This series was a "what if" of sorts of Tone Bender MK1.5/MK2 circuits featuring either Germanium, Silicon, or Hybrid transistor selections in the thin case format. All featured the "one-knob-fuzz" component layout, 9v jack, and LED. Most were black hammerite like the Colorsound Overdriver, with the sole exception being the Professional MKII Hybrid which was in the same blue hammerite as the Steve Williams built Fuzz Sound pedal.
As far as I'm aware, there were 6 releases and they are as follows-
2x Silicon ("El Diablo's Daughter" Vox TB, "Zoe" MK1.5)
3x Hybrid Ge/Si (Hybrid Pro MKII v2, "Frederica" MK1.5, "Youngest Daughter" Pro MKII)
1x Full Germanium ("Matilda" MK1.5)
"El Diablo's Daughter" Vox Tone Bender (Red print)
Silicon BC108/BC108C
9 made, December 2020
"Zoe" MK1.5 Tone Bender (Gold print)
Silicon, BC108/BC108C
50 made, February 2021
(Has 100k volume pot as standard MK1.5, as compared to 470k found in "Matilda" like a very early MK1.5/Fuzz Face)
If you asked Dick Denney to build a silicon 1.5 in a thin case , I reckon this is what he would have made!’
I think that says it all. The Sound is 1.5 Tone Bender but maybe a little more aggressive than our Goldie. It’s silicon so the clean up is less subtle. The likeness to Dicks One Knob fuzz design is reflected in the geography of the circuit board and the transistor selection BC108 and BC108C.
The case is that fishskin shiny black hammer with Gold print .
We haven’t got a name yet – I was thinking of the daughter of king Midas, who was called Zoe which meant ‘ life ‘ . – suggestions welcome! Right now it’s the silicon 1.5
Pro MKII Tone Bender Hybrid v2 (Blue Hammerite with White print)
Hybrid CV7112 & ???, February 2021
(Differs from v1 in the one-knob-fuzz component board layout to match with all the other "Daughter Of" series, and the use of a CV7112 military grade/reverse polarity OC75 Ge transistor as compared to AC127 in v1)
well , we recently started to produce a series of pedals - various hybrid and silicon versions of Mk2s , 1.5 - you may have seen daughter of diablo , zoe etc. Well Dave had taken inspiration from the work of the great Dick Denney and decided to build the way Dick built .
So no , there was nothing wrong with version one and this one isn't better ! But it's just as incredible and it sits nicely with the other pedals in the range now - we like things neat and tidy here !!!
The Sola Tone Bender Professional MKII - The Hybrid . AKA The Squadron 27. The longest pedal name ever? What is it? It's a Pro MKII that uses only one germanium transistor, and mild sprinkling of low level witchy design skills.
The idea was to replicate the sonic characteristics of David Main's vintage Vox Pro MKII (which is a very nice example) at what He'd consider to be its optimum operating temperature, as in, when it's performing and sounding at it's finest. For all intents and purposes, this pedal does sound like a fully loaded germanium device. Really.
The input transistor is a germanium device, a Philips AC127 to be exact. The NPN equivalent of the AC125. The two silicon transistors within the circuit are very peculiar gain specific devices.
This peculiarity and careful parts selection do what I'd want a germanium device to do. Tonally the germanium warmth is very much present but minus any movement in the bias when the pedal is at higher operating temperatures.
"Frederica" MK1.5 Tone Bender (Orange print)
Hybrid BC109 and CV7112 (military grade, reverse polarity OC75)
10 made, March 2021
"Matilda" MK1.5 Tone Bender (Yellow print)
2x Germanium CV7112 (military grade, reverse polarity OC75)
10 made, April 2021
(Has 470k volume pot like a very early MK1.5/Fuzz Face, as compared to 100k standard MK1.5 in "Zoe" or "Goldie")
"Youngest Daughter"/"Last Daughter" Pro MKII Tone Bender (Silver print)
Hybrid OC139 & ???
10 made, June 2021
THE YOUNGEST AND THE DARKEST
The last of the daughter series
And here's the last - the youngest but by no means the smallest sounding
very similar circuit to the blue meanies daughter but voiced by David Main to be darker and more wholesome - a fat fuzzy nastiness with a detailed edge.
It's voiced darker and fatter than the other sisters - great for playing on a stormy night when you need a bit of fuzz to accompany that Malt Whisky!
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The series was declared over, until a surprise drop in March 2022
Unlike the previous run, these featured no DC jack or LED, and had custom vintage-style "no marker line" knobs and CTS pots
"Super Hybrid Pro MKII" (White print)
Hybrid 2x OC82D & ???
50 made
"This time it's greener and meaner
All the sweetness of the classic Sola Sound MKII Tone Bender plus a little extra sizzle at full tilt"
"The Blue Minx" Hybrid MK1.5 Tone Bender (Blue print)
Mullard OC83 & ???
10 made
"Fat as you like with a little more swagger than your average 1.5 Tone Bender
The brash edge comes courtesy of its Mullard OC83 and a choppy harsh voicing courtesy of David Main
So if you like your Sola Sound Tone Bender served with a little Tabasco, look no further!"
"The Daughter of the Green Bastard" Hybrid MK1.5 Tone Bender (Green print)
Mullard OC82D & ???
10 made
"Yes he's at it again
more offspring from the Green Bastard himself
This one is a 1.5 with, of course, a Mullard OC82D at the helm - giving us those warm dark Tone Bender tones we love"