get a handle on how these creations sound and also react. What follows are four short sound clips that can be used for comparison purposes. Two further sound demonstrations will be included in the description for each builder.
Pigdog Pedals
The 'Sola Sounds Ltd' MKI. Visually based upon the final incarnation of the MKI and the only version to sport the manufacturers moniker. A MKI produced by Stephen Williams. You know the score. Perfectly executed and what most would tonally consider the classic MKI flavor. Superbly smooth with a tight and focused fuzz tone, offering a stout and workable tone at zero Attack and a hugely saturated yet stable tone at maximum levels. Working at high volume this thing will almost play itself. The higher frequency content being centered in the upper midrange makes for a deep and brooding fuzz tone when used in conjunction with PAF style humbuckers: you are now entering Ronson territory.
The construction style is what you'd expect from Mr. Pigdog. Clean lines and a tidy house. The wire routing has a slightly more modern approach though still retains a vintage old school quality. The components are of a vintage nature, Hunts and Iskra capacitors and 2 watt Allen Bradley resistors. The transistor arrangement comprises of a single black glass OC75 and 2 x NKT OC81's.
Sound Demonstration
Ghost Effects
The Competition or Beat Instrumental MKI. Handled as such due to this graphic type being featured in the images for the Beat Instrumental competition, it was also the most commonly seen graphic type in the Musical Exchange advertisements of the day. This is true Black Country masterwork from the mind and soul of Mr. Sherwen. Full blown, full frequency, huge aggressive attitude delivered with immense proficiency. Delivering a massive canvas of sound The Ghost MKI is a perfect combination of the primal and the contemporary. The output levels here are the greatest of the four making it a superior companion for the modern day, though the artifacts and high end sizzle at maximum fuzz levels are old school to their very core. Ian's tuning approach here is impressive giving means to deliver low gain crunch tones at minimum drive settings with even a good degree of dynamic guitar interaction when operating at warmer operating temperatures.
Again like the Pigdog the construction style here is an clean and orderly presentation with a pleasing combination of more modern wiring techniques and the old timey style one would expect to see in a MKI. The transistor line-up comprises of a single CV7005 (military grade OC71) and 2 x CV7007 (military grade OC77), the military style selection being a smart move on Ian's part, really does help to keep things from going too AWOL when this thing is wide open. Capacitors are a mixture of Jupiter and ICEL Polyesters, Sprague Atom Electrolytic's. Resistors are mixture of NOS/New 1 watt and 0.5 watt Carbon comp/Carbon film types.
Sound Demonstration
Cool new project, yes you guess it, number nine. Likely the thee coolest most wondrous project to date. A project of such epic magnitude it has taken not one but four individual transistor wizards to manifest this product of god tier nerdism. 52 years after they were originally created we present to you, the root of it all, the genesis, the motive and he embryo of all the Tone Bender family. The golden triangle. The Tone Bender MKI.
Over a year in the making with enough research conducted to send a man insane four black masterminds offer to you four different incarnations of this legendary bringer of distortion. Castledine Electronics, Ghost Effects, Pigdog Pedals and D*A*M Stompboxes. Each builder has undertaken the heroic quest of producing 50 pieces. Each with their own unique style, flavor and tonal palette and each with their own distinct graphic representing the changing face of the originally produced units.
The enclosure was painstakingly replicated from an original 1965 device. The exact dimensions, weight, grade of steel and method of paint application were utilized making for a truly authentic visual experience that goes hand-in-hand with raw and savage nature of the fuzz tones contained within.
Sonic Attack
I'm starting in reverse this time around. Philip has done a truly outstanding job of capturing the essence and the behavior of these things which is likely an easier, and more enjoyable, way to get a handle on how these creations sound and also react. What follows are four short sound clips that can be used for comparison purposes. Two further sound demonstrations will be included in the description for each builder.
Pigdog Pedals
The 'Sola Sounds Ltd' MKI. Visually based upon the final incarnation of the MKI and the only version to sport the manufacturers moniker. A MKI produced by Stephen Williams. You know the score. Perfectly executed and what most would tonally consider the classic MKI flavor. Superbly smooth with a tight and focused fuzz tone, offering a stout and workable tone at zero Attack and a hugely saturated yet stable tone at maximum levels. Working at high volume this thing will almost play itself. The higher frequency content being centered in the upper midrange makes for a deep and brooding fuzz tone when used in conjunction with PAF style humbuckers: you are now entering Ronson territory.
The construction style is what you'd expect from Mr. Pigdog. Clean lines and a tidy house. The wire routing has a slightly more modern approach though still retains a vintage old school quality. The components are of a vintage nature, Hunts and Iskra capacitors and 2 watt Allen Bradley resistors. The transistor arrangement comprises of a single black glass OC75 and 2 x NKT OC81's.
Sound Demonstration
Ghost Effects
The Competition or Beat Instrumental MKI. Handled as such due to this graphic type being featured in the images for the Beat Instrumental competition, it was also the most commonly seen graphic type in the Musical Exchange advertisements of the day. This is true Black Country masterwork from the mind and soul of Mr. Sherwen. Full blown, full frequency, huge aggressive attitude delivered with immense proficiency. Delivering a massive canvas of sound The Ghost MKI is a perfect combination of the primal and the contemporary. The output levels here are the greatest of the four making it a superior companion for the modern day, though the artifacts and high end sizzle at maximum fuzz levels are old school to their very core. Ian's tuning approach here is impressive giving means to deliver low gain crunch tones at minimum drive settings with even a good degree of dynamic guitar interaction when operating at warmer operating temperatures.
Again like the Pigdog the construction style here is an clean and orderly presentation with a pleasing combination of more modern wiring techniques and the old timey style one would expect to see in a MKI. The transistor line-up comprises of a single CV7005 (military grade OC71) and 2 x CV7007 (military grade OC77), the military style selection being a smart move on Ian's part, really does help to keep things from going too AWOL when this thing is wide open. Capacitors are a mixture of Jupiter and ICEL Polyesters, Sprague Atom Electrolytic's. Resistors are mixture of NOS/New 1 watt and 0.5 watt Carbon comp/Carbon film types.
Sound Demonstration