The Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1 is a fuzz pedal. Close alternatives include the Dunlop Joe Bonamassa Fuzz Face JB-F3 Copper Top and the Tru-Fi Tru-Fi Sammy Fuzz. It pairs well with the Bad Cat Cub and the Swart Space Tone Atomic Jr. Two-Tone.

Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1

Unknown brand · pedal

The Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1, designed by Gary Stewart Hurst in 1965, was the first Tone Bender fuzz, built as a louder, more sustaining answer to the Gibson Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone. Its three-transistor circuit runs on 9V rather than the FZ-1's lower voltage, giving it a raw, harmonically rich, high-gain fuzz that stays surprisingly clear on chords for a fuzz of its era. It is notably reactive to different pickups, producing a tasteful chime on single coils and a distinctive gating effect in the low end with hotter humbuckers. Fewer than 100 original units were built, some as custom jobs for Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, and it was famously heard on The Yardbirds' Heart Full of Soul.

  • transistor
  • fuzz
  • gain
  • attack
  • cut
  • british
  • full
  • germanium

Genres the Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1 is commonly used in

  • Experimental
  • Soul
  • Rock
  • Alternative
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Glam Rock
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Classic Rock
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.

Amps that pair well with the Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1

Bad Cat Cub

Bad Cat

43% match

The Cub's chiming, dynamic clean voice gives the Tone Bender MK1's cutting British fuzz a genuinely expressive amp platform to push into.

Swart Space Tone Atomic Jr. Two-Tone

Swart

38% match

The Space Tone's lush, valve-driven breakup gives the Tone Bender MK1's cutting British fuzz a warmer amp voice to push into.

Vox Mini Go 50 (VMG-50)

Vox

36% match
$262.14via Reverb

The Tone Bender MK1's raw transistor fuzz gives the Mini Go 50's rich, wireless practice tone something much heavier to push.

Matchless DC-30

Matchless

35% match
$4756via Reverb

The Tone Bender's raw, attacking fuzz pushes the DC-30's dynamic, chiming breakup into vintage fuzz territory.

Matchless Lightning Reverb

Matchless

32% match

A germanium Tone Bender into the Lightning Reverb's chimey breakup is a classic British stack — vintage fuzz grit over vintage amp sweetness.

Vox Clubman 60

Vox

30% match
$343.73via Reverb

Run mid-forward into Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1 for more fuzzy on top

Morgan MVP23 Combo

Morgan

30% match
$1899via Reverb

Morgan MVP23 Combo leans into Vox-style amps, precisely the platform Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1 wants

Matchless C-15 Head

Matchless

29% match

Matchless C-15 Head leans into Vox-style amps, precisely the platform Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1 wants

See all 38 amps that pair with the Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1 →

Pedals that stack with the Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1

Ibanez Tube Screamer

Ibanez

24% match

Tone Bender MK1's transistor fuzz stacks ahead of the Tube Screamer for a thicker, more British-voiced wall of gain.

MXR Micro Amp

MXR

23% match
$79.44via Reverb

Push the Tone Bender's raw, British fuzz with the Micro Amp's simple, transparent boost stacked after it for extra volume without changing the color.

Anarchy Audio Flutterby Tremolo

Anarchy Audio

21% match

Put the Flutterby after the Tone Bender so its smooth pulse shapes the raw germanium fuzz instead of getting swallowed by it.

Strymon OB.1 Bass

Strymon

18% match

Run the OB.1 Bass before the Tone Bender MK1 to keep the low end controlled going into that raw transistor fuzz.

Dunlop - MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe Analog Delay

Dunlop

13% match
$305.90via Reverb

Behind the Tone Bender's raw, germanium-fuzz crunch, the Carbon Copy Deluxe's warm repeats trail a saturated signal instead of a bare one. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Electro-Harmonix Memory Boy Analog Delay

Electro-Harmonix

13% match
$108.71via Reverb

Feed the Tone Bender's raw germanium fuzz into the Memory Boy and the analog echoes just extend that vintage crunch instead of cleaning it up. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Spaceman Effects Atlas IV

Spaceman

tonal match
$179via Reverb

Run fuzzy into Spaceman Effects Atlas IV for more clean boost on top

Matthews Effects The Pocket Drive Overdrive Boost

Matthews Effects

tonal match
$105via Reverb

Run fuzzy into Matthews Effects The Pocket Drive Overdrive Boost for more clean boost on top

Alternativessee all similar tone character →

Dunlop Joe Bonamassa Fuzz Face JB-F3 Copper Top

Dunlop

75% similarity

Shared character: use, attack, fuzz

Tru-Fi Tru-Fi Sammy Fuzz

Tru Fi

72% similarity
$189.95via Reverb

Shared character: single_coils, attack, fuzz

Electro-Harmonix Spruce Goose

Electro-Harmonix

72% similarity
$96.75via Reverb

Shared character: single_coils, grit, full

Univox Super-Fuzz

Univox

72% similarity
$599via Reverb

Shared character: raw, grit, full

Tru-Fi The Spider Fuzz

Tru Fi

71% similarity
$199.95via Reverb

Shared character: raw, attack, fuzz

Spaceman Charon GE/SI Hybrid

Spaceman

71% similarity

Shared character: raw, full, fuzz

Electro-Harmonix Big Muff PI- Made

Electro-Harmonix

71% similarity
$88.76via Reverb

Shared character: fuzz, mix, bass

Black Arts Toneworks Dual Revelation Custom

Black Arts Toneworks

70% similarity

Shared character: raw, fuzz, gain

Wampler Phenom Distortion

Wampler

70% similarity
$99.97via Reverb

Shared character: full, lead, mix

Sola Sound Tone Bender MkII

Sola Sound

70% similarity

Shared character: attack, fuzz, lead

JAM Pedals Fuzz Phrase Si Silicon Fuzz

Jam Pedals

70% similarity
$225via Reverb

Shared character: single_coils, fuzz, gain

JHS Pedals JHS 1966 Italy Tone Bender

JHS Pedals

70% similarity

“is a faithful boutique reproduction of the original 1966 Italian-made Tone Bender Mk I germanium fuzz circuit”

See all alternatives to the Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1 (cheaper + boutique) →

Questions people ask

What are good alternatives to the Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1?+

The closest matches in character are the Dunlop Joe Bonamassa Fuzz Face JB-F3 Copper Top, the Tru-Fi Tru-Fi Sammy Fuzz, the Electro-Harmonix Spruce Goose.

What pairs well with the Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1?+

Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Bad Cat Cub, Swart Space Tone Atomic Jr. Two-Tone, Vox Mini Go 50 (VMG-50) — The Cub's chiming, dynamic clean voice gives the Tone Bender MK1's cutting British fuzz a genuinely expressive amp platform to push into..

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