Colorsound rip-off (Tonebender Distortion)

Discussion regarding early stompbox technology: 1960-1975 Please keep discussion focused and contribute what info you have...
Post Reply
User avatar
analogguru
Old Solderhand
Information
Posts: 3238
Joined: 26 Jun 2007, 13:58
Been thanked: 124 times
Contact:

Post by analogguru »

At the moment on evilbay:

Colorsound Tonebender-Distortion

It looks like this:
http://i7.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/a9/63/fe98_1.JPG

the seller claims:
this is the last version of the origional 70s colorsound tonebenders until the recent reissues. very rarely seen and made before the eurotec pedals.
eurotec is right - this is a case in the size of the eurotec pedals. Now let´s have a look inside:
http://i1.ebayimg.com/07/i/000/a9/63/fee8_1.JPG

Hmmm.....doesn´t look like vintage, doesn´t look like old colorsound, doesn´t look like eurotec....but hey..... the pcb remembers me.... it looks like... it looks a little bit like this:
Colorsound Tonebender (3knob) reissue
inside looking like this:
Colorsound Tonebender (3knob) reissue inside

This little Macaris-jangsters.... they want to bullshit us.... I think they take every case they can find write colorsound on it and put this "shitty" electronic inside:
Colorsound Tonebender (reissue) schematic

A tubescreamer-type overdrive with a Big Muff Pi style tone-control.

I think this can be called rip-off. But why should this Macaris-jangsters be better than other "boutiquers" ?

analogguru
There´s a sucker born every minute - and too many of them end up in the bootweak pedal biz.

User avatar
analogguru
Old Solderhand
Information
Posts: 3238
Joined: 26 Jun 2007, 13:58
Been thanked: 124 times
Contact:

Post by analogguru »

another one:
I personally prefer the Colorsound (Sola Sound) Tonebender Pro MkII - NOT that awful reissue - the original
analogguru
There´s a sucker born every minute - and too many of them end up in the bootweak pedal biz.

User avatar
modman
a d m i n
Information
Posts: 4888
Joined: 19 Jun 2007, 16:57
Has thanked: 4392 times
Been thanked: 2130 times

Post by modman »

Somebody on a local forum bought this:
Colorsound Tonebender Fuzz Guitar Effects Pedal.
Original Design and Handbuilt by the late Dick Dennery (sic) (The designer of the Vox AC30).
One of only 200 ever built in the early 1990's
SO VERY RARE!!!!
http://i17.ebayimg.com/04/i/001/11/52/c179_1.JPG

£200 thanks so much :hmmm:

http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/Colorsound-Tone ... dZViewItem
Please, support freestompboxes.org on Patreon for just 1 pcb per year! Or donate directly through PayPal

User avatar
Bernardduur
Transistor Tuner
Information
Posts: 1217
Joined: 24 Aug 2007, 07:36
my favorite amplifier: Welagen - ODR
Location: Losser.........
Has thanked: 94 times
Been thanked: 732 times

Post by Bernardduur »

That is that opamp clipper tonebender; the schematic floats around here somewhere. I so disliked the sound of that one!
'No more....... loud music.......'
Follow my love for pedals and amps on https://bernardduur.blogspot.com and https://www.instagram.com/bernardduur1

User avatar
DiscoFreq
Resistor Ronker
Information
Posts: 414
Joined: 13 Aug 2007, 10:56
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 27 times
Contact:

Post by DiscoFreq »

I have another strange Tonebender (and there's one of those on eBay at the moment):

http://filters.muziq.be/model/colorsound/tonebender

If I can find it I'll post pictures :D
EffectsDatabase: http://www.effectsdatabase.com
22000 pedals, 4000 brands, 350 brand interviews
NAMM 2016: http://fxdb.org/namm

User avatar
analogguru
Old Solderhand
Information
Posts: 3238
Joined: 26 Jun 2007, 13:58
Been thanked: 124 times
Contact:

Post by analogguru »

Here is the:
Colorsound Tonebender-RI schematic
for the first one (remark: the schematic at fuzzcentral is totally wrong).

And about DiscoFreq´s unit I am pretty sure that it is not freom the 80´s more I believe that it was made in the 90´s in an Eurotec-case with new screen printing.

As you can see in the picture below, it uses the same op-amp pcb/circuit as the 90´s reissues.

The same circuit also was used in the silver/orange Colorsound (3-knob) Tone-Bender Fuzz reissues therefore I see the Macaris-yangsters as unserious "businessman".

But this is basically nothing new, here is the old thread concerning this matter:
https://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=109

analogguru
There´s a sucker born every minute - and too many of them end up in the bootweak pedal biz.

User avatar
DiscoFreq
Resistor Ronker
Information
Posts: 414
Joined: 13 Aug 2007, 10:56
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 27 times
Contact:

Post by DiscoFreq »

Ok, then I don't have to search ;)

I thought the pcb was bigger compared to the Eurotec Fuzz pedals (I have 2 of those), but I could be wrong...
EffectsDatabase: http://www.effectsdatabase.com
22000 pedals, 4000 brands, 350 brand interviews
NAMM 2016: http://fxdb.org/namm

User avatar
Solidhex
Resistor Ronker
Information
Posts: 261
Joined: 02 Apr 2008, 04:43
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 17 times

Post by Solidhex »

Ugh

A friend of mine had one of those Tonebenders as shown in the ebay auction. He got it when they came out I think it was around 93'? It sounded HORRIBLE. Like a thin slightly fuzzy overdrive. That was the first time I had played through a "Tonebender" and for years associated the name with weak fuzz. I'm glad I gave that circuit a second chance haha.

--Brad

User avatar
MoreCowbell
Transistor Tuner
Information
Posts: 1101
Joined: 06 Aug 2007, 14:39
Been thanked: 15 times
Contact:

Post by MoreCowbell »

Yep - The "Crapbender"

Avoid at all cost.

User avatar
modman
a d m i n
Information
Posts: 4888
Joined: 19 Jun 2007, 16:57
Has thanked: 4392 times
Been thanked: 2130 times

Post by modman »

Ok thanks for clearing this out, but how about Dick Denny's part in the story?

-- I merged this new thread into the old one as you can see.
Please, support freestompboxes.org on Patreon for just 1 pcb per year! Or donate directly through PayPal

User avatar
analogguru
Old Solderhand
Information
Posts: 3238
Joined: 26 Jun 2007, 13:58
Been thanked: 124 times
Contact:

Post by analogguru »

modman wrote:Ok thanks for clearing this out, but how about Dick Denny's part in the story?
I assume appoximately the same as Jimi Hendrix´s contribution to the new Dunlop-stuff:
the name.

It´s basically a MXR Distortion+ followed by a Big-Muff tone-control. Nothing new, can be already found in the:
Locobox Mysto-Dysto and the Shot , Cutec, Tronix, Redson, Powervoice etc. identical units - to name a few.

analogguru
There´s a sucker born every minute - and too many of them end up in the bootweak pedal biz.

User avatar
BJF
Resistor Ronker
Information
Posts: 269
Joined: 03 Nov 2007, 10:37
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 69 times

Post by BJF »

Hi,

Aha, so that's what became of the Tonebender :hmmm:

Long time ago I had one of those VOX Tonebenders- like a Fuzz Face but with a HP filter after it.
The transistors started leaking though and sound deteriorated.

Oh well, what's in a name one might wonder?

Typically massproduction- just slam something together that works........

Have fun
BJ

User avatar
analogguru
Old Solderhand
Information
Posts: 3238
Joined: 26 Jun 2007, 13:58
Been thanked: 124 times
Contact:

Post by analogguru »

biffa wrote:Do you mean gangsters?
You say jangsters,yangsters
We're saying the macari bro's are mafioza?
Oh sorry, I should have looked in a dictionary:
It is written correctly: youngsters
what means, that the second generation is running the business now.
I never would say that they are gangsters.

analogguru
There´s a sucker born every minute - and too many of them end up in the bootweak pedal biz.

Post Reply