The Drunk Beaver Taras Bulba V2 is a tweakable germanium fuzz pedal released on 19 May 2023. At its heart it is a vintage germanium Tone Bender MK II circuit, but Drunk Beaver has expanded it into a two-voice pedal: a mode toggle switches between Mk II and Mk 1.5 Tone Bender circuits, and a set of controls lets you reshape the fuzz well beyond what a straight clone offers12.
The Mk 1.5 topology is very closely related to the Fuzz Face, while the Mk II side has more gain and saturation and a more aggressive character1. The pedal uses NOS germanium transistors: a 1980s German MP20 and a 1970s Soviet P416B2.
The controls
The V2 puts six controls and a mode toggle on the panel. Here is what each one does, as described at the pedal's release1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Adjusts output level. New in V2, the output stage includes a full-frequency boost that gives the signal an extra kick and helps it cut through a mix. |
| Attack | Adjusts gain. |
| Bias | Varies the second-stage transistor biasing, tuned separately for each mode. Use it to alter the fatness and response of the fuzz. |
| Velcro | Adjusts the amount of feedback between transistor stages, enabling a gated, velcro-like sound. |
| Impedance | Controls the signal impedance when the pickup simulator is enabled, letting you adjust the interaction between your guitar and the pedal. It acts a bit like an extra guitar volume pot. |
| Mode toggle | Switches between Mk II and Mk 1.5 Tone Bender circuits. |
The Velcro control is the one players coming from a stock Tone Bender will notice most. Where a vintage unit either sustains or gates depending on its internal bias, Velcro makes that behavior a front-panel setting: turn it up and the fuzz breaks up into a sputtering, gated texture1.
The Impedance control only matters with the pickup simulator engaged. Because the simulator presents the pedal with a controlled source impedance, the knob lets you tune how the fuzz reacts, in the same way rolling your guitar's volume pot changes the behavior of a vintage germanium fuzz1.
What changed from the first version
The first Taras Bulba was based on a vintage germanium Tone Bender MK II. The V2 completely revises the circuit design and adds more features, while retaining the two modes of the V1, switchable between Mk 1.5 and Mk II Tone Bender sounds, along with the external Bias control and Pickup Sim section1.
The additions and improvements in the V212:
- A new Velcro control for gated, velcro-like fuzz textures.
- A new full-frequency boost on the output, giving the signal an extra kick and helping it cut through any mix.
- An improved pickup simulator circuit, which designer Vitalii revised for better response with a variety of different pickups and impedances.
- The Mk 1.5 mode, Bias control and in-depth Pickup Sim section carried over and refined from the V12.
Delicious Audio added the Taras Bulba V2 to its article about the best Tone Bender clones and variants at the time of release1.
Videos
Mind the G.A.S.
Pair of Pandas
Questions
What is the difference between the Mk II and Mk 1.5 modes on the Taras Bulba V2?
The mode toggle switches between two Tone Bender circuits. The Mk 1.5 topology is very closely related to the Fuzz Face, while the Mk II has more gain and saturation and a more aggressive character. The Bias control is tuned separately for each mode, so you can dial in fatness and response independently.
What transistors does the Taras Bulba V2 use?
It uses NOS (new old stock) germanium transistors: a 1980s German MP20 and a 1970s Soviet P416B. The pedal is at its heart a vintage germanium Tone Bender MK II circuit built around these parts.
What does the Velcro knob do?
Velcro adjusts the amount of feedback between the transistor stages. Turned up, it enables a gated, velcro-like fuzz sound where notes sputter and cut off rather than sustaining smoothly.
Is the Taras Bulba V2 analog?
Yes. The Taras Bulba V2 is an analog fuzz pedal, built around NOS germanium transistors rather than digital processing.
What power supply does the Taras Bulba V2 need?
It runs on 9V DC with a center negative plug, drawing about 3.5mA, so it is easy to run from a standard pedalboard power supply.
Does the Taras Bulba V2 have a pickup simulator?
Yes. The V2 has an in-depth pickup simulator section, and the circuit was improved over the first version for better response with a variety of different pickups and impedances. The Impedance control adjusts the simulated signal impedance, acting a bit like an extra guitar volume pot.
Sources (2)
- New Pedal: Drunk Beaver Taras Bulba V2 Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2023-05-19
- Taras Bulba V2 by Drunk Beaver, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
