The Marshall Supa Fuzz Model 1975 is a vintage germanium fuzz pedal from the era when fuzz pedals were first taking over British rigs. It was made in England by Sola Sound from the mid 1960s to the early 1970s, and it is essentially the Sola Sound Tone Bender MKII circuit sold under the Marshall name, with a handful of component changes that give it a slightly bassier voice1.
A Tone Bender MKII with a bassier voice
TONEHOME calls the Supa Fuzz "almost a twin of the Tone Bender MKII: both were built at the same time by Sola Sound in England"1. The MKII circuit itself came out of the Tone Bender line that Sola Sound had been building since the original 1965 Tone Bender MKI, a three-transistor fuzz based on Gibson's 1962 Maestro Fuzz-Tone23. With minor alterations, the MKII was also sold as the Park Fuzz Sound and the Rotosound Fuzz Box, alongside the Marshall version4.
As for the sound, TONEHOME's verdict is that "the sound of the pedals is nearly the same, though the Supa Fuzz is a bit more on the bassier side due to the larger input capacitor"1.
How the circuit differs from the Tone Bender MKII
The Supa Fuzz is not a straight copy. TONEHOME lists these component differences from the Tone Bender MKII1:
| Component | Supa Fuzz | Tone Bender MKII |
|---|---|---|
| Resistor from base of Q1 to ground | 10K | 100K |
| Q2 collector resistor | 47K | 100K |
| Transistors | OC75 | OC81D |
| Input capacitor | 10µF | 5µF |
| Bypass capacitor on the filter pot | 10µF | 5µF (at the "attack" pot) |
The larger input capacitor is the change TONEHOME points to for the bassier voice, and the pedal also keeps "that 0.01µF from input to ground still in place, which cuts even more treble"1. A schematic of the pedal, credited to Fuzz Central, is available as a GIF download on TONEHOME's page1.
Versions and enclosures
The Supa Fuzz is a long-discontinued vintage pedal. Examples from the mid 1960s to early 1970s production run are collector items, and the germanium OC75 transistors mean individual units can vary.
Questions
What is the Marshall Supa Fuzz based on?
The Supa Fuzz is based on the Sola Sound Tone Bender MKII circuit. TONEHOME describes it as almost a twin of the Tone Bender MKII, with both pedals built at the same time by Sola Sound in England. Sola Sound produced the same circuit for different brands, including VOX, Marshall as the Supa Fuzz, and Rotosound as the Fuzz Box.
Is the Marshall Supa Fuzz the same as a Tone Bender?
Not exactly. It is nearly the same circuit with a handful of component changes: a 10K resistor from the base of Q1 to ground instead of 100K, a 47K collector resistor on Q2 instead of 100K, OC75 transistors instead of OC81D, and larger capacitors. The result is a sound TONEHOME describes as nearly the same as the Tone Bender MKII, but a bit more on the bassier side.
What transistors does the Marshall Supa Fuzz use?
The Supa Fuzz uses OC75 germanium transistors, where the Tone Bender MKII used OC81D transistors. That transistor swap is one of the component differences between the two pedals, alongside the changed resistors and larger capacitors.
Where was the original Marshall Supa Fuzz made?
The original Supa Fuzz was made in England by Sola Sound, the same company that built the Tone Bender pedals, from the mid 1960s to the early 1970s. Marshall sold it under its own name with the internal code 1975.
Why does the Supa Fuzz sound bassier than a Tone Bender MKII?
TONEHOME attributes the bassier voice to the larger capacitors: the input capacitor of the Marshall version is 10µF instead of the Tone Bender's 5µF, and the bypass capacitor on the filter pot is 10µF instead of 5µF. A 0.01µF capacitor from input to ground also remains in place, which cuts even more treble.
Sources (4)
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME - the World of Vintage Guitar Effects Pedals
- Gary Hurst Tone Bender 'MKI' • Fuzzboxes, fuzzboxes.org, 2021-05-20
- Tone Bender 'MKI' players list • Fuzzboxes, fuzzboxes.org, 2026-02-22
- Stompbox Classics: Tone Bender, Premier Guitar, 2009-09-18
