- Volume control sets the overall output level of the effect; turn it up and things get louder.
- Tone control lets you sweep between bright and dark tones so that the Bender works well with a range of different amplifiers and guitars.
- Attack is the distortion control, the more you turn it clockwise, the more fuzz you create.
- Push the "Mode" button for more gain and a mid frequency boost to send you leads soaring through the mix.
- If you love the fuzz sounds of Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, The Beatles, Mick Ronson (David Bowie), and My Bloody Valentine, then the Bender is for you.
The "Legends Of Fuzz'' series is a collection of the world's
most historic, rare, and sought after circuits. At JHS, fuzz
pedals have been in our lineup for over a decade. We have
designed original circuits, replicated classics, and we have seen
the trend of fuzz popularity come and go. The "Legends Of Fuzz''
series is our tribute to the most important fuzz circuits ever
made. It is our way of ensuring that the stories of these effects
live on in the music that you are going to make. From the
earliest days of fuzz in the mid-60's London scene to the 1990's
ex-Soviet factories that brought the Big Muff back to
life, fuzz tells a story, and that story includes guitarists just
like you. There is nothing more primitive than plugging your
guitar into a vintage fuzz circuit; it is raw, untamed, and so
pure that it pushes the boundaries of what your instrument can
accomplish. Plug into a fuzz and plug into sixty years of
beautifully broken sound. In April of 1965, a new device changed
rock 'n' roll forever. From the back workbench of Macari’s
Musical Exchange on Denmark Street in London, Gary Hurst invented
the Sola Sound* Tonebender* fuzz. Building on the foundation of
the American-made 1962 Maestro Fuzz Tone*, Gary expanded what
fuzz could do and gave a new sound to the thriving London music
scene. Starting with his very first prototype made in a simple
wooden box (April 1965) to the many other official Sola Sound*
versions like the MKI (Sept 1965), MK2 (Mid 1966), MK3/MK4 (Feb
1970), etc., the Tonebender* has evolved just like the music that
it helped create. The JHS Bender is our attempt to recreate the
most prized Tonebender* in my collection: my 1973 MK3
Silver/Orange “Onomatopoeia” version. This version has three very
special germanium transistors, tons of mojo, and fifty plus years
of experience, but it is finicky and it doesn’t always do what
you want it to do. I had to ask: could we replicate this pedal
sonically? Could we capture what it's all about, but in a way
that is more consistent, dependable, and easy to manufacture?
Yes. The end result is a pedal that gives you the touch, feel,
and response of the vintage germanium fuzz but with accuracy and
consistency of carefully chosen modern silicon transistors. The
controls are Volume, Tone, and Attack. Volume sets the overall
output level of the effect; turn it up and things get louder.
Tone lets you sweep between bright and dark tones so that the
Bender works well with a range of different amplifiers and
guitars. Attack is the distortion control, the more you turn it
clockwise, the more fuzz you create. On the side you will see a
“Mode” button that lets you access a never-before-heard “JHS
Mode”. Push that button for more gain and a mid frequency boost
to send you leads soaring through the mix. With higher Attack
settings in this mode, you will feel the fuzz slightly gate
depending on your picking dynamics. If you want a fuzz that can
go from middle of the road crunch distortion to full out
aggression, the Bender is for you. The tone control is extremely
flexible and allows for dozens of sonic variations that most fuzz
users only dream about. If you love the fuzz sounds of Led
Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, The Beatles, Mick Ronson (David Bowie), and
My Bloody Valentine, then the Bender is for you.