The Bendz

The Bendz reinterprets the Tonebender, the British fuzz behind a lot of '60s and '70s rock, using a mix of NOS silicon and germanium transistors and adding an extra gain stage for more output and sustain than the vintage units. That combination keeps the raw, slightly ragged Tonebender midrange while giving it enough gain to hold long notes and push an amp. It runs from a standard 9V Boss-style supply, so it drops onto a normal board without an isolated output. Like other fuzzes of the type it cleans up with guitar volume and prefers to sit early in the chain ahead of buffers.