Tym guitars

Tym guitars blog has moved to bigger and better primises.

2011-04-14T13:09:00.003+10:00

We have moved this blog to our new site. Check it out here.

NEW TYM GUITARS WEBSITE

2011-03-27T18:19:00.000+10:00

Tym guitars has a brand new website up and running with the new BLOG as part of the site. Please go to Tym guitars to view/comment and browse the BLOG.

All the old stories and reviews are on the new blog.

Diamond Bass Comp

2011-03-15T09:04:00.003+10:00

IN STOCK NOW. The original Diamond Compressor has become one of our most well known products, loved by players for it's smooth response and ability to enhance your instruments tone. Turns out that bass players have discovered the Compressor (many via it's discussion on the TalkBass online forums) and while it generally works great for 4-string passive basses, the performance with 5/6 strings and high output active basses was less than ideal as the frequency response and headroom was optimized for guitar use.
Our response to that interest is the new dedicated Bass Comp, the first Diamond pedal designed specifically for bass players. With low frequency response extending down to 20Hz and increased headroom, the Bass Compressor is ideal for 4/5/6 string basses, both active and passive.
We've also revoiced the Tilt EQ control, offering bassists the choice of the original 900Hz tilt point or a new 250Hz setting, accessible via a mini toggle.
Features:
-Smooth, optical compression/limiting
-Premium audio components, including 2% polypropylenecapacitors,1% metal film resistors and a pro audio grade opamp (our signal path opamp alone costs 8 to 10 times
what the industry norm uses).
- Innovative 'tilt' EQ provides a very musical tailoring of frequency response - selectable 900Hz or 250Hz tilt point
- Dual AC capacitive coupling paths for improved
transient response.
- True bypass signal path
- 18V power supply included

New Tym T shirts

2011-03-07T09:22:00.010+10:00

Thanks to Nathan Smith, local R'n'R legend for doing this hand drawn artwork for the new Tym T shirt. These join the huge line of Tym T shirts we already have available here for shipping anywhere in the world.
These are available in white T with black sleeves in all sizes from XS to XL and black T's in all sizes from 10 to XL. Back has the Tym oval logo with "custom handmade guitars, effects,amps and speakers cabs" All Tym T's are $20. Contact Tym guitars for these or any other T's in the Tym range. Thanks for supporting Tym guitars.

The new Tym Tone Boost

2011-03-03T09:03:00.003+10:00

I made a handful (less than 10) of these back in the late 90's and sold/gave them to some big (ish) player friends I knew who all raved about them highly. I stopped making them as they were a lot of work as I was wiring them point to point and assembling by hand. The originals were in an MXR Phase 100 size box and had a clear sticker printed with a bubblejet and stuck to the box with a coat of clear laquer over the top. I think most of them were painted light blue ? I actually saw one of these sell about a year and half ago for what I considered WAY too much money ?

I found the prototype a month or so ago and wired it up and plugged it in. Man, I'd forgotten how much I love this thing. It's a simple 1 transistor subtle to high gain boost/overdrive that can push any nice valve amp into saturation and has a very usable 1 transistor active tone control. The original had a toggle switch to switch from a type of treble/mid boost to a full linear boost which I've changed into a footswitch to make it more usable while you're playing ? Full frequency response makes it usable for both guitar and bass and you can get from the Shellac type "clang" right through to BIG "stoner" type bottom end.
This is the new version with new box and new artwork. This is schematically identical to the original and is now available in the small MXR size enclosure but sideways like some ZVEX pedals ?

Since the last blog entry I lent this prototype to "boost collector" Brett Netson from legendary US indie band Built to Spill when they played here in Brisbane and I'm very happy to announce this pedal will also be available as Brett's signature pedal in a different enclosure with artwork developed by Brett and Tym guitars. He was so impressed with the pedal, he's putting his name on it. Stay tuned for more info on that SOON.
Both of these versions will be available soon. Contact Tym guitars for these or any other pedal in the Tym range. Thanks for supporting Tym guitars.

The new Tym Red Mudd

2011-03-01T16:18:00.009+10:00

Since starting my Big Mudd series a couple of years ago I get asked for this version time and time again, mainly by bass players and stoner rock guitarists, so, here it is. This is the new Tym version of the green/army overdrive/sustain pedal from the early 90's.
Like most of these pedals this is essentially the same circuit as all the other versions with some component changes in key areas. It was sold in a few different versions originally and like most of their products, yes,they do all sound slightly different. I used 2 original versions that I've kept for their tone as a template to work from. After building one as per "spec" from online schematics I then started modifying the circuit slightly to fine tune the tone.

While this is an exact copy of the original I am also offering a modified version that lets slightly MORE bottom end through without getting unusably muddy. While still being great on guitar, especially if you tune down, this will work for bass players who currently use one of these versions but with features like my smaller stainless steel enclosures, standard 9V "BOSS" style adaptor, and a standard stomp switch. I also have IN and OUT the "right" way around .........

The Russian writing at the bottom under the Tym logo says "Made in Brisbane, Australia" or at least, that's what we think it says !! These pedals will be available VERY soon. Contact Tym guitars for these or any other pedal in the Tym range. Thanks for supporting Tym guitars.

Earthquaker Ghost Echo Reverb

2011-03-01T08:48:00.003+10:00

Ghost Echo Reverb
The Ghost Echo Reverb is designed to emulate a vintage reverb unit. It ‘s capable of providing a little atmosphere all the way through to vast depths. The attack control sets the delay of the initial pick attack on the wet signal only. When playing staccato this registers as a slap back type echo hitting the reverb but when playing fluid lines it adds a massive depth and "fattens" up the sound. The dwell control is a fine tune function that enhances the decay. At first it may seem like it's not there but back it off and you'll miss it. The depth controls the intensity of the reverb. An, yes, it is true bypass!
Power:
Any standard 9 volt DC power supply with a negative center 2.1mm barrel. No battery option.
Controls:
Depth- Sets reverb intensity
Dwell- Sets the decay
Attack- Sets the delay of the pick attack on the wet signal

These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Zvex Box of Rock

2011-02-26T12:43:00.003+10:00

The Box of Rock is Z.Vex Effect's first "distortion" pedal, highly specialized to simulate the "everything on 10" sound of a classic Marshall JTM45 non-master-volume amplifier. You may use the Box of Rock effectively with many different amplifiers, but to get the sound I heard when I designed it, try it through a Marshall at least once. You may use your guitar's volume control to adjust for the exact amount of distortion you need, all the way down to very clean and clear with most drive settings. You will notice the words "distortron engine" on the Vexter version of this pedal (no, that's not a misprint) on the pedal. This is what I named my distortion circuit... call me crazy. On the hand-painted version, the stomp switch on the right is labeled "ROCK" instead, because our paint brushes are too wide for so many small letters.

The Box of Rock also contains an extremely high-headroom, unity-to-50X gain booster with nominal input impedance and low hiss. It is very similar to the SHO boost circuit, with refinements to make it sound more like a standard amp input and less glassy. The boost channel can be used alone or in conjunction with the "distortron engine" channel. The boost channel follows the distortion channel so that the distortion is able to hit your amp harder (at a higher volume) when both switches are engaged, for boosting solos and what-not.
Look out when boosting what-not. 8^)

The Controls:
Drive: Sets the amount of distortion. Start around 1:00 o'clock.
Tone: Adjust for treble content. Start around 2:00 o'clock.
Vol: Adjust for distortron engine volume level. Start around 9:00 o'clock.
Boost: Sets the boost level, which is engaged with the left stomp switch. Start around 11:00 o'clock.
The Drive and Boost controls are based on my original Super Hard-On gain control, so they may crackle when turned. This is perfectly normal.

In stock now. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Phoenix Custom Electronics Lady Stardust

2011-02-18T08:52:00.003+10:00

This pedal is based on the Vox Tonebender which is one of the first fuzzes ever produced, and was probably the basis for the famous Dallas Fuzz Face. Our version has the new Phoenix Range knob which allows you to dial in classic bright Vox Fuzz tones or blend in a larger output cap for progressively more bass response. The Lady stardust may seem bright at first, but try it through a cranked Marshall with a Les Paul and it's Mick Ronson all the way! This is a very versatile killer germanium fuzz pedal that will not disappoint. John Stewart and Prescott Kagan aided greatly in the design of this product.
Available now at Tym guitars.

Lava cable shipment in NOW

2011-02-16T12:14:00.003+10:00

LAVA CLEAR CONNECT CABLE
The Lava Clear Connect cable is Made in the U.S.A. and designed to be one of the very best guitar and instrument cable on the market. Featuring G&H Industries Pure Plug™ and Clear Connect Technology™- a patented process where the connectors are high-pressure crimped onto the cable, The Lava Clear Connect cable produces the purest signal path possible. At 26 pF per foot it's capacitance has been designed at the sweet spot for intsrument cables. With a large outer diameter of .260”, 98% shielding, and 99.999% pure Oxygen Free Copper (OFC) for both the shield and conductor, it is a world-class cable capable of superb performance in all situations.

Retro-Coil NOW COMES IN SEVEN COLORS! BLACK, WHITE, ORANGE, PURPLE, METALLIC PURPLE, METALLIC RED AND METALLIC BLUE

Lava Solder-Free Pedal Board Kit. 10' Mini ELC Cable + 10 Lava Plugs + Stripping Tool.
Lava Cable along with G&H Industries has designed a revolutionary DIY solder-free plug specifically designed with tight tolerances to match the Lava Mini ELC cable. The Lava PlugTM is first solder-free DIY plug on the market not to use a set screw to make the ground connection. Instead, a sleeve making 360 degree ground and outer jacket contact is used. This new right angle plug was introduced at Summer NAMM and is the smallest DIY solder-free right angle plug on the market with a body width of .435" allowing for spacing between pedals of less than 1" or less than 1/2" when staggered.

Contact Tym guitars for more options and info.

Valve order just arrived

2011-02-15T08:57:00.009+10:00

Just got a shipment of valves inc the new JJ EL844.
These have 25% less gain from an EL84 ........ so you wont have to pull vales out of your classic 30/50 , Delta Blues, Orange, Vox etc amps or buy a smaller amp. Yes, 12.5 watts drop will take a 50w down to about 37.5 or a 30W will drop from 30 down to about 22.5 watts. An EL...84 that will dissipate right at 9 watts rather than 12 watts which will be a great option for players who want to get to the sweet spot at a little lower volume.
We also got our usual line up of JJ, EH, Sovtek, Tube Amp Doctor, Groove Tubes, EI, Valve Art and Winged C as well as some good stock of Mullard and Svetlana valves as well. We have Mullard EL34's and 12AX7's which are both GREAT for old Marshalls. We have stock of Svetlana EL34's and 12AX7's which are great with EVERYTHING
We have a good stock of guitar amp valves at both the retail and repair shop so check the site for prices or contact us for availability and advice.
We stock most of the "big" brands and can get most others inc NOS but advise against this as the market is so flooded with bad valves being sold as good, the success rate of getting good serviceable valves is getting harder and harder.
We generally always have stock of JJ, EH, Sovtek, Tube Amp Doctor, Groove Tubes, EI, Valve Art and Winged C with some Tungsol and Svetlana valves in stock.

We've found in the repair shop that JJ valves are a good, solid performer and generally sound pretty good. Good value for money and easy to get in most forms. I use JJ's in most of my personal amps and all Tym amps come standard with them.
EH and Sovtek 12AX7's perform well in higher gain amps and keep a tighter bottom end. The EI ones are great in Vox AC30's with a real "jangle" to them.
All this of course is subjective. The best way to find what's best for you is to try them. This can get expensive but all valves behave differently in different amps and just because you use one brand in one amp doesn't mean you should or have to use that brand in another amp.
Winged C EL34's, 6L6's and KT88's generally outperform the JJ's but are more expensive. We've been getting great tones from the TAD's in both preamp and power amp stages but they're not for everyone.

You can mix and match preamp tubes with different brands and sometimes types of valves to try and get the best tone. Sometimes one brand works best in VR1 but not 2 or 3. Power valves however MUST be matched in brand and type and most amps need biasing when new power vales are fitted so we recommend you get these fitted by a tech.
So this, like everything else in your signal chain is all personal. We can "steer" you towards what might be close, but at the end of the day it's up to the player to decide what valves best suit their style and taste. Come in and have a chat if you like or contact us and we'll help as best we can.

Tym Toecutter Big Bottom pedal

2011-02-11T08:43:00.018+10:00

Well, here's another crazy idea from the Tym guitars effects camp. This idea came about because a few years ago we built a Big Bottom V1 board into Tony from GuitarNerds old Pro Co RAT pedal. The idea was that instead of running the RAT in the loop of the Big Bottom pedal externally, the RAT would be in the loop, in the pedal. This worked well but was a nigthmare to make as the BB board only JUST fitted with a lot of shoehorning into the vintage big box style RAT.
So, with the new Big Bottom V2 up and running I thought it was time to re-visit this idea. As the new version now has a bypass switch and volumes on both effects loop and bottom end and I also make a RAT clone in the form of the Toecutter it seemed like it was time to make a more reliable version for Tone.
So, here's the prototype. It's in my bigger stainless steel enclosure I used for the Superfuzz BigMudd and TremFuzz and runs on one 9V DC input. The bass signal comes in and goes straight to the Big Bottom where the effects is set up as per normal with the bottomend separated off and the mids and tops sent through the loop but instead of the effects loop going out, the output of the loop (the send) goes to the input of the Toecutter, via a switch to bypass the distortion. The signal is then sent from the Toecutter to and effects loop and then back into the Big Bottom(the return) Sound complicated ?It's not.
This allows you to keep your bottom end clean using the Big Bottom circuit but also adding in the Toecutter within the same circuit. The effects loop after the distortion means you can also run other pedals IN the Big Bottom loop after the distortion.
This pedal can,and will be of course made with other pedals in the BBV2 loop like a Tym Big Mudd or Tym Bass Face. I have already had lots of enquiries about fitting the Tym Red Mudd into this pedal which WILL be done. It will be the ultimate stoner bass players pedal giving the Russian style sustainer with the Big Bottom which is already a common set up with bass players.
I will also be adding a boost to this set up as well just to give a little more diversity and more gain, 'cause you ALWAYS need more gain. Other options will of course be available since all these pedals are all hand made by me here at the workshop.
These will be available soon in most options of Tym pedals. Contact Tym guitars for these or any other pedal in the Tym range. Thanks for supporting Tym guitars.

Phoenix Ranger

2011-02-08T09:05:00.003+10:00

"The Ranger" is a treble/full range booster based on the legendary Dallas Rangemaster.

The original signal path is still there, unchanged, though the Ranger uses metal film resistors, which are less noisy than the original carbon resistors. The Dallas Rangemaster was not a stompbox, but was actually designed to sit on top of the amp. It had a toggle switch to turn it on or off. The Ranger basically takes the Rangemaster and puts it into stompbox form. If you are looking for a crystal clear boost pedal that will not affect your tone in any way, this ain't it! The Ranger uses a military spec CV7003 germanium transistor to boost your signal. It adds just a touch of that great sounding warmth and dirt to your tone, without being dirty enough to qualify as a fuzz or overdrive pedal. Use the Ranger to push your amp into natural tube overdrive and you won't need or want a distortion pedal! This pedal responds marvelously to the volume knob on your guitar. You can get clean tones by turning down to about 7 or so, and then bring the level back up for thick lead tones!

Leave it on for the entire gig - your tone will be marvelous! The "Cut" knob allows you to blend in a larger input capacitor which allows more low end into the signal. You can get any tone from the original treble boost of the Dallas Rangemaster to a full range boost that is great for Fender guitars and amps. This is not a tone circuit, just a simple way to give you some control over the frequency response of the effect.

In stock now. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Tym HIRE gear

2011-02-04T08:55:00.010+10:00

Here at Tym guitars I have a lot of guitars, amps and effects that I don't really want to sell, but I hate the idea of a guitar or amp sitting in a cupboard, or worse a vault not being used.
Although this isn't all my personal stuff as some is just (unfortunately) too valuable to hire out in case of damage or theft, it is a nice cross section of gear and most can be used in our studio and/or live use.
Here's a list of current gear I have for hire. If there's something you don't see, ask me, I might just have it and be happy for it to be used for studio use both in our studios and outside.

GUITARS
'69 Gibson SG special
'71 Gibson SG Std
'96 Gibson SG '61 Rei
'69 Gibson SG Std
'79 Gibson 335
'89 Gibson LP Custom
'90 Gibson LP '57 Goldtop
Fender Strats x lots
Fender Esquire
Fender Teles x 3
Fender Jazzmasters x 2
'65/66 Fender Jaguars x 2
'79 Fender P bass
Fender P basses x lots
Fender J basses x lots
'96 Rickenbacker 360
'86 Rickenbacker 340
'89 Rickenbacker 330
'70 Rickenbacker 335
'96 Rickenbacker 4001 V63
'70's Travis Bean
'83 Guild DV52 acoustic
AMPS
'09 Tym Supertone 40
'10 Tym Supertone 100
'85 Mesa Boogie MkIII
'79 Marshall JMP
'90's Marshall 20W (handwired)
'80's Marshall 800
'80's Marshall 800 combo
'90's Marshall 900
'72 Orange OR80 (Graphic)
'73 Orange OR120
'76 Matamp GT100
'74 Orange OR120
'05 Orange AD30 combo
'04 Matamp GT1
'04 Matamp King Street
'65 Selmer Zodiac 50 x 2
'76 Fender Twin
'76 Fender Twin
'80's Fender Twin
'08 Fender Princton reverb combo
'65 Fender Bassman 50
'73 Fender Bassman 100
'71 Fender Bassman 100
'71 Fender Bassman 50
'06 Vox AC30 (JMI hotrodded and greenbacks)
'80's Roland JC120 combos x 2
'90's Peavey Classic 30
'06 Ampeg SVT1000
Gallien Krueger 800RB
SPEAKER CABS
Mesa 410
TYM 212 (vintage 30's)
TYM 212 (Greenbacks)
TYM 410 (Mojotone)
TYM 410 (Jensen)
TYM 610 (Emminence)
Marshall 4X12 quads (G12's)
Marshall 4X12 quads (Greenbacks)
EFFECTS
WEM Copy Cat. tape delay
EH Big Muff. Green Russian version
EH Big MUff. Choice of several V2/V3
EH Small Stone. Classic EH phaser
EH Big Muff Dlx. Classic Big Muff with Comp
Univox Superfuzz. FUZZ
Pro Co RAT. Original "white face" RAT
Roland Bee Bar. Classic 70's Fuzz.
Roland Phase Five. Classic phaser.
Roland Double Beat. Classic fuzz wah
Ampeg Scrambler Fuzz
Solarsound Fuzz Wah. Early classic British Fuzz Wah
Zvex Fuzz Factory
Zvex Box Of Rock
Zvex Super HardOn
Boss DM-2 Analogue Delay
Boss DD-2 Digital Delay
Boss TU2 Floor Tuner
Boss DS1 Original Japanese
Boss OD1 Original Japanese
MXR Dist +. Original black logo version

Come in and try them out or contact Tym guitars for price and availability.

Pedaltrain boards and cases

2011-02-02T09:08:00.005+10:00

PEDALTRAIN is the premier innovation in guitar effects pedalboards. Our award winning and patented design has been road tested, approved, and is currently in use by many of today's top guitarists. Professional tour grade pedalboards and cases at prices everyone can afford.
These revolutionary pedalboards are made of welded aluminum alloy tubing to ensure that every PEDALTRAIN is as strong and lightweight as possible. There are no moving parts to loosen or wear out. A durable powder coat finish ensures your PEDALTRAIN will look great and last a lifetime.

The unique, open frame, elevated angle design provides added flexibility when configuring the layout of the effects. Your connecting cables can be neatly routed over, under, and through the open slots in the top surface area of the PEDALTRAIN to keep the risk of possible accidental disconnection to a minimum. Pedals may be added, removed, rearranged, or bypassed quickly and easily. All three PEDALTRAIN models include plenty of industrial grade, adhesive backed, hook and loop material, along with detailed instructions to make setup fast and efficient. You can easily and securely mount virtually any effects pedal, volume or wah pedal, or other device, such as a pedal power supply, channel switcher, power strip, direct box, or wireless receiver.

All new PEDALTRAIN models (excluding PT-MINI) now include specially designed brackets and instructions for mounting the popular Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 power supply underneath the pedalboard with no cutting modifications necessary. As always, you can still use any power supply of your choice with the PEDALTRAIN.
Contact Tym guitars for price and availability.

New Tym Big Mudd

2011-01-31T09:14:00.010+10:00

That's right folks. I guess it was inevitable really. Since starting my Big Mudd series a couple of years ago I get asked for this version time and time again, mainly by bass players and stoner rock guitarists, so, here it is. This is the Tym version of the green/army overdrive/sustain pedal from the early 90's.
Like most of these pedals this is essentially the same circuit as all the other versions with some component changes in key areas. It was sold in a few different versions originally and like most of their products, yes,they do all sound slightly different. I used 2 original versions that I've kept for their tone as a template to work from. After building one as per "spec" from online schematics I then started modifying the circuit slightly to fine tune the tone.

I have modified this pedal slightly by letting MORE bottom end through without getting unusably muddy for bass players, who seem to say this version is the BEST for bass players. While still being great on guitar, especially if you tune down, this will work for bass players who currently use one of these versions but with features like smaller enclosure, standard 9V Boss style adaptor, and a standard stomp switch. I also have IN and OUT the "right" way around .........

These pedals will be available soon. Contact Tym guitars for these or any other pedal in the Tym range. Thanks for supporting Tym guitars.

The Diaz Tremodillo

2011-01-28T09:25:00.005+10:00

All Diaz Musical Products effect pedals are individually hand-constructed, wired, tested and actually played by our in-house guitar gods before we ship!

All units are now powder coated instead of painted, which is stronger and looks better. Also the inside is coated so it will not corrode. The Tremodillo is the world's biggest little tremolo box! A Solid state battery powered tremolo unit in the same small box as the Texas Square Face. Features : Rate control : speed of tremolo Dwell control : depth of tremolo Speed stomp switch : doubles or halfs the tremolo rate On/Off switch : Turns the effect on and off Power jack : Boss style power jack included Indicator light : Flashes in sync with the tremolo pulse!

The Diaz Tremodillo is the closest thing you'll find to a classic Fender tremolo in a box. Rate and Dwell knobs take care of the traditional speed and depth functions while two stomp switches provide on/off and normal/half speed choices. The Diaz also includes a LED status that pulses in time with the tremolo's rate. It's a very cool addition that certainly helps in dialing up the perfect tempo. With most pedals you can expect to spend some twiddling to find that elusive sweet spot. That is not the case with the Tremodillo, as every conceivable setting sounded great to our ears. The Tremodillo is warm, expansive and oozing with that definable Blackface sound of the sixties. Despite the lack of true bypass, we never noticed any toneloss. In fact we noticed that this thing actually seemed to mysteriously enhance our tone just by being in the signal chain.

These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Tym Toecutter

2011-01-27T08:51:00.010+10:00

The Toecutter is a Tym pedal that copies the original RAT. I started with the "Bud Box" and original "THE RAT" and tried to find out why new ones don't sound like old ones ? In this case, it really is true.
It turns out the RAT circuit hasn't changed that much over the years. It's mainly that the new ones don't use the original components due to their slightly higher cost. The circuit stayed almost the same for about 20 years.
The original used the famous LM308 IC that has become expensive (for a chip) and was replaced with the inferior sounding OP07DP around 2003 when production moved to China, along with several other mods to the circuit. These original ones had a much nicer tone and harmonic distortion, what the RAT was actually famous for. The FET has also been changed over the years which in conjunction with the chip, makes the newer circuit "mudier"
These early RATs are now fetching BIG money and the new ones can't be modified to sound like the old ones (just check the Keeley site) so it seemed to make sense ........ to make one ?

It is built on custom designed Tym PCB and hand wired using original type caps, resistors, FET and IC to give the original tone as used by The Melvins, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Radiohead and many many more. This has been fitted to my new enclosure design. It's the same size box handmade out of stainless steel, just sideways. This looks more like the vintage RAT design although liberty has been taken with artwork (thanks Tone) and pot placement. It has Boss style 9V input (no battery/ see earlier post), Swithccraft jacks and true bypass. The 2 LED's are located in the eyes of the skull. There will also be one available with toggle switches for "clean boost" and more "bottom end"

These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for these or any other pedal in the Tym range. Thanks for supporting Tym guitars.

BYOC effects kits

2011-01-25T08:43:00.003+10:00

B.Y.O.C. offers a full line of DIY guitar effects kits that are based on some of the most famous circuits ever conceived and use top shelf components to provide you with superb sounding boutique level effects pedals that are both fun to build and save you money. And you will also enjoy your pedal so much more because you built it yourself (your friends will be thoroughly impressed too!).
Our kits come with absolutely EVERYTHING you need to build a complete pedal right down to the hook up wire. The circuit board is ready-to-solder and the enclosure is pre-drilled. The only thing you'll need are a few basic tools and a little patience. And they're easy to build too. The step by step instructions make it as simple as paint by numbers and the layouts are extremely intuitive.
But the most important thing with any guitar FX stompbox is how the end result sounds and holds up. A BYOC kit is not just some DIY project that simply "works". A properly built BYOC kit will rival or surpass even the most coveted and expensive handmade versions of a comparable circuit in tone, construction, and every other aspect of what makes pedal great.
With so many pedal companies that all seem to offer the same things, why not try something different? Why not build your own clone and Take Tone Into Your Own Hands?

SOME of the kits include

DOD 250+:
If you're a fan of either the DOD 250 overdrive or the MXR Distortion+, then you probably already know that the two circuits are nearly 100% identical with the exception of a few component values.
The BYOC 250+ kit comes with all the parts to build to either 250 or Dist+ specs and extra diodes to experiment with the clipping section. This is also the easiest kit to build that BYOC offers, so if you are looking for an easy "first timer" project, this kit would be ideal.

Analog delay:
The BYOC Analog Delay kit features 100% true mechanical bypass with a dry out and boasts four 4096 step BBD (Bucket Brigade Delay) chips. Each BBD chip has its own dedicated clock driver chip to provide the lowest amount of clock noise and most efficient operation. With a 16,384 bucket brigade delay line, the BYOC analog delay isn't going to give you pristine clear bell like repeats. If you want that, you had better get yourself a digital delay. If you've never played an analog delay before, you should know that the repeats will be grainy and have some distortion. But if analog is the only thing that will do if for you, and you need more than the typical 300ms analog delay, then this is the delay for you.
The kit also has a Short/Long switch. This switch completely bypasses 3 of the 4 BBD stages to give you a perfect vintage slapback delay tone similar to a DM-2 in addition to having one of the longest analog delay times available today. The repeats are clearer when in short mode, but still distinctly analog.

The Large Beaver:
With the Large Beaver, we set out to give you the most absolutely accurate sonic recreation of an early era Big Muff Pi, but with some added tonal flexibility. Since the component selections used by Electro Harmonix in the early days were very inconsistent, there are many conflicting opinions of what exactly Triangle Era specs and what Ram's Head Era specs should be. So we decided to investigate for ourselves. We sampled dozens of vintage Big Muffs and recorded the component
values for dozens of specimens. We then compiled the data to determine what the average value (or closest to a standard component value) was for each component. This gives us a far better idea of what the intended component values should be and a tone that is more consistently familiar.
The BYOC Large Beaver kit comes with parts to build to Triangle Era specs or Rams Head Era specs including BC239C transistors. We also added a modification to make the circuit better adapted for any playing situation.
Because the Big Muff Pi has such a scooped mid EQ, it can make it hard to cut through in a band setting or impossible to nail your favorite famous recorded muff tones because of post recording EQ. We added a 4 way EQ switch that affects how the tone knob works. Position 1 is the standard mid scooped tone knob that we all know and love. Position 2 is a flat mids tone knob that you'll find on a lot of the modern boutique Muff clones. Position 3 is a mid hump tone knob which really cuts through and gives it a real overdrive flavor when you roll back on the guitar's volume knob. And position 4 is a tone knob bypass, like you'd find on some of the later versions of the Big Muff Pi, but never before on the Triangle or Ram's Head Era versions. When you take the passive tone stack out of the way, the tone knob bypass offers a huge volume boost with unadulterated vintage muff tone....very cool!

These and MANY MORE BYOC KITS are available at Tym guitars Contact us for more info and prices.

The WMD Geiger Counter - Civilian Issue

2011-01-22T11:01:00.002+10:00

The WMD Geiger Counter - Civilian Issue is 32 killer sounds from the original Geiger Counter. We stripped off the majority of the controls and took $100 off the price. This is for those players who want to dial in a tone quickly and save pedalboard space.

The Controls

Stomp Switch - Like all WMD pedals, the GCCI (Geiger Counter Civilian Issue) is handwired and true bypass, so it won't affect your tone when disabled. When the GCCI is on, the red LED will be lit.

Gain - The gain control provides anywhere from a nice clean tone to a ton of overdrive. Use this to hit the Function tables harder or softer to produce different amounts of harmonics.

Tone - The tone control can be used to fine tune the harmonic content from the Function tables. Use lower settings for fewer upper level harmonics.

Function - Twisting this knob will cause the number on the display to change. It goes 0 to 9 and A to F. This selects the 16 presets inside the GCCI. Push the knob in to activate the Low Fidelity mode for each preset. Low Fidelity mode is indicated by the decimal point on the display.

Each Function recalls parameters from the original Geiger Counter including the Bit Depth, Sample Rate and the Wave Table. The wave tables are displayed in the manual file. As your guitar string swings up and down, the wave table is played left to right from the center. The output is what's vertically on the graph. The more movement in the Function, the more harmonic content you'll get out.

Volume - Sets the output volume of the GCCI which can be up to 5Vpp, enough to really crush your amp's input stage.

Battery & 9VDC Jack - WMD recommends using a 9V BOSS style power adapter (2.1mm Center Negative). A battery snap is provided, but is recommended for power supply backup only as the GCCI uses a lot of power (about 40mA). A battery could last as little as 5 hours.

Warranty - All WMD pedals are warranted against manufacturing defects for one year from date of purchase. Please contact us if you think your pedal is experiencing difficulties.

These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Blackout "dirt boxes"

2011-01-19T09:09:00.003+10:00

THE TWOSOME FUZZ: is a meaty fuzz sandwich made up of the Musket Fuzz pedal and the deluxe version of the Fix’d Fuzz pedal. Both circuits run independently in an A/B configuration allowing you to dial in your perfect fuzz or overdrive tone on each and then switch back and forth between them. You won’t find more dirt under one roof – unless you live in a mud hut.

MANTRA OVERDRIVE: equally capable of invoking the sacred sounds of a classically refined overdrive AND summoning wickedly raunchy drive, with more crunch on tap than the “overdrive” moniker usually entails. With such a wide palette of tones and character the MANTRA will feel just as at home at the feet of the stalwart blues crowd as it will the quintessential rock & roll protagonists.
The MANTRA utilizes amp-like circuit architecture, with multiple cascaded MOSFET and JFET gain stages to insure the most natural, touch-sensitive overdrive conditions possible and a seemingly endless range of clean-up with your guitar’s volume knob. We burned a lot of midnight oil to make sure that the MANTRA could get down with vintage-type, low output single coils and hot humbucker pickups alike. From gently fingerpicked melodic phrases to bludgeoning riffs that you’ll want to play over and over and over…

THE MUSKET FUZZ: The logical progression from then to now, the MUSKET is based on one of the raunchiest, best selling fuzz circuits of all time – taken three giant muffy steps further. With the addition of the PRE, FOCUS & MIDS controls, the MUSKET is able to traverse the decades, the continents and the many iterations of the classic 4-stage fuzz circuit – from emulation to beyond. If you need fuzz and you need it to be massive…
And bass players, look no further. The Musket brings the thunder to perfectly compliment your lightning. You’ll find the Musket on pro bass player boards the world over.

The FIX’D FUZZ V3 is the hydra-headed dragon of handmade fuzz boxes/boosts/overdrives. Replete with two polar-opposite fuzz tones, a full-bodied boost through light overdrive and a (wide) tone sculpting stage. It delivers BIG diversity in sound – all in a SMALL footprint package designed specifically for the cramped pedalboard. All 4 stages of the circuit are bypassable via their respective toggles, meaning you can add/remove from the stack as your black heart desires. There are no differences between the Poppy and the Ant graphic versions. Same pedal, same circuit.
These pedals are all IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for these or any other pedal in the Blackout range.

Tym practice rooms

2011-01-18T13:55:00.004+10:00

Our 2 practice rooms are located at Winn lane, Fortitude Valley. They are fully soundproof, custom designed and built rooms being approx 5m x 5m each with custom built air conditioning in each room. Both rooms have brand new Acoustic Technologies PA's, 4 mics and stands and power boards supplied.

The rooms are currently available only during shop open hours being Tues-Thurs, 10-5. Fri, 10-7 and Sat 10-5. Sun 11-4 but will VERY soon be available most nights.

Bookings are in 6 hour blocks (11am to 5pm) for the day (except Sunday) and will be 6 hour blocks at night (6pm to midnight).

The rooms are $60 per block and are available with 2 brand new Tym guitars 2x12 guitar cabs and 1 Tym guitars 4x10 bass cab for an extra $10. Eventually we will have drum kits also available for an extra $10 (ie: $80 for 6 hours with speaker cabs and drum kit) Our huge list of hire gear is also available at the standard hire costs.

The studio is part of the practice rooms and will be up and running by March and will be available for bookings with or without an in house engineer and with all of our hire gear. More info on that soon.

Option 5 effects

2011-01-18T09:15:00.003+10:00

Destination Rotation Single

Features include:

* Smooth overdrive feature with footswitch and level trimmer.
* Top mounted trimmers for slow and fast speed tweaking.
* Microphone placement control for effect depth.
* Realistic speed up/down ramping effect.
* Standard 9 volt operation.
* Low profile box (Voodoo Lab size)
* True Bypass.

The DR Single is 100% analog and low noise. The doppler effect is tight and the phasing characteristics are liquid sounding. The DR Single is 100% hand-built and thouroughly tested before it leaves my hands. It is built like a tank with high quality components, all lead free soldered to a carefully designed and super-solid, double sided, plate-through PC board that is also lead free. All that is housed in a die-cast aluminum box that will not rust or fall apart. As with all Option 5 products, the DR Single is built to last!

Destination Overdrive II

Features include:

* Improved bass response.
* Improved gain control with more range.
* Standard 9 volt operation.
* True Bypass

This has to be, by far, the best tube preamp sounding, solid state overdrive pedal ever created. Smooth, tight and responsive are words that come to mind. This is not another "Screamer" clone. This pedal will basically add another channel to your amp with all the features such as a classic tone 'stack' configuration for shaping your sound. It is able to sound like a barely broken up blues tone or with the twist of a few knobs, it will rip your head off with searing, scooped mids heavy metal. This is one pedal that has a range that is actually usable, throughout. I have designed it that way. The bass is never farty. Performing a 'dive bomb' will not make it choke. Roll your volume knob back on your guitar and actually reduce your gain. Picking dynamics and note separation are unbelievable. And, oh yeah, it's low noise too!

Destination Phase
Stereo Phase Shifter

Features include:

* True, panning, stereo phase shifting.
* No distortion on peaks.
* Wide range of Speed control.
* Non tone altering Depth control.
* Cool Regeneration control.
* Non-Tone-Sucking Bypass.

These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Zvex Super Hardon

2011-01-09T11:35:00.002+10:00

This is the perfect preamp pedal. The "Crackle Okay" volume knob is a negative-feedback control styled after classic 60's recording console inputs. (They crackled when adjusted too.)
Most vintage guitars suffer from steadily deteriorating magnets in their pickups, since permanent magnets aren't really forever. The Super Hard-On's input impedance is so high (>5 Meg) that it refuses any current flow from your pickup... maintaining the most magnetic field around each string, so you can hear exactly what your pickup sounded like the day it came off the winder. The ouput level can exceed 8 volts peak, and when it finally distorts, the wave is shaped like triode overload, not fuzz. It's so transparent no one will be able to tell you're using a pedal. Perfect for making the most of a classic amp and guitar, because it simply makes your guitar bigger and pushes the amp harder, causing natural overload. This sound can be the solution to the 'disappearing guitar' effect you get sometimes on stage when you stomp on your distortion and sound weaker. When cranked, it sounds much louder than a fuzz or distortion under stage conditions.
Like all Z. Vex designs, current flow is low in this circuit (less than 2mA), enhancing battery life. The circuit board is hand-cut and soldered with the critical component, a BS-170 mosfet transistor, placed in a socket for easy user replacement should it be necessary. Your dealer can provide you with a free replacement transistor upon request. The box is hand-drilled using no petro lubricants, and hand painted so that every box is unique. Knobs are Harry Davies, made with the same molds they've used since the fifties. Each effect is hand dated and signed by Zachary Vex.

Zack Vex says - The Super Hard-ON uses a very sensitive transistor, with some early versions mounted in a socket. During 2000, I installed a protection circuit to prolong the life of these transistors and I've seen no failures since. If you have a problem with an older unit, feel free to contact me, or you may purchase transistors inexpensively from 1-800-DIGIKEY where they are sold as part number BS170P-ND. You must follow proper static handling procedures to install the part... write to me for instructions at and i'll set you up. Newer SHO units have a diode protection circuit to keep the transistor from blowing. Please contact for information about updating your older SHO. To protect your SHO's transistor on older units, please turn the unit off before unplugging the cords. On SHO units produced during 2000 and beyond, the battery switching jack has been moved to the output jack closest to the front of the unit (closest to the J. Myrold signature). Please unplug from this jack to preserve battery life.

WARNING: The very high input impedance of this pedal can cause strange reactions (sometimes mildly pleasant and/or arousing) when used with a vintage 'junk' (read 'cool') guitar. The solution is to simply lower the 'crackle okay' gain knob a little or leave the guitar volume wide open.

Compressor pedals

2011-01-07T09:14:00.003+10:00

I've never been into "comps" so much. Never saw the point but after owning a guitar shop that imports so many pedals you start trying everything out and I got to hear the difference in compressors. Here's some GREAT pedal comps we stock at Tym guitars.

The Rothwell Love Squeeze is a compressor designed simply to sound right with guitars, without any bizarre “pumping” effects and without any noise.
This has been achieved by designing a circuit from scratch instead of adopting the more common approach of using an operational transconductance amplifier (for tech heads, it’s usually the CA3080 chip) or simply copying an existing design (like some American boutique makers have done) and gives the Love Squeeze a sound of its own. Low level signals can be raised by as much as 20dB without boosting high level signals, so when used in front of distortion - either in a pedal or an amp - leads lines can be fattened up without chords sending the distortion into mush. When used with a clean sound the Love Squeeze can be set to just take off the ice-pick attack of single coil pickups for a tone a little easier on the ear. Like reverb (when used sensibly), this is a subtle effect which can go almost unnoticed until it is switched off - then you wonder how you could live without it.
why not optical?
Compressors based on optical circuits can sound very good but the latest EU regulations have outlawed the use of Cadmium Sulphide so light dependent resistors (LDRs) are now banned and so are compressors which use them.
Why not a Ross or Dynacomp clone?
Why make a clone when you can make something better? The Love Squeeze gives a much more natural playing feel than vintage (and modern) units which seem to be fighting against the player all the time instead of controlling dynamics and enhancing tone.
So what’s in a Love Squeeze?
The Love Squeeze uses a discrete FET as the heart of a voltage controlled amplifier. The circuitry is elegantly simple but performs beautifully without introducing extraneous noise. More importantly, it enhances the playing experience. This is what compressors should do.
The Retro-Sonic Compressor is based on the famous gray Ross Compressor known for its smooth compression and attack response. The Ross design is updated with the finest components, providing clean, smooth compression with low noise and incredible transparency. You will notice note-to-note levels that are smoother and more consistent, chords and picking that is tighter and more focused, and when used with an overdriven amp, sustain that will last and last! Notably, you'll find minimal coloration to your guitar signal and less of the note-attack alterations so common to other compressors.
The "Recovery" switch has 3 settings: slow, medium, and fast. The slow setting (stock Ross) yields nice long sustain and compression. The fast seting is most useful when playing faster while still maintaining pick attack. The medium setting is the midpoint between the two.
Like all Retro-Sonic pedals the compressor is housed in a rugged die cast chassis, and also features true bypass switching."
Wampler Ego compressor.
Like many guitarists, I had always been looking for a compressor that was transparent while still giving the sound a very pleasant thickening quality. I had used many compressor in the past and they always seemed to alter the tone in a way that sounded as if the squeezing and compressing was 'fake' - like it had a cheapening affect on the sound.
The Ego Squasher is your answer to this...
It gives you a clear articulate sound thanks to the 'clean blend' knob which blends in your original clean signal yet still thickens your tone up better than anything else available in pedal form. It also will add a ton of sustain to your notes - all without excess noise. The new "tone" control adds in clarity and punchiness - while cutting through the mix! It won't screw your core tone up either like other compressors with tone controls.

MONARCH OVERDRIVE

2011-01-06T09:21:00.002+10:00

The Monarch Overdrive is an all discrete, FET based dirt machine. It’s designed around the input stage of a vintage amp produced by a company that bears the same name as the color of the monarch (hint...). It’s been configured to produce higher gains that sound very natural and free of compression. The treble and bass controls function as frequency boosters, not the traditional roll off filters in most OD’s. They are located in the preamp section and have a large impact on the over all tone, nature and distortion characteristics of the pedal as well as your amp. It gives big bottom end with a snappy, bright top at all gain ranges with some careful tuning of the tone controls. And, yes, it's true bypass.
Handmade with sweet loving care in Akron Ohio.
Power
Any regulated 9-18 volt DC power supply with a negative 2.1mm center barrel. Higher voltages will yield more headroom with a fatter and more focused tone and a wider gain range.
Controls:
Treble- Boosts the Highs
Bass- Boosts the Lows
Gain- Controls the overdrive
Level- Output

I have one of these on my pedalboard and I love ALL the EQD pedals. They are available now at Tym guitars.

Tym strings. Flatwound bass strings added

2011-01-05T09:01:00.003+10:00

Strings are strings right ? Wrong. There are masses of cheap Asian made strings on the market now that are just shocking. These are made for factories to put on the thousands of new guitars being produced in China every week. They have no tension, are made from inferior quality metals and sound terrible. I refuse to set up guitars at our repair shop using these strings now. They may be cheap, but they just DON'T WORK.
We have great quality USA made strings under the Tym brand name starting at $10 a pack, less with quantity orders. These are imported and made into packs of the most common gauges.
We currently do 9-42, 10-46, 10-54, 11-48, 11-52 and 13-56 in nickel electric guitar and phosphor bronze acoustic strings in 12-53 and 13-57 gauges and still at an AMAZING $10 a pack. We also offer these great quality strings in 45-105, 50-110 in nickle and 45-105 in stainless AND NOW in flatwound for bass at $30 a pack. You can also order custom gauge sets usually for the same price and we have more standard gauges to come. Contact Tym guitars for more info and bulk deal prices.

My new Jazzmaster

2011-01-04T08:07:00.024+10:00

Well, I figured I needed a Christmas present to myself and since I never get to work on my own stuff 'cause I'm so busy with fixing everyone elses stuff, I thought I'd make myself a guitar for my band, Midget Pillion.
The outline was easy. I needed a back up or something similar to my Jazzmaster I currently use for guitar and bass. I started with a nice solid ash body that had been here for some time. A quick clean up and some routing and it was ready to go. I use a widerange humbucker in my other JM and love the sound of that combination, so the bridge was already decided (although a good P-90 was VERY tempting) but the neck pick up wasn't so straight forward. I have a Tele with a Filtertron in the neck and love that so I thought "let's try that"

I may or may not be fitting a bass pick up to this one as I'm writing some songs that may just have drone/noise guitar under the chords so this mod is still open. I cut the scratchplate and added the Jag chrome control plate for something different and ran the pick ups to 2 output jacks. One volume and toggle switch is all I need.

The bridge is my second favorite bridge type being the Bigsby aluminium type. These have a tone like nothing else and as long as you can get the intonation right (like my first favorite, the wrap around) they sound AMAZING. They do prefer heavier strings and I use 11-54's on all my 25.5" guitars which works well with this bridge. I considered a Bigsby vibrato too, but set up properly, the JM vibrato is a great, underrated one. I constantly push the arm to the body on my other JM and it always comes back to tune. I run the bass E string through the baseplate so it doesn't change pitch with the rest of the strings.

I remember talking to J Mascis years ago about a maple fretbaord Jazzmaster and how he'd always wanted one for the clarity of the maple. I shaved this neck down to nothing (38mm at the nut) like a Mosrite neck and fitted it to the solid ash body.

The result is awesome and just what I wanted. The light ash body combined with the maple fretboard neck and Bigsby type bridge makes it very responsive and "sharp". The Filtertron sounds amazing. I just need to get it into a practice room and through my pedal boards. Looking forward to some good shows this year 2011. OK, back to work ............

Retro Sonic Stereo Chorus

2010-12-24T09:14:00.003+10:00

Distinctive lush chorus, amazing vibrato, the Retro-Sonic Chorus Ensemble is the only true reproduction of the 1976 CE-1 using the original analog BBD. Its lush, focused tone is the standard by which all other chorus effects are measured. The Chorus Ensemble is capable of a wide range of sounds from analog chorusing to pulsating vibrato, having the unique Vibrato feature that was incorporated on the original which simulates a Leslie rotating speaker. The chorus and vibrato functions are selectable through a footswitch control, allowing desired presets to be maintained by separate control. The Mono an Stereo outputs allow for a two amp setup for an amazing chorus expierience. Now powered by 9VDC, (thanks to a custom power chip) there's no need for a special adapter, just plug into your existing rig and enjoy! Based on customer demand, the improved Chorus pedal now has stereo outputs and operates from standard 9VDC power supplies.
The additional stereo output provides users the option of a two-amp setup. This brings a heightened dimension to the existing thick sound of the Chorus effect pedal, which has already developed a loyal following throughout North America and Europe.
In the March, 2006 issue of Guitar Player Magazine ©, Barry Cleveland said of the mono version Retro-Sonic® Chorus “This is definitely a thick and sensual old-school chorus…This baby’s definitely a keeper!”
Retro-Sonic® has now developed a custom proprietary solution to allow the use of 9VDC power input, and internally convert this to the Chorus voltage requirements. Internally, the unit still runs on the same voltage spec, (meaning there is no impact to the tone of the circuit), but musicians now have the convenience of hooking up to a standard negative center 9VDC adapter, or popular multi-tap power supply units.
The Chorus outputs are now labeled “MONO” and “STEREO”. Inserting a plug in the “STEREO” jack, splits the dry and wet signals for stereo separation to the two amps (wet signal on the mono output, and dry signal on the “stereo” output). Removing the plug from the stereo jack puts the unit back into mono mode.

The MXR Blue Box

2010-12-23T09:08:00.003+10:00

The first MXR effects pedal was the M-101 MXR Phase 90, widely used on the first two Van Halen albums[1]. A milder version of the effect was also released, the MXR Phase 45, and a programmable version, the Phase 100.
Each of these enclosures had 4 screws attaching the bottom plate. A 9V battery powered these effects; to change the battery, one had to unscrew the bottom plate. There were three distinct periods through out the years of the reference series. The script logo, the box logo with out an LED and power jack, and a box logo with LED and power jack. Script boxes often had carbon resistors and are highly sought after by collectors and vintage gear hounds. Some of the earliest Script logo pedals were actually made by hand in the basement shop and feature hand applied silk screen lettering. Also, early on in the script logo phase, BUD boxes were used. They were made with aluminum, and are much lighter when compared side to side with a die cast box. The BUD Box Company was out of Willoubhy, OH. Script logo boxes included the Blue Box, Distortion +, Dyna Comp, Phase 45, Phase 90, and the Phase 100.

This unassuming little box shovels out enough low frequencies to scare a blue whale. It takes your guitar signal, fuzzes it up, then duplicates it two octaves down. You control the output and the mix between the dry signal and the effect. Using it 100% wet is quite an experience, but more recognizable sounds appear as you dial In more dry signal. The Blue Box is known for having a chaotic personality that can make each session a totally unique experience! Power: Single 9 volt battery or Dunlop ECB-002 AC adapter - Controls: Footswitch toggles effect on/bypass (red LED indicates on) Output knob sets total output gain Blend knob adjusts ratio of dry (clean) with wet (effects) signal.

This fiesty little fella has been wisely re-issued to save us all from collectors prices and all those empty handed pawnshop outings. It's here and it's just as mean as ever. The tracking on this unit is very random so don't ever plan on predictable results. Expecting sheer madness when stomping on this is a whole lot of fun and the experience is refreshing compared to the safe sonic trips we all end up taking with most of our effects. The Blue Box will twist and pulverize your riffs and notes into something very sick and, at times, very synthy . Need a little sanity? Try backing off the blend knob and things get a little more manageable. Everyone needs a secret weapon in their rig and this one is the perfect candidate. As used by Thurston Moore, J Mascis, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Trent Reznor, Frank Zappa, Buzz and many many more.
This is a Tym guitars favorite and the Blue Box and all the other MXR pedals are available now at Tym guitars.

Tym Tone Boost

2010-12-22T09:09:00.003+10:00

I made a handful (less than 10) of these back in the late 90's and sold/gave them to some big (ish) player friends I knew who all raved about them highly. I stopped making them as they were a lot of work as I was wiring them point to point and assembling by hand. The originals were in an MXR Phase 100 size box and had a clear sticker printed with a bubblejet and stuck to the box with a coat of clear laquer over the top. I think most of them were painted light blue ? I actually saw one of these sell about a year and half ago for what I considered WAY too much money ?
I found the prototype a month or so ago and wired it up and plugged it in. Man, I'd forgotten how much I love this thing. It's a simple 1 transistor subtle to high gain boost/overdrive that can push any nice valve amp into saturation and has a very usable 1 transistor active tone control. The original had a toggle switch to switch from a type of treble/mid boost to a full linear boost which I've changed into a footswitch to make it more usable while you're playing ? Full frequency response makes it usable for both guitar and bass and you can get from the Shellac type "clang" right through to BIG "stoner" type bottom end.
I have re-built a new version which is schematically identical to the original and will be available in the small MXR size enclosure but sideways like some ZVEX pedals ? Please contact me if you're interested so I can gauge interest in getting PCB's and artwork done. Looks like they may (or may not) be back in limited production again ?

Tym Return of the Human Fly

2010-12-21T09:56:00.003+10:00

This has been one of my best selling pedals. When I heard Lux Interior of the Cramps had died I took it upon myself to make a pedal in homage to him. This is a NASTY 60's fuzz that I call the "sausage sizzle" type fuzz. Loosely based on a Mosrite Fuzzrite with more gain and "sizzle" this is that classic early Cramps type fuzz. With controls for Volume and Goo Goo Muck, this pedal is a garage rock players dream come true. The Goo Goo Muck knob works in both directions for more, and more gain. "Boss" compatible 9V adaptor and switchcraft jacks top it off. The original Human Fly was made in very limited numbers and is no longer available.
After getting LOTS of people asking for one I decided to "reissue" the Human Fly as the "Return of the Human Fly" (c'mon, it was asking for it) which is essentially the same pedal with slightly different artwork and a tone switch to take the tops off if you're using a Tele or similar so it doesn't take your head off.
These are currently available in the shop NOW.

Tym guitars Big Bottom V2

2010-12-20T10:15:00.007+10:00

The Tym guitars Big Bottom V2 has been designed to give bass players more options for effects pedals and sounds over the original Tym guitars Big Bottom.
The idea behind this great pedal is to split the signal coming from your bass guitar and send the mid to high frequencies through an effects loop to any guitar effects pedals, while keeping your bass frequencies clean. This eliminates the loss of bottom end that bass players would normally experience when using guitar effects pedals. You get a clean BIG BOTTOM and an effected main signal.
Designed in conjunction with and used by the late Dean Turner of Australian band Magic Dirt and completely handmade on site at Tym guitars, this pedal is unique and a must have for bass players who use effects of any kind.

Operation is simple.
The bass guitar is plugged into the INSTRUMENT jack.
From the EFFECTS OUT jack connect a patch lead to the input of your effects pedals.
From the output of your effects pedals connect a patch lead to the EFFECTS IN jack of the Big Bottom.
The AMPLIFIER jack is sent to your amp.
EFFECTS LEVEL adjusts the amount of signal flowing through the effects loop so can be used to “blend” the amount of effects in the overall signal.
VOLUME adjusts the amount of clean signal in the bottom end.
The effect has unity volume at around 7 on BOTH volumes so pedals in the loop can be cut or increased to above unity volume and bass frequencies can be boosted or cut from the clean signal.
The STOMP SWITCH is true bypass for the pedal.
The unit is powered by any regulated 9 – 24 volt DC centre negative external power supply. The higher voltage will yield more headroom.

These are all hand made by me here at our TMI workshop in Brisbane and proceeds from the sale of this pedal goes to Dean Turners family. I'm very happy with this pedal. I think Dean would have loved this version. There are some purple versions available now from Tym guitars in VERY limited numbers along with the standard red versions. Get in quick.

Contact Tym guitars for this or any other pedal in the Tym range.

Tym effects pedals will NO LONGER use betteries

2010-12-18T11:33:00.011+10:00

I have made the decision after thinking about this for some time that I will NO LONGER offer the option of running my effects pedals on batteries, of any kind.
In Australia we import over 300 million disposable and 50 million rechargable batteries every year. However, the greatest environmental concern surrounding batteries is the impact they have at the end of their lives. Australia hasn’t embraced battery recycling – it is estimated that around 94 per cent of dead batteries end up in landﬁll - and this is where the most serious problems start.
Batteries are made from a variety of chemicals to power their reactions. Some of these chemicals, such as nickel and cadmium, are extremely toxic and can cause damage to humans and the environment.
Landﬁll is generally where batteries end up. Regulations governing battery disposal differ in each state and territory in Australia.
In Western Australia, both disposable and rechargeable batteries are classed as
hazardous waste; they are placed in steel drums encased in concrete within secure landﬁlls so that air and water can’t corrode the battery casings. In Queensland, where I live, by comparison, people throw batteries in the bin with impunity.
Because of these reasons I am now not offering the option of running my pedals on batteries until we as a nation can work out a better way of dealing with this problem.
ALL of my pedals will be offered with a good quality switchmode, regulated power supply for a nominal fee of $20 at the time of purchase.

MJM fuzz pedals

2010-12-17T09:27:00.003+10:00

MJM 3 Knob Brit Bender Fuzz The MJM Brit Bender was designed for sustain and gain with a tight bottom end. The 3 Knob Brit Bender is voiced differently than the original. Giving a bigger, more round bottom end the 3 Knob Bender gives less sustain but makes up for it in attitude. This version of the Brit Bender also features a Tone knob for added versatility yielding fuzz tones from dark and dreary to bright and cutting. The MJM 3 Knob Brit Bender Fuzz is perfect for any rig, but really shines with single coils.
MJM 3 Knob Brit Bender Fuzz
* 3 Hand Selected Germanium Transistors
* True Bypass
* Tone Control

MJM China Fuzz Pedal
Here it is. The ultimate remake of the Univox Superfuzz is the MJM China Fuzz Pedal. This little tiny box produces tone bigger than the local shopping mall. The wonderful octave fuzz that is available from the China Fuzz will take you right back to the Univox days with warm creamy fuzz and funky octave mayhem. There is a switch for two different flavors of fuzz as well so you can make your MJM China Fuzz do anything you’d like.
MJM China Fuzz Pedal Features:
* True Bypass
* Two Selectable Fuzz Modes
* Small Enclosure

MJM London Fuzz Pedal
MJM Guitar Effects is proud to bring you the London Fuzz. This is the best of the vintage Hendrix-era fuzz tones packed in with two hand matched germanium transistors among other period correct components to give a true vintage vibe to the fuzz. The MJM London Fuzz Pedal cleans up properly with your volume knob and pick attack allowing you to get the most out of your guitar and amp at any time, in any situation. When you’re ready for the ultimate in vintage fuzz tone, getchyerself an MJM London Fuzz Pedal and turn some heads.
MJM London Fuzz Pedal Features:
* Matched Vintage Germanium Transistors
* True Bypass

MJM Roctavios Pedal
The MJM Roctavios Pedal has done it again with this octavlicious sounding pedal. Providing a zesty clean octave effect on lower boost setting all the way up to a fuzz infused roar at upper boost levels, this Roctavios just begs for the right player to tame it.
The MJM Roctavios Pedal’s layout is simple enough with knobs for Boost and Level and a true bypass footswitch to engage this sonic marvel. A little experimentation with your rig is all it takes to make the Roctavios a permanent member of your sonic fleet. Sounding just as cool with guitar or bass, try of the Roctavios Pedal from MJM today.
These and all the other MJM pedals are available through Tym guitars.

Tym Buzzrite

2010-12-16T09:39:00.005+10:00

The Mosrite Fuzzrite is a GREAT little Fuzz pedal that was designed and built by Ed Sanner in 1965 for Mosrite of California and has become a much loved (and copied) fuzz. It's a fairly simple 2 transistor fuzz with gain and volume controls. We currently stock a few clones of this little gem including my take on the pedal, the Tym Buzzrite. This is a copy of the second version Fuzzrite. My personal favorite using 2 silicon transistors. I think the original germanium version is too "dark" and muddy but then I personally don't like many germanium fuzzes. These are built on my Tym designed PCB's using high quality components and Switchcraft jacks. Mine has a "Boss" style adaptor with the LED as optional. This is a nasty little 60's fuzz that I put squarely in what I call the "sausage sizzle" type fuzz. Not much bottom end but still good for chords and great for lead (see the Ventures, Iron Butterfly).

Tym HIRE gear

2010-12-15T09:20:00.005+10:00

Here at Tym guitars I have a lot of guitars, amps and effects that I don't really want to sell, but I hate the idea of a guitar or amp sitting in a cupboard, or worse a vault not being used.
This practice of "collecting" nice guitars and amps and hording them away in vaults is actually killing this gear as they NEED to be used to keep them "alive". Guitars that sit around with string tension, or worse, no string tension but with the trussrod still adjusted, will almost certainly end up with a warped or twisted neck, not to mention pots and jacks (and sometimes pick ups).
Amps left for years without being switched on and having voltage run through them WILL NEED at the very least capacitors replaced when the amp is to be used again. This defeats the purpose of keeping these items in storage to be more valuable and original in the future, as they won't be usable in this state once they're taken out.
So, if I have stuff I don't want to sell. I hire it out. This is good for you as I have generally kept the nicest examples of guitars I want as they come through my shop. Once a nicer one comes along, I sell the the one I have been keeping.
Although this isn't all my personal stuff as some is just (unfortunately) too valuable to hire out in case of damage or theft, it is a nice cross section of gear and most can be used in our studio and/or live use.
Here's a list of current gear I have for hire. If there's something you don't see, ask me, I might just have it and be happy for it to be used for studio use both in our studios and outside.

'69 Gibson SG special
'71 Gibson SG
'96 Gibson SG
'79 Gibson 335
'89 Gibson LP Custom
'90 Gibson LP '57 Goldtop
Fender Strats x lots
Fender Esquire
Fender Teles x 3
Fender Jazzmasters x 2
'66 Fender Jaguars x 2
'79 Fender P bass
Fender P basses x lots
Fender J basses x lots
'96 Rickenbacker 360
'86 Rickenbacker 340
'89 Rickenbacker 330
'70 Rickenbacker 335
'70's Travis Bean
'83 Guild DV52 acoustic
'09 Tym Supertone 40
'10 Tym Supertone 100
'85 Mesa Boogie MkIII
'79 Marshall JMP
'90's Marshall 20W (handwired)
'80's Marshall 800
'80's Marshall 800 combo
'90's Marshall 900
'72 Orange OR80 (Graphic)
'73 Orange OR120
'76 Matamp GT100
'74 Orange OR120
'05 Orange AD30 combo
'04 Matamp GT1
'04 Matamp King Street
'65 Selmer Zodiac 50 x 2
'76 Fender Twin
'76 Fender Twin
'80's Fender Twin
'08 Fender Princton reverb combo
'65 Fender Bassman 50
'73 Fender Bassman 100
'71 Fender Bassman 100
'71 Fender Bassman 50
'06 Vox AC30 (JMI hotrodded and greenbacks)
'80's Roland JC120 combos x 2
'90's Peavey Classic 30
'06 Ampeg SVT1000
Mesa 410
TYM 212 (vintage 30's)
TYM 212 (Greenbacks)
TYM 410 (Mojotone)
TYM 410 (Jensen)
TYM 610 (Emminence)
Marshall 4X12 quads (G12's)
Marshall 4X12 quads (Greenbacks)

We also have a huge cabinet of vintage effects including Univox Superfuzzes, Vintage EH, Roland and MXR as well as some modern desirable effects that are perfect for using in the studio.

Come in and try them out or contact Tym guitars for price and availability.

Tym BigMudd series

2010-12-14T09:32:00.007+10:00

The BigMudd Ramhead : These are handmade, hand wired clones of an old school sustain/fuzz made around '75/'76 that has been nicknamed the "Ramhead" by many.
These older fuzz pedals had slightly less gain but way more "harmonics" than later models and re-issues. These are considered by most to be the highest point of this company's fuzz design. These use the original 2N2222 transistors with the classic "mid scoop" and less bottom end that the original version is famous for.

The BigMudd Fuzz : These, like the one above are handmade, hand wired clones of an old school sustain/fuzz from around '77 that is now known as the version 3 by it's many fans but in the new stainless steel enclosure.
This was the last of the transistor models just before the op amp version came in and had the same 3003 board as the "Ramhead" but with slightly different component values and uses 2N5088 transistors giving it more bass and mids. This is probably the one that most people recognize as the "classic" version but personally I love the tone and harmonics of the ramhead era version. The current re-issues by the original company don't get close to either of these great fuzzes.

Ronsound Foxey Axis fuzz

2010-12-12T17:19:00.004+10:00

RonSound is pleased to announce it's latest offering: The Foxey Axis fuzz pedal, a clone of the first pedal to bear the Electro-Harmonix name: the Axis fuzz, and it's re-branded brother: the Guild Foxey Lady.
The Foxey Axis is a silicon 2 transistor fuzz pedal with that classic 60's fuzz sound you know and love. Built like the originals with NOS 2N5133 transistors, ceramic capacitors, and carbon comp resistors but with improvements like true-bypass switching and an AC adapter jack, all in a small enclosure to easily fit in your pedalboard.
I'm absolutely LOVING this fuzz. Well done Ron, you've done it again. Like all your pedals, they may not look great, but they sound spectacular.

Diamond Trem

2010-12-09T17:50:00.003+10:00

At the heart of the new Diamond Tremolo is a 100% analog signal path utilizing an optoisolator like vintage tube amplifiers of the 60's. The analog signal path is combined with a microprocessor controller to provide a host of cool features including:
- tap tempo and footswitchable double speed mode
- user selectable waveforms (sharkfin, sinewave, square wave and 'chop')
- timing accents (3/4, 6/8, 2/4 and 4/4)
- rhythmic trem mode
- 'Chaotic' mode - random speeds with any waveform!
- TapView (TM) feature allows the player to visually see the tempo and tap speed while tapping a new setting.
It's important to note that at no point is your instrument signal converted to digital! Everything you hear is completely analog. Vintage sounds, modern flexibility.
- true bypass, 100% analog signal path
- optoisolator based trem like vintage amplifiers
- selectable waverforms (Sharkfin, Sine, Square & Chop)
- premium audio components, including 2% polypropylene capacitors, .5% metal film resistors
- 9V battery or standard negative tip 9V DC adapter operation
Contact Tym guitars for this or any other pedal in the Diamond range.

Tym Fuzzilla

2010-12-09T09:07:00.008+10:00

This is my homage to the GREAT Companion/Shen-ei FY2 using 2 old stock C945 transistors. This pedal was THE original Japanese fuzz pedal also sold as the original Univox Superfuzz in the US. Both were in a metal wedge shaped box with the knobs either at the top or the side. They were sold under a few different names in the US also. I have added a toggle switch for "Mothra" or "Gamera" which goes from std FY2 with a slight boost to bring it up to bypass volume (the original dropped in volume like most early fuzzes) and a tone control to an FY2 with even more boost and bottom end. Volume and gain are the only other things you'll need.
These are a great 60's fuzz with more dynamics and harmonics than your usual British or US "sausage sizzle" type fuzz. They also have more bottom end and this was the basis for what became the legendary 6 transistor Univox Superfuzz and the Shen-ei fuzzwah.
I have stock of these again in the shop, but they go quick.

Tym speaker cabs

2010-12-08T08:52:00.007+10:00

We've finally had time to build more speaker cabs so there will be some available in the retail shop from today. I will have 2x12 and 1x12 cabs available in the shop in both loaded and unloaded in open and closed back and we still have a couple of 4x10 bass and guitar cabs available also.

Demand has been great for my cabs. I'm so happy that people are prepared to buy locally handmade, quality gear when the market is flooded with cheap Chinese imports. We have now sold over 70 cabs in the last 2 years including custom speaker cabs and custom amp head shells, which may seem insignificant to big manufacturers but for an independent business making these completely by hand in Brisbane, I'm pretty proud of that and I thank everyone who has bought one for supporting Tym guitars.

This Machine Kills Fascists

2010-12-07T09:10:00.004+10:00

I started this pedal during the "Howard years" when I became embarrassed to call myself Australian due to our then governments attitude towards anyone who wasn't "right" for their vision of the future of Australia. Charity became a bad word and tax laws were changed to cripple charities and social support networks that had worked so hard to help people less fortunate. Let's face it. In past years and still to some degree musicians have used these social securities to live on while they produce their art.
There are currently 2 versions available housed in identical enclosures. When I came up with the idea for this pedal, the image of Woody and his guitar with "This machine kills fascists" scrawled across it came to mind and seemed the perfect name and artwork for a pedal of this kind.
The distortion is based on the classic MXR Distortion + but has been modified to let more bass frequencies through. I'm a huge fan of this distortion circuit with either the 741 or the TL071 chip and the IN4148 diodes. The original removed bass frequencies as you turn up the gain, making the pedal "clear" and not too muddy but it tends to take a little too much out for my ears so I've modified it to leave some of these frequencies in.
The Fuzz version is a classic 60's 2 silicon transistor fuzz using BC549's. I like silicon for this "sausage sizzle" style 60's fuzz. It's a great simple little circuit with good volume boost and lots of FUZZ on tap.
These pedals are $100 Aus each with any donation of the equivalent amount or more made to any of the charities listed on my links page or other agreeable charities. Just because we have a "slightly" more charity/social security sympathetic government now doesn't mean we should turn our back on these institutions that are out there fighting for human or animal rights or simply trying to conserve a world for our kids and future musicians to live in.
Make noise and show you care.

Retro Sonic Analog delay

2010-12-02T09:37:00.005+10:00

This is my personal favorite for true analog delays. These have all the beautiful tone of the big boys and the price is GREAT for all the tone and functions you get.
The delay is based on the now out of production DM-2 circuit. That was the starting point for the design. It features delay time, level and repeat controls, as well as a tone control which alters the flavour of the repeats (hi-cut filter). The unit uses two 4096 stage BBDs providing a max delay time of 800ms with quiet operation, (no clock noises or hiss).
The unit is housed in a die cast enclosure with 4 control knobs and two footswitches. One footswitch selects effect/bypass (true bypass), and the secondary footswitch allows selection between a short and long delay path (~300ms and ~800ms). This enables finer control over the short delay range; effectively a delay and slapback selection at your foot.
These and all the other Retro Sonic pedals are available NOW at Tym guitars.

Brisbane bands you should see and/or hear part 6

2010-11-29T09:10:00.004+10:00

Part 6 : Violent Soho

Poppy, hooks, poppy, fuzzy, bassy, poppy, great live, nice guys = Violent Soho.
Their site.

FUZZ DVD

2010-11-26T09:06:00.003+10:00

An in-depth look at the industry of noise making featuring Billy Gibbons, Jon Spencer, J. Mascis and more!

Fuzz... the sound that changed the world. The fuzz box: that tiny little box between the electric guitar and the amp that revolutionized rock music...what on earth does it do? Clif Taylor explores this insane industry of noise making, a world populated by guitar slinging super heroes and garage dwelling electronic geeks all sharing the collective obsession of one day creating that perfect sonic wave of limitless distortion. It's a unique subculture of psychedelic noise freaks and vintage distortion connoisseurs, a world of gear oriented Internet chat rooms and completely anarchistic electronic product conventions. From the geeky backyard boutique engineers building prized and instantly collectable clones of terribly scarce vintage psychedelic circuits to professional Wah Wah men, the electronic gurus, capable of pitching that monster tone into a circuit bent chaos, Clif Taylor shows us all of it, all the while, on the hunt for his own perfect tone. Guitar Gods Billy Gibbons, Peter Frampton, Jon Spencer, J Mascis, Chris Ross of Wolfmother and other music legends weigh in on their favorite circuits. Where would Jimi Hendrix be without fuzz? Would the sixties psychedelic movement even exist sans fuzz box? This film answers all those questions and more. It is a must see for anyone interested in the nuts, bolts, solder, transistors and true history of rock.
$22. IN STOCK NOW.

Distortion

2010-11-25T08:59:00.006+10:00

Distortion, similar to overdrive or fuzz, is an effect applied to the electric guitar, the electric bass, and other amplified instruments such as the Hammond organ, synthesizers, and even harmonica and vocals. Accomplished by electronically compressing and/or clipping the input signal, this effect adds sustain and additional harmonics and overtones to the signal, creating a richer sound. The most subtle types of distortion add a "warm" thickness to the original tone; the more extreme types of distortion range from the noisy, buzzy sound of a late 1960s-era fuzz pedal to the screaming, "bite", "grit", and "crunch" of a late 1980s thrash-style distortion pedal. Distortion is used across a wide range of musical genres, from the subtle overdrive used in traditional blues to the hard-edged distortion featured in noise, hardcore, punk, industrial, grunge, and metal.

Early examples of distortion were often the result of accidents in which the guitar amplifier or its vacuum valves was damaged, or because the amplifiers and speakers were "doctored" by poking holes into their speaker cones. One notable example was Link Wray, who dislodged a tube by accident, and then took to doing so as a habit to get a noisy, dirty sound for his solos. Observing this trend, Leo Fender of the Fender amplifier company designed valve guitar amps that would "overdrive" slightly. In the 1960s, fuzz effect pedals were popularized by guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix and George Harrison.

Distortion can be produced by many components of an instrument's signal path, including effects pedals, the pre-amplifier, power amplifier, speakers, or more recently, digital amplifier modelling devices and software. Many players use a combination of these to obtain their "signature" tone.

In the early days of guitar amplification, amplifiers were primitive and low-fidelity, and distortion was inherent in the signal chain. Most amplifiers were all-purpose, designed for use with multiple instruments with different output levels, and guitar pickups were often clip-on types that had weak output levels and microphonic properties. The guitars were typically hollow-body instruments, which would resonate sympathetically with the amplified signal, causing unwanted feedback and an excessive resonant sustain in the bass frequencies. Though electric guitars had been around since 1928 and played popularly by Les Paul and Charlie Christian in the 1930s and 1940s, it was not until the early 1950s that they became commercially successful. It was during this period that the first solid-bodied electric guitars became widely available; they did not suffer as badly from feedback as earlier models, hence they could be played at higher output levels.

The idea of intentionally using distortion to improve the amplified tone had not occurred to early amplifier makers. Early examples of distortion were often the result of accidents in which the guitar amplifier was in some way damaged, but the player or producer decided they liked it and recorded it that way. During the recording of "Rocket 88", one of the early rock and roll songs, Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm guitarist Willie Kizart used an amplifier that had been damaged in transit, resulting in an early recorded example of guitar distortion. For the recording of "The Train Kept A-Rollin'" by the Johnny Burnette Trio, a valve fell out of the amplifier during a live performance. When a reviewer then raved about the crazy new sound, Burnette used the same tone in the recording studio.

Willie Johnson's playing on Howlin' Wolf's Memphis recordings of 1951-2 is marked by a consistent use of deliberate distortion, creating a raucous, menacing sound that complements Howlin' Wolf's singing.

An early user of valve overdrive was Chuck Berry, who at the start of his career played through small valve amplifiers, the only ones he could afford. Because of their low output, they were easy to overdrive, giving Chuck's guitar tone a warm overdriven sound, which can be heard on his recording of his first hit "Maybellene". On later recordings he was able to afford better and larger amps and consequently his tone became cleaner. The earliest uses of intentional distortion that have been recorded were achieved through "doctoring" amplifiers and speakers. Guitarists would use a razor blade, screwdriver or pencil to poke holes into their speaker cones to create a distorted sound.

Leo Fender of Fender guitars and amplifiers observed these trends and engineered many of his amplifiers to "compress" and/or "overdrive" slightly without drastically distorting the signal. The early Fender "Tweed" and "Blackface" amplifiers are considered a good example of clean electric guitar tone. Many later amplifiers are based on these designs. Significantly, Jim Marshall of Marshall Amplifiers copied the Fender Bassman using parts available in the United Kingdom, creating an amplifier with significant overdrive that quickly caught on in the local music scene and laid the foundation for the powerful, thick "Marshall Sound" that can be heard on so many early Hard Rock albums. Later, distortion and fuzz effects were achieved through electronics. Jimi Hendrix was one of the first guitarists to use outboard effects, many designed or modified by guitar tech Roger Mayer.

VASE

2010-11-19T09:01:00.007+10:00

VASE is a piece of Brisbane music history. As a younger player it was easy to walk into a second hand shop in Brisbane and buy an old VASE amp for what seemed like a ridiculously cheap price and they always sounded ......... amazing. They were built in Brisbane, so we had lots of them here and by the 80's and 90's they were "out of favor" because of high gain, multi channel synthetic gain amps. VASE were always harmonically rich, clean and LOUD.
After closing down in the 70's , THEY'RE BACK. The new VASE gear will blow your mind. Not only are they exact copies cosmetically, they are meticulously built to modern standards using old VASE designs.
We have VASE amps and cabs available NOW at Tym guitars. There is a full retail display with 2x10, 4x10 and 8x10 bass cabs and 2 Trendsetter 60 heads with 3x12 cabs. Come in and try them out or contact Tym guitars for price and availability.

Sub Decay pedals

2010-11-11T09:26:00.003+10:00

Liquid Sunshine - Class A Overdrive
The Liquid Sunshine will give your amp a good kick in the ass. Equally useful as a clean boost, treble booster, and overdrive. Responds well to boosters, and loves pushing your other dirt boxes too.
What is the Liquid Sunshine?
The Liquid Sunshine is a JFET based overdrive with graceful breakup and pick attack, and will not cover up the the natural sound of your guitar and amplifier.
With two drive knobs, the Liquid Sunshine allows you to control the character of the overdrive rather than simply controlling overall gain. The drive knobs control two separate gain stages, each with their own characteristics. The top drive knob pushes the overall frequency range, while the bottom drive knob accentuates the middle and high frequencies. Both are very interactive, and allow the Liquid sunshine to perform not only as an overdrive, but a clean boost or treble booster as well.
Why doesn't the Liquid Sunshine have a "tone" knob?
Unlike a lot of other overdrives that use diodes to clip an amplified signal, the JFET circuitry produces no "sharp edges" or hard clipping. Many tone knobs on overdrives have a very narrow band of useful settings.
Instead, the bottom drive knob on the Liquid Sunshine controls gain and also alters the frequency response, with many useful settings over a wide range.
The Liquid Sunshine now has two internal controls for bass, and treble boost.
Noise Box - Harmonic Frequency Generator
A chaotic concoction... Somewhere in between a chaotic octave generator, guitar synth, and a broken robot stuck in an angry bee hive. The Noisebox was inspired by additive synthesizers. This pedal needs to be heard to be truly understood, but I'll try to explain it anyway.
The Noise Box is an envelope following harmonic frequency generator. (Confused yet???) Frequencies generated are harmonically related to the input, and controlled by the Frequency knob, the Sense knob, and the chaos knob.
The Frequency knob sets the resting point of the frequency generator.
The Sense knob controls how much the input signal will affect the the range of the frequency generator.
The Chaos knob controls the attack. Once turned half way up the Chaos knob loses its ability to track correctly, and the tones created by the frequency generator become more and more random.
The Voice control alternates between two different voicings of the frequency generator, with varied levels of high frequency roll off.
Level controls overall volume of the effect.
The Noise Box also has an internal noise gate built in that turns the frequency generator off when you are not playing.
Flying Tomato - Mutant Fuzz
Similar to many classic fuzz designs the Flying Tomato adds a number of modern improvements, and it doesn't stop at true bypass and an LED. It also works with other pedals and active pickups. We also added Tone controls, and a Bias control. This fuzz goes from hair raising, to classic, to gated.
What is the Flying Tomato?
The Flying Tomato is loosely based on the classic two transistor fuzz design, but with a few modern improvements including, a switchable impedance-matching input buffer, Tone controls, Bias control, true-bypass switching, and an LED indicator.
The Flying Tomato input buffer allows it to work after virtually any pedal, or with active pickups.
One of the ideas we strive for here at Subdecay, are pedals you can "match" to your guitar and amp. Some fuzzes sound great with a combination of certain guitars and amplifiers, but are lackluster with others. With the Bias and Tone controls, you can dial in the sound you want, and still cut through the mix at your next gig.
If you are a "vintage tone purist" you probably want to stop reading right here (but wait, you're almost done anyways...) While the Flying Tomato is loosely based on classic designs, it is not authentic to any original. Like most of the tomatoes you buy at the grocery store these days, this fuzz has been unnaturally altered.
Available NOW at Tym guitars.

EarthQuaker Hoof fuzz

2010-11-04T08:46:00.003+10:00

I LOVE THIS FUZZ !! The Hoof is a no-fuss, easy to use device capable of sounds from warm, gritty overdrive to a huge sustaining fuzz. It's a germanium/silicon hybrid muff style fuzz (based on the old green russian muff) with massive amounts of volume on tap and smooth amp-like sustain. It has a tighter, cleaner sound than most muff's which makes it more cutting and discernible in a band setting. The newly added shift control changes the frequency response of the tone control, mainly on the treble side (but takes out the mud on the bass side). Clockwise scoops the mids and counterclockwise enhances the mids. When the shift control is set dead center it has roughly the same frequency response as the original hoof (almost flat but still slightly scooped).
Measures
4 5/8" x 2 1/2" x 1 1/2"
Power
9v Battery or any standard 9 volt DC power supply with a negative center 2.1mm barrel.
Controls:
Fuzz
Tone
Level
Shift (mids)

Valve order just in

2010-11-03T09:18:00.008+10:00

We have just received a big order of valves in including our usual line up of JJ, EH, Sovtek, Tube Amp Doctor, Groove Tubes, EI, Valve Art and Winged C as well as some good stock of Mullard and Svetlana valves as well. We have Mullard EL34's and 12AX7's which are both GREAT for old Marshalls. We have stock of Svetlana EL34's and 12AX7's which are great with EVERYTHING.
We have a good stock of guitar amp valves at both the retail and repair shop so check the site for prices or contact us for availability and advice.
We stock most of the "big" brands and can get most others inc NOS but advise against this as the market is so flooded with bad valves being sold as good, the success rate of getting good serviceable valves is getting harder and harder.
We generally always have stock of JJ, EH, Sovtek, Tube Amp Doctor, Groove Tubes, EI, Valve Art and Winged C with some Tungsol and Svetlana valves in stock.
We've found in the repair shop that JJ valves are a good, solid performer and generally sound pretty good. Good value for money and easy to get in most forms. I use JJ's in most of my personal amps and all Tym amps come standard with them.
EH and Sovtek 12AX7's perform well in higher gain amps and keep a tighter bottom end. The EI ones are great in Vox AC30's with a real "jangle" to them.
All this of course is subjective. The best way to find what's best for you is to try them. This can get expensive but all valves behave differently in different amps and just because you use one brand in one amp doesn't mean you should or have to use that brand in another amp.
Winged C EL34's, 6L6's and KT88's generally outperform the JJ's but are more expensive. We've been getting great tones from the TAD's in both preamp and power amp stages but they're not for everyone.
You can mix and match preamp tubes with different brands and sometimes types of valves to try and get the best tone. Sometimes one brand works best in VR1 but not 2 or 3. Power valves however MUST be matched in brand and type and most amps need biasing when new power vales are fitted so we recommend you get these fitted by a tech.
So this, like everything else in your signal chain is all personal. We can "steer" you towards what might be close, but at the end of the day it's up to the player to decide what valves best suit their style and taste. Come in and have a chat if you like or contact us and we'll help as best we can.

Tym strings

2010-11-01T08:55:00.004+10:00

We have great quality USA made strings under the Tym brand name starting at $10 a pack, less with quantity orders. These are imported and made into packs of the most common gauges.
We currently do 9-42, 10-46, 10-54, 11-48, 11-52 and 13-56 in nickel electric guitar and phosphor bronze acoustic strings in 12-53 and 13-57 gauges and still at an AMAZING $10 a pack. We also offer these great quality strings in 45-105, 50-110 in nickle and 45-105 in stainless for bass at $30 a pack. You can also order custom gauge sets usually for the same price and we have more standard gauges to come.

HIRE GEAR - 1970's Fender "silverface" Bassman

2010-10-28T09:07:00.003+10:00

The Fender Bassman was a bass amplifier introduced by Fender in 1952. Although it was originally designed for bass guitars, it was frequently used for normal electric guitar in rock and roll, blues, and country bands.
The Bassman was designed for the first mass-production electric bass, the Fender Precision Bass. It was introduced in 1952 and discontinued in 1983. Up to until 1954, the Bassman amps had only 1 speaker (circuit 5B6), but it was the four 10" speaker combination that came to be one of the greatest and most sought after amplifiers in history. The original series of 4x10 Bassman amps included the 5D6 (1955), 5E6 (1955), 5E6-A (1955-1957), 5F6 (1957) and 5F6-A (1958-1960) circuits.
Despite the fact that it was originally designed for bass guitars, it was more famous for its use with normal electric guitar and thus, when Fender recently reissued the 59 (5F6A) edition, it was categorized under guitar amplification instead.
We currently have 2 of these amps for hire at Tym guitars. We have one early 70's 100W and one later 70's 135W. Check out our HIRE list or cantact the shop for more details.

Bassman 50 (1973) - Silverface head - 50 Watts/RMS - Same specs as the original silverface Bassman heads produced between 1968 and 1972, except for the addition of a tailless amp decal and an AC568 circuit.
Bassman 100 (1976) - Silverface head - 100 Watts/RMS

Brisbane bands you should see and/or hear part 5

2010-10-27T09:13:00.005+10:00

Part 5 : Undead Apes

Poppy, pinch harmonic, poppy, fuzzy, bassy, poppy, great live, nice guys (and girl) = Undead Apes.
Their site.

Tym Mosrite Ventures guitar/bass thingy ........

2010-10-26T09:01:00.004+10:00

This is my "spare" guitar for when I play live. The first is the Jazzmaster of the same idea that I posted a few months ago here.
Take one old Mosrite Ventures that's been lying around the workshop for ages. Strip it. Put a Mustang bass pick up in the neck pick up cavity and connect the bass pick up to one output, the guitar pick up to the other. The bridge pick up is an SD JB. Before you vintage nuts go crazy, the only mods done to the guitar was a small hole under the neck pick up for the bass pick up screw and the tone pot hole enlarged slightly in the scratchplate for the bass output jack. Both not seen when taken back to original. Oh yeah , and the string guide filled out slightly to take my usual 12-54 gauge strings, which I do to all my Mosrites.

Wampler Nirvana Chorus

2010-10-25T09:09:00.003+10:00

An extremely flexible chorus pedal designed to take you to total nirvana - extreme lushness, nice and watery if you desire, or swirling speaker tones! From phat chorus, leslie type wobble all the way to straight vibrato, the nirvana chorus delivers

Controls include volume, tone, rate, depth, switchable chorus types, and a switch to go to straight vibrato.
The pedal is mono however, as only one output is available.

Specs
*Toggle switch allows for 3 levels of chorus depths
*Depth knob allows you to fine tune each depth level even further
*Toggle switch allows for chorus OR vibrato
*High grade film capacitors and resistors picked for their superior sound
*Completely true bypass
*Ultra-bright LEDs for ease of use
*Battery connection and 9v power jack (barrel plug like Boss)
*3.5" x 4.5"
*Powder coated durable finish
*Level control allows you to have plenty of volume
*Tone control sweeps from warm chorus to bright chorus tones

These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

The Source power supply

2010-10-22T08:59:00.004+10:00

The ultimate accessory for any guitarist using pedals. No more batteries, no more maze of wires and plug packs and no more buzz and hum. The simple and elegant solution to running your effects pedals.

The Source is a rechargeable battery unit designed to run the vast majority of guitar effect pedals. It is the equivalent to approximately 30 brand new 9 volt (PP3) alkaline batteries, per charge ( 30 batteries @ aprox $4.00 ea = $120 per charge - It will virtually pay for itself in the first few recharges. It will also run keyboards, MIDI controllers and small amplifiers.

FEATURES
6 independant voltage outputs
Independant current protection
Low noise
Will run 6 effects pedals for 8hrs +
fully automatic charging circuit
Extruded aluminium case
Includes leads and DC charger
Runs nearly all effects pedals
Long operational life
Can be used while charging
12 month warranty
Each DC outlet is protected by a custom protection system which isolates faulty wiring or effects units without interfering with the other outlets.

In stock now. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Traves Effects GLOB.

2010-10-21T08:58:00.004+10:00

New to the Traves Effects range is the GLOB.
It is a versatile overdrive/distortion with fuzzy edges and plenty of volume gain.
A 6 position rotary switch is used to select drive levels with the last 3 settings also altering tone. Ranging from overdrive and distortion through to the fuzzy side of things. All with a taste of their own.
It reacts well to different pickup type and position as well as responding well to rolling back the guitars volume control. It really does interact well and provide a variety of easy to recall cool sounds.
This is the 2 knob version. but coming soon will be a 1 knob version with 2 postion toggle in a smaller enclosure. These will be available with a couple of stock settings, but can be custom built with any 2 settings from the rotary version or even variations on those.
Handbuilt in Australia and featuring True bypass, Alpha Pots, Boss style adapter, LED indicator and other quality bits.
This and other Traves effects are in stock now. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

HIRE GEAR - 1970's Fender "silverface" Twins

2010-10-19T10:08:00.005+10:00

The Fender Twin is a guitar amplifier made by Fender. It was introduced in 1952, about the same time as the Stratocaster (1954). As the Stratocaster's sales partner, its success was a large part of the increase in popularity of the electric guitar in music.[citation needed] To this day, these amplifiers continue to be sought after by guitarists for their characteristic clean tone. The Twin's circuit has been copied and modified by many other manufacturers.
The first silverface Twins used the blackface AB763 circuit until May 1968, when Fender switched to the AC568. Since the tube complement was the same, Fender just used up their stock of printed tube charts saying AB763 until they ran out. Thus many silverface amps are mislabeled and this has created some confusion, causing some owners to think they have AB763 circuits when in fact they are AC568s.
The Twin Reverb, along with all other silverface models, had an aluminum frame (trim) surrounding the sparkling blue grillcloth from late 1967 to 1969. Early silverface amplifiers made between 1967 and 1968 had black lines on the brushed aluminum control plate, still retaining the '60s "tailed" design. This feature was offered on models produced prior to the "tailless" period in 1973.
The rating of the amplifier's output power was also upgraded to 100 watts.
From about 1973 forward, a master volume with pull-boost (on a push-pull control) became a standard feature on all dual-channel silverfaced Fender models (usually known as "master volume" amps). Original master volume amps from late 1972 were made for a short time without that "pull boost" circuit on the master volume control.

Between 1977-1982 the power was increased to 135 watts. This increase was partly due to the output section being changed to the ultralinear topology, as different power transformer and power supply design resulted in much higher plate voltages. During the 1970s and to a point, the late 1960s, the American amplifier companies were all engaged in an undeclared "wattage war". Each manufacturer would rate and or produce amplifiers of increased power as a means of gaining market superiority (or the illusion thereof). American amplifier companies used a philosophy of bright clean tones and the elimination of distortion was a key design factor.

We currently have 2 of these amps for hire at Tym guitars. We have one early 70's 100W and one later 70's 135W. Check out our HIRE list or cantact the shop for more details.

Brisbane bands you should see and/or hear part 4

2010-10-15T09:02:00.006+10:00

Part 4 : Sekiden

Poppy, synthy, poppy, fuzzy, not bassy, poppy, great live, nice guys (and girl) = Sekiden.
Their site.

HIRE GEAR - 1964 Selmer Zodiac 30

2010-10-14T09:01:00.003+10:00

Think you've never heard a Selmer ? Well, if you're familiar with the immortal guitar riff forming the mainstay of The Animals' "House of the Rising Sun" then you probably have.
The Selmer Company was a manufacturer of musical instruments started in Paris, France in the early 1900s. Selmer was known for its high-quality woodwind and brass instruments, especially saxophones clarinets and trumpets. A semi-independent branch of Selmer for the United Kingdom was created in 1928 under the leadership of two brothers, Ben and Lew Davis. They concentrated primarily on licensing, importing and distribution rather than manufacturing, and by 1939 had grown to become the largest company in the British musical instrument industry. With the growth of skiffle music and the arrival of rock and roll in the mid-1950s, Selmer UK began producing guitar and bass amplifiers. In the early 1960s, despite Selmer's apparent market domination, The Shadows' and The Beatles' endorsement of Vox amplifiers relegated Selmer guitar amplifiers to a distant second place in sales. The management of the company made various luke warm attempts to gain endorsement from aspiring musicians but became increasingly distant from the developments in pop culture from the mid 1960s considering that its role was to support "real" or established professional musicians and not the headliners of the pop industry. This was the beginning of the end for Selmer UK.

The Zodiac Twin 30. Four inputs - Two channels. Built-in Tremelo with speed & depth controls and foot-operated switch. Selectortone push-button controls. Very low noise and hum level. Fitted with socket for extension speaker.
Here at last is a new amplifier with built-in tone colours. By simply operating the exclusive push-button controls you are able to vary the degrees of response from High Treble to Contra Bass, thereby obtaining an infinite variety of tone colours. The new Zodiac Twin 30 is a two-channel amplifier. Channel 1 acts as a conventional amplifier with normal controls for volume and tone. Channel 2 is controlled by the unique Selectortone push-button controls. This design enables you to use one channel for a microphone without cross channel interaction, leaving the other channel free for guitar and other musical instrument amplification.

Each channel has two high impedance inputs - giving you a total of four inputs which can be used simultaneously. Built-in tremelo on Channel 2 is instantly switched on or off by the footswitch provided. Speed and depth of tremelo are adjustable over wide limits by variable control knobs. Exclusive Selmer "Blinking Eye" (Patent applied for) gives visual indication of tremelo speed. The Zodiac 30 is fitted with two 12" loudspeakers and all controls are housed in a recessed panel. A pilot lamp is fitted.
Attractively finished in two-tone crocodile leatherene with modern styling. AC mains only, 200/250 volts, 50/60 cycles. Valve complement EF86 (2), ECC83 (3), EL34 (2), GZ34 (1). Output ratings British 30 watts, American 60 watts. Dimensions height 20", width 29", depth 10". 85 gns, including attractive waterproof cover.

We currently have 2 of these VERY rare amps for hire at Tym guitars. Check out our HIRE list or cantact the shop for more details.

Rothwell Atomic Booster

2010-10-13T08:55:00.004+10:00

The Atomic Booster is a high quality guitar effects pedal, designed and hand made in the UK to give guitarists a transparent, clean booster pedal which can boost the overall level and the treble from electric guitars to drive vintage and vintage style amps harder or to give a volume boost for solos.
The overall volume can be boosted by as much as 20dB whilst the precision amplifier circuit adds no noise to the signal or alters the tone of your guitar. The treble boost facility of the Atomic Booster can add a glassy sheen to your guitar tone or give neck humbuckers more of a cutting edge or can be used to give distorted rhythm sounds a tight, well controlled bass with biting top end.
This pedal is a truly hand made, boutique effect, built to the highest standards and features true bypass switching. This leaves the guitar completely isolated from the booster circuit when the unit is bypassed so that your raw guitar tone is not affected in any way.
When using vintage amps or vintage style, low gain amps, driving the amp hard enough to get a good rock sound can be a problem, particularly with low output single coil pickups. One of the reasons why the Gibson Les Paul came back into fashion in such a big way in the late 60's and early 70's is because their pickups had a higher output than Strats and Teles and could drive the amps of the day into more distortion. Some players used a booster of some description to get more drive from their pickups. The Atomic Booster will help you to get a classic rock tone from simple, vintage style amps in the same way as the pioneers of the genre got theirs - by playing it louder.
However, unlike many 70’s boosters (and modern clones and repros) the Atomic Booster is a low noise pedal, built to a very high standard and has modern benefits such as a DC power socket (for use with external power supplies such as the Stompjuice), true bypass switching and high input impedance.

In stock now. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

EH/Tym Holier Grail

2010-10-12T09:01:00.003+10:00

WEll, this started off as a matter of interest and turned into the ultimate surf pedal. I had this old EH Holier Grail that had been sitting around the workshop broken, with boxes of other pedals (and amps/guitars etc) for a few years. Lee, who works here bought one exactly the same off EBay and when it turned up, it had EXACTLY the same problem. The voltage regulator was burned out along with a few resistors in the same circuit. These are all easy parts to get and once his was repaired, so was this one. The main "problem" with the Holier Grail, and lots of reverb pedals is it drops in volume when the effect is engaged. To fix this I put a simple point to point single transistor "boost" after the output of the effect with it's own volume. Around 5-6 is neutral volume so it also has a fair amount of gain that sounds great driving the reverb into a little valve amp.
But why stop there ? It was itching for a tremolo to top it off. Since there's PLENTY of room in these things I decided to add the fantastic, yet subtle EA trem circuit that I love. It has a real "amp trem" feel to it and is a fairly simple (and much copied) circuit. This is added after the reverb effect with it's own true bypass footswitch (with LED) with RATE and SPEED knobs. The only real "issue" is the original Holier Grail runs on 18V centre positive power (opposite to most pedals) and the trem and boost work on 9V centre negative but it just means the EH works off it's own power supply as per factory. Easy.

So the reverb works as standard, but has an output volume boost on all settings. This can feed into the trem circuit with enough gain to "break up" the trem nicely and push your amp into slight overdrive. So, you have the 60's surf sound in one pedal.
Anyone who wants their EH reverb pedal modded with one of both or these mods, contact Tym guitars for details.

Brisbane bands you should see and/or hear part 3

2010-10-08T08:58:00.003+10:00

Part 3 : Seaplane

Noisy, atmospheric, drummy, yelly, not bassy, noisy, great live, nice guys = Seaplane.
Their site.

Crybaby Wah pedal

2010-10-07T08:56:00.008+10:00

The Jim Dunlop Cry Baby (also known as the Crybaby) is a highly popular wah-wah pedal, manufactured by Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc. It is one of the best selling guitar pedal of all time. The name Crybaby was from the original pedal from which it was copied, the Thomas Organ/Vox Cry Baby wah-wah.

There are many different models of the Cry Baby manufactured by Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc, most are listed below:

* GCB-95 - Also known as the "Cry Baby Original", it is based on the original Crybabies. Typically the lowest priced model, uses a 'Fasel' inductor now that its been updated with a hot potz 100k potentiometer.
* GCB-95F Classic - A Cry Baby with a Fasel (classic Italian-made) inductor and a Hot Potz 100KOhm potentiometer.
* 95Q - A Cry Baby with a Q control (which varies the intensity of the wah effect), and a volume boost.
* 535Q - Features tone shifting abilities using the Q control, six different wah ranges, a volume boost and can also be used as sustain pedal.
* JH-1 Jimi Hendrix Signature - The Jimi Hendrix Signature Cry Baby is an original 1960s design with modified circuitry to lower the pedal's frequency range.
* JH-1FW Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Wah - A combination of the Jimi Hendrix Signature Wah Wah and the Jimi Hendrix Fuzz. It can be used as a Wah Pedal, a Fuzz Pedal, or both at the same time.
* DB-01 Dimebag Signature - Dimebag Darrell's Signature Cry Baby. Based on the 535Q as he used one prior.
* EW-95V Mister Crybaby Super Volume - A Cry Baby that doubles as a wah pedal and a volume boosting pedal. It can provide a volume boost of up to 16 decibels
* ZW-45 Zakk Wylde Signature - Zakk Wylde's Signature Cry Baby.
* 105Q Bass - A Cry Baby for bass guitars that only affects the mids and high frequencies, and features Q and Volume controls.
* SW-95 Slash Signature - Slash's Signature Cry Baby with an added heavy distortion booster.
* Limited Edition (1999) Purple, White, Red or Hammertone Gray
* EVH Signature - Eddie Van Halen's Signature Cry Baby.
* KH-95 Kirk Hammett Signature- Kirk Hammett's new Cry Baby
* JC-95 Jerry Cantrell Signature- Jerry Cantrell's signature Cry Baby

Possibly excepting the 535Q, the newer crybaby models have a single pole switch instead of true bypass; using single pole switching instead of true bypass adds a load impedance which affects the tone.

We stock or can order any of the current Dunlop Wah's and do get vintage and second hand stock in. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

FUZZ

2010-10-06T09:05:00.002+10:00

A fuzz pedal (or fuzz box) is a type of effects pedal consisting of an amplifier and a clipping circuit, which generates a distorted version of the input signal. As opposed to other distortion guitar effects pedals, a fuzzbox boosts and clips the signal sufficiently to turn a standard sine wave input into a waveform that is much closer to a square wave output. The sound of almost creating a square wave gives a "Rough around the edges" effect that creates the classic fuzz tone. This gives a much more distorted and synthetic sound than a standard distortion or overdrive. Fuzz sounds also tend to have lower Mid frequencies than other distortion types.

The term "fuzz box" is often used generically to refer to any effects device which produces a distorted sound, however the distortion in some classic guitar effects pedals, (so-called stomp boxes such as the Ibanez/Maxon TS-9, and 808 Tube Screamer) is not actually produced by transistor clipping, but rather by diode clipping.

As clipping is a non-linear process, intermodulation will occur, leading to the generation of an output signal rich in extra harmonics of the input signal. Intermodulation distortion also produces frequency components at the various sums and differences of the frequency components of the input signal. In general, these components will not be harmonically related to the input signal, leading to dissonance. To reduce unwanted dissonance, simple power chords (root, fifth, and octave) are often used when using fuzzboxes, rather than triads (root, third, and fifth) or four-note chords (root, third, fifth, and seventh).

Nashville session musician Grady Martin discovered the fuzz sound in 1961 during a recording session for Marty Robbins' "Don't Worry", due to a faulty recording console preamplifier circuit. In 1962, The Ventures, having heard the guitar tone on "Don't Worry", asked friend Red Rhodes, a steel player and electronics wizard, how they could reproduce the sound.

A few months later, Rhodes presented them with a custom fuzz box, reportedly the first, which The Ventures used to record "2000 Pound Bee." The song charted in December 1962 and is identified by multiple sources, including The VH-1 Music First Rock Stars Encyclopedia, as the first single to use actual guitar fuzz box (the story was in the April 2007 issue of Guitar Buyer magazine in an article titled, "Caught By The Fuzz").

Fuzzboxes gained wider popularity after a distorted sound was popularised by Dave Davies of British Invasion band The Kinks (It has already been noted that Davies had been influenced by American electric blues, though it is uncertain that Davies understood the precise engineering dynamics of the "Chicago tone".). In Davies' case, he played through a small amp whose speaker cone had been slashed with a razor blade, distorting the signal. In 1964, he plugged the doctored amp into a Vox AC30[citation needed] to record "You Really Got Me", the band's first number one single and the first popular rock & roll song using a distorted power chord riff. Fuzzboxes became popular as a much easier way to create a distorted sound.

The fuzz circuit was first marketed by Maestro as the "Fuzz Tone" Model FZ-1. In May 1965 Keith Richards used a Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone to record "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". The song's success so boosted sales of the device that all available stock had sold out by the end of 1965.

Other examples of fuzzboxes include the highly-sought Mosrite FuzzRITE, the Fuzz Face (originally made by the Arbiter Group) used by Jimi Hendrix, the Big Muff Pi (made by Electro-Harmonix) and the Vox Tone Bender, used by Paul McCartney on George Harrison's composition Think for Yourself, and featured on many tracks throughout Rubber Soul, Revolver and many other Beatles albums and recordings. Colin Greenwood of Radiohead uses the Shin-ei Companion FY-2 and a Lovetone Big Cheese. Pete Townshend used a Univox Super Fuzz pedal starting from 1968 and used on many recordings and stage shows by The Who (being his only pedal for concerts from 1968-1978). There is also a market for boutique fuzzes, such as the Ultralord, Woolly Mammoth, one of the most popular being the Z.Vex Fuzz Factory and the Italian T-Fuzz from T-Pedals, made with selected components.

Early fuzzboxes used germanium transistors. By the end of the 1960s, these were replaced by silicon transistors. Silicon transistors are desirable for a number of reasons, most of which have little to do with the actual tonal performance of the fuzzbox. For tone purists, the germanium transistor's tone is generally regarded as superior, or at least more authentic, to the original fuzzbox concept and design. Nevertheless, because silicon devices are generally less affected by changes in temperature, they offer more reliable performance than germanium ones. Warm conditions (such as the heat generated by stage lights or sunlight in outdoor performances) can adversely affect the tone of germanium fuzzes. Also, fuzz boxes that employ germanium transistors do not work well when placed after another effect pedal that uses "buffered bypass." This is because the buffer on effect pedals converts the guitar's signal from high to low impedance (to retain high frequencies and signal strength). Low impedance signals that pass through germanium-equipped fuzzes tend to suffer from a pronounced drop in volume and bass response. In the 2000s, many boutique guitar effects builders offer fuzz pedals with germanium transistors for a "retro" sound. Additionally, some units employ both silicon and germanium transistors.

Brisbane bands you should see and/or hear part 2

2010-10-05T09:02:00.003+10:00

Part 2 : Turnpike

Noisy, poppy, drummy, yelly, bassy, noisy, great live, nice guys = Turnpike.
Their site.

Rothwell Hellbender

2010-09-30T09:20:00.003+10:00

The Hellbender is a high quality guitar overdrive pedal, designed and hand made in the UK to give guitarists a touch responsive and dynamic distortion effect which will range from a very mild and subtle overdrive to a rich, saturated, singing lead tone. Unlike most distortion pedals available today the Hellbender uses more than one stage of distortion and more than one distortion mechanism. This gives a more realistic emulation of valve amp being driven hard. As you pick harder the different distortion mechanisms come into play to give your playing a much more responsive sound. The Hellbender is also capable of higher output than many other distortion pedals (up to 3.6 volts pk-pk) and even with the gain set to its lowest level where the sound is almost totally clean a healthy volume boost is achievable. The Hellbender is not a digital model of anything, nor does it claim to recreate the sound of any particular vintage or modern amp, and isn't designed to be used for recording direct into a mixer or computer. This overdrive is intended for use the old fashioned way - between a guitar and amp, either on stage or mic'd up in a studio. The guitar, pedal and amplifier should work in synergy to allow you to create your own sound. Any good guitarist's signature sound comes not only from their equipment but from their particular approach to picking, pick attack, pick angle, vibrato etc. The Hellbender will allow these playing subtleties to come through, enhancing the overall sound and becoming an integral part of the guitar/pedal/amp combination. (Beware of pedals which claim to sound like, for example, a 1969 Marshall, regardless of the amp it is fed into.)
The Hellbender can be used in several ways. When set for low gain and a relatively clean sound the Hellbender can give a harder rocking edge to an otherwise clean amp. The high output level available from the Hellbender also allows relatively clean, low gain settings to be used as a cleanish boost. (For a true, totally clean boost use the Atomic Booster pedal.) When used in conjunction with an amp which is already set for some distortion a slightly distorted boost from the Hellbender will give a volume lift and create more distortion without completely overiding the existing tone.
At high gain settings the distortion available makes singing lead tones with enhanced sustain possible. The volume control can be set so that it lifts the output level to push an already distorted amp into very high gain territory. This combination of pedal distortion, signal boost and amp distortion can be balanced to create the right blend of saturation and dynamics. The Hellbender features true bypass switching. This leaves the guitar completely isolated from the circuit when the unit is bypassed so that your raw guitar tone is not affected in any way.
In stock now. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

The WMD Super FatMan

2010-09-29T09:36:00.010+10:00

The Super FatMan is the evolution of the FatMan envelope filter with the features that filter geeks want most. This is the end all envelope filter pedal.

Features:
* Fat & Warm Pure Analog Circuitry
* 12 Filter Frequency Ranges
* Tweakable Filter Feedback
* LP/BP/HP Filter Modes
* Reverse Sweep
* Tweakable Attack Speed
* .07 to 8 Hz Tri/Square LFO
* CV/Expression Pedal Input
* CV/LFO blendable with envelope
* RGB LED shows ENV and LFO
* Wet/Dry blend in or out of phase
* Epoxy paint base and silkscreen
* Standard 9V Power Jack
The Controls. The FatMan's controls are intuitive and effective in sculpting incredible filter sounds.
Attack - Adjusts the speed of the filter, and how fast it responds to transients in your playing. Fully slow opens the filter like a nice sweep on the wah pedal. Fully fast will open and close the filter nearly instantly making the attack of each note very pronounced. Fast attack will also move the filter around during note bending and the beating of slightly out of tune notes for spaceshippy sounds.
Threshold - Adjusts the volume sensitivity of the filter. Turning it up causes the filter to begin working sooner and at lower levels. This sets the depth that the envelope reaches and how quickly it starts to decay.
Sweep Up/Down Switch- Controls where the filter starts and moves to. When in "up" mode, the filter starts at the lowest frequency and as volume increases, the frequency moves up. When in "down" mode, the filter is at its max frequency for the range and moves downward as the volume increases. Down acts as a tone compressor.
LFO Speed - Controls the speed of the Low Frequency Oscillator, from about .07 Hz (about 14 seconds) to 8Hz. Slower settings produce killer synthy filter sweeps, faster settings give you tremolo or vibrato like sounds.
LFO Depth - Attenuates the LFO signal to control how subtle or pronounced you want the LFO to work on the filter.
LFO Shape Switch - The LFO will run in Triangle Mode, (always smooth up and down) or Square Mode (full up or full down with no inbetween). Triangle is great for sweeps and more subtle sounds. Square is great when the Depth is turned down and blended with the envelope to produce delay like stuttering in longer notes. To turn the LFO off, put the switch in the middle position (useful when using an expression pedal).
Source - This controls how much of the envelope follower is blended with the CV/Expression Pedal input or the LFO. Some very nice sounds come from the careful setting of this control.
Range - This rotary switch selects between 12 distinct frequency ranges, controlling the frequency of the filter. The lowest setting goes down to 20Hz and provides movement in the sub-bass frequencies. The highest range tops out at 7kHz. Each range has its own sound and response characteristics.
Feedback - This controls how much of the filter is heard at the output. Higher settings produce a sharper resonant peak while lower settings flatten the filter out and make it far more subtle.
Filter Mode: LP/BP/HP Switch - This switch selects between the different filter modes. Low Pass mode cuts frequencies above the filter point, producing classic filter tones. Band Pass is more like a traditional wah pedal outputting only the frequencies directly around the filter point. High Pass cuts all frequencies lower than the filter point and creates some very nice tones without any bass.
Blend: wet/dry - this blends your dry signal in with the filtered signal. It can help retain your original tone and add just a little filter, or get just the filtered tone. Use in junction with the Filter Phase switch for increased tonal possibility.
Filter Phase Switch - This flips the phase of the filtered signal for the blend control. Having an in phase signal adds the frequencies together producing more bass and a more subtle sound. Out of phase subtracts the frequencies from eachother and produces sharper sounds.
Bypass - The stomp switch is wired true bypass so only wires touch your tone when the Super FatMan is disabled.
Internal Gain - There are two trim pots inside the pedal that control the gain of the wet and dry signals before they are blended. They will be set to unity from the factory, but can be changed if desired.
RGB LED - The indicator LED on the Super FatMan is now a multi color (red/green/blue) type that has allowed us to provide visual feedback on how the pedal is working. The LED will light up Blue when the Super FatMan is engaged. The RED part will show the speed and mode of the LFO. The GREEN part will show what the filter is doing (envelope, and LFO). Besides being a cool looking flurry of colors, the LED will help you set the controls to get the sound you want faster.
CV Input - This jack allows you to use a standard expression pedal (stereo plug) to control the filter position, or blend it with the envelope and LFO. It provides power to the expression pedal. This can also be used with 0-5 volt CV sources. For +-2.5 volt (moogerfooger and modular gear) CV, a special adapter is required to convert the voltage levels, available from WMD for $30.

In stock now. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Brisbane bands you should see and/or hear part 1

2010-09-28T09:02:00.003+10:00

Part 1 : No Anchor

Noisy, bassy, drummy, yelly, bassy, noisy, great live, nice guys = No Anchor.
Their site.

Diamond J Drive MK III

2010-09-27T09:13:00.007+10:00

The Mk3 evolution of the J-Drive integrates even more functionality and tonal variations into the combined drive and clean boost concept.

In the clean boost section, the Mk3 has an independently switchable clean boost consisting of a Vishay JFET and BJT clean boost.
Borrowing from the limited edition J-Drive TR, we've also added a cool transformer output stage to the overdrive section - it has a wonderful smoothing effect on the upper mids and highs, placing an inductive source impedance at the amps input as a guitar's pickup would (but at a lower output impedance so it works great into other pedals as well as amps).
Our 'Close Asymmetry' overdrive circuit utilizes a Schottky barrier diode for smooth asymmetrical clipping - which combined with the transformer output gives a liquid smooth sustain with punch. The 'Warmth' control offers a unique tonal control adding low end gain while simultaneously cutting top end- perfect for warming up a bright amp or guitar. We've also added a toggle switchable high frequency shelf filter to add extra 'bite' when needed.

- true bypass signal path for both the clean boost
and drive sections
- discrete clean boost circuit with JFET input/BJT
amplifier
- premium audio components, including 2% polypropylene capacitors, 1% metal film resistors and a Burr Brown OPA2134 opamp
- post-volume control overdrive transformer output stage
that smooths upper mids and highs
- 'Close Asymmetry' Schottky diode clipping circuit
- switchable highpass shelf filter for additional 'bite',
implemented without additional active components
- battery or standard negative tip 9V DC adapter operation

In stock now. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

New Tym T shirts

2010-09-25T10:45:00.026+10:00

Well, Tones done it again folks.
Here's the 2 new Tym T shirts. These are available in the shop from today.
The first is the Big Bottom T shirt. It has the Big Bottom logo on the front and for the first time on one of my T's, it doesn't have the typical oval logo on the back.
The Tym guitars Big Bottom V2 has been designed to give bass players more options for effects pedals and sounds over the original Tym guitars Big Bottom.
The idea behind this great pedal is to split the signal coming from your bass guitar and send the mid to high frequencies through an effects loop to any guitar effects pedals, while keeping your bass frequencies clean. This eliminates the loss of bottom end that bass players would normally experience when using guitar effects pedals. You get a clean BIG BOTTOM and an effected main signal.
Designed in conjunction with and used by the late Dean Turner of Australian band Magic Dirt and completely handmade on site at Tym guitars, this pedal is unique and a must have for bass players who use effects of any kind.

The second new T shirt is for my line of valve amps, the Supertone series. These are currently available in 40 and 100W with 20W out soon with more to follow. These are all hand made at the TMI workshop in Brisbane. The 40W is 2x6L6 or KT66 with 12AX7 preamp. The 100W is 4xEL34 output stage with 12AX7 preamp. The 20W is 2x6V6 with the same preamp stage as the ST40.

The T shirt has the Supertone logo on the front and the usual oval logo on the back.
Both these new T shirts and many others Tym T's are available now at $20 ea. Click HERE to see the others currently in stock.

Please contact Tym guitars for more info.

Black Cat Effects

2010-09-24T09:13:00.004+10:00

BOUTIQUE GUITAR EFFECTS
Made in the USA since 1993
After production was discontinued in late 2007, Black Cat is back…and better than ever. Using the same great designs by Fred Bonte, this next generation of Black Cat Pedals has received a super-boutique makeover:

* high-quality components and PCBs
* top-notch build quality with consistent production
* eye-catching graphics and deluxe packaging

Not everything has changed, however — Black Cat Pedals are still individually hand-wired and made in the USA. Black Cat users have included Eric Johnson, Billy F. Gibbons, Trey Anastasio (Phish), Scott Henderson, Steve Lukather, Michael Landau, and countless others.

Tym guitars will have stock of these great pedals very soon. I had heard of Black Cat but when Dinosaur Jr toured recently J was raving about the Black Cat Superfuzz. He likes the new one better than his old Black Cat Superfuzz for some reason and thinks it's the best of any re-issue he's tried.

In stock now. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Zvex Mastotron

2010-09-23T09:01:00.002+10:00

The Mastotron is a new, heavy silicon fuzz design that includes a couple of unusual features... source impedance control, subs control, and pulse width control. It works equally well with bass and guitar, and can easily be interfaced with digital devices like recorders as well as keyboards. Let’s go over the complete set of controls:
RELAX/PUSH: This knob introduces source impedance to the signal going into the Mastotron. When fully up, the signal goes in raw... when turned down, source impedance is added as needed to “soften” the input for active pickups.
FUZZ: This wide-range knob lets you set just how fuzzy your Mastotron™ gets.
PW: Pulse Width control. You can swing this from square wave on the left to narrow pulses on the right.
TONE: This shapes the treble without sacrificing the heavy subs.
VOL: Output volume.
SUBS Switch: “2-1-3” Lets you set how much sub content is in your fuzz. It’s pretty dramatic... 3 is huge, 2 is medium, and 1 is absolutely none left. Totally twinky. Try 1 with the tone turned down!

In stock now. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Amp and speaker cab impedance matching

2010-09-22T08:55:00.005+10:00

I get asked this question A LOT, so here's a relatively easy explanation of how to plug your amp into your speaker cab.

Electronic amplifiers pump electric currents into loudspeakers in a way similar to a water pump pushing water through a hose. The pump expends energy to creates pressure, and the water moves under the force of that pressure. In an amplifier, the pressure corresponds to voltage, and the water flow corresponds to current.
But you know that if you step on the hose that the water flow lessens. If you crank up the pump (or open the faucet) the water flow increases. Want even more water flow? You might need a bigger hose. There is a concept of flow capacity when we consider the hose, and that is related to impedance.
It's easy to see that a smaller hose restricts, or impedes, the water flow. In the same way, a cable, amplifier or speaker has an impedance, though it is not quite so cleanly analogous to the diameter of the hose. Here's where we depart into the void.
Impedance relates the ability of an electronic component or system to carry current. The lower the impedance, the less the current is impeded, and the more current can flow.

Impedance Matching
Impedance is very important when one is trying to move as much power as possible from an amplifier to a speaker. This is actually true of any mechanical or electrical source and load.
It turns out that the maximum power is transferred from source to load when the two impedances are equal. For example, an amplifier with an 8 ohm output impedance will put the most power into an 8 ohm speaker.
That's why it is important to load your amplifier with the proper impedance. Too low a speaker impedance will cause the amplifier's output current to increase, and the voltage to drop, resulting in less power output to the speaker, and more heat dissipated in the amplifier.
Too high a speaker impedance will lower the output current, also reducing power output.

Your amps output jacks should be labeled with their output impedance (or Ohms) and your speaker cab should also be labeled. Some amps are hard wired i.e. old Fenders while some have switches or plugs for changing the jacks to different output Ohms. If they are not you can measure your cab with a multimeter set to resistance. This will not measure exactly i.e. 4 Ohms but more likely 3.6 or 4.2 etc. The amp is a little more complex. You need to disconnect your output transformer to measure the loads on these, or look up a reputable site with details of your amp. DO NOT just assume and plug anything into anything.

Remember to ALWAYS use a proper SPEAKER CABLE for connecting the amp to cab. DO NOT use a guitar cable as I've seen many people do. A speaker cable is 2 core of exactly the same size and impedance. A guitar cable is a shielded single core so one wire is higher impedance than the other. Using a guitar cable can seriously damage your amps output transformer.

The Marshall Guv'nor

2010-09-21T09:27:00.004+10:00

The Guv'nor was a brilliant effort to create a full-featured overdrive pedal worthy of its Marshall heritage. Personally named by Jim Marshall himself, "The Guv'nor" is British slang for "The Leader," or a musician's expression in the UK meaning "The Ultimate." Solid state technology was used to "unleash a stunning variety of the best-sounding classic and contemporary distortion sounds known to man," according to an article introducing the Guv'nor in the Vol. 6, No. 1 issue of Marshall Law issued in 1989. Everything is housed in a tough, steel-reinforced case.

CONTROLS
1 GAIN - This controls the intensity of the drive and will provide a stunning range of overdrive selections. Lower settings will give a simple volume boost, while advanced settings will provide screaming solo sounds.
2 BASS - Controls the lower frequencies giving a range from thudding, heavy rhythm, to tight and punchy solo response.
3 MIDDLE - This control provides the key to an unbelievable range of distortion tones. When backed off, the sound is smooth and fat for more lyrical blues/rock playing styles. Increasing the contour changes the character of the mid response and enhances the treble and bass frequencies.
4 TREBLE - High end response control which tailors the attack and enhances the harmonic content. All three EQ controls are truly interactive, letting the player dial in anything from hard-driving, modern Marshall distortion, to the sweet, syrupy sustain of classic Vintage models.
5 LEVEL - Provides control of the overall level and amount of boost.
6 SWITCH - On/off switch to bypass or activate the pedal with indicator LED to show the status.
INPUT JACK - For connection of the cable from the guitar. Use a mono 1/4" cable (shielded).
LOOP JACK - The FX loop output allows linking to to other pedals using an optional "Y" cable, with the Guv'nor acting as the master switch for the whole effects chain. The "Y" cable needed is a TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) 1/4" type at one end, splitting into a pair of mono 1/4" cables at the other.
MAINS ADAPTOR - Input for a 9 volt DC mains adaptor.
OUTPUT JACK - For the connection of the cable from the pedal to the amplifier input socket. Use a mono 1/4" cable (shielded).

We have a vintage Gov'nor in stock NOW at Tym guitars.

Rothwell Switchblade

2010-09-20T09:05:00.005+10:00

The Switchblade is a heavy/modern rock distortion pedal featuring three stages of distortion with carefully designed filtering before, between and after each stage to sculpt the sound and control the way each stage adds to the distortion. The bottom end of the spectrum is full and weighty with enough definition for every note of a chord to play its part. The top end cuts through without ever becoming fizzy and the midrange is slightly scooped to give a great tone for rhythm playing.
However, there is a wide range of gain on offer and the lower gain end of the spectrum is great for less extreme music styles. The available output is also high so that even with the gain turned down low enough to be almost clean there is still enough volume available for the pedal to act as a booster. This means the Switchblade can be used to add distortion to your sound (anything from mild to fully saturated), boost your level, or a combination of the two.
This is all achieved in a compact pedal with very low background noise levels, low battery drain, and true bypass switching. The circuitry uses a unique blend of distortion devices and is assembled by hand using top quality components and chassis mounted knobs and sockets (as opposed to circuit board mounted) for the ultimate in long term reliability.
As with all Rothwell pedals the design is original (we don’t do clones or repros) and is derived by a painstaking process of careful calculation, computer aided simulation, trial and error and ultimately rigorous appraisal by professional guitarists.

In stock now. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Zvex Super Hardon VEXTER series

2010-09-19T12:56:00.010+10:00

The famous Super Hardon boost is now available in Vexter series.
The Vexter series differs from the Handpainted version in that it has a silkscreened enclosure and a shorter warranty period. This effectively lowers the price point, and makes both production easier for Z.Vex and allows the effect to become more accessible to musicians.
The Vexter Super Hardon contains the same circuit as the original pedals, with the inclusion of modern touches such as an indicator LED and DC power jack for powering the fuzz with an adapter.
See my previous post about the Super Hardon for more info. These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Tym strings

2010-09-17T08:38:00.011+10:00

We have added Phosphor bronze acoustic strings to our range of quality USA made strings. These are in 12-53 and 13-57 gauges and still at an AMAZING $10 a pack.

In our never ending effort to offer more to our customers we have great quality USA made strings under the Tym brand name starting at $10 a pack, less with quantity orders. These are imported and made into packs of common gauges but we can do custom gauges on request.
We currently do 9-42, 10-46, 10-54, 11-48, 11-52 and 13-56 in nickel electric guitar all for $10 a pack and 45-105, 50-110 in nickle and 45-105 in stainless for bass at $30 a pack.

In stock now. Please contact Tym guitars for more info or orders.

Yamaha SBG500

2010-09-16T08:22:00.007+10:00

While the SG 30/35/50/70/90 and eventually 175 from the early to mid 70's held sway, Yamaha designer Yojirou Takabayashi and his staff went to work improving the guitar's design. The results were the SG-2000, SG-1500, SG-1000, SG-700 and SG-500, introduced to the world in July of '76, at the height of the "copy era" (typically, the model number is engraved on the truss rod cover).
Yamaha was definitely pursuing its own vision, so it's no wonder the SG-2000 was greeted so enthusiastically.
The SG-2000 employed the basic look of the SG-175, combined with both subtle refinements and some bolder new ideas. Instead of carved solid mahogany, the SG-2000 had a carved, mildly figured three-piece maple top, with the grain of the center section set perpendicular to the sides. Instead of a set neck, it featured a three-piece mahogany/maple/mahogany laminated neck-through design conducive to greater sustain. The body wings consisted of a "sandwich" of laminated mahogany.
In order to further enhance sustain, the SG-2000 had a brass block under the bridge.
Replacing the flat back of the SG-175 was a contoured back with a scoop out of the top waist to increase playing comfort. The head of the SG-2000 featured the now-standard double-dipped shape, with five-ply binding, a block lettering logo, and a fancy three-piece floral inlay. The 22-fret ebony fingerboard was bound with mother-of-pearl split-wing inlays. The top also featured five-ply binding.
In '79 or so Gibson began to object to Yamaha's use of the SG prefix. Gibson had already gone through the copy challenge of Ibanez in mid '77, so their objections may have even begun before that. In any case, in 1980 Yamaha changed the name of the guitar to the SBG-2000. The name was not changed in Japan.

The SG-1000, which was the second-in-line model in Japan, had some significant differences. From a distance it looked almost the same as the SG-2000 (including gold hardware), but with a bound rosewood fingerboard, "clay" split-wing inlays, and "only" triple binding. The top was a single piece of maple, without the perpendicular centerpiece, and was unbound. Instead of being a neck-through, it was set-neck with solid mahogany. Also, it did not have the brass sustain plate under the bridge.
The SG-1000 was equipped with slightly different electronics; the pots were wired such that when the volume pot was rolled up to 10, the tone control was bypassed - the equivalent of the slider switches on '60s guitars. These came in cherry sunburst or brown sunburst.

The SG-700 and SG-500 were almost identical to the SG-1000, but without the special wiring circuitry. These had slightly less fancy headstock inlays, dot inlays and chrome hardware. The SG-700 had an unbound maple top made of several pieces of maple and came in cherry sunburst and brown.
The 700 had traditional black plastic pickup covers with only one row of poles exposed. The SG-500 came only in opaque colors, black and cherry. Pickups on the 500 were exposed black or cream humbuckers. The SG-700 appears to have bit the dust with the SBG change in '78 or '79. The SG-500 likewise disappeared at this time, though it returned in '81 or '82 as the SBG-500.

We have a beautiful, all original example of a Yamaha SBG500 with original hardcase here at the moment. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and price.

Tym Supertone 100

2010-09-15T09:01:00.004+10:00

After the development of the Lemon, which was an almost exact clone of a late 60's/early 70's 0R@NG# I was fascinated by this circuit and what it could do without the modern restrictions like "can I get these made in China as cheap as possible" or "I can save a dollar by getting crappier transformers"
The Supertone 100 is very similar to the Lemon in most respects. It is essentially based on the same amp using many of the same components. I did however get my original vintage Parmeko transformers from my old M@T@MPs reverse engineered by AVAT (Australian Valve Audio Transformers) in Melbourne at great expense as these were my favorite sounding transformers from any of my vintage amps of these two brands. The transformers were unwound, measured, tested and re-assembled and clones made using better quality steel and wire. The results are amazing to say the least.

The other section that has undergone some mods is the tone stack. Although I LOVE these original amps in every form I own them in, the tone sweep can be a little ......... non responsive on some. After going through the tone stack and fine tuning the bass and treble sweeps I am happier with these than some of the original amps. It is difficult because these amps are SO sensitive to what's put into them i.e. humbuckers, single coils etc and the FAC (Frequency Analyzing Control) completely changes how the amp reacts in each position.

I wanted this one to look "a little less" like what the circuit is based on and more Tym and it will be available in the standard Supertone 20/40 style shell with grill cloth as well for people who would prefer that more "vintage" look ? My friend Tone did another great job in doing up the face plate artwork. The "production" ones will be engraved trafolyte (a 2 or 3 layer Laminex type material) done on CNC and can be done in picture frame or standard head shells.
Inside the heart of this amp is, as with all Tym amps, THE BEST quality components money can buy. From the completely hand made premium steel transformers to 1% metal film resistors, RS and Wimar caps, Alpha pots, Belton sockets and Cliff jacks. This one has JJ EL34's but I tried Mullard, Winged C and Svetlana among others and found them all to be great with slightly different break up when pushed hard. My vintage amps behave the same way when pushed with these brands.

I have added cooling vents in the steel laser cut chassis around all the power valves and the back and production models will have a top vent in the shell. These things get HOT when pushed. The Tym ST100 has 4, 8 and 16 Ohm speaker outputs and runs just over 100 Watts before clipping.

These will be available for order soon as there is a waiting period to get the transformers hand made and we are currently engineering new transformers for the ST20.

Redwitch FUZZGOD II

2010-09-14T09:03:00.003+10:00

Fuzz God II - the insane silicon brother of Germanium Fuzz God.
It's wilder, it's crazier, it's the loose cannon sonic brother that you wouldn't introduce to your girlfriend, cause you know he'd try his luck with her.
Fuzz God II allows you to create fuzzyness of epic proportions (think red seas parting, burning bushes, pillars of salt etc).
From your classic fuzz tones of the sustaining, soulful, singing kind through to those of utter chaos - encompassing suboctave madness, parasitic sustain and out of control fax machine dial lunacy.

Red Witch Fuzz God II Features:

* 9v dc
* Volume controls output signal
* Fuzz controls amount of fuzz
* Wrath - depress lightning bolt to engage wrath for utter fuzz sickness
* Sputter – smooth to ragged ripped speaker
* Treble boost control
* Oscillation

In stock now. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Zvex Box of Rock

2010-09-10T08:58:00.003+10:00

Seppuku fx Mind Warp

2010-09-09T09:06:00.003+10:00

Seppuku effects are locally made in Australia. The Mind Warp is an extremely variable vibrato/chorus effect. But unlike most other chorus effects the Mind Warp has a very natural and warm sound. With the LFO Speed turned back you can achieve very slow dreamy modulation all the way to over the top weirdness when turned up. The depth knob allows you to control
how far the pitch shifts. it can be set to be very faint, or as weird and out of tune as you'll ever need, far beyond the range of conventional vibrato effects. The warp knob allows you mix your clean signal with the modulated signal to create chorus effects. The LED allows you to visualize when the effect is on and pulses to the LFO speed.
In stock now. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Road Rage pedals

2010-09-08T09:08:00.003+10:00

Road Rage are located in Canada and hand make effects loopers of the best quality we have come across at GREAT prices.

If you love vintage gear you'll know the biggest problem with vintage effects, as well as most new effects, is that they are not true bypass. What does this mean? Well it means a lot, if your pedals are not true bypass your guitar signal is still being directed through part of the circuit in each pedal you have plugged in, each circuit is taking away some of your original signal, in other words...
you are losing the tone and volume of your favorite guitar and amp when the effects are off and remain in your signal chain. The best solution to eliminate this problem is to use Road Rage True Bypass Effect Loopers. A Road Rage TBEL will keep the pedals out of your chain until you need them. The difference in your sound is incredible!

They have experimented by building several types of true bypass loopers, trying different wire, jacks, enclosures, etc.. When they got the wiring and components to the point where it sounded the most transparent, they thought it would be shame just to use the same old style of enclosures so they set out to design their own. After an extremely long time and an unwavering dedication to our vision, they came up with what I personally consider the best built and the coolest looking Loopers, A/B's, DIY Boxes and Kits. All RRPG pedals are hand-built one at a time by myself with great pride and care.

Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Ronsound Stone Machine

2010-09-08T09:04:00.004+10:00

The FLAGSHIP of the RonSound line. Do you want a GREAT octave-up sound? The Stone Machine is a hot-rodded reissue of the Foxx Tone Machine with the added feature of footswitchable "Octive". Also has controls for Volume, Sustain, and Tone. The hot-rodding allows even better "Octive" sound than the original!!
These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Electro Harmonix

2010-09-07T09:01:00.003+10:00

Electro-Harmonix is a New York-based company that makes high-end electronic audio processors. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. They are most famous for a series of popular guitar effects pedals introduced in the 1960's and 70's including the GREAT Big Muff distortion sustainer.

Electro-Harmonix was founded by Mike Matthews in October 1968 in NYC, USA. Himself an R&B keyboard player, he had traded his passion of music for a job as a salesman for IBM in 1967. Shortly afterwards he realized that his job at IBM no longer suited him, and he was interested in trying once again to make career for himself as a keyboard player. Partnering with an acquaintance of his, Bill Berko, an audio repairman who claimed to have his own custom circuit for a fuzz pedal, they jobbed construction of their new pedal to a contracting house, and began distributing the pedals under a deal with the Guild Guitar Company. Fuzzboxes were in demand following a trail of hits involving their sound, including "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones two years prior, and recent popularization of Jimi Hendrix. The latter connection resulted in the pedals being branded the 'Foxey Lady'.

Following the unexplained departure of his partner, Matthews was introduced to inventor and electric engineer Robert Myer through IBM colleagues. Together the two began conceptualizing a circuit designed to emulate Jimi Hendrix's use of a distortion-free sustain. While testing a prototype of the Distortion-Free Sustainer pedal, which Matthews did by simply plucking the strings of an electric guitar, as he did not play guitar, he noticed another small box connected to the prototype. When asked, Myer explained this box was a line booster, designed to boost the guitar's passive signal to an appropriate level for the prototype. Matthews listened as the guitar's volume increased greatly as the booster was turned on, and asked Myer what was involved in manufacturing the pedal. The pedal consisted of a simple circuit and used just one transistor(This would later become know as the Linear Power Booster (LPB-1), a pedal still manufactured today.Shortly afterwards, Matthews founded Electro-Harmonix to produce this and other pedal designs throughout 1960s, 70s and early 80s.

The first Electro-Harmonix product was the Axis fuzz pedal, which was also sold under the name "Foxey Lady" for the Guild guitar company. While working with Bob Myer on the early Big Muff design, Mike Matthews used a booster circuit Myer had incorporated into the design and marketed it as the LPB-1 or Linear Power Booster in 1969. This massively boosted a guitar signal to provide gain by clipping the signal, dramatically changing the sound. The new device provided a raw distorted sound, full of sustain and harmonics. Several similar devices followed such as the Treble Booster and Bass Booster. The new devices were extremely popular with guitarists.

Electro-Harmonix stopped making pedals in the mid-1980s, and in the early 1990s started selling vacuum tubes re-branded with their name for guitar amplifiers, which they had also been making since the 1970s. However due to demand, and the high prices guitarists were paying for old 1970s pedals on the vintage market, they reissued the more popular old pedals in the mid-1990s, the Big Muff Pi and Small Clone included. In 2002 they started designing new pedals to add to their range. Company policy is that all reissued effects remain as close as possible to the original, vintage designs. This means however that casings, knobs and especially the old-fashioned mini-jack power plug are not up to modern-day standards. This all changed in 2006 with their smaller and more standardized "micro" and "nano" effect lines.

Silvertone amp in case guitar

2010-09-06T09:05:00.002+10:00

THE AMP: One of the most eye catching features of the student set is that the amplifier is built into the top-half of the hard-shell guitar case. The first one, the 1448 series, was a simple 3 watt amplifier with 2 tubes plus 1 tube rectifier, 5-in speaker, and one gain control. In 1963, the 1449 series (later renamed 1457) was released, featuring a 5 watt 3-tube (with 1 tube rectifier) amplifier, with 8 inch speakers, control for volume (gain), tone, tremolo (speed and strength), 2 inputs, and one foot-switch. The front end of the case has its top half covered in cloth for the speaker. In 1966, the amp-in-case comes with both the non-tremolo version 1451 (modified from 1448) and tremolo version 1452 (modified from 1449). Electronically they are identical, but the speakers are moved to the opposite lid.
The case is 39x15x3 inches.
When the guitar is stored inside the case, with the speaker cloth facing upward, the guitar neck would sit on the left side of the amplifier.

THE GUITAR: When first introduced in 1962, the 3/4-sized guitar had a double cutaway semi-hollow body in a shape similar to the well known Fender Stratocaster. The body was composed of a poplar center block and frame with Masonite top and back. It came with a single lipstick pickup at the "middle" position, controlled by a volume and tone knob. The poplar neck was fitted with a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, and only had 18 frets. The neck connected to the body with three bolts.
By Fall of 1963, there was a two pickup model available. The new model 1449 was the same as its predecessor, but equipped with 2 lipstick pickups and a 21 fret neck. Eventually the semi-hollow guitar models were replaced with solid-body design similar to Danelectro's Dane line.

We have an amazing, all original example available for sale. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Zvex Distortron

2010-09-03T09:04:00.003+10:00

The Distortron is the gifted little sister to the Z.Vex “Box of Rock”. It is highly specialized to simulate the “everything on 10” sound of a classic Marshall JTM45 non-master-volume amplifier. You may use the Distortron™ effectively with many different amplifiers, but to get the sound I heard when I designed it, try it through an old-school non-master volume Marshall at least once. You may use your guitar’s volume control to adjust for the exact amount of distortion you need, all the way down to very clean and clear with most drive settings when the gain switch is set to “Lo.” Let’s go over the controls:
DRIVE: Sets the amount of distortion. Start around 1:00 o’clock.
TONE: Adjust for treble content. Start around 2:00 o’clock.
VOL: Adjust for output volume level. Start around 9:00 o’clock.
GAIN Switch: “Lo/Hi” lets you choose standard “Box of Rock” gain level or a slightly boosted level.
SUBS Switch: “2-1-3” lets you choose the full “Box of Rock” sub amount (3) or two different lower levels of subs depending on your amp’s needs.
DRIVE: The Drive is based on my original Super Hard-On gain control, so it may crackle when turned. This is perfectly normal. That’s why it says “Crackle Okay” by that knob.

In stock now. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Seppuku fx Digital Pitch Modulator

2010-09-02T09:14:00.003+10:00

The Digital Pitch Modulator uses an 8-bit digital chip to create octave up, octave down, fifth note, ring mod, arpeggio and bit crusher sounds and blends them with analog fuzz to make truly crazy and unique effects, for guitars, synths, or anything you can plug into it.

CONTROLS:
• Oscillator frequency: Controls the pitch of the ring mod sound. Turning it back lowers the fidelity. When all switches point up it controls speed of arpeggio/pitch jump sound.
• Digital/Analog Blend: Blends between modulated sounds and analog fuzz.
• Toggle switches: Control the pitch. Different combination's make different pitches, and when all point up it arpeggiates.
• Master Volume.

In stock now. Please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Ibanez AD9

2010-09-02T09:12:00.004+10:00

Ibanez AD9 Analog Delay Pedal
The Ibanez AD9 Analog Delay Effect Pedal uses a compander with pre- and de-emphasis for an exceptionally clean delay. Time and level controls allow mixing between dry and delayed signals. Repeat control lets you adjust the number of repeats without runaway. 2 outputs enable dry and delayed signals to be routed separately.

Ibanez AD9 Analog Delay Pedal Features:

* Exceptionally clean delay
* Time and level controls
* Repeat control
* 2 outputs for separate routing of dry and delayed signals

The AD9 features 10-300ms of analog delay

We have second hand units available at Tym guitars.

Octave Multiplexer. Analog Sub-Octave Generator

2010-09-01T09:09:00.003+10:00

Get down! Generates deep, phat bass tones one octave below the notes you play. Two separate smoothing filters enable you to tailor your sub-octave signal to the exact bass sound you desire, separating the Octave Multiplexer from other octave devices. Run your vocals through it and sound just like Ike Turner. This is a monophonic device and works only on single notes.
The Electro-Harmonix OCTAVE MULTIPLEXER is the result of many years of engineering research. To get the best results from it please put aside an hour or two for practice in a quiet room…just you, your guitar and amp, and the OCTAVE MULTIPLEXER.

The OCTAVE MULTIPLEXER produces a sub-octave note one octave below the note you play. With two filter controls and a SUB switch, the OCTAVE MULTIPLEXER allows you to shape the tone of the sub-octave from deep bass to fuzzy sub-octaves.
-CONTROLS-
HIGH FILTER Knob - Adjusts a filter that will shape the tone of the sub-octave’s higher order harmonics. Turning the HIGH FILTER knob clockwise will make the sub-octave sound more gnarly and fuzzy.
BASS FILTER Knob - Adjusts a filter that will shape the tone of the sub-octave’s fundamental and lower order harmonics. Turning the BASS FILTER knob counter-clockwise will make the sub-octave sound deeper and bassier. PLEASE NOTE: the BASS FILTER knob is only active when the SUB switch is set to ON.
SUB Switch - Switches the Bass Filter in and out. When SUB is set to ON the Bass Filter and its corresponding knob are activated. When the SUB switch is set to OFF, only the High Filter is active. Turning the SUB switch on gives the sub-octave a deeper, bassier sound.
BLEND Knob - This is a wet/dry knob. Counter-clockwise is 100% dry. Clockwise is 100% wet.
STATUS LED - When the LED is lit; the Octave Multiplexer effect is active. When the LED is off, the Octave Multiplexer is in True Bypass Mode. The footswitch engages/disengages the effect.
INPUT Jack - Connect your instrument to the input jack. The input impedance presented at the input jack is 1Mohm.
EFFECT OUT Jack - Connect this jack to your amplifier. This is the Octave Multiplexer’s output.
DRY OUT Jack - This jack is connected directly to the Input Jack. The DRY OUT jack gives the musician the ability to separately amplify the original instrument and the sub-octave created by the Octave Multiplexer.
9V Power Jack - The Octave Multiplexer can run off of a 9V battery or you can connect a 9VDC battery eliminator capable of delivering at least 100mA to the 9V power jack. The optional 9V power supply from Electro-Harmonix is US9.6DC-200BI (same as used by Boss(tm) & Ibanez(tm)) 9.6 Volts DC 200mA. The battery eliminator must have a barrel connector with center negative. The battery may be left in or taken out when using an eliminator.

ToadWorks MEAT and MEAT Jr

2010-09-01T09:06:00.005+10:00

ToadWorks MEAT Jr is a compact fat boost, designed for maximum versatility at the lowest cost. Like it's big brother MEAT, MEAT Jr has been tested with a wide range of guitars and amplifiers; low output or high, solid state or tube, MEAT Jr provides all the beefy goodness your rig needs.
The fat is phat, and the clean is pristine. In Clean mode, MEAT Jr is the perfect linear boost, putting out exactly what was put in, without the slightest change to your tone. ToadWorks MEAT Jr is a quick and easy approach to fat and clean tones. With MEAT Jr, you get all the Fat, with none of the weight.
ToadWorks MEAT Jr is a Fat Boost effect designed to provide a fat, warm boost, or a crisp, clean boost. Like it's big brother MEAT, MEAT Jr is perfect for simple solo boost, fattening up your tone while maintaining unity gain, or overdriving your amp input so hard it bleeds. MEAT Jr is the perfect linear boost, featuring ultra-low noise and the perfect amount of switchable low end.
The stomp switch turns the effect on and off, the Tone switch enables the fat boost, and the Level knob controls the overall boost level.
MEAT Jr features a true-bypass circuit, so you can cut out the fat without sacrificing tone. Each pedal is carefully manufactured by hand, using only the finest components.

ToadWorks MEAT is a dual boost effect, designed for maximum versatility with minimum tweakage. MEAT has been tested with a wide range of guitars and amplifiers; low output or high, solid state or tube, MEAT provides all the beefy goodness your rig needs.
Every combination of guitar and amp will have a slightly different eq, output, etc., and the sound will always vary to some degree, so expect the unexpected. ToadWorks MEAT is a unique combination of Fat and Clean boosts, and you're the chef - keep the fat, or trim it off.

These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Wampler Pinnacle II

2010-08-31T09:07:00.003+10:00

Sometimes you need extreme gain, sometimes you need mild overdrive...this pedal does that with an awesome "brown sound"! It has an extremely tweakable eq - from scooped mids to tons of warm mids, all with the turn of 2 knobs.

This pedal has 4 knobs -- two separate tone controls that act as a sort of parametric EQ, gain and volume. It also has a 'bright' switch that adds a ton of variety and is very handy when playing a dark sounding amp, as well as another toggle switch that will give you high gain Brown Sound tones. It is completely true bypass, of course, and includes a 9v "boss style" power jack and battery connection.

Specs
*Boost switch alters gain structure to take it from overdrive to distortion.
*High gain, crunchy and dynamic pedal
*Extremely tweakable EQ
*Can do scooped mids to 'honky' mids to lofi.
*High boost switch for using with amps that are not very bright and sparkly clean.
*High grade film capacitors and resistors picked for their superior sound
*Completely true bypass
*Ultra-bright LEDs for ease of use
*Battery connection and 9v power jack (barrel plug like Boss)
*2.5" x 4.5"
*Powder coated durable finish
*Designed to get the best EVH "brown sound" possible within a pedal design
* Red Sparkle, white Knobs
* Jfet (mu-amp) type circuitry - solid state version of a tube amp
* 5 Year Warranty

Stereo Pulsar . Variable Shape Analog Tremolo

2010-08-30T10:41:00.003+10:00

The Stereo Pulsar generates vintage tremolo and panning that will fill any venue with rhythmic stereo energy. Its Wave Form switch allows you to change the modulation from triangle to square form. The Wave Shape control allows you to control transitions from negative to positive saw tooth or adjust pulse width. This all means you can create any type of stereo tremolo from pure vintage to ones never heard before.

- CONTROLS -

SHAPE Switch - Selects between Triangle Wave and Square Wave Modes.
SHAPE Knob - Changes the shape of the waveform that modulates the Tremolo.
Triangle Wave Mode - In this mode the LFO creates a Triangle Wave oscillation, resulting in a smooth modulation. As the SHAPE knob is turned from the Counter-Clockwise (minimum) position to the Center (middle) position, the waveform starts as a rising Sawtooth changing into a Triangle. From the Center position to the Clockwise (maximum) position, the wave changes from a Triangle to a falling Sawtooth.
Square Wave Mode - In this mode, the LFO creates a Square Wave, resulting in a sharp, on/off modulation. As the SHAPE knob is turned from the Counter-Clockwise (minimum) position to the Center (middle) position, the wave starts as a Small Pulse Width Wave changing into a Square Wave. From the Center position to the Clockwise (maximum) position, the wave changes from a Square Wave to a Large Pulse Width Wave.
DEPTH Knob - Adjusts the amount of Tremolo that will be applied to your signal. As the DEPTH knob is turned from the Counter-Clockwise (minimum) position to the Clockwise (maximum) position, the amount of the effect will increase. Maximum tremolo occurs when the DEPTH knob is set to approximately 2 o’clock. As the DEPTH knob is turned above 2 o’clock, the tremolo begins to warp by modulating between positive and negative phase with a rhythmic pattern. To obtain maximum pan when using the Stereo Pulsar in stereo, the optimum setting for the DEPTH knob is at approximately 2 o’clock.
RATE Knob - Adjusts the speed of the tremolo or pan effect. As the RATE knob is turned from the Counter-Clockwise (minimum) position to the Clockwise (maximum) position, the modulation rate increases.
RATE/STATUS LED - If the effect is engaged, the LED will blink at the same rate that the effect modulates. In bypass mode, the LED is off. The footswitch engages/disengages the effect.
INPUT Jack - Connect your instrument’s output to this 1/4” mono jack. The input impedance presented at this jack is 1 Mohm. Plugging a cable into the INPUT jack, when running the Stereo Pulsar off of a 9V battery, turns the Stereo Pulsar on and drains the battery.
MAIN OUT Jack - Connect this 1/4” mono jack to your amplifier’s input. The output impedance presented at this jack is 1 kohm. When using the Stereo Pulsar as a mono device we recommend you use the MAIN OUT jack so that the parameter labels of the SHAPE knob correspond to what your hear.
STEREO OUT Jack - Connect this 1/4” mono jack to your second amplifier’s input. The output impedance presented at this jack is 1 kohm. When using the Stereo Pulsar as a stereo device use the STEREO OUT jack for your second channel. You can connect only the STEREO OUT jack if you want; the tremolo effect will be the same as from the MAIN OUT jack but the SHAPE knob labels will be reversed. For example, when the SHAPE knob is set to its clockwise position, the tremolo will have a falling sawtooth modulating it.
9V Power Jack - The Stereo Pulsar can run off of a 9V battery or you can connect a 9VDC battery eliminator capable of delivering at least 100mA to the 9V power jack. The optional 9V power supply from Electro-Harmonix is US9.6DC-200BI (same as used by Boss(tm) & Ibanez(tm)) 9.6 volts/DC 200mA. The battery eliminator must have a barrel connector with center negative. The battery may be left in or taken out when using an eliminator.
- POWER -
Power from the internal 9-volt battery is activated by plugging into the INPUT jack. The input cable should be removed when the unit is not in use to avoid running down the battery. If a battery eliminator is used, the Stereo Pulsar will be powered as long as a wall-wart is plugged into the wall.
To change the 9-volt battery, you must remove the 4 screws on the bottom of the Stereo Pulsar. Once the screws are removed, you can take off the bottom plate and change the battery. Please do not touch the circuit board while the bottom plate is off or you risk damaging a component.

VFX-D2

2010-08-27T09:01:00.003+10:00

The VFX-D2 is an OpAmp based Circuit combined with clipping LED's for a smooth, but crunchy sounding distortion. Capable of getting a nearly clean boost to full distortion. Toggle switch provides a Big Muff style "Compressed Tone" setting that can really color your sound when the Distortion & Volume are pushed hard. Near 'metal' distortion can be achieved with the Compressed Tone setting on.

- Sturdy Hammond 1590BB enclosure
- Machined Aluminum Knobs
- LED Indication
- 9v negative-center AC Adapter Jack
- True Bypass
- All hand built in the USA

These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

The FAB foam guitar speaker cab

2010-08-26T14:00:00.025+10:00

Following on from the FAMP comes the next logical step in the evolution of foam. That's right, the speaker cab. This is a 2 x 12, 120W guitar speaker cab that weighs 9.5 KG's. Yeah, you heard right.
After the prototype success of the FAMP, we have started making guitar (and probably bass) speaker cabs out of foam in the same method as the original FAMP. These are glued foam cabinets with thin ply speaker baffles and internal bracing. It measures 760x290x430 and weighs just 9.5 KG's using 2 60W Celestion Neo speakers.

No more lugging big heavy speaker cabs to practice and gigs. This weighs less than 2 Gibson LP's and you can put ANY amp up to around 100W on top of it.
It has seriously great tone up against our timber cabs and other manufacturers cabs. We were actually a little shocked ourselves at the tone this little cab puts out and it's SO small and LIGHT.
This cab can be run in closed or open back as the back baffle is hinged at the bottom with locking latches to close it up. You get a slightly different tone from closed to open back. We can also fit the FAMP 50W guitar amp into this cab, making a 2x12 50W guitar combo that would weigh less than 15 KG's.

After more development and testing we will be releasing a 4x10 version also with Neo speakers also. The cab above is pictured with one of my vintage 80W Matamps on top to give an idea of size. These heads are the same as most vintage and modern Orange heads. These are HEAVY heads and as you can see there's no bowing in the cab top. You can stand on these cabs.

These cabs, just like the FAMP are completely self contained and once we have our stainless steel speaker grill sorted for the production models, you don't need road cases to tour with them.

If you're interested in testing one of these cabs contact Tym guitars

12AX7 Valve

2010-08-26T09:07:00.005+10:00

The 12AX7 (or ECC83) is the backbone of most modern guitar and bass valve amp preamp stages. We currently have stock of Tesla/JJ, GT, EH, Tung Sol, Mullard, EI, Sino and Svetlana 12AX7's IN STOCK. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.
The 12AX7 is a miniature dual triode vacuum tube with high voltage gain. It was developed around 1946 by RCA engineers[1] in Harrison, New Jersey, under developmental number A-4522. It was released for public sale under the 12AX7 identifier on September 15, 1947. The 12AX7 was originally intended as replacement for the 6SL7 family of dual-triode amplifier tubes for audio applications. The tube is praised for its distinctive valve sound, and its ongoing wide use in guitar amplifiers has caused it to be one of the very few small-signal vacuum tubes to continue in production since it was introduced.

The 12AX7 is basically two 6AV6 triodes in one package. The 6AV6 was a repackaging of the triode from the octal 6SQ7, which was very similar to the older type 75 triode-diode, dating from 1930.
Currently, the 12AX7 is made in various versions by two factories in Russia (Winged C, formerly Svetlana, and New Sensor, which makes current production tubes under the Sovtek, Electro-Harmonix, Svetlana, Tung-Sol, and other brands for which the firm has acquired trademark rights), one in China (Shuguang), one in Slovakia (JJ), and one in Serbia (EI Niš), for a total annual production figure of 2 million units (estimated). The vast majority are used in new-production guitar amplifiers or for replacement purposes in guitar or audio equipment.

The 12AX7 is a high-gain (typical gain factor 100), low plate current triode, and is therefore best suited for low-level audio amplification. In this role it is widely used for the preamplifier (input and mid-level) stages of audio amplifiers. With its high Miller capacitance, it is not suitable for radio-frequency use.
Typically a 12AX7 triode is configured with a high-value plate resistor, 100k ohms in most guitar amps and 220k ohms or more in high-fidelity equipment. Grid bias is most often provided by a cathode resistor. If the cathode resistor is unbypassed, negative feedback is introduced and each half of a 12AX7 provides a typical voltage gain of about 60. The cathode resistor can be bypassed to reduce or eliminate AC negative feedback and thereby increase gain.
The initial "12" in the designator implies a 12-volt heater requirement; however, the tube has a center tapped filament so it can be used in either 6.3V or 12.6V heater circuits.

Toadworks Roundabout

2010-08-25T08:57:00.003+10:00

The Roundabout is an unbuffered signal looper, offering the maximum in flexability and affordability. Roundabout is a True-Bypass mechanical switching device designed for both effect and amp switching. Use it as a True-Bypass box, as an effect loop switcher, or as an amp/guitar switcher (without the annoying "pop"!) There is no active circuitry in this device, the battery only powers the LEDs.

ToadWorks Roundabout signal looper have been designed to offer the maximum versatility, without altering your tone. Roundabout has been tested with dozens of new & vintage effects and amplifiers. Send your signal wherever you like with confidence.

These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Ronsound Hairpie

2010-08-24T08:47:00.004+10:00

The Ronsound Hairpie is the Big Muff clone made by Ron Neely II, the EH Man, All-Knowing Guru of Electro-Harmonix RonSound is a 1 man operation and has been building pedals since 1995.
Hairpie Classic - The classic, smooth early 70's Big Muff sound. Copied from an original triangle-knob Big Muff.
Hairpie '75 - Corresponds to the mid 70's version (Series 2 or "Ramhead") Big Muff. Just a bit more distortion.
Hairpie '81 - Based on the circuitry of the 1981, 3rd series Big Muff. Even more distortion!
These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.