'Tonebender' sound without Germaniums?

[tracer03]

I know that the Tonebender sound is pretty dependent on the Ge transistors - but it seems that there are a couple of builds here that say they can get close - like the Hot Silicon, for example.

Yeah, I know, opinions, YMMV, IANAL, ad infinitum...

Basically, I want to build something 'close'  - I was working on a Rx Yardbox, but I think I may have fried the Ge set I had in there, because I missed a solder bridge and when I went to test it, the germs got REALLY. HOT...and then no signal. So I think I cooked 'em.

Anyway, before I drop $$ on another matched set from Small Bear I'd like to try a build that's a little more 'idiot-proof' but gets close to the Tonebender sound. And since I have a pretty big stash of Si transistors built up, I'd like to try use those first.

[nostradoomus]

I'm a fan of the Devi Ever Ruby. Quick and easy build!

[rocket88]

Damn tracer that really sucks. IMHO there's nothing Si based that really will sound like Ge. It's really down to the molecular nature of Ge and Si really. Think about this for a second, if you wanted the clipping tone of Ge diodes, would you be able to get that with Si, LED, MOSFET, etc.? Clearly you couldn't. It's just the nature of the beast.

[tracer03]

nostradoomus wrote

I'm a fan of the Devi Ever Ruby. Quick and easy build!

As much as I like the Devi circuits, I don't hear any similarity to a 'Bender. It's way more modern and synthy to me. Same with the Hyperion: some love it, some hate it - I'm just kinda 'meh'. IT's got it's niche, and I'm gonna build one, but I just don't see it as a substitute for a Tonebender circuit.

[tracer03]

rocket88 wrote

Damn tracer that really sucks. IMHO there's nothing Si based that really will wound like Ge. It's really down to the molecular nature of Ge and Si really. Think about this for a second, if you wanted the clipping tone of Ge diodes, would you be able to get that with Si, LED, MOSFET, etc.? Clearly you couldn't. It's just the nature of the beast.

Yep, sucks. Shoulda 'measured twice, cut once', so to speak. On the bright side...well, there isn't one, really.

[Travis]

Definitely check out the Lovetone Big Cheese

[Ravenswerld]

The basic audio scarab deluxe is a damm fine circuit and gets a pretty good tonebender sound as well as others! Def check it out...

[tracer03]

Ravenswerld wrote

The basic audio scarab deluxe is a damm fine circuit and gets a pretty good tonebender sound as well as others! Def check it out...

Thanks, I saw that and it looked like a good candidate. Added to the build list!

Travis wrote

Definitely check out the Lovetone Big Cheese

...and another!

[Pedalhead]

Despite it having the bias pot, I could never bias my Scarab Deluxe build properly. Whatever transistors I put in there it was always gated and spluttery at any setting. Is there an hfe recommendation for the stages?

[Travis]

One of my pedal geek buddies had the Basic Audio Scarab Deluxe. We're both Tone Bender freaks and both really underwhelmed by that pedal. Just sounds too flat to my ears, not enough dynamics. YMMV

[tracer03]

Thanks for the heads up - think I will breadboard that one and play with transistors to see what I can get it to do.

[Ravenswerld]

    I'm definitely no tonebender master. In fact I'm just getting to the point of building a ge tonebender and understanding how to get it to sound good. So, I built si versions of them. The best one I found was the basic audio. Now, when I build the ge one it might change my mind and laugh at what I thought sounded good. We will see...so is pedal building. Just got to experiment, build and see what you like!

[nocentelli]

Skreddy Lunar Module is good, not necessarily classic tonebender MK2 but I'm not sure what that really sounds like. I also like the Greasebox 83 with a few tweaks, not the same circuit at all but a good sounding easy Si  build that can sound great.

[Ciaran Haslett]

Recent Scarab builder here....had zero issues with the bias pot (transistors measured around 500 IIRC) but ....it has a BMP tone stack so doesn't really sound like the classic TB.  Still a great sounding fuzz....just not a TB sounding fuzz IMHO

[Pedalhead]

Yeah, my Scarab Deluxe transistors were probably in that range. It might just be one of those anomalous builds that refuses to work properly for no fathomable reason.  I've got a DIY TB2 Pro Ge that works fine anyway. Didn't do anything special with it, just tried out a few different transistors and hey presto! The Si version would be for my gigging pedalboard. I'll probably give the Skreddy Lunar Module a go.

[zombie_rock123]

http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/npn-si-tonebender-mkii.html

This is a fantastic workalike. The comments have some suggested gains - you just need some low HFE silicons and you're good to go. 2n4401 or BC108/BC109Bs have usually worked for me. A lot of fun tweaking the bias on the breadboard because it's nowhere near as snooty of a circuit as anything GE and you can coax some cool sounds out of it.

[tracer03]

zombie_rock123 wrote

http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/npn-si-tonebender-mkii.html

This is a fantastic workalike. The comments have some suggested gains - you just need some low HFE silicons and you're good to go. 2n4401 or BC108/BC109Bs have usually worked for me. A lot of fun tweaking the bias on the breadboard because it's nowhere near as snooty of a circuit as anything GE and you can coax some cool sounds out of it.

Actually, that was another one I wanted to try on the breadboard. I have some 2N930 old stock I stumbled across in a local surplus store I was gonna socket in and test it with.