JHS Legends of Fuzz BENDER 1973 MKIII TONEBENDER* REPLICA Pedal

Our Take:

Part of their Legends of Fuzz series, the JHS BENDER 1973 is a true-to-form replica of the famed Sola Sound MKIII Tonebender that helped steer the course of London's burgeoning rock and roll scene in the early 70's, and on. The Tonebender employed three Germanium transistors in order to achieve its unique spectrum of sound, but often lacked in reliability; the BENDER 1973 makes up for this inconsistency, but delivers the same feel and response that those old Germanium circuits provided. The BENDER 1973 has versatility for days, and classic fuzz tones, but we especially love the dynamic response that this pedal offers when you crank the Attack knob. There's a lot to unpack with the BENDER 1973, but at its core, it's an insane fuzz that should be on everyone's pedalboard. 

JHS' Take:

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 military 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.

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.