The legendary pedal Sano first encountered: "TONE BENDER MkI"
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TCGAKKIThe Tone Bender MkI has arrived.
When I first received this offer, I was so flustered I couldn't hide it—I even wondered, "Could this be a dream?" That's because we sell over 2,000 units annually.EffectorFor me, who has been involved with it for over ten years, it was my first encounter.
And no wonder—due to its rarity, the TONE BENDER MkI is hailed as a legendary pedal. To our utter surprise, it has been entrusted to our shop.
The previous owner (Mr. A) who sold it to me primarily works in the music industry. His initial interest in the TONE BENDER stemmed from 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 further. He loved The Beatles and had even been present at a session with George Martin through his work, so 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 it in the UK either."
The path to get there was far from smooth. When I asked one person, they said, "You'll hardly find any in the UK." Eventually, someone even told me, "I've never seen one." After countless introductions through acquaintances within the UK, I finally reached someone—and who should it be but an acquaintance of Gary Hurst, who lives in London!
Around 2010, I was fortunate enough to acquire both the wooden MkI and the metal-cased MkI from that person at the same time! The sound was simply too good—I still can't forget the thrill I felt the first time I played them. I especially loved the wooden MkI version and have never been able to part with it since.
Considering the future, I realized I'd have fewer and fewer chances to use it myself. Rather than just holding onto it, I strongly felt I wanted to pass this pedal on to future generations. Knowing how good and valuable this pedal is, I asked Sano-san to take it, and that's why I'm passing it on to him this time.
About Gary Hurst
The creator of the Tone Bender, whose rich imagination and extraordinary talent gave rise to today'sEffectorHe is often called "the man who created the roots," but his detailed profile remains largely shrouded in mystery.
He learned from his father and started by building radios, but he was always deeply interested in music. Around 1963, he progressed to building tube tape echo units, and by 1965, he was working on the Tone Bender.
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 and designed keyboards for Krummer and Elka. In the mid-70s, he worked on keyboards and guitars. EffectorHe founded Electronic Sounds, a company that manufactured digital instruments. 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 based on the Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone.BassThis pedal consists of a circuit featuring three transistors. Countless replicas are still being made today, and it has had a profound influence on subsequent fuzz pedals and other effects.
Engineer Gary Hurst began manufacturing and selling these around the summer of 1965.
Early models were housed in a wooden case reportedly made by his brother. This was a prototype; later, a gold-finished, folded steel chassis was used.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, which appeared between them.
This time, I would like to focus on the MkI, considered the most valuable among them.
In 1965, in a back room at 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 had the original Maestro Fuzz-Tone, and he 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 units of the "TONE BENDER" 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' hit "Heart Full Of Soul," Gary Hurst recalls.
Gary Hurst first crafted ten wooden prototypes before moving on to building individual steel units. He reportedly placed a small "SOLA SOUND" logo on the enclosures of the units he made to sell under the SOLA SOUND name.
What we know at this point is that units with the instant lettering specification (no small "SOLASOUND" logo on the shoulder / "TONE BENDER" font is thin or thick, slightly squashed horizontally) tend to have lower output, while units with the silk-screen specification (small "SOLASOUND" logo on the shoulder / "TONE BENDER" font 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 depending on the individual, I don't think all of these apply.
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 beautiful grain and is extremely lightweight. While it's not exactly high-end quality—not even by flattering standards—its presence is undeniable!
First, I was surprised by how perfectly precise the case dimensions were: 20/15/5 (cm).
Unpainted with no logos, it exudes the warmth characteristic of wood. The case is assembled using wooden dowels, and the top section where the parts are fitted together is nearly impossible to inspect in detail without complete disassembly. Consequently, photographing the interior proved quite challenging.
The battery cover, including the foot switch section, is secured with four wood screws. To replace it, remove those four screws and open the cover. There is a steel plate on the back of the battery cover for reinforcement, but it flexes slightly when switching the power ON/OFF, making me 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 possesses a delicate fragility that makes it seem as if it could break at any moment, compelling one to handle it with extreme care.
First, what kind of sound do you think a wooden tone bender produces? I'll write down my honest impressions after playing the actual unit.
The level is quite substantial, and the ATTACK (right side) control starts producing ample distortion around the 9 o'clock position. Turning it further doesn't seem to add much more distortion. At full volume, it unleashes a fuzz sound with a piercing impact that feels like it's stabbing through your skull. The sound from the front pickup, in particular, is 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 exceptionally clear, gated, crunchy, and flavorful sound left a very strong impression.Having played numerous MkI replica models, I believe this sound distinctly sets itself apart from their typical character. 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: As it uses germanium transistors, I've confirmed the gated character becomes more pronounced in significantly colder temperatures.)
Regarding the interior
Three transistors were confirmed. There appears to be no printed circuit board, with nearly all wiring done directly on the board. Due to structural limitations preventing disassembly, the exact model numbers cannot be confirmed, but black-capped germanium transistors are used. Incidentally, the battery snap is not the original and has been replaced. Other solder points indicate some minor modifications have been made.
The foot switch section is secured with four Phillips screws, so if you remove them...
Front view photo. The OUTPUT jack is immediately visible, with a germanium transistor (black cap) visible to the left. The area behind it is hidden due to special specifications!
Even upside down, this is all you can see. Features all the parts you'd expect from the '60s. So exciting!
Given that it's made of wood, it's structurally impossible to ground it, so noise is unavoidable.
The cover for battery replacement uses wood screws. Repeated opening and closing can cause the screw holes to stretch, making them impossible to tighten. This is what happens after frequent removal and reattachment. →Image name: Condition of wood screw holes
This is the so-called "cross-eyed" control knob layout. This is the prototype of the Tone Bender!
Gary Hurst (SOLA SOUND) TONE BENDER MkI
Size: 20.5 × 10.5 × 6 cm (including protrusions on the base)
Weight: 970g It feels very substantial.Material: Steel → The logo is available in both instant lettering and silk-screen specifications. This unit features the silk-screen specification.
Folded steel construction. Premium gold finish with silk-screened logo. The gold effect isn't a flat solid color; it shimmers and reflects light when viewed from different angles. This resembles the look seen on Les Paul Goldtops.
The "TONE BENDER" lettering is tall and slightly narrow. Small "SOLA SOUNDS LTD" lettering appears near the left shoulder. It can be disassembled by removing four small screws on the sides. There are no rubber feet on the bottom; instead, the enclosure itself has four rounded protrusions. It has a substantial, very solid build, so it remains stable no matter how hard you stomp on it and feels rugged enough to withstand being rolled over without breaking.
About Sound
The "ATTACK" control is already distorted at 0, and like the wooden-cased model, it distorts sharply starting at the 9 o'clock position, with little difference in distortion level thereafter. Overall, it produces a mild, rounded high-gain fuzz sound with a gated quality. When the guitar volume is turned down, it sounds less like a bell-like clean tone and more like a mild overdrive.
A different kind of distortion from the wooden case specification, an impression of a wild sound completely unlike a replica.
Regarding the interior
The transistors include one OC75 (Mullard) and two 2G381 (Texas Instruments). Other components include a 500KΩ (LEVEL)/50KΩ (ATTACK) potentiometer, CLIFF IN/OUT jacks, a large 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.
Here are some other points that caught my attention.
The left side of the angled shoulder section of the enclosure bears the inscription "SOLASOUND." This unit was specially crafted by Gary Hurst as part of the "SOLASOUND" sales batch. While its mild, gated fuzz sound is not significantly different from the wooden case version, it represents a more evolved, finished Tone Bender compared to the clearly prototype wooden case version.
First, when I removed the back cover... the jack is the type that's fixed to the chassis.
A truly impressive collection of vintage-inspired parts. For pedal enthusiasts, this alone is worth three bowls of rice!
The concept of rubber feet is absent; instead, the unit features four raised points directly on the underside of the chassis, which serve as feet—a key characteristic.
Below are the main artists used:
John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Steve Winwood, Mick Ronson, Pete Townshend, and others
4 Must-Hear Classics Featuring the Tone Bender MkI Sound!!
Jeff Beck - Yardbirds/Heart Full Of Soul (1965)
https://youtu.be/TvMy6cF7XeM
Jeff Beck's playing, one of Gary Hurst's first customers. The memorable refrain of the intro remains as vivid today as ever.
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 riffs, the middle section, and the ending.
Paul McCartney (Bass) - The Beatles / Think for Yourself (1965)
https://youtu.be/vtx5NTxebJk
Even Paul McCartney of The BeatlesBassI used it. It's that song everyone has probably heard.
Mick Ronson - David Bowie/Ziggy Stardust (1972)
https://youtu.be/G8sdsW93ThQ
David Bowie's right-hand man Mick Ronson was famous for continuing to use the MKI well into the '70s. He tended to use it more like an overdrive pedal.
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 state unequivocally that no matter how faithfully an original is reproduced, the sound will never be identical. It may seem obvious, but originals possess their own unique sound, and unfortunately, a perfect reproduction matching every detail is impossible.
It was an extraordinary privilege to experience the legendary pedal, produced for a mere four months from around summer 1965 until December.TCGAKKIEffectorThis has been a valuable experience that I can apply to my future responsibilities.
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.