The first legendary pedal Sano ever encountered: the "TONE BENDER MkI"

The legendary pedal Sano first encountered: "TONE BENDER MkI"

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The TONE BENDER MkI has arrived at TCGAKKI

　 When I first heard about this, I couldn't hide my disbelief—I thought, "Could this be a dream...?" It was my first encounter with one, even after over a decade of working with over 2,000 Effector units annually.
And no wonder—the TONE BENDER MkI, often called the phantom pedal due to its rarity, was unexpectedly being entrusted to our shop.

The previous owner (Mr. A), who primarily works in the music industry, was initially drawn to the TONE BENDER after being deeply impressed by Jimmy Page's guitar sound in Led Zeppelin."It's a very raw distortion." "How can I create the same sound?" As he continued his search, he traced the history of the MkII back even further. He loved The Beatles and, through his work, had even been present at a session with George Martin himself. He began searching for the ultimate MkI, hoping to acquire one someday. After searching for about three years, he finally got his hands on an MkI!

"You won't find one in the UK."

　The road to finding one was not smooth. When he asked someone, they said, "There are hardly any in the UK." In the end, he was told, "I've never seen one." Finally, through introductions from acquaintances in the UK, he found someone who knew Gary Hurst, who lives in London!
Around 2010, that person sold him two MkIs at the same time, a wooden MkI and a metal case MkI!The sound was simply incredible. The thrill of hearing it play for the first time is something I still can't forget. I especially loved the wooden MkI version and couldn't bear to part with it all this time.
Thinking about the future, I realized I'd have fewer and fewer chances to use it myself. Rather than just holding onto it, I felt strongly that I wanted to pass this pedal on to future generations. Knowing how much you, Sano-san, appreciate the quality and rarity of this pedal, I decided to pass it on to you this time.

About Gary Hurst

　 The creator of the Tone Bender, he is often called "the man who laid the roots for today's Effector" due to his rich imagination and exceptional talent, yet his detailed profile remains largely shrouded in mystery.
　He learned from his father, starting with radio construction, but always held a deep fascination with music. Around 1963, he built valve tape echo units, leading him to develop the Tone Bender in 1965.
　In 1968, he left England for Italy, where he designed keyboards for Crumar and Elka. In the mid-1970s, he founded Electronic Sounds, a company manufacturing keyboards and guitar pedals. This brand continued until the early 1980s.
　In 1968, he left England for Italy, where he designed keyboards for Crumar and Elka. In the mid-70s, he founded Electronic Sounds, a company manufacturing keyboards and guitar pedals. The company disappeared in the early 80s as digital instruments became widespread and affordable.

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About the TONE BENDER

　The Tone Bender is based on the Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone. This pedal consists of a circuit featuring three transistors set to Bass. Countless replicas are still made today, and it has had a profound influence on later fuzz pedals and similar effects.
Engineer Gary Hurst began manufacturing and selling these around the summer of 1965.
　Early units were housed in wooden cases reportedly made by his brother. These were prototypes; later models used gold-finished, folded steel enclosures.Production of the MkI is said to have continued until December 1965. This was followed by the Mk2 and Mk3 (Mk4), famous for being used by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, and the Mk1.5, a variant featuring two transistors, developed in between.
This time, we will focus on the MkI, considered the most valuable among them.

　In 1965, in a back room of Macari's Musical Exchange, a music store located at 22 Denmark Street in London, guitarists were seeking a new sound from their amplifiers—namely, "a sound with more distortion and sustain."Vick Flick of the instrumental rock 'n' roll group The John Barry Seven owned an original Maestro Fuzz-Tone and reportedly requested a pedal with greater sustain. Gary Hurst then built him a new fuzz box.
　He named it the "TONE BENDER." The very first few Tone Benders were housed in wooden boxes and cost 14 guineas. Jeff Beck was one of his first customers, and the Tone Bender was used on many singles, including the Yardbirds' classic "Heart Full Of Soul," Gary Hurst recalls.

　After initially making 10 wooden prototypes, Gary Hurst began producing individual steel units. He reportedly added a small "SOLA SOUND" logo to the enclosures of units made for sale under the SOLA SOUND name.
What is currently known is that units with instant lettering (no small "SOLASOUND" logo on the shoulder / "TONE BENDER" lettering is thin or thick, slightly squashed horizontally) units tend to have lower output, while silk-screen specification units (with a small "SOLASOUND" logo on the shoulder / "TONE BENDER" lettering is thick, slightly elongated vertically) tend to have higher output. It is thought that the former were used by Jeff Beck and the latter by Mick Ronson.
　However, since there is variation in appearance and sound between individual units, I don't think these characteristics apply universally.

Gary Hurst TONE BENDER MkI Wooden Case

Size: 20 × 15 × 5 (cm)
Weight: Approx. 275g (Extremely lightweight for a pedal)
Material: The wood type is unknown, but it has a nice grain and is very light. While it's not exactly high-end quality in terms of the wood itself, its presence is outstanding!

First, I was surprised by how perfectly proportioned the case dimensions are: 20/15/5(cm).
Unvarnished with no logos, it radiates the warmth unique to wood. The body is assembled with wooden dowels, and the top section where parts are mounted is nearly impossible to inspect internally without complete disassembly. Consequently, photographing the interior proved quite challenging.
The battery cover, including the footswitch section, is secured by four wood screws. To replace the batteries, you remove these four screws to open and close it. There's a steel plate on the back of the battery cover for reinforcement, but it flexes a bit when you toggle the switch ON/OFF, making you worry it might crack.
I've seen images showing a silver knob installed, but this unit has a black plastic one.
The surface has a pleasant texture and is polished to a smooth finish. Since it's simply assembled from thin wood, it feels incredibly delicate, as if it might break at any moment, forcing me to handle it with extreme caution.

　First, what kind of sound do you think a wooden tone bender produces? Here's what I honestly felt when I played the actual unit.
　The level is quite high; the ATTACK (right side) control starts producing significant distortion around the 9 o'clock position. Turning it further doesn't seem to add much more distortion. At full, it unleashes a shockingly piercing fuzz sound that feels like it's stabbing through your skull. The sound from the front pickup is especially sweet and mild, with a real organic nuance that transports the player back to the music scene of the 1960s.
　Both gain and sustain are ample, and the sound is remarkably clear and punchy, with a gated, crunchy texture that leaves a strong impression.I've played countless MkI replica models, but this sound clearly stands apart from them. Its response to the guitar volume knob is superb, and the bell-like clean to crunch sound when rolling back the volume is absolutely exquisite. Personally, I've never experienced anything better!! (Note: Being a germanium transistor, I've confirmed the gated quality becomes more pronounced in very low temperatures.)

Inside
Three transistors were confirmed. There appears to be no printed circuit board; wiring is mostly exposed. Due to structural limitations, disassembly is impossible, so the exact model numbers couldn't be confirmed, but black-capped germanium transistors are used. Incidentally, the battery snap is not original and has been replaced. Other solder points show some minor modifications.

The foot switch section is secured with four Phillips screws, so when you remove them...

Front view photo. The OUTPUT jack is immediately visible, and to the left you can see the germanium transistor (black cap). Beyond that, it's hidden due to special specifications!

This is about all you can see even when turned upside down. Features various parts reminiscent of the '60s. Exciting!

Given that it's made of wood, it's structurally impossible to ground it, so noise is unavoidable, isn't it?

"The cover for battery replacement uses wood screws, so repeated opening and closing causes the screw holes to stretch and become loose. This is what happens after frequent removal and reattachment." → Image name: Condition of Wood Screw Holes

This is the control knob layout often referred to as "cross-eyed." This is the original prototype of the Tone Bender!

Gary Hurst (SOLA SOUND) TONE BENDER MkI

Size: 20.5 × 10.5 × 6 cm (including protrusions on the bottom)
　Weight: 970g. It feels very solid and substantial. Material: Steel → The logo exists in both instant lettering and silk-screen specifications. This unit features the silk-screen specification.

　Constructed from folded steel. Features a premium gold finish and a silk-screened logo. The gold finish isn't a flat solid color; it catches the light and sparkles when viewed from different angles, reminiscent of the gold top on a Les Paul.
　The "TONE BENDER" lettering is tall and slightly narrow. Small "SOLA SOUNDS LTD" lettering is positioned near the left shoulder. Removable by unscrewing four small screws on the sides. No rubber feet on the bottom; instead, the enclosure itself has four rounded protrusions. The construction is substantial and very solid, ensuring stability no matter how hard you stomp on it and a ruggedness that won't break if rolled over.


Regarding the Sound The "ATTACK" control is already distorted at 0, and similar to the wooden case model, it distorts sharply from the 9 o'clock position, with little difference in distortion level thereafter.Overall, it produces a mild, rounded high-gain fuzz sound with a gate-like quality. When the guitar volume is turned down, it sounds less like a bell-like clean tone and more like a mild overdrive.
It offers a different kind of distortion compared to the wooden case model, giving the impression of a wild sound that's completely different from a replica.

Internal Details
　It features one OC75 (Mullard) transistor and two 2G381 (Texas Instruments) transistors. Other components include: 500KΩ (LEVEL)/50KΩ (ATTACK) potentiometers, CLIFF IN/OUT jacks, a chunky black HUNTS A337, WIMA 25/15 and 0.01/400 capacitors, and Allen Bradley resistors. The battery snap has been replaced. Other solder points show evidence of some modifications.

Other points of note:
　On the left side of the angled shoulder section of the chassis, the text "SOLASOUND" is present. This indicates it is a unit Gary Hurst specially made for the "SOLASOUND" sales line. In terms of its mild, gated fuzz sound, it differs little from the wooden case version. It clearly represents an evolved, finished Tone Bender compared to the wooden case prototype.

First, removing the back cover reveals... the jacks are fixed to the chassis.

A truly impressive array of vintage-feeling parts. For pedal enthusiasts, this alone is worth three bowls of rice!

There is no concept of rubber feet; instead, the case features four raised points directly on the underside, which serve as feet—a key design characteristic.

Below are the main artists who used it:
John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Steve Winwood, Mick Ronson, Pete Townshend, etc.

4 Essential Tracks to Experience the Tone Bender MkI Sound!!

Steve Winwood - The Spencer Davis Group/Keep on Running (1965)
https://youtu.be/kamXvqoL_JA
Steve Winwood's playing during his time with the Spencer Davis Group. You can hear the deliberately distorted, destructive fuzz sound in the riff, the middle section, and the ending.

Paul McCartney (Bass) - Beatles/Think for Yourself (1965)
https://youtu.be/vtx5NTxebJk
Even Paul McCartney of The Beatles used it in Bass. It's that song that everyone has probably heard.

Mick Ronson - David Bowie/Ziggy Stardust (1972)
https://youtu.be/G8sdsW93ThQ
David Bowie's right-hand man, Mick Ronson, is famous for continuing to use the MKI well into the '70s. He tended to use it more like an overdrive.

　The "TONE BENDER MkI" possessed the ultimate sound that brought joy to every pedal enthusiast.
　Having encountered numerous replicas (reissues) over the years, I can say with certainty: no matter how perfectly you recreate the original, you simply cannot achieve the exact same sound. It might seem obvious, but the original has its own unique sound, and unfortunately, a perfect, identical reproduction is impossible.

　It was incredibly fortunate to get my hands on this legendary pedal, produced for only about four months from around summer 1965 until December. As the TCGAKKIEffector manager, it was a valuable experience that will serve me well going forward.

This column is dedicated to Jeff Beck, who passed away suddenly in January 2023 and was one of the first to use the Tone Bender.