Benson Amps Stonkbox fuzz pedal shown in JHS Pedals video
June 14, 2023 · 3 sources
Benson Amps' Stonkbox fuzz pedal was the subject of a JHS Pedals video published on June 14, 2023, in which Benson founder Chris Benson explained the pedal's thermal bias circuit1. Guitar.com reported the Stonkbox as Benson's second fuzz pedal on May 17, 2023, at $279.002.
The Stonkbox is a variant of the Tonebender MK1, the 1965 fuzz built by Gary Hurst, and Benson describes it as more aggressive than its earlier Germanium Fuzz, a Fuzz Face variant released in 202012. The pedal has filter and volume controls, plus a tone control and a trim control that Benson says expand the range of sounds; with trim all the way up, the circuit sits where a standard Tonebender would12. Benson says the pedal is buffer and pedal order friendly, with a tweaked output circuit and no pickup simulation2.
The automatic thermal bias technology warms the germanium transistors (2N404 or 2N527) to a preset operating point using analog components2. Benson said in the video that the transistors are warmed to about 100 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature hotter than where the pedals are likely to be played, and the pedal is designed to sound consistent at that point1. Guitar.com reports the pedal can operate between freezing and 100F, and might still sound fine up to about 120F, where germanium ceases to function2. In the video, an LED shows red while the transistor heats and green when it is stable, though the presenter was unsure which color meant which1.
"We kept the original controls (filter and volume), and added a tone control and a trim control to expand the palette of sounds available."
The Stonkbox follows the Germanium Fuzz, which also uses thermal biasing2. It sits among recent fuzz releases covered by Delicious Audio's May 2023 new-pedals roundup, which listed "the Tone Bender variant by Benson Amps" without further detail3. More fuzz pedals are covered in our fuzz pedal section.