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What ToneBender model did Jeff Beck use on Truth/Beck-Ola ?

JLee

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Nov 27, 2010
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89
I know we are talking minutia here, but save for a few early Supafuzz's at the beginning of the Sola Sound run, ALL later Supafuzzs are technically MK II Tonebenders. The circuit topology is exact, even down to most component values for nearly the entire Sola Sound run. When Sola Sound ceased production of the units and Marshall took it on, they did swap the 5 uf nominal input and emitter caps for 10 uf like you mentioned.

I believe the transition in production happened with the change in enclosure. Sola Sound used the Olivetti enclosures with the sharper bevels. Marshall production coincided with the rounder edge enclosures like the one Beck is pictured with.

Never realized the .01uF cap was missing in the later Supa Fuzzes!
 

EpiLP1985

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Aug 11, 2017
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I believe the transition in production happened with the change in enclosure. Sola Sound used the Olivetti enclosures with the sharper bevels. Marshall production coincided with the rounder edge enclosures like the one Beck is pictured with.

Never realized the .01uF cap was missing in the later Supa Fuzzes!

Yup!

I just love this circuit(s). It’s like a Fuzz Face with crunch. It’s much more refined than I think people give it credit for and it has drive tones galore inside of it.

It doesn’t do Fuzz Freakout like some of the other “Garagey” type fuzzes but it will get filthy. I like putting a Pre-Gain control on mine to lower the input signal a bit. This, coupled with proper biasing and a reverse log Attack pot really expands the range of this circuits into one that can really do almost anything.
 
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Zinc Alloy

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May 8, 2003
Messages
608
Never realized the .01uF cap was missing in the later Supa Fuzzes!

Most Sola Sound branded MKIIs (i.e. upgraded MK1.5s) don't have it either.
And they dropped the cap just before they stopped making their OEM versions. The last of the OC81D equipped units don't have it.
 

EpiLP1985

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Aug 11, 2017
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113
I think the important thing to note is that when you are building a MK II, you can use the input cap to ground to tune the high end response.

Something between 1000 pf and 10nf, tuned by ear, would work if you needed it.

I’ve found that biasing them a little lower and using slightly larger input and emitter caps usually means you don’t need the input cap to ground. However, if biased up near nominal stock values for vintage units, sometimes the input cap to ground is required.
 

LeonC

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Aug 30, 2002
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799
If you haven't seen this, it's pretty fun/interesting. It was an odd, transitional period for JB: Jeff on a BBC show that came out in '74.


Closeup around 6:16. Looks like a later Colorsound version. Of course, he wasn't using this in the late '60s. Presumably, he was using what was available then, a Sola Sound Mark II or Mark III perhaps? JB never seemed to be that into "vintage" gear when it came to amps and pedals...

This is a pretty interesting site too: http://www.bigmuffpage.com/The_Tonebender_Timeline_3.html
 

EpiLP1985

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Aug 11, 2017
Messages
113
If you haven't seen this, it's pretty fun/interesting. It was an odd, transitional period for JB: Jeff on a BBC show that came out in '74.


Closeup around 6:16. Looks like a later Colorsound version. Of course, he wasn't using this in the late '60s. Presumably, he was using what was available then, a Sola Sound Mark II or Mark III perhaps? JB never seemed to be that into "vintage" gear when it came to amps and pedals...

This is a pretty interesting site too: http://www.bigmuffpage.com/The_Tonebender_Timeline_3.html

That is a Colorsound Overdriver.
 

DrewB

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Jul 15, 2001
Messages
1,428
That is a Colorsound Overdriver.
That's a fantastic circuit! I built one for myself because he used one a lot, and I ended up building over 30 for other people. It's a really good transparent boost and makes a hard run at a convincing overdriven-tube-amp sound. "Convincing" is the make-or-break part; nothing I've heard gets there, but the Overdriver is one of the best. Gotta be a discrete-transistor circuit to compete, from my experience.
 

EpiLP1985

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Aug 11, 2017
Messages
113
That's a fantastic circuit! I built one for myself because he used one a lot, and I ended up building over 30 for other people. It's a really good transparent boost and makes a hard run at a convincing overdriven-tube-amp sound. "Convincing" is the make-or-break part; nothing I've heard gets there, but the Overdriver is one of the best. Gotta be a discrete-transistor circuit to compete, from my experience.

It on my build list and I plan on using a charge pump so I can go from 18v Power Boost tones to 9v for Overdriver tones.
 

El Gringo

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Apr 8, 2015
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5,657
Yes, @Stu is the man!

Yes, he famously used a Sola Sound MKI during the Yardbirds, and possibly a MKII as well. Therefore, if you have a MKI pedal AND a MKII, you should be able to sound like Jeff Beck back then! 🤣

Jeff Beck circa 1969 (Truth/Beck Ola days) with a Marshall Supa Fuzz. (Sola Sound MKI or II circuit)




View attachment 14158
Look at the flame on that Les Paul -WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Bruce R

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Mar 2, 2007
Messages
1,029
Love this dialog!! From what I am hearing here the Sola Sound Mk II is likely the one I am thinking. Next logical question... any recommendations on the current pedal on the market closest to it?

I owned a Throbak Stonebender for a couple of years. It is a great pedal but I could never really dial it in for what I was looking for. Any others I should look at?
 

F-Hole

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Sep 2, 2015
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Doubt it was a Mk 1.5, they sound much more like a good Fuzz Face.
 

fernieite

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Jan 3, 2010
Messages
609
Love this dialog!! From what I am hearing here the Sola Sound Mk II is likely the one I am thinking. Next logical question... any recommendations on the current pedal on the market closest to it?






























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































I owned a Throbak Stonebender for a couple of years. It is a great pedal but I could never really dial it in for what I was looking for. Any others I should look at?

















































































For a Sola Sound Mk II? If money was no object, I'd get one of these...















































































































































































































































































































Love this dialog!! From what I am hearing here the Sola Sound Mk II is likely the one I am thinking. Next logical question... any recommendations on the current pedal on the market closest to it?















































































I owned a Throbak Stonebender for a couple of years. It is a great pedal but I could never really dial it in for what I was looking for. Any others I should look at?
 

LeonC

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Joined
Aug 30, 2002
Messages
799
off topic but still pedal related

I love that BBC show. I've watched it several times over the years (I linked to it further up above in post #25). I got inspired to build a pedal clone based on that performance. Wound up building a "color booster" clone from BYOC. Not the same as Jeff's per se, but it's a great sounding pedal--very transparent.

 
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