Early Pro MKII Tonebender recordings etc.

[Stu]

You can also add the Tone Bender MKIII for Page as it appears he it using, possibly the Rotosound branded version, one on this footage.

As I was flipping through this thread I just noticed this. Captain (or anyone else), how do you know it's an MKIII? I've watched the DVD many a time and never thought that it would have been an MKIII so early on.

I admit, it sounds a bit more balls to the wall than most other live performances, even more trebly than the clips where you can see for sure it's an MKII. Just wondering how you came to that conclusion?

It's well documented. Click here and scroll down past the MkII stuff. There was a thread on the old forum too - here.

[molokaio]

swan linked me with this one:
http://kozmicblues.webs.com/effectsmisc.htm

Astonishing page

[Philip]

If he was running the Echoplex in the chain, there would be some gain loss with the MKII. At first I thought it might have been the wah sucking some gain, but the early gray Voxes were all true bypass. That tone suck from Echoplexes and later Vox Wahs is often a overlooked ingredient.

The Tone Bender was essentially gone by the time he got echoplex's. He did use the Vox C02 Long Tom during the early LZ/MKII period though.

...

The 69 whiskey a go go gig shows the MKII well, night and day difference between the pedal being off and on during that gig.

[guitargearhunter]

Hello,

I'm new to the Forum and just wanted to try my hand at uploading a Reply. Regarding recorded examples of Pro MK II Tonebenders, I believe these two might fill the bill:

The Pretty Things: S.F. Sorrow: "Balloon Burning" -- all over that album
T. Rex: "Jewel"

Thanks for letting me chime in!

Mark Hunter
Cincinnati, Ohio USA

[tatter]

The Pretty Things: S.F. Sorrow: "Balloon Burning" -- all over that album

What a great track that is! However i'd always assumed it was a MKI on that LP?

[guitargearhunter]

The Pretty Things: S.F. Sorrow: "Balloon Burning" -- all over that album

What a great track that is! However i'd always assumed it was a MKI on that LP?

I don't know the date of introduction for the Pro MKII, but the S.F. Sorrow album was recorded between Dec. 1967 and the fall of 1968. It's definitely a thick sound, maybe a little smoother and less buzzy than a MKI? Just a guess on my part! The fuzz can be heard throughout the album. MH

[Philip]

The fuzz can be heard throughout the album. MH

... and there's some nice variation on the fuzz tones too. Same pedals different settings/eq etc, or different pedals and eq!? Dick Taylor is still with us perhaps we should try to get in touch with him, see what he remembers.

[Cado]

The Pretty Things: S.F. Sorrow: "Balloon Burning" -- all over that album

What a great track that is! However i'd always assumed it was a MKI on that LP?

Sounds like a MKI to me too. Welcome aboard GGH.

[Philip]

Sounds like a MKI to me too. Welcome aboard GGH.

Tis too hard to say for sure, depending on guitar, amp, pedal settings they can sound similar. Dave's Rotosound MKIII could sound like my MKII etc etc.

[guitargearhunter]

The fuzz can be heard throughout the album. MH

... and there's some nice variation on the fuzz tones too. Same pedals different settings/eq etc, or different pedals and eq!? Dick Taylor is still with us perhaps we should try to get in touch with him, see what he remembers.

That's a great idea to contact Dick Taylor and ask. It would interesting to hear his recollections. I wonder if anyone on the Forum has a connection of some sort? A very cool single release by The Pretty Things in 1968 was "Talkin' About the Good Times" b/w "Walking Through My Dreams." Great stuff.