The Minotaur Sonic Terrors Evil Eye MKIII Tone Aggravator is a fuzz pedal based on the Sola Sound Professional MKII Tone Bender, one of the classic British fuzz circuits. Instead of the germanium transistors of the originals, it runs on three BC109C silicon transistors, which the maker says produce a more organic, open tone than other silicon parts, with extra warmth to simulate germanium transistor tone12.
RockBoard's PedalPedia describes the sound as a thick, saturated, full fuzz with sustain that goes on forever and rich low end, a sharp attack, and rich, meaty distortion2. Pedal of the Day's review of the pedal reached a similar conclusion about how faithfully it follows the circuit it copies:
"The Evil Eye MKIII offers a tone extremely close to the original"
Controls
The pedal keeps the control layout simple, with three knobs1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets your output volume1 |
| Gain | Controls the amount of distortion present1 |
| Tone | Wide range; at minimum you get a slightly thinner tone that gets bigger as you dial it clockwise1 |
Silicon instead of germanium
The original MKII Tone Bender era pedals used germanium transistors, which players prize but which can be inconsistent and temperature sensitive. The Evil Eye MKIII takes a different route: it uses three BC109C silicon transistors, chosen because they give a more organic, open tone than other silicon parts and carry extra warmth that simulates the germanium transistor sound12. The result, per the maker, is a tone very close to the original circuit without the drawbacks of germanium12.
The build quality is also part of the design. Pedal of the Day notes the pedal includes Orange drop and styroflex capacitors, 1% tolerance resistors, a 3PDT footswitch, Omeg and Alpha pots, stranded core tinned copper wire, and lead-free (Sn96,3 Ag3,7) solder1.
The Evil Eye line and the Tone Bender family
The Evil Eye line includes an MKI as well as this MKIII3. The MKI is a different take on the idea: it uses vintage materials including carbon composition resistors and BC108 transistors, and RockBoard's PedalPedia describes its sound as similar to the heavier mode of the company's Fuzz & Burn pedal, but a bit bassier and more aggressive3.
The circuit the MKIII is based on has a long history. Sola Sound built the Tone Bender line, and also sold the Tone Bender MKIII under its own brand name for a limited period before developing the Tone Bender MKIV4. The MKIII version of the Tone Bender used three OC75 germanium transistors, according to a history from British Pedal Company5, and Premier Guitar's Tom Hughes has covered the Sola Sound Tone Bender MKIV in the company's Stompbox Classics series6.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Which Tone Bender is the Evil Eye MKIII based on?
It is based on the Sola Sound Professional MKII Tone Bender. Pedal of the Day's review describes it as a take on that circuit with modern tweaks, and notes the pedal offers a tone extremely close to the original, produced by silicon transistors rather than the germanium parts of the vintage units.
What transistors does the Evil Eye MKIII use?
Three BC109C silicon transistors. Minotaur Sonic Terrors chose these parts for their more organic, open tone compared to other silicon transistors, with extra warmth intended to simulate the sound of germanium transistor fuzzes.
Is the Evil Eye MKIII a germanium or silicon fuzz?
It is a silicon fuzz. The maker says the silicon transistors are used with some extra warmth in order to simulate the tone of germanium transistors, so players get a germanium-flavored fuzz without the temperature sensitivity of actual germanium parts.
What does the Tone knob do on the Evil Eye MKIII?
The Tone knob has a wide range. At its minimum setting you get a slightly thinner tone that gets bigger as you dial it clockwise, according to Pedal of the Day's review, letting you shape the fuzz from leaner voices to fuller ones.
What other versions of the Evil Eye exist?
The Evil Eye line includes the MKI and the MKIII. The MKI uses vintage-style materials including carbon composition resistors and BC108 transistors, while the MKIII Tone Aggravator covered here uses three BC109C silicon transistors.
Sources (6)
- Minotaur Sonic Terrors Evil Eye MKIII Tone Aggravator, Pedal of the Day, 2022-04-18
- Evil Eye MKIII by Minotaur Sonic Terrors, RockBoard (www.rockboard.de), 2026
- Evil Eye MKI by Minotaur Sonic Terrors, RockBoard (rockboard.de PedalPedia), 2026
- Vox Tone Bender MKIII • Fuzzboxes, Fuzzboxes.org, 2021-05-30
- Tone Bender History, britishpedalcompany.com
- Stompbox Classics: Tone Bender, Premier Guitar, 2009-09-18
