Soulbender vs. Tonebender (Pastyface options)

[pryde]

Hello,

I am going to build up my Pastyface board and am not sure what version to go with. I have all the parts to do either the "Soulbender" or the "Sola Sound Tonebender" versions.

There are essentially 8 component changes between them: R1,R11,R12,R14, C2,C6,C7, and the volume pot.

BTW: I have matched NPN Ge trannies from smallbear labeled "2N1306" for the build. Has anyone built one or the other?, both? what tonal differences would there likely be?

Thanks for any info and advice!

[cjkbug]

I've built several mkIII varients and to me they all sound very similar.Y


you could get similar sounds with any of them because the filter control has got a good deal of range. a few had rather low output.(comercial skinpimp 3knob versions.) I have had a few skinpimp 4knob custom mkIII's and those had plenty of output. I've built jimmybj's mkIII in the member project. and a couple pastyface versions, and slew of tagboard and vero builds and they are all in the same ballpark. more grit and grind than a ff and smoother and more refined than a mkI or MKII. It's far and away my favorite fuzz design.

I think your pickups and transistors will have a good deal to do with the sound you get. Try breadboarding the circuit 1ST. always a good way to go with ge fuzz's. You can work out any changes that need to be made for biasing or tone before traumatizing your pcb with desoldering.

[pryde]

Thanks for the response.

So you are saying the "soulbender" is smoother and refined vs the "tonebender". I am not really looking for a wooly-fat scooped tone but more of a raw gritty early Zep thing.

I have never breadboarded any entire circuits before. I have watched some tutorials but for some reason it just confuses me. I not not sure if the pastyface is a good circuit to learn with?

Of the compenents that are different between the two versions, which ones would likely alter the tone the most? Maybe i could socket a few on the PCB.

Thanks