Raygun FX Super Fuzz Bender MKII

The RayGun FX Super Fuzz Bender MKII is a fuzz pedal for guitar or bass, described by its maker as covering a range from "slight distortion to full-on Fuzz"¹. It is an analog pedal built around silicon BC108/BC109 transistors, which places it in the family of fuzz circuits descended from the British Tone Bender pedals of the 1960s, but with silicon rather than the germanium transistors the originals used.

The name points at that lineage. The original Tone Bender MkII was a three transistor fuzz circuit², and the Super Fuzz Bender MKII follows the same three transistor template with modern silicon devices. RayGun FX also makes a MKIII version of the pedal, an updated take with more fuzz and an added tone control³.

What it is and what it does

RockBoard's PedalPedia lists the Super Fuzz Bender MKII simply as a "Guitar or Bass Fuzz Fx Pedal," with a fuzz range that runs from light breakup to saturated fuzz¹. The maker does not publish a control list for the MKII, so the knob layout cannot be described here beyond what the circuit's history suggests: the original Tone Bender MkII carried a dual level and attack control setup, two knobs setting output volume and fuzz intensity⁴.

The choice of BC108 and BC109 silicon transistors is the pedal's defining spec. Silicon transistors behave differently from germanium, and players comparing silicon and germanium versions of the same basic circuit often hear the silicon take as more aggressive¹.

Powering it

The MKII runs on a 9V DC supply with a center negative plug, the common standard for modern pedals¹. Its listed current draw is 100mA¹, which is worth noting: a simple three transistor fuzz normally draws only a few milliamps, so 100mA suggests the pedal may include additional circuitry such as buffering or indicator circuitry beyond the bare fuzz stage. On a small isolated power supply with limited per output current, that figure is the one to plan around.

MKII and MKIII: what changed

RayGun FX's MKIII is described as an "updated version of the MK II super Fuzz Bender, more fuzz and added tone control"³. Two changes stand out:

The added tone control is the meaningful difference for a player. The original Tone Bender MkII had only its level and attack controls⁴, and it was the later Tone Bender MKIII that introduced a tone control alongside volume and fuzz knobs⁴⁵. RayGun FX's MKIII follows that historical pattern: the MKII keeps the simpler two knob format, while the MKIII adds the third control. The maker also describes the MKIII as a "Retro Super fuzzy Guitar or Bass Fx Pedal" suited to "Fuzz loving fans of Hendrix, Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, Dinosaur Jr and Foo Fighters (debut album)"³.

Where the circuit comes from

The Super Fuzz Bender's name traces back to the Tone Bender family, the British fuzz pedals that followed the Maestro Fuzz Tone. The Tone Bender MkII was a three transistor fuzz circuit², and Premier Guitar's history of the Tone Bender notes that the MkII carried the same dual level and attack control setup as its forebears⁴. The MkII's run ended when Sola Sound moved on: as Fuzzboxes.org's history puts it, "the demise of the MKII resulted in Sola Sound's invention of the Vox Tone Bender MKIII"⁶, the version that added a tone control and a different cast metal housing⁷.

Modern builders approach that lineage in different ways. The Ramble FX Twin Bender Fuzz puts MKII and MK1.5 circuits in one pedal via a toggle switch, with the MKII mode based on three NOS germanium transistors and the MK1.5 mode using only two for less fuzz⁸. Keeley's Fuzz Bender takes another route, reviewed by Guitar.com as "a sophisticated combination of two modern silicon and one vintage Japanese germanium transistors and an intuitive five-knob" control set⁹. The Super Fuzz Bender MKII sits apart from both by going all silicon with BC108/BC109 devices¹.

For more on the effect category as a whole, see the fuzz pedals page.

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