DISC Boss TB-2W Waza Craft Tone Bender Fuzz Pedal

Full Description

Boss x Sola Sound

All the tone, half the size. The Boss TB-2W Waza Craft Tone Bender Fuzz Pedal has been a long time coming. From first seeing the iconic Boss pedal enclosures in the 80s, Sola Sound owner Ant Macari envisaged combining the best bits of their Tone Benders with the utility and engineering ingenuity of Boss; years later that vision has been realised. Most of the Tone Benders' legendary character comes from the vintage components they used, Boss knew this would be hard to replicate... so they didn't. Instead they sourced a very small batch of genuine vintage germanium transistors so this pedal can sound exactly like the original. This is why the pedal is limited to so few units, its rarity is because of the scarcity of these valuable vintage transistors that give the fuzz its signature sound.

Tone Bender Sound

Boss used an original Mk.II Tone Bender (serial number 500) as the reference point when creating this updated version. The rich timbre of the fuzz, along with the remarkably smooth sustain were the benchmarks on which they built the new design around. The expressive dynamic response was also a key feature that needed to be recreated. One other point of careful consideration was the inconsistent nature of germanium transistors; every tiny detail slightly alters the tone. As Boss President Yoshi Ikegami points out: ''I tried the sound in the morning, that afternoon the sound had changed''. Those small changes are why germanium transistors give such an expressive tone though as they respond to every minute detail of your playing. These are critical to the tone of the originals, and needed to be carefully replicated.

Boss' famed reliability

Boss pedals need to be consistently reliable though and the temperamental nature of vintage pedals and their components could seem at odds with that. This is where Boss' engineering excellence shines through. The transistors themselves deliver the expressive dynamic response but Boss wanted to go further and recreate the changes to tone that the battery would provide. This is why they included the 3-way selectable voltage switch: at 7v you get more sag, to achieve that spluttery, dying battery sound, at 12v you get a more robust, rounded powerful fuzz. The ability to switch and choose is incredibly intuitive and gives this pedal a deep level of versatility. Combined with the refined circuit design which was carefully engineered to deliver ultra-consistent performance and you get all the character of a vintage fuzz, with the performance of a modern pedal.

The finished article

The result of this legendary collaboration is a pedal that truly presents the best of both worlds. Brimming with vintage character, the TB-2W will absolutely satisfy the tonal purists; the modern design additions will please those seeking a superior-sounding fuzz who also value functionality- everybody wins. Boss even paid homage to the original Tone Benders with their enclosure design which features chicken-head knobs, the distinctive Hammertone finish, and typeface reminiscent of the original Tone Bender MK II. Vintage tone and aesthetic, modern performance and functionality.

Features

• Authentic sonic recreation of the legendary Tone Bender MK II fuzz from the 1960s
• Three-way voltage selector for shaping the overall tone and response
• Select germanium transistors, carefully tested for superior performance
• Chicken-head knobs, Hammertone finish, and typeface reminiscent of the original Tone Bender MK II
• Selectable true bypass or buffered bypass operation
• Limited production of approximately 3000 units (due to component availability)

Specifications

• Nominal Input Level: 20dBu
• Input Impedance:
  • 1Mohms(Buffered Effect Off)
  • 15kohms(Effect On)
• Nominal Output Level: 20dBu
• Output Impedance:
  • 1kohms(Buffered)
  • 15kohms(True Bypass Effect On)
• Recommended Load Impedance: 10k ohms or greater
• Controls:
  • Pedal switch
  • Battery switch
  • OUTPUT switch (BUF/THRU SW)
  • ATTACK knob
  • LEVEL knob
• Indicator: CHECK indicator (Serves also as battery check indicator)
• Connectors:
  • INPUT jack: 1/4-inch phone type
  • OUTPUT jack: 1/4-inch phone type
  • DC IN jack
• Power Supply:
  • Alkaline battery (9 V, 6LR61 or 6LF22)
  • AC adaptor (PSA series: sold separately)
• Current Draw: 50mA
• Product code: 423581
• Dimensions(W x D x H): 73 x 129 x 59 mm
• Weight: 0.45 kg