GuitarPCB releases ColorTone Supa Tonebender v4 board

September 1, 2022 · 1 sources

GuitarPCB released the 2022 version of its ColorTone Supa Tonebender board, the v4, in September 2022. The maker describes it as a recreation of a 1960s fuzz circuit, with features it says bring the design into the modern era.

The board measures 2.12 by 1.73 inches. It carries four transistors, listed as BC546 in the stock parts list, with 2N5088 and 2N5089 given as alternates that must be installed in reverse orientation as shown on the board silkscreen. The parts list specifies 1N34A germanium diodes at D1-D2 and D5-D6, and the build notes say 1N914 silicon or Bat41 diodes can be substituted. The maker states that no rare expensive germanium transistors are required. Controls are listed as GAIN B100k, TONE B100k and VOL A100k.

The maker describes the tone control as a blend rather than a conventional treble cut:

On the 2022 changes, the document states:

The build notes also list a modification: changing all eight 100n coupling capacitors to 220n for bass, or for bass and baritone use. D1 is listed as a status LED that can be a bi-color common anode or a standard on/off type. The maker cites the fuzz sounds of Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck among the circuit's references. No price or availability date is given in the document.