Retro Sonic Stereo Chorus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Part 6 : Violent Soho

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

FUZZ DVD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 ........

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

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

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.