Using a Tonebender

NelsonP

I've bought a tonebender kit, which is 'in the post'.

Anyway, once I've built it,  what is the best way to use it? Clean or dirty amp? Where in the pedal chain? It's silicon if that makes any difference.

Cookiemonster

First in the chain. Rest is up to you really. I prefer a slightly broken up amp. 
Where did you get it from Fuzzdog ! Which version did you get ? 

NelsonP

This is the one I ordered. 
https://www.jedspeds.co.uk/product-page/silicon-tone-bender

Currently trying to track it down as it has been lost in the post :-(

ICBM

NelsonP said:

I've bought a tonebender kit, which is 'in the post'.

Anyway, once I've built it,  what is the best way to use it? Clean or dirty amp? Where in the pedal chain? It's silicon if that makes any difference.

First in the chain or after wah, slightly dirty amp, fuzz and volume up full.

NelsonP

NelsonP

NelsonP

Finished the build yesterday. I had my usual fight with LED (for some reason I always mess that bit up), so have a replacement on order.

It sounds great. Very different from my Green Russian Big Muff (especially in the bass response) but a decent fuzz tone.

There are a couple of trimmers on the circuit, for biasing. I have literally no idea how to do that though, or what it does, so I've tweaked them very slightly and left them alone. Would appreciate any thoughts / advice on that.

jacklawtey

I've been using my Sunbender up the arse of my Sunface lately. Chaotic but fun! 

english_bob

NelsonP said:

Finished the build yesterday. I had my usual fight with LED (for some reason I always mess that bit up), so have a replacement on order.

It sounds great. Very different from my Green Russian Big Muff (especially in the bass response) but a decent fuzz tone.

There are a couple of trimmers on the circuit, for biasing. I have literally no idea how to do that though, or what it does, so I've tweaked them very slightly and left them alone. Would appreciate any thoughts / advice on that.

Biasing is supposed to set the voltage at particular points in the circuit so that the transistors are functioning the way they're intended to. You'll need a multimeter to do it accurately (the instructions explain how in the section about transistors) but you can do it by ear if you don't have a multimeter or can't be arsed.

It's unlikely you'll damage anything at the extreme ends of the trim pots in your pedal but you will hear a significant difference in tone across their range, and those transistors cost pence if you do manage to blow one up. There's a fairly wide range of "right" sounds around the "correct" one, and lots of "so wrong it's right" sounds to be had from wrongly biased fuzzes.

NelsonP

Led sorted...