The BLAMMO! Skronk Machine is a fuzz pedal from Portland, Oregon builder BLAMMO! Electronics, first announced in February 2024. It is a modernized version of the Hornby Skewes Zonk Machine, the British fuzz the original maker describes as tracing back to the Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-1 and the Sola Sound Tone Bender MkI1234. Where the vintage Zonk used PNP germanium transistors and a positive ground, the Skronk Machine runs NOS Russian NPN germanium parts, which lets it work with a standard modern power supply132.
BLAMMO! describes the Zonk voice as brighter than a Tone Bender MkI but with more sustain and bite than the FZ-1, making it well suited for cutting through a dark mix1. The Skronk Machine carries that character forward while adding a Tone control the original never had.
A Zonk Machine fuzz with NPN germanium transistors
The original Hornby Skewes Zonk Machine was a three-germanium-transistor fuzz whose design traces back to the Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-1 and the Sola Sound Tone Bender MkI4. TONEHOME calls it one of the more famous Tone Bender MkI-influenced fuzz boxes5. The later Zonk Machine II moved to two PNP silicon transistors instead of the earlier three-germanium design6.
The Skronk Machine goes back to the three-transistor germanium construction of the original. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson described it as321:
"It’s a properly authentic and wholly vintage inspired 3-Germanium Transistor construction - utilising Soviet MΠ38A flying saucer types."3
He noted the transistors are NPN rather than PNP variants, which means you can deploy a standard center negative 9V power supply rather than the positive-ground arrangement vintage PNP germanium fuzzes demand3. Delicious Audio reported the same hand-tuned NOS Russian NPN germanium transistors at the pedal's announcement2.
For a player, that NPN choice is the practical heart of the pedal: vintage Zonk-style germanium fuzz normally forces a dedicated or daisy-chain-unfriendly supply, while the Skronk Machine plugs into the same Boss-style supply as the rest of a pedalboard31.
The controls
The Skronk Machine carries over the original Zonk's two controls and adds a third21:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Swell | Output volume, carried over from the original Zonk2 |
| Fuzz | Gain, carried over from the original Zonk2 |
| Tone | Passive high-cut filter, new to the Skronk Machine12 |
BLAMMO! describes the Tone control as finely tuned to cut some of the high frequency harshness without losing much volume. With the knob far right you get the stock Zonk voicing; turning it counter-clockwise rolls off highs into Tone Bender MkI territory1. Delicious Audio characterized it as a high-cut filter for taming the fuzz's harsher frequencies to taste2, and Karlsson found that dialing it back "takes you well into MKI Tone Bender territory"3.
Switching: momentary or latching
The footswitch is a no-click relay bypass system that is either momentary or latching, depending on whether you tap or hold it down1. A tap engages the fuzz like a normal bypass switch; holding the switch down gives momentary bursts of fuzz for as long as your foot stays on it. Delicious Audio highlighted this at launch, noting the no-click footswitch can work as a momentary switch when held down rather than tapped2.
Power and build
The pedal uses the standard 2.1mm center negative 9 volt power supply, Boss style, with a current draw of 55 mA1. BLAMMO! also slimmed the enclosure down to the industry standard size compared with a larger vintage-style box1. Each pedal is handmade in Portland, Oregon1.
The 55 mA draw is higher than a bare three-transistor germanium circuit would suggest, reflecting the relay bypass system. Plan a power outlet accordingly if your supply is sized for simple analog fuzzes.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X reviewed the Skronk Machine in February 2024 and was positive about it overall3:
"I feel that their newest variant is likely their best take yet."
Karlsson called it likely the maker's best Zonk take yet3. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio framed the pedal as a modernized version of the Zonk Machine, known for producing a thick and saturated fuzz tone2.
Videos
AndyDemos
Harsh Tones, Inc.
Noise Generator
Questions
Is the BLAMMO! Skronk Machine true bypass?
Yes. BLAMMO! lists the Skronk Machine as true bypass, using a no-click relay bypass system. The relay also lets one footswitch do two jobs: tap it for normal latching on/off, or hold it down for momentary fuzz bursts.
What power supply does the Skronk Machine need?
It uses a standard 2.1mm center negative 9 volt supply, Boss style, with a current draw of 55 mA. Because the transistors are NPN rather than PNP, it runs on the same supply as most modern pedals instead of needing a positive-ground setup.
How does the Skronk Machine differ from the Zonk Machine?
It keeps the Zonk's Swell and Fuzz controls but adds a passive Tone control the original never had, swaps in NOS Russian NPN germanium transistors, uses a relay footswitch that can be momentary or latching, and comes in a slimmer industry-standard enclosure.
Does the Skronk Machine use germanium transistors?
Yes. It uses NOS germanium MP38a transistors, described by the press as hand-tuned NOS Russian NPN germanium parts. The original Zonk Machine also used germanium transistors, but PNP types requiring a positive ground.
How does the momentary switching work on the Skronk Machine?
The footswitch is a no-click relay bypass system that is either momentary or latching depending on how you press it. Tap it and it works like a standard bypass switch; hold it down and the fuzz engages only while your foot stays on it.
Where is the Skronk Machine made?
BLAMMO! builds the Skronk Machine by hand in Portland, Oregon. The company describes itself as a Portland pedal builder working from vintage classics.
Sources (6)
- Skronk Machine, BLAMMO! Electronics
- New Pedal: BLAMMO! Skronk Machine, Delicious Audio, 2024-02-05
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-02-07
- Hornby Skewes Zonk Machines, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2016-02-12
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME - the World of Vintage Guitar Effect Pedals
- Guitar FX Layouts: Hornby Skewes Zonk Machine II, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2017-05-01
