Vox | V-829 Tone Bender

After KORG acquired the trademark right of a musical instruments brand called VOX , in the 90 ‘s, the ancient fuzz TONE BENDER was reprinted. The boom of the guitar sound of the 1980’s (such as distortion type distortion sound and fine distortion of lecture type amp) also showed calmness all the time, and then the old innate distortion system got in the limelight as well as the warm innovation It is a conversation about conviction.

　So KORG / VOX produced and released a newly designed fuzz pedal like the scent of the 60’s spreading in the 1990s. That is this V829 TONE BENDER . It is a bad huzz that could be bought with a new item until the end of the 1990’s, so it is quite a long-lasting fuzz pedal.

　Nonetheless, it is structurally almost unrelated to TONE BENDER, which has a brand name of “VOX” which had several variations in the past, and basically it is a pedal that everything is newly designed.

I can not help thinking whether Marshall GUV ‘NOR (appearance) is not it (laugh), it became a black, plain and square iron enclosure. Removing the six screws on the side, removing the cover part and the lid part all and replacing the battery, but (at the same time as an old fashionable person like us) At the time all were troublesome.

　Certainly at that time, although the VOX amplifier was still being manufactured in the UK, there was a rumor that “the amplifier of VOX is manufactured at the same factory as Marshall’s amplifier.” Most of Marshall’s factories were exposed from the address to the interior of the factory (as in the books and catalogs of many Marshall-related books and catalogs), but there was a confirmation that VOX products were also manufactured there I have never seen such a picture. However, I think that the possibility is quite high.

　However, regarding the effector, this VOX V829 TONE BENDER and Marshall GUV ‘NOR are completely different, and the country of manufacture is also different. Although it is a famous story, GUV ‘NOR was originally manufactured in the UK and later in South Korea, but this VOX V 829 is made in the USA(Note: However, we can not declare that it is clear, but since mass production at that time is quite a “manufacturing country” notation is texture, even if it is printed as MADE IN ~, it can not trust literally , I think that you can be convinced if you are reading this blog) .

　I will return the story to TONE BENDER. As printed on the table with Decadeca and “germanium chilled”, as a result of the 1990s, it was a phrase that made “germa” out of retro feeling outrageous. As a digression, people in the English-speaking countries naturally read “germanium” as “jermenium.”

　The control placed on the front side of the enclosure is obviously (obsolete) chicken head knob. Also, at that time era is also terrible (laugh) Battery-powered only. Speaking of being jealous is pure. Well, since it is a built-in PNP transistor, I think that there was some aspect that using an adapter was a little troublesome. So

　what is the germanium transistor? There are two built-in Silver Cap PNP transistors printed with SK 3004 . Although it seems to be understood from the simplicity of the foundation, basically it is a fuzz circuit which followed the MK 1.5 circuit (in addition to the original MK 1.5 circuit, only one capacitor is added And it seems). In that sense, I understand well the intention of trying to revive the VOX TONE BENDER by Italian EME (later JEN) factory, which was released around the fall of 66 years.

　So the key is sound. For some reason, this sounds like a silent TONE BENDER in the 1960s. First turn on, cut the raw component drasticIt will be. Clearly, it is likely to become useless in a single coil type guitar, and it will be the sound that made it a goessori.

　The distortion component is rough, there is not much distortion. Although it may be said that the taste is certainly a 60’s style fuzz sound, in comparison with the past TONE BENDER, it is not a sound that seems to be much like TONE BENDER. Again, this may be the way to use this fuzz well, for example, group sounding system, Neo · psyque system to make it full up and say Jeezy.

　Because it is an MK 1.5 circuit, it responds well to the volume of the guitar. However, as mentioned above, since it originally sounded too kinkin, if you narrow down the VOL of the guitar, it will be a trembly sound that is so thin that you want to say “cheerfulness” rather than “glitter”, so choose the guitar and the amplifier vigorously I feel that I have a personality character.

　To be honest, I’d like to answer “… no” if asked “Do you love this fuzz?” (Laugh). However, it is true that it is MK 1.5 series fuzz using germanium transistor even if it is so, it is enough to obtain a sense of compact compression unique to successive TONE BENDER (even with this pick attack It is that Kanji that picks up as much as it is). Moreover, I think that it can be said that it is fuzz that would give another impression to those who often tend to be the impression of old TONE BENDER “If you just make a full upload, you can not use it just say momo.”

　Since the boutique pedal is not so much and at the same time finally the limelight was gathered again in the fuzz, it can not be said with the same line of sight as the present era, but still germanium · fuzz / TONE BENDER again released massively from major brands It is oblige to say that being made is epoch-making. In addition, although the outer box of this V829 which we have already got completely yellow with Yani of a cigarette completely, I read an explanation today for the first time in a long time (laugh). There was something completely meaningless (” This fuzz is a kanji that electrically produces a fuzz sound. “).

　I wrote it before. In order to release this VOX V829 TONE BENDER, in the 1990’s KORG registered and held a trademark called TONE BENDER. However, now we also let it go, now the trademark is David Main in the UK is the holder of the rights (Postscript: In 2011 it seems that the right was handed over to MACARI’S company holding the SOLA SOUND brand).