Features:
- Faithfully re-created tribute to JHS founder Josh Scott’s prized 1973 MK3 Tone Bender fuzz pedal
- Responsive to picking dynamics, from restrained crunch to full-out sonic aggression
- Offers up a wide range of dark and bright fuzz tones
- JHS Mode button provides a gain boost and a mid-frequency bump for extra howl
- Housed in a custom wedge-shaped bent-metal enclosure
- Vintage-style knobs and full-metal badge plate
- Optional battery power for authentic vintage operation
From JHS:
The "Legends Of Fuzz'' series is a collection of the world's most historic, rare, and sought after circuits.
At JHS, fuzz pedals have been in our lineup for over a decade. We have designed original circuits, replicated classics, and we have seen the trend of fuzz popularity come and go. The "Legends Of Fuzz'' series is our tribute to the most important fuzz circuits ever made. It is our way of ensuring that the stories of these effects live on in the music that you are going to make. From the earliest days of fuzz in the mid-60's London scene to the 1990's ex-Soviet military factories that brought the Big Muff back to life, fuzz tells a story, and that story includes guitarists just like you. There is nothing more primitive than plugging your guitar into a vintage fuzz circuit; it is raw, untamed, and so pure that it pushes the boundaries of what your instrument can accomplish. Plug into a fuzz and plug into sixty years of beautifully broken sound.
The JHS Bender is our attempt to recreate the most prized Tonebender* in my collection: my 1973 MK3 Silver/Orange “Onomatopoeia” version. This version has three very special germanium transistors, tons of mojo, and fifty plus years of experience, but it is finicky and it doesn’t always do what you want it to do. I had to ask: could we replicate this pedal sonically? Could we capture what it's all about, but in a way that is more consistent, dependable, and easy to manufacture? Yes. The end result is a pedal that gives you the touch, feel, and response of the vintage germanium fuzz but with accuracy and consistency of carefully chosen modern silicon transistors.
The controls are Volume, Tone, and Attack. Volume sets the overall output level of the effect; turn it up and things get louder. Tone lets you sweep between bright and dark tones so that the Bender works well with a range of different amplifiers and guitars. Attack is the distortion control, the more you turn it clockwise, the more fuzz you create. On the side you will see a “Mode” button that lets you access a never-before-heard “JHS Mode”. Push that button for more gain and a mid frequency boost to send you leads soaring through the mix. With higher Attack settings in this mode, you will feel the fuzz slightly gate depending on your picking dynamics. If you want a fuzz that can go from middle of the road crunch distortion to full out aggression, the Bender is for you. The tone control is extremely flexible and allows for dozens of sonic variations that most fuzz users only dream about.
If you love the fuzz sounds of Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, The Beatles, Mick Ronson (David Bowie), and My Bloody Valentine, then the Bender is for you.
Specs
- Pedal Type:Fuzz
- Analog/Digital:Analog
- Inputs:1 x 1/4"
- Outputs:1 x 1/4"
- True Bypass:Yes
- EQ:Tone Control
- Controls:Attack
- Power Source:9V DC power supply (sold separately)
- Batteries:1 x 9V
- Power Usage:4mA
- Height:2.0"
- Width:3.62"
- Depth:5.68"
- Weight:0.85 lbs.