The legendary pedal Sano first encountered: the "TONE BENDER MkI"
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The TONE BENDER MkI Arrives at TCGAKKI
When I first heard about this, I was so flustered I couldn’t hide my surprise—I even thought, “Surely this can’t be real… is this a dream?” Even for me, having worked with over 2,000 Effector units a year for more than a decade, this was my first encounter with this particular model.
And no wonder—the TONE BENDER MkI, often hailed as a “phantom pedal” due to its rarity, was, against all odds, being sold to our shop.
The previous owner (Mr. A), who sold it to us, works primarily in the music industry. He told us that his initial interest in the TONE BENDER was sparked by being deeply impressed by Jimmy Page’s guitar sound in Led Zeppelin."It has such a raw, visceral distortion," he said. "How can I recreate that sound?" As he continued his quest, he delved deeper into the history of the MkII. Being a huge Beatles fan—and having even witnessed George Martin at work through his professional connections—he began searching for the ultimate model, the MkI, hoping to own one someday. After searching for about three years, he finally managed to get his hands on an MkI!
“You won’t find one even in the UK.”
The path to getting it wasn’t smooth. When he asked one person, they said, “There are hardly any in the UK.” Eventually, he was even told, “I’ve never seen one.” Finally, through a series of introductions from acquaintances in the UK, he reached someone connected to Gary Hurst, who lives in London!
Around 2010, he was able to acquire two units at once from that person: a wooden MkI and a metal-case MkI! The sound was simply incredible, and he says he still can’t forget the thrill he felt the first time he played it. He particularly loves the wooden version of the MkI and has never been able to part with it since.
Thinking about the future, he realized that his own opportunities to use it would gradually decrease. He felt strongly that rather than simply holding onto it, he wanted to pass this pedal on to future generations. That is why he decided to part with it this time, specifically choosing to give it to Mr. Sano, who fully understands the quality and rarity of this pedal.
About Gary Hurst
He is the creator of the Tone Bender, and thanks to his rich imagination and rare talent, he is known as “the man who laid the roots of today’s Effector.” However, the details of his personal life remain largely a mystery.
He learned from his father and started out building radios, but he always had a deep interest in music. Around 1963, after building valve tape echoes, he began working on the Tone Bender in 1965.
In 1968, he left the UK for Italy, where he designed keyboards for Crumar and Elka. In the mid-1970s, he founded Electronic Sounds, a company that manufactured keyboards and guitar pedals. The brand continued until the early 1980s.
In 1968, he left the UK for Italy, where he designed keyboards for Crumar and Elka. In the mid-1970s, he founded Electronic Sounds, a company that manufactured keyboards and guitar Effector. The company disappeared in the early 1980s, when digital instruments became widespread and affordable.
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About the TONE BENDER
The Tone Bender is a pedal consisting of a circuit featuring three transistors, based on the Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone Bass. Countless replicas are still being made today, and it has had a profound influence on later fuzz pedals and other effects.
Engineer Gary Hurst began manufacturing and selling these units around the summer of 1965.
Early models were housed in wooden cases reportedly made by his brother. These were prototypes; later models used a gold-finished, folded steel chassis.Production of the MkI is believed to have continued until December 1965. This was followed by the Mk2 and Mk3 (Mk4), famous for their use by Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, as well as the Mk1.5, a variant featuring two transistors.
In this article, I would like to focus on the MkI, which is considered the most valuable of these models.
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—specifically, “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 more sustain. So Gary Hurst built him a new fuzz box.
He named it the “Tone Bender.” The very first few “Tone Benders” were housed in wooden enclosures 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.
Gary Hurst first built 10 wooden prototypes before moving on to crafting individual steel units. He reportedly added a small “SOLA SOUND” logo to the casings of the units he made to sell under the SOLA SOUND name.
What is currently known is that units with the instant lettering specification (no small “SOLASOUND” logo on the shoulder / “TONE BENDER” font varies in thickness and is slightly squashed horizontally) tend to have lower output, while the silk-screen version (featuring a small “SOLASOUND” logo on the shoulder and a thick, slightly elongated “TONE BENDER” font) tends to have higher output. It is believed that Jeff Beck used the former, while Mick Ronson used the latter.
However, since there is variation in appearance and sound from unit to unit, I don’t think these generalizations apply to every single one.
Gary Hurst TONE BENDER MkI Wooden Case
Dimensions: 20 × 15 × 5 cm
Weight: Approx. 275g (very lightweight for a pedal)
Material: The type of wood is unknown, but the grain is clearly visible and it’s very light; the quality is such that I couldn’t even call it high-end based on the wood alone. However, it has an outstanding presence!
First off, I was surprised by how perfectly the case dimensions fit at 20/15/5 cm.
It’s unpainted and has no logos, giving it the warmth characteristic of wood. The housing is assembled with traditional wooden dowels, and the top section where the parts are mounted is virtually impossible to inspect in detail without completely disassembling it. Consequently, I had quite a hard time taking photos of the interior.
The battery cover, which includes the footswitch, is secured by four wood screws; to open it for battery replacement, you must remove those four screws. There is a metal plate on the back of the battery cover for reinforcement, but it flexes slightly when the switch is turned on and off, so I’m always worried it might crack.
I’ve seen images of units equipped with silver knobs, but this particular unit features black plastic ones.
The surface has a nice feel to it and is polished to a high gloss. Since it’s simply assembled from thin wood, it has a delicate feel that makes it seem like it could break at any moment, so I have to be extremely careful when handling it.
First off, what kind of sound do you think a wooden Tone Bender produces? Here’s what I honestly felt after playing the actual unit.
The volume level is quite high; the ATTACK (right) control produces plenty of distortion around the 9 o’clock position. Beyond that, the amount of distortion doesn’t seem to change much. When turned all the way up, a fuzz sound bursts out that feels like a shockwave piercing the top of your head. The sound from the front pickup, in particular, is sweet and mellow, with a real, organic nuance that transports the player back to the music scene of the 1960s.
With ample gain and sustain, I was particularly impressed by the crisp, gated, choppy, and rich sound that cuts through the mix.I’ve played countless MkI replica models over the years, but I believe this sound clearly sets itself apart from them. It responds exceptionally well to the guitar’s volume knob, and the bell-like clean to crunch tones when the volume is rolled back are absolutely superb. Personally, I’ve never experienced anything better!! (Note: Since it uses germanium transistors, I’ve confirmed that the “gated” effect becomes more pronounced when the ambient temperature is quite low.)
Internal Components
I confirmed three transistors. There doesn’t appear to be a circuit board; the wiring is mostly open-wired. Due to the structure, I couldn’t disassemble it, so I couldn’t verify the exact model numbers, but it uses black-capped germanium transistors. Incidentally, the battery snap has been replaced and isn’t the original one. Looking at the soldering and other details, it’s clear some modifications have been made.
The footswitch section is secured with four Phillips-head screws, so when I removed them...
A photo from the front. The OUTPUT jack is immediately visible, and a germanium transistor (black cap) can be seen on the left. What lies behind it is not visible due to the unit’s unique design!
Even when turned upside down, this is all you can see. It’s equipped with parts typical of the ’60s. It’s exciting!
Since it’s made of wood, the structure doesn’t allow for a proper ground connection, so some noise is probably unavoidable.
“Since wood screws are used for the battery compartment cover, opening and closing it repeatedly causes the screw holes to widen, making it impossible to tighten properly. This is what happens after repeated removal and reinstallation.” → Image caption: Condition of the wood screw holes
The control knobs are arranged in what’s known as a “crossed-eyes” configuration. This is the prototype of the Tone Bender!
Gary Hurst (SOLA SOUND) TONE BENDER MkI
Dimensions: 20.5 × 10.5 × 6 cm (including protrusions on the bottom)
Weight: 970g.It feels very substantial.Material: Steel → The logo comes in two versions: instant lettering and silk-screen. This unit features the silk-screen version.
Made from folded steel. It features a luxurious gold finish and a silk-screened logo. The gold isn’t a solid solid color; instead, it shimmers and reflects light when viewed from different angles. This gives it a look similar to what you might see on a Les Paul Goldtop.
The “TONE BENDER” lettering is tall and slightly narrow. “SOLA SOUNDS LTD” is printed small near the left shoulder. It can be removed by unscrewing the four small screws on the side. There are no rubber feet on the bottom; instead, the chassis itself has four rounded protrusions. It has a solid, substantial build, so it remains stable no matter how hard you step on it and is sturdy enough that it won’t break even if you roll it over.
Sound
It already distorts at the “ATTACK” control set to 0. Similar to the wooden-case version, distortion increases sharply from the 9 o’clock position, and there isn’t much difference in the amount of distortion beyond that point. Overall, it’s a mild, rounded high-gain fuzz sound with a distinct gate-like character. When the guitar volume is turned down, it sounds less like a bell-like clean tone and more like a mild overdrive.
The distortion is different from the wooden case version, giving the impression of a wild sound that’s completely distinct from a replica.
Internal Components
The circuit features one OC75 (Mullard) and two 2G381 (Texas Instruments) transistors. Other components include 500KΩ (LEVEL) and 50KΩ (ATTACK) pots, 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. Looking at the soldering and other details, there are signs that some modifications have been made.
Here are some other points that caught my attention.
On the left side of the angled shoulder section of the chassis, there is the text “SOLASOUND.” This is a unit specially built by Gary Hurst for the “SOLASOUND” distribution. In terms of its gated, mild fuzz sound, it is not much different from the wooden-case version; however, it has clearly evolved beyond the wooden-case prototype into a fully realized Tone Bender.
First, let’s take off the back cover… The jack is the type that’s mounted directly to the chassis.
The parts are a stunning display that really captures the era. If you’re a pedal enthusiast, this alone is enough to make you want to eat three bowls of rice!
There are no rubber feet; instead, the chassis has four raised sections on the underside that serve as the feet—a distinctive feature of this design.
Below are some of the main artists who used it:
John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Steve Winwood, Mick Ronson, Pete Townshend, and others
4 classic tracks where you can hear the Tone Bender MkI in action!!
Jeff Beck - Yardbirds/Heart Full Of Soul (1965)
https://youtu.be/TvMy6cF7XeM
A performance by Jeff Beck, one of Gary Hurst’s first customers. The memorable refrain of the intro remains as fresh today as ever.
Steve Winwood - The Spencer Davis Group/Keep on Running (1965)
https://youtu.be/kamXvqoL_JA
Steve Winwood’s playing from his Spencer Davis Group days. You can hear a heavily distorted, destructive fuzz sound in the riff, the middle section, and the ending.
Paul McCartney (Bass) - The Beatles / Think for Yourself (1965)
https://youtu.be/vtx5NTxebJk
Even Paul McCartney of the Beatles used it in Bass. It’s that song everyone has probably heard.
Mick Ronson - David Bowie/Ziggy Stardust (1972)
https://youtu.be/G8sdsW93ThQ
Mick Ronson, David Bowie’s right-hand man, is famous for continuing to use the MKI well into the ’70s. He tended to use it more for overdrive.
The “TONE BENDER MkI” possessed the ultimate sound capable of bringing joy to every pedal enthusiast.
Having encountered countless replicas (reissues) over the years, the first thing I can say with certainty is that no matter how closely they replicate the original, they will never sound exactly the same. It may go without saying, but the original has its own unique sound, and unfortunately, it is impossible to create a replica that matches it perfectly.
I felt incredibly fortunate to have had the chance to experience this legendary pedal, which was produced over a period of just four months—from around the summer of 1965 through December—and it was a valuable experience as the person in charge of TCGAKKIEffector that I will be able to apply in the future.
I would like to dedicate this column to Jeff Beck, who passed away suddenly in January 2023 and was one of the first to use the Tone Bender.
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