@@JacksonV4life16 the British pedal company has nothing to do with macaris. This is a reproduction made by macaris. British pedal company is a separate company. They are owned parent company Music Ground, Google them. They use misleading marketing to sell their pedals.
DavidSJ they don’t need to! Here in the UK we always feel compelled to buy because the nice man let us play guitar ! Us English do have some strange customs!
Sadly this is 100% not true, I work near Denmark Street and I’m there all the time. With the ever increasing rents the shops are really struggling and most of them are in fact pretty aggressive with the hard sell. I’ve left a few times because of this.
Yeah dude I know some the guys down there and when I bought my Firebird I walked and one the guys behind the counter knowing I've been looking for one just said 'Dave I've got one you're gonna love it' he just let the left me to it and let the guitar speak for itself.
I am from Norway, and one day I visited a music store in a town near where I live. I got so pissed off when I tried a guitar and there was one woman who wanted one hand on the guitar while I played it.
Hahahaha, cool to see you comment on another channel ,Mr.Davids! I'm a long time sub to your channel,you are a great teacher,one of my favorites, lov your vids man!✌
Crazy to think I was Sixty Sixty Sounds at the same time as you, Rhett! Meeting you was such an inspiration, and I really appreciated your time and generosity! Keep rocking dude!
That was actually a top secret sales chemical called buyitchadumkunt. The nostalgic aroma of oldness induces a drunken level off foolishness in the victim.
I've NEVER for a moment,regretted ANY of the gear I have purchased that was high quality. It all has delivered me endless hours of playing enjoyment & it holds up to this day. Life's too short to play firewood & pedals you can't dial in the sound you're looking for. Same with amplifiers.
And high end stuff often works out cheaper than buying midrange or lower quality gear, because you realise that you wanted the better stuff anyway, and you've bought 2,3 or 4 guitars rather than the one really good one. I've seen many people's guitar collections, and they have say 30 very affordable guitars and one or two great ones that they "swoon" over, when they could have 3 or 4 really really good guitars for the same overall cost or worth.
Hey man, money comes and goes. The feeling you have, hearing that sound, having that experience. You can't put a price on that. Enjoy it. You've earned it.
Word. Every time I plug in to my 64 JMI AC30 I smile. Even in winter when its cold and raining outside. To pay for that I had to sell 3 of my oldest guitars and a set of original 61 Patent no's. Worth every penny. I've wasted more on women and never had as much satisfaction ..
Cost it out over the many years you'll use that pedal. It's nothing in the long run. In 1981 I spent $1200 on a guitar. Friends thought I was nuts. Well, I still have it today. To date that's around 8 cents a day. Well worth the price.
You forgot to subtract the amount that you were paid for each music gig, because without equipment, you can't get paid for playing music and don't forget about those tax deductions for business expenses. I've never been a Pro , but I see no reason for a working, Pro musician to feel guilty for buying new gear. When a carpenter, mechanic or a machinist buys a bunch of new, top of the line tools and equipment, nobody says a word, but for some reason, when musicians buy new equipment, everyone acts like they just bought a bunch of new toys. It's not a hobby, it's a career, even if you only do paying gigs part time.
As a professional, you need the right equipment. After a couple of months you would have forgotten any money you saved, and only wished you had the good one. But of course you realized that. I knew you were going to make the right choice!
@@ththomas227 I mean something a bit more in depth with more of a pro-audio setup that I know Rhett would do. I loved this video, but I'd really like to hear this pedal in the better audio context and not camera audio.
£329.00 The BPC MKI Tone Bender is a detailed replica of the original 1965 Metal Case Tone Bender pedal created by Gary Hurst in London, England. The BPC MKI features the same transistor specification as the original so includes 1x OC75 + 2x 2G381 this configuaration has a unique tone which cannot be replicated by the often offered 3xOC75 version. It was this version which found its way into the hands of artists such as Jeff Beck, Pete Townsend and Mick Ronson and can be heard on many classic tracks such as ‘Hang onto yourself’ and ‘Moonage Daydream’. this one?
I worked in Andy’s Guitar Store in Denmark St in 1981. I’m not sure what it’s called now but I saw it recently as a location for the TV series C B Strike based on the JK Rowling book. It was a great place to work. I met Rory Gallagher, David Gilmore, Marianne Failthfull, Elvis Costello, Alex Harvey and many more. Many wonderful memories.
@@philwildcroft1764 I did go back in 1991 (I'm Australian) and see Andy at the shop - it was a much expanded business by then. Downstairs used to be the repair shop and upstairs the office and storeroom but now it was all retail space with a bench in the upstairs showroom where Andy could do set-ups and minor repairs. I guess if Andy is is still around he'd have to be close to 80.
It's a real shame what's happened to Denmark street. Half the guitar shops have turned into coffee places now. The remaining ones will probably eventually all disappear. So any brit has to go while they still can, some of the shops have these insanely rare vintage guitars you'd never see on ebay or Reverb or something like that. It's like a pilgrimage to go there, if you're a rock fan.
The blue fuzz was off the hook. I instantly fell in love. Mark 4 was very Smashing Pumpkin and out of control. Sounded good but the blue one ... holy shit. I would buy the blue one.
So funny, when you walked out of the store after buying the pedal.....you looked around like you just bought an ounce of weed....you looked guilty as hell! LOL
The “he must have a wife” comment hahahahhahha thats the truth.... every time i buy something for my guitar its always this guilty experience which i have to explain to her lol
Hi Rhett, I'm im the UK and as a beginner in the 1970's I bought one of those coloursound tone benders second hand in 1973 as my first pedal. It cost me £15 maybe slightly less (many weeks of pocket money as I was a schoolboy at the time). Man I wish I still had it!!! The only thing I have still from those days now is a very rare Dan Armstrong London in mahogany (look it up) which in 1975 cost me £90 and my 1978 Strat bought just across from Denmark Street in the Fender Soundhouse in Soho Square. My first purchase after finishing school and starting work. These were played through a Kelly 60 watt head through two beat up ex Chicken Shack 1 x 12's. Still chasing tone to this day. Cheers, Peter
@@Skiddins As far as I remember it gradually became unreliable for gigging. At the time they weren’t considered valuable. I gave it away to a young lad who was starting out. I replaced it with a Big Muff around 1977/78 feeding into an HH 100 watt 2x12 combo and added a Small Stone around then too. I gigged that rig for years. The only thing I still have from back then is a 1978 American Strat which I bought new.
@@minibuns5397. It’s obvious you’ve never made anything electronic yourself or you would know that older components most certainly DO have a very distinctive odour. I used to take old radios and TV’s apart in the 70’s and reuse the components in my own pedals etc, and the smell of those things stays with you for life!
Normally it's a little difficult to hear some of the subtle differences on UA-cam that they are hearing first hand. But the difference with they Fuzz Pedals was unbelievable. That Mk1 just blew everything else out of the water.
"There is NO Plan B".....words to live by. So much enjoyment can be had with no regrets. I always regret for years when I try to cheap out. You only live once. ENJOY IT! LIVE IT!
It may have been more money than you wanted to spend but there is a history and a story to go with it that you could only find right there in London. A good buy imo. In a situation like that, I always found that once I heard the more expensive and better sounding (to my ears) piece of gear, the only choice was to suck it up and buy it, no use settling for the others as you would never be as happy with it.
The truly top-shelf treasures I've experienced in life always seem to be "blue-collar bespoke". Food, clothes, beer, and music gear, there is some old guy who loves his job and has been doing it forever, who humbly wears the crown in some one-of-a-kind, magical shop downtown.
@@jamesholmberg3158 The actual cost and the invoicing I guess... At some point you gotta claim privacy. As a pro musician he could probably claim it as a legit expense, but still....you wouldn't want to let everyone know how much that cost. OR, Rhett may have received a discount the retailer did not want publicised because it was their discretion. I think we all suspect it was a shit load of money and something that non-musicians would never understand!
Hi Rhett.Enjoy this video as it took me back to when I was 15yrs old in 1945. I used to visit all the music shops in Denmark St with pals nearly every Saturday morning .We where semi pro players in a 19 pcs Big band ,all engineering apprentices in a large telephone works,,in North Londonwho played in their spare time. The last time I wa in Denmark St.l bought a Gibson. 1970 L5 sunburst with case for £750.This would be around early 1970,s Wish I had it now as around ten times more. Ah well!
How come you've not been back to Denmark St since the 70s? Year by year the guitar shops there are dissappearing (and the old blues bar has gone now too) so it's worth it to visit it before they're all gone. Despite what sixty sixty sounds owner said, I don't trust landlords. To them, coffee shops are more profitable and so that's all they care about. It used to have double the amount of guitar shops it does now. So go see it while the history is still there, I say. And blimey £750 in the 70s is a hell of a lot of money. Some people are obsessed with specific years of the 70s gibsons, something to do with at some year in the 70s the guy who oversaw the pickups changed, and so a lot of people want the sound of the old guy, not the new guy
Joe and Larry 2 music gurus, Anthony , always smiling and a top sales-man.I remember Joe blasting away on a sax just to remind us how much fun music was. They wrote pretty successful pop songs to. Best days of my youth spent in Macaris!
it is till the moment you put it in a pedalboard and with the other pedals it will have interference problems resulting in an annoying volume drop and the thing just doesn't wanna cut through the mix at band rehearse. This is the reason why I have sold most of my tone benders and Germanium equipped-fuzzes and went for the amazing Basic Audio stompboxes. (Germanium-flavoured silicon fuzzes with enough volume those are..)
@@Andrew.G.Junior The MK1 cuts through very easily. it's no Fuzz face. Anyway it sounds like you don't know ho to use these pedals. They're not friendly to pedals with buffers.
Rhett, you've frightened me! I'm going on my annual pilgrimage to Denmark St (I live in Manchester) in a fortnight with my wife. She spends hours in Foyles amazing book shop over the road whilst I am left to roam Denmark St with my bank card. You've just given me even more places to check out. Amazing place for any guitarist to go but oh the temptation!
Smooth pitch... I just want you to experience it. When someone knows his stuff is the best and doesn't need to convince you. Result? You walk out with the most expensive and feel happy. Top job
Great video. Inspired me to go dig my Carlsboro Fuzz (Sola Tone Bender MkIII) out of my 'not in use' pedal box. I bought it in '73 as a student. Plugged it in, sounds awesome! Then I looked at some selling prices, wrapped it in cotton wool and put it back!!! (only kidding about putting it back)
Bought my first guitar from Macaris and Tony was the chap who hooked me up. A couple of years later I returned and bought a Tone Bender Fuzz. The fuzz stayed on my board for a few years and was eventually sold to make room for other purchases. They are incredible pedals, but with no LED and the lack of a 9V power input, I found myself burning through batteries like nobody's business. I do miss it on my board, and if they only provided an input jack for power I would get another one. Sadly the new versions I have tried with the power input do not sound the same. Great video btw!
That look into the camera was the same one a woman gives trying on her dream over-budget wedding dress. I so understood you, there are these really special moments in life in which you want all the gods to join forces for you. You are going to put this pedal to good use, everyone can tell.
LIC PEDALS our major city has one guitar store within center city. Difficult people but it was a store. Now they’re gone and we have zero guitars stores unless you want a $75 acoustic. That’s fine for beginners but we need a boutique store. Nothing left.
@@robertwellington2616 Damn, where do you live? It is also very hard to open and run a music store. Rents have gotten insane over the last 10-15 years. The only guys who make it seem to have a lot of used/vintage gear mixed in with the new stuff. But with everyone so desperate to save $1 on a $500 purchase it is just too hard to make it. I actually was going to open a spot in 2015, because it was in a great location with doable rent, but he landlord pulled out at the last minute, and there went that idea. In New York, there literally were no other spots that had good foot traffic, and affordable rent. Oh well.
This is probably the fourth time I’ve watched this demo. I like how Rhett plays the first 3-4 cheaper pedals and seems quite comfortable. Like he’s got plan…. Then Ant breaks out the MK1. It’s like seeing an enabler break out the good stuff in front of a recovering addict. “I really shouldn’t….” Then Rhett slinks away like he’s just blown his rent money on drugs. Rhett… if you read these comments, do you love that pedal? Have managed to put it to use? It really was the best sounding.
That chap in Macaris is so cool, he doesn't just do that for visiting UA-camrs - my brother and I went in there once to show his kids a guitar shop, and he came over and spoke to us, just opening up the history. Did he show you the John Entwistle bass?
I lived the very same experience 2 years ago. Hours of visiting Denmark St shops and ending with Macari’s. Tony is an adorable man, who lets you try as many pedals you want. And of course as soon as I heard the Mark I, I was like... turned to ashes. Best fuzz I ever played. Played it again this afternoon. Never regretted my investment.
Was so happy that you went for it! That's not money spent, it's invested. And you would be kicking yourself with regret forever if you had passed it by and gone for the more affordable one. That pedal belongs in the hands of someone who truly appreciates it and deserves it--yours! Congratulations on making the right decision.
You'll never look back with regrets in your over the top fuzz pedal purchase. Going forward? I see only reflections of inspired happiness.. Good Stuff.
@@paulnoonan1151 I think so too. Analog man is where it's at for current fuzz face and tonbender clone needs. Though pricey, you don't need to turn the camera off for his offerings :)
“Dude don’t, I can’t afford it” I know as soon as you said it you would buy it. I was hoping you wouldn’t. Hoping that you would try to stay on budget. But I did the same thing for a 1965 Gibson Melody Maker. It all works out in the end. As long as you don’t miss a bill your fine. I learned to live with out for two or three months after that purchase. Just work, home, and school after I got it
Back in the day in the early '70s I used to have a Red Gibson 335 with Bigsby tailpiece just like that. Of course I wish I still had it. The only difference mine had a black strip with 'custom made' engraved into it right behind the bridge. Actually I wish I had every guitar I had back then. They would be worth some money.
That was your best video yet Rhett and I was listening with you plugged into my 1957 JMI amplifier with 2x12 Celestine . You and pedals sound amazing. Thank you sunshine.
First things first... YT video about the coolest place on earth for guitar junkies, then booking tickets to get there, then morning coffee! Lovely video, man!
London local and fairly recent subscriber here - going back through your older videos and imagine my surprise at seeing you sat next to my mandolin on the sofa in No Tom Guitars! Looking at my camera roll that would have been the day I brought it in to get a pickup fitted. Weird to know that we were in the same place same time years before I knew who you were!
It's fun to see London on your channel! I did wonder if Mary Spender would pop up as a cameo. Now I'm looking forward to a review of the mysterious expensive pedal purchase!
My wife's cousin has a 1967 Vox Tone Bender. He hasn't even used it since the 70s. It's brand new and even has the original case (pouch) that came with it. He also has a 1967 Fender Mustang.
Depends on the" toys", I think; there are pricey or precious things intended for you ,and others you've no business having, that are unappreciated and wasted.There's a great Zen saying to this effect.
Wow, that's a treasure hearing the guy detail the fuzz pedal's backstory right while you wait. OMG, finally there's a music store who knows what it's effin' doing!
So I bought a MarkIV. It arrived today and all I can say HOLY 💩! This is how I remember Fuzz sounding like. Noisy? Yes, but when you start playing you don’t hear it. I had no problem dialing it in. Even my wife was impressed! Hendrix, Sabbath, etc, it’s all there. Now, how much better is the Mark I? I’m stunned by how good the Mark IV sounds. Amazing that with all the tech available today they can’t accurately duplicate the sound of these old Fuzz’s.
Rhett, the only “buyer’s remorse” I have ever experienced was over the items that I didn’t buy. If you hadn’t purchased this you would have been kicking yourself in the ass every time you thought about passing up on something you really wanted. Women don’t have this problem: my wife gets whatever she wants even if it means sneaking, lying, or making extended payments to hide her purchases. I’ve learned from her that it’s sometimes best to just get the damn thing instead of torturing yourself. Congratulations, you earned it. How ARE you feeling about your purchase now???
I've been - probably a month before you did. I remember the same two people working the counter at Regent Sound. I managed to visit Anderton's on another trip, but the Denmark Street shops were like stepping into the cool English rock scene from my youth :) Glad you shared this!
The last time I was in London was about 2004. I was on my way to Euston to catch a train to Old Trafford and finally see MUFC play. I moved to NZ when I was 15 in the mid 1980s, but found I still remembered the tube stations and lines from when I was a kid. I used to bunk off school and ride the trains all over London without a ticket. I never knew about guitars back then though. When i was 10 we moved to Milton Keynes and the Marshall factory was just down the road. I did not know about amps then either. NZ got me into guitar. AC/DC and iron Maiden etc. No way would I spend a mint on a fuzz pedal. I'd like to build one for a hobby project though. One with all the right bits in. I had a Tube Screamer built by a local guy and it has tag board and all the right bits when he selected each component to dial in the sound of the thing etc. Now I can't get it back off my nephew because he likes it better than the ones he has. The attention to detail can make a difference for some pedals. I think the simpler the design with less capacitors and resistors, the more difference selection of them might make. Plus or minus 10% in component value can have a noticeable effect. There is a fine line between that and going full cork sniffer though. I dream of finding some old Cold War bunker filled with a stash of military radio valves and transistors of the types that of interest to guitarists. I remember a guy who used to play guitar for some big bands sells tubes in USA and found a huge stash of old RCA and GE 12AX7s. I was all set for them at the time, but should have bought a bunch. I don't use the old NOS ones though. I will only put them in the amp as a benchmark to compare new tubes to. I was surprised the Chinese 12AX7s I have in my Laney are not that far off the best of my old Mullard ones. New tubes are inconsistent and that is why they sometimes do not sound great. Good ones that pass tests for output and microphonics etc can sound almost the same as the old ones. I also look at really expensive guitars, but the other day I saw a guy on UA-cam nail Malmsteen's playing and tone using a Squire. That puts things in perspective again :D
Seem you are very much into fuzz effects yourself; in some ways, it does make some sense to buy one of the best of these. Still, I find that grabbing one of these is a pretty bold move. I find your "no plan B" motto is resonating another way on this video. Anyways, congrats to you for this purchase !
Great video. Nice to see someone showing that Denmark Street is alive and well. The British press have been reporting the so called death of Denmark Street for the last few years
Man. I'm not even that much of a fuzz guy but the sound out of that last pedal. Even I sat up in my chair and went "Ooh. Oooh!" You did the right thing.
Macraris is the only decent shop left, and it is not even on Denmark Street anymore. Denmark Street has turned into an overly developed hell hole. D*A*M fuzz are the geniuses behind the modern Colorsounds, their limited edition runs throw-out absolutely magic pedals.
I visited the guitar shops in Denmark St last November and it was full of utter poser cunts. there was one guy who was trying to decide between two 60's es-335s a red one and a white one and he ended up letting his toddler choose which colour he preferred. you could get the same guitar in Birmingham or Southampton or Bristol for 25% less at least. AVOID!
Yeah, I can relate to that "slightly sick to your stomach" feeling one gets when breaking a personal record for how much $ spent on gear. After a while its gone but the gear isn't. Sweet pedal.
I was in Macaris 35 years ago..bunked off college and rode the train to Denmark Street and bought a sonic blue Tokai Goldstar strat - still playing it!
Major respect to Mr. Shull. A very good, if expensive decision. But not as expensive as getting back to the States wishing had, but you hadn't! Your commitment to your art will pay off in no time, I'm sure - just in smiles, not just the work!
My first video course, The Tone Course, is now available. Check it out here!
flatfiv.co/collections/rhett-shull/products/the-tone-course
Man I gotta know is that Mk1 you got an original or one of the British pedal companies later remake of the 60s pedal? It sounds amazing!
Your video has inspired me in my quest of the colorsound overdriver!
Thank you guitar brother!
Rhett did you ever do an actuall video/demo of this pedal?
@@JacksonV4life16 the British pedal company has nothing to do with macaris. This is a reproduction made by macaris. British pedal company is a separate company. They are owned parent company Music Ground, Google them. They use misleading marketing to sell their pedals.
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I just love the way they run their shops...no hard sells, no standing over you trying to close the sale...just perfect...
DavidSJ they don’t need to! Here in the UK we always feel compelled to buy because the nice man let us play guitar ! Us English do have some strange customs!
Sadly this is 100% not true, I work near Denmark Street and I’m there all the time. With the ever increasing rents the shops are really struggling and most of them are in fact pretty aggressive with the hard sell. I’ve left a few times because of this.
Yeah dude I know some the guys down there and when I bought my Firebird I walked and one the guys behind the counter knowing I've been looking for one just said 'Dave I've got one you're gonna love it' he just let the left me to it and let the guitar speak for itself.
I am from Norway, and one day I visited a music store in a town near where I live. I got so pissed off when I tried a guitar and there was one woman who wanted one hand on the guitar while I played it.
the smaller mom & pop shops here in the states are similar with less pressure.. not all US music stores are like Guitar Center.. thankfully.
Dude, yes... You did the right thing ;)
Hahahaha, cool to see you comment on another channel ,Mr.Davids!
I'm a long time sub to your channel,you are a great teacher,one of my favorites, lov your vids man!✌
I need your martin d45!
I still need it
Paul Davids, cool to see you comment on this. Would be awesome to see a collaboration video between you and Rhett Shull!
Oh hi there ❤
Crazy to think I was Sixty Sixty Sounds at the same time as you, Rhett! Meeting you was such an inspiration, and I really appreciated your time and generosity! Keep rocking dude!
The smoothest soft sell ever. "I just want you to experience it."
That guy was a pro. You can tell why he’s successful in his business
As soon as you guys started to smell electronics this went into the whole another level of nerdiness, love it!
Sniffing old electronic parts as if they're a fine vintage Bordeaux, yep you're right, that's next level alright!
That was actually a top secret sales chemical called buyitchadumkunt. The nostalgic aroma of oldness induces a drunken level off foolishness in the victim.
Fascinating video Rhett!!
Only man that can pull off white hair
Can the Analogman match it?
Wait, this has Rick's approval. It Must be good!
I love that I can and have built my own germanium pre-amp pedals. Yes they do sound wonderful. Sold a few too.
Tone Bender shootout is my fave part.
I've NEVER for a moment,regretted ANY of the gear I have purchased that was high quality. It all has delivered me endless hours of playing enjoyment & it holds up to this day. Life's too short to play firewood & pedals you can't dial in the sound you're looking for. Same with amplifiers.
And high end stuff often works out cheaper than buying midrange or lower quality gear, because you realise that you wanted the better stuff anyway, and you've bought 2,3 or 4 guitars rather than the one really good one. I've seen many people's guitar collections, and they have say 30 very affordable guitars and one or two great ones that they "swoon" over, when they could have 3 or 4 really really good guitars for the same overall cost or worth.
Great comment. 😎🎸🔥
Hey man, money comes and goes. The feeling you have, hearing that sound, having that experience. You can't put a price on that. Enjoy it. You've earned it.
Word. Every time I plug in to my 64 JMI AC30 I smile. Even in winter when its cold and raining outside. To pay for that I had to sell 3 of my oldest guitars and a set of original 61 Patent no's.
Worth every penny. I've wasted more on women and never had as much satisfaction ..
Cost it out over the many years you'll use that pedal. It's nothing in the long run. In 1981 I spent $1200 on a guitar. Friends thought I was nuts. Well, I still have it today. To date that's around 8 cents a day. Well worth the price.
You are a genius I never thought of being able to justify my expensive guitar addiction that way, cheers ;)
@@ethanprice46 Does it also work for cocaine?!
You forgot to subtract the amount that you were paid for each music gig, because without equipment, you can't get paid for playing music and don't forget about those tax deductions for business expenses.
I've never been a Pro , but I see no reason for a working, Pro musician to feel guilty for buying new gear. When a carpenter, mechanic or a machinist buys a bunch of new, top of the line tools and equipment, nobody says a word, but for some reason, when musicians buy new equipment, everyone acts like they just bought a bunch of new toys. It's not a hobby, it's a career, even if you only do paying gigs part time.
kamaboko1 that’s almost poetic
Hey that's a great way of looking at it. Thank you, mate.
As a professional, you need the right equipment. After a couple of months you would have forgotten any money you saved, and only wished you had the good one.
But of course you realized that. I knew you were going to make the right choice!
Omg you actually bought the MK1. Congrats dude, you own one of the best fuzz pedals in the world. Would absolutely LOVE to see a video on it.
you just did
@@ththomas227 I mean something a bit more in depth with more of a pro-audio setup that I know Rhett would do. I loved this video, but I'd really like to hear this pedal in the better audio context and not camera audio.
Lol l ol
He is sleeping with it..
@@ththomas227 lol
£329.00 The BPC MKI Tone Bender is a detailed replica of the original 1965 Metal Case Tone Bender pedal created by Gary Hurst in London, England. The BPC MKI features the same transistor specification as the original so includes 1x OC75 + 2x 2G381 this configuaration has a unique tone which cannot be replicated by the often offered 3xOC75 version. It was this version which found its way into the hands of artists such as Jeff Beck, Pete Townsend and Mick Ronson and can be heard on many classic tracks such as ‘Hang onto yourself’ and ‘Moonage Daydream’. this one?
I worked in Andy’s Guitar Store in Denmark St in 1981. I’m not sure what it’s called now but I saw it recently as a location for the TV series C B Strike based on the JK Rowling book. It was a great place to work. I met Rory Gallagher, David Gilmore, Marianne Failthfull, Elvis Costello, Alex Harvey and many more. Many wonderful memories.
The Strike location is No.Tom. It's the one where Rhett plays the ES330.
Jeez, thats quite the list! I'd love to have met some of them! Did Elvis come in for another Jazzmaster?
@@philwildcroft1764 I did go back in 1991 (I'm Australian) and see Andy at the shop - it was a much expanded business by then. Downstairs used to be the repair shop and upstairs the office and storeroom but now it was all retail space with a bench in the upstairs showroom where Andy could do set-ups and minor repairs. I guess if Andy is is still around he'd have to be close to 80.
@@versnellingspookie it was the place to be if you were into guitars and guitarists, that's for sure. It doesn't look as though it's changed too much.
It's a real shame what's happened to Denmark street. Half the guitar shops have turned into coffee places now. The remaining ones will probably eventually all disappear. So any brit has to go while they still can, some of the shops have these insanely rare vintage guitars you'd never see on ebay or Reverb or something like that. It's like a pilgrimage to go there, if you're a rock fan.
Rhett's next video "How I rebuilt my pedalboard to fit the best fuzz I've ever heard."
Or "How I explain to my wife that I just spent $1500 US on a fuzz pedal." Lol
@@russclark6780 ....lol
@@russclark6780 No, no, it was Yen!
@@russclark6780 It's 1200 tops
Yeah, and sometimes , you got to.Happened when I had a Zvex Fat Fuzz up front-
The blue fuzz was off the hook. I instantly fell in love. Mark 4 was very Smashing Pumpkin and out of control. Sounded good but the blue one ... holy shit. I would buy the blue one.
Yep, that's my pic also.
I would want that one too.
It was my favorite, too
Blue one for me all the way
Seriously, I loved that one the most out of the new ones
So funny, when you walked out of the store after buying the pedal.....you looked around like you just bought an ounce of weed....you looked guilty as hell! LOL
He must have a wife. Hahahaha
The “he must have a wife” comment hahahahhahha thats the truth.... every time i buy something for my guitar its always this guilty experience which i have to explain to her lol
"Told the wyfe I got mugged"
he just realized he got suckered
Last video that he has a wife. Ha!
For anyone wondering, the song playing when he walked into Macari’s is Kurt Vile’s “Pretty Pimpin’”
foreshadowing the pedals ha! That's a great track.
Thanks love that song and couldn't get the name
Gotta be the most overrated musician to walk the earf.
This was a 5 Star video. What a piece of history. Even R.J. Ronquillo jumped in to comment. Thank you for this Rhett.
Hi Rhett,
I'm im the UK and as a beginner in the 1970's I bought one of those coloursound tone benders second hand in 1973 as my first pedal. It cost me £15 maybe slightly less (many weeks of pocket money as I was a schoolboy at the time). Man I wish I still had it!!! The only thing I have still from those days now is a very rare Dan Armstrong London in mahogany (look it up) which in 1975 cost me £90 and my 1978 Strat bought just across from Denmark Street in the Fender Soundhouse in Soho Square. My first purchase after finishing school and starting work. These were played through a Kelly 60 watt head through two beat up ex Chicken Shack 1 x 12's.
Still chasing tone to this day.
Cheers, Peter
What did you do with the pedal, sell it on?
@@Skiddins As far as I remember it gradually became unreliable for gigging. At the time they weren’t considered valuable. I gave it away to a young lad who was starting out. I replaced it with a Big Muff around 1977/78 feeding into an HH 100 watt 2x12 combo and added a Small Stone around then too. I gigged that rig for years. The only thing I still have from back then is a 1978 American Strat which I bought new.
Anthony Macari - one of the best salesmen I ever came across in my time in the industry.
Yea bro, he knew EXACTLY what Rhett was after 😂
Yeah that smell test was a massive con job
@@minibuns5397 it's not a con. open any newly manufactured pedal then a real NOS Tone Bender. You are hooked. It's like crack
@@minibuns5397. It’s obvious you’ve never made anything electronic yourself or you would know that older components most certainly DO have a very distinctive odour. I used to take old radios and TV’s apart in the 70’s and reuse the components in my own pedals etc, and the smell of those things stays with you for life!
@@danblossom9884. Exactly! It’s like the circuit boards from old radios, TV’s or amplifiers…the smell is hyper distinctive!
Normally it's a little difficult to hear some of the subtle differences on UA-cam that they are hearing first hand.
But the difference with they Fuzz Pedals was unbelievable. That Mk1 just blew everything else out of the water.
"There is NO Plan B".....words to live by. So much enjoyment can be had with no regrets. I always regret for years when I try to cheap out. You only live once. ENJOY IT! LIVE IT!
It may have been more money than you wanted to spend but there is a history and a story to go with it that you could only find right there in London. A good buy imo. In a situation like that, I always found that once I heard the more expensive and better sounding (to my ears) piece of gear, the only choice was to suck it up and buy it, no use settling for the others as you would never be as happy with it.
I've watched my fair share of "fuzz pedal" vids, but this, by far, is the most entertaining and educational to date.
Can we get a video on the pedal
You’ll get a bunch of videos... it was baked into the deal Rhett got on the pedal.
@@CFCMahomet Nice...
I need a video too!
+1
Yes please!!
When you said "Turn the camera off."
I said, out loud, at my desk at work with my headphones in "He totally bought it."
YEP! I was watching with my 7 yr old son, yelling and screaming “come on, which one???” He thought something was wrong, but it was oh so right!!
The truly top-shelf treasures I've experienced in life always seem to be "blue-collar bespoke". Food, clothes, beer, and music gear, there is some old guy who loves his job and has been doing it forever, who humbly wears the crown in some one-of-a-kind, magical shop downtown.
Rhett playing through a Peavey Classic makes me happy.
...Mostly because it’s the only piece of gear I’ve been able to afford in most of his videos 😂
You still adore it, yes? The joy. The excitement. The inspiration. THAT'S what you spent your hard earned in. Bravo sir.
"Turn the camera off." Best line you've ever had on this channel. I'm beaming for you right now.
You know when a You Tuber says that to his own camera, some serious shit is about to go down....I hope he can explain that to his wife.
So did he give him a hummer or something that we couldn't watch the bargaining?
@@jamesholmberg3158 The actual cost and the invoicing I guess... At some point you gotta claim privacy. As a pro musician he could probably claim it as a legit expense, but still....you wouldn't want to let everyone know how much that cost. OR, Rhett may have received a discount the retailer did not want publicised because it was their discretion. I think we all suspect it was a shit load of money and something that non-musicians would never understand!
A year old and I find myself coming back to this video periodically, truly fascinating. Great job documenting this experience, Rhett.
Hi Rhett.Enjoy this video as it took me back to when I was 15yrs old in 1945. I used to visit all the music shops in Denmark St with pals nearly every Saturday morning .We where semi pro players in a 19 pcs Big band ,all engineering apprentices in a large telephone works,,in North Londonwho played in their spare time.
The last time I wa in Denmark St.l bought a Gibson. 1970 L5 sunburst with case for £750.This would be around early 1970,s Wish I had it now as around ten times more. Ah well!
Nice peter! Amazing story, I hope all is well!
@@RhettShull Thanks Rhett.We are fine. Hope you and yours are the same ?
How come you've not been back to Denmark St since the 70s? Year by year the guitar shops there are dissappearing (and the old blues bar has gone now too) so it's worth it to visit it before they're all gone. Despite what sixty sixty sounds owner said, I don't trust landlords. To them, coffee shops are more profitable and so that's all they care about. It used to have double the amount of guitar shops it does now. So go see it while the history is still there, I say.
And blimey £750 in the 70s is a hell of a lot of money. Some people are obsessed with specific years of the 70s gibsons, something to do with at some year in the 70s the guy who oversaw the pickups changed, and so a lot of people want the sound of the old guy, not the new guy
Joe and Larry 2 music gurus, Anthony , always smiling and a top sales-man.I remember Joe blasting away on a sax just to remind us how much fun music was. They wrote pretty successful pop songs to. Best days of my youth spent in Macaris!
I could listen to you rocking those pedals for hours. Man do those sound amazing!!!! Your playing isn’t too shabby either. 😝
13:08 ...that's a heartbreaker...your playing is worship...and a resurrection.
Wow, that Tone Bender is the holy grail of fuzz tones. Absolute perfection.
Absolutely GLORIOUS sounding fuzz
it is till the moment you put it in a pedalboard and with the other pedals it will have interference problems resulting in an annoying volume drop and the thing just doesn't wanna cut through the mix at band rehearse. This is the reason why I have sold most of my tone benders and Germanium equipped-fuzzes and went for the amazing Basic Audio stompboxes. (Germanium-flavoured silicon fuzzes with enough volume those are..)
@@Andrew.G.Junior The MK1 cuts through very easily. it's no Fuzz face. Anyway it sounds like you don't know ho to use these pedals. They're not friendly to pedals with buffers.
@@AndreaAustoni "sounds like you don't know ho to use these pedals" - you are a funny one. :D Clearly you did not understand what I wrote.
Rhett, you've frightened me! I'm going on my annual pilgrimage to Denmark St (I live in Manchester) in a fortnight with my wife. She spends hours in Foyles amazing book shop over the road whilst I am left to roam Denmark St with my bank card. You've just given me even more places to check out. Amazing place for any guitarist to go but oh the temptation!
The harmonics ringing out of that last gold one was wild. Like Hendrix in a box.
I like how he stops playing and let's the feedback and the pedal take over. ridiculously mean sounding fuzz right there.
Smooth pitch... I just want you to experience it. When someone knows his stuff is the best and doesn't need to convince you. Result? You walk out with the most expensive and feel happy. Top job
I knew it as soon as I heard it... that was the one. Your face, hehehe... you weren’t going to leave without it. 🤣
Great video. Inspired me to go dig my Carlsboro Fuzz (Sola Tone Bender MkIII) out of my 'not in use' pedal box. I bought it in '73 as a student. Plugged it in, sounds awesome! Then I looked at some selling prices, wrapped it in cotton wool and put it back!!! (only kidding about putting it back)
So that look Rhett on his face at 13:47 was like the cat that ate the canary, and he had to own it................ Great tone, great video.
Bought my first guitar from Macaris and Tony was the chap who hooked me up. A couple of years later I returned and bought a Tone Bender Fuzz. The fuzz stayed on my board for a few years and was eventually sold to make room for other purchases. They are incredible pedals, but with no LED and the lack of a 9V power input, I found myself burning through batteries like nobody's business. I do miss it on my board, and if they only provided an input jack for power I would get another one. Sadly the new versions I have tried with the power input do not sound the same. Great video btw!
🙌🙌 Colorsound! History, legend, and you own a piece...
That look into the camera was the same one a woman gives trying on her dream over-budget wedding dress.
I so understood you, there are these really special moments in life in which you want all the gods to join forces for you.
You are going to put this pedal to good use, everyone can tell.
I remember when 48th street was like this. Sad, sad days we're living in.
48th Street was the best. Now it is nothing. Such a waste
LIC PEDALS our major city has one guitar store within center city. Difficult people but it was a store. Now they’re gone and we have zero guitars stores unless you want a $75 acoustic. That’s fine for beginners but we need a boutique store. Nothing left.
@@robertwellington2616 Damn, where do you live? It is also very hard to open and run a music store. Rents have gotten insane over the last 10-15 years. The only guys who make it seem to have a lot of used/vintage gear mixed in with the new stuff. But with everyone so desperate to save $1 on a $500 purchase it is just too hard to make it. I actually was going to open a spot in 2015, because it was in a great location with doable rent, but he landlord pulled out at the last minute, and there went that idea. In New York, there literally were no other spots that had good foot traffic, and affordable rent. Oh well.
This is probably the fourth time I’ve watched this demo. I like how Rhett plays the first 3-4 cheaper pedals and seems quite comfortable. Like he’s got plan…. Then Ant breaks out the MK1. It’s like seeing an enabler break out the good stuff in front of a recovering addict. “I really shouldn’t….” Then Rhett slinks away like he’s just blown his rent money on drugs. Rhett… if you read these comments, do you love that pedal? Have managed to put it to use? It really was the best sounding.
funny i liked the first one best the blue box
Same 🤣
Me too - sounded huge richer than any of the other ones - including the Mk 1.
I agree...it reminded me of Smashing Pumpkins sound.
That chap in Macaris is so cool, he doesn't just do that for visiting UA-camrs - my brother and I went in there once to show his kids a guitar shop, and he came over and spoke to us, just opening up the history. Did he show you the John Entwistle bass?
CISSY STRUT 💖
I lived the very same experience 2 years ago. Hours of visiting Denmark St shops and ending with Macari’s. Tony is an adorable man, who lets you try as many pedals you want. And of course as soon as I heard the Mark I, I was like... turned to ashes. Best fuzz I ever played. Played it again this afternoon. Never regretted my investment.
As soon as you started playing that golden pedal I got a HARDON!!!
Was so happy that you went for it! That's not money spent, it's invested. And you would be kicking yourself with regret forever if you had passed it by and gone for the more affordable one. That pedal belongs in the hands of someone who truly appreciates it and deserves it--yours! Congratulations on making the right decision.
I was in London back in January. I think I took more photos of cool gear than London itself!
You'll never look back with regrets in your over the top fuzz pedal purchase. Going forward? I see only reflections of inspired happiness.. Good Stuff.
Dude. Great video. Awesome story telling with history, gear, and that guilty-after-buying-a-way-tooexpensive-gearface.
LMAO... We've all made that face a time or 50...
The Tone Bender is just
UNPREDICTABLE, you may know the notes, but the tone is always a surprise with it, amazing pedal.
HOW MUCH?! 😱 OMG! Look at it this way: you didn’t simply buy an expensive pedal, you bought a piece of rock&roll history...
that fuzz is 300 or 400 Bucks in America
Damián Vila the one he bought was marked £899 or $1100
He got ripped off.
@@anthonylakich1727 gotta be sure its the real thing tho
@@paulnoonan1151 I think so too. Analog man is where it's at for current fuzz face and tonbender clone needs. Though pricey, you don't need to turn the camera off for his offerings :)
“Dude don’t, I can’t afford it”
I know as soon as you said it you would buy it. I was hoping you wouldn’t. Hoping that you would try to stay on budget. But I did the same thing for a 1965 Gibson Melody Maker.
It all works out in the end. As long as you don’t miss a bill your fine. I learned to live with out for two or three months after that purchase. Just work, home, and school after I got it
Back in the day in the early '70s I used to have a Red Gibson 335 with Bigsby tailpiece just like that. Of course I wish I still had it. The only difference mine had a black strip with 'custom made' engraved into it right behind the bridge. Actually I wish I had every guitar I had back then. They would be worth some money.
@Brian Parkman I believe "custom made" strip was to cover over the holes where you could fit a stop tail if you wanted to.
@@DarClaude Interesting fact.
That was your best video yet Rhett and I was listening with you plugged into my 1957 JMI amplifier with 2x12 Celestine . You and pedals sound amazing. Thank you sunshine.
13:48 - This is what it looks like when you accept your fate. :D
First things first...
YT video about the coolest place on earth for guitar junkies, then booking tickets to get there, then morning coffee!
Lovely video, man!
Cripes!! I remember buying a Colorsound fuzz for £20 in 1979!!!
Wouldn't let me edit!!
London local and fairly recent subscriber here - going back through your older videos and imagine my surprise at seeing you sat next to my mandolin on the sofa in No Tom Guitars! Looking at my camera roll that would have been the day I brought it in to get a pickup fitted. Weird to know that we were in the same place same time years before I knew who you were!
It's fun to see London on your channel! I did wonder if Mary Spender would pop up as a cameo. Now I'm looking forward to a review of the mysterious expensive pedal purchase!
The look on your face after the 900 quid Tone Bender says it all! Only took about 10 seconds to blow the other pedals away.
Was it 900 pounds? Didn’t it say 399? Perhaps you’re talking US currency?
@@joelkeane3160 it was £899 haha but completely worth it
That was the right decision, that pedal will bring you joy for a long, long time.
My wife's cousin has a 1967 Vox Tone Bender. He hasn't even used it since the 70s. It's brand new and even has the original case (pouch) that came with it. He also has a 1967 Fender Mustang.
I feel ya Rhett... "The one who dies with the most toys wins"
Living the dream.
Depends on the" toys", I think; there are pricey or precious things intended for you ,and others you've no business having, that are unappreciated and wasted.There's a great Zen saying to this effect.
Wow, that's a treasure hearing the guy detail the fuzz pedal's backstory right while you wait. OMG, finally there's a music store who knows what it's effin' doing!
Great vid Rhett :) anyone else noticed that Robben Ford's Help The Poor quote at the 2:27 mark ?
Thanks for all the dope content man, you rock !!!
You had me at “Cissy Strut”. After he plays the expensive one and made that face, I knew EXACTLY what he was thinking and feeling. Totally been there.
1 month later...Joyo comes out with their version for $35
Thanks for the laugh .... made my day
So I bought a MarkIV. It arrived today and all I can say HOLY 💩!
This is how I remember Fuzz sounding like. Noisy? Yes, but when you start playing you don’t hear it.
I had no problem dialing it in. Even my wife was impressed! Hendrix, Sabbath, etc, it’s all there.
Now, how much better is the Mark I? I’m stunned by how good the Mark IV sounds.
Amazing that with all the tech available today they can’t accurately duplicate the sound of these old Fuzz’s.
Love the video. Looks like an amazing place to go visit. Glad you worked out a deal on the pedal... now a full proper demo video is coming, right?
Rhett, the only “buyer’s remorse” I have ever experienced was over the items that I didn’t buy. If you hadn’t purchased this you would have been kicking yourself in the ass every time you thought about passing up on something you really wanted. Women don’t have this problem: my wife gets whatever she wants even if it means sneaking, lying, or making extended payments to hide her purchases. I’ve learned from her that it’s sometimes best to just get the damn thing instead of torturing yourself. Congratulations, you earned it.
How ARE you feeling about your purchase now???
That’s the Pigdog version MKI if I’m not mistaken. Very cool 😎.
You have to respect any company that tries to make the very best of something IMO.
I've been - probably a month before you did. I remember the same two people working the counter at Regent Sound. I managed to visit Anderton's on another trip, but the Denmark Street shops were like stepping into the cool English rock scene from my youth :) Glad you shared this!
I want the mandola on the couch! Of course, that Trini is pretty hott™, too.
The last time I was in London was about 2004. I was on my way to Euston to catch a train to Old Trafford and finally see MUFC play. I moved to NZ when I was 15 in the mid 1980s, but found I still remembered the tube stations and lines from when I was a kid. I used to bunk off school and ride the trains all over London without a ticket. I never knew about guitars back then though. When i was 10 we moved to Milton Keynes and the Marshall factory was just down the road. I did not know about amps then either. NZ got me into guitar. AC/DC and iron Maiden etc.
No way would I spend a mint on a fuzz pedal. I'd like to build one for a hobby project though. One with all the right bits in. I had a Tube Screamer built by a local guy and it has tag board and all the right bits when he selected each component to dial in the sound of the thing etc. Now I can't get it back off my nephew because he likes it better than the ones he has. The attention to detail can make a difference for some pedals. I think the simpler the design with less capacitors and resistors, the more difference selection of them might make. Plus or minus 10% in component value can have a noticeable effect. There is a fine line between that and going full cork sniffer though.
I dream of finding some old Cold War bunker filled with a stash of military radio valves and transistors of the types that of interest to guitarists. I remember a guy who used to play guitar for some big bands sells tubes in USA and found a huge stash of old RCA and GE 12AX7s. I was all set for them at the time, but should have bought a bunch. I don't use the old NOS ones though. I will only put them in the amp as a benchmark to compare new tubes to. I was surprised the Chinese 12AX7s I have in my Laney are not that far off the best of my old Mullard ones. New tubes are inconsistent and that is why they sometimes do not sound great. Good ones that pass tests for output and microphonics etc can sound almost the same as the old ones.
I also look at really expensive guitars, but the other day I saw a guy on UA-cam nail Malmsteen's playing and tone using a Squire. That puts things in perspective again :D
Seem you are very much into fuzz effects yourself; in some ways, it does make some sense to buy one of the best of these. Still, I find that grabbing one of these is a pretty bold move. I find your "no plan B" motto is resonating another way on this video.
Anyways, congrats to you for this purchase !
I've been building a few tonebenders and other old fuzzes. This kind of video really stokes the flames of inspiration.
No word on what that cool-assed yellow Les Paul with black binding was. Disappointed, man. Never seen one before.
Great video. Nice to see someone showing that Denmark Street is alive and well. The British press have been reporting the so called death of Denmark Street for the last few years
That dude had a real "you gonna buy it? you gonna buy it? you gonna buy it?" vibe
That's what Denmark Street is like, man
Man. I'm not even that much of a fuzz guy but the sound out of that last pedal. Even I sat up in my chair and went "Ooh. Oooh!" You did the right thing.
Holy sh*t that pedal sounds nuts! Congrats man
Way to freakin' go, dude! I was hoping you would. It sounded instantly Almighty.
*No Plan B!*
Macraris is the only decent shop left, and it is not even on Denmark Street anymore. Denmark Street has turned into an overly developed hell hole. D*A*M fuzz are the geniuses behind the modern Colorsounds, their limited edition runs throw-out absolutely magic pedals.
Agreed, always has been a decidedly hateful place but now fortunately a shadow of its former self. Avoid
Macarri's ! Lovley! my power boosts and overdrivers have been classics to use for over 30 years now, i will never change those... !
It's a great eye opening and warning video! i'm never ever in my life going into that country and especially denmark street! Thanks
I visited the guitar shops in Denmark St last November and it was full of utter poser cunts. there was one guy who was trying to decide between two 60's es-335s a red one and a white one and he ended up letting his toddler choose which colour he preferred. you could get the same guitar in Birmingham or Southampton or Bristol for 25% less at least. AVOID!
Yeah, I can relate to that "slightly sick to your stomach" feeling one gets when breaking a personal record for how much $ spent on gear. After a while its gone but the gear isn't. Sweet pedal.
I've had that look on my face before. You know you want it. It costs way too much...but what the hell! Buy it! Ya only live once!👍😎🎸🎶
Money is for spending i say. The joy that pedal brings far exceeds the joy of having those numbers on a bank acct log... Trust me.
Wow, 🤯, that pedal improved your playing 300%!!!! 🤙✌️👍
My favourite place visit in london is denmark street. Got my 1st stomp box pedal (A EHX Double Muff from that macari's).
i use a double muff
I was in Macaris 35 years ago..bunked off college and rode the train to Denmark Street and bought a sonic blue Tokai Goldstar strat - still playing it!
Ok that fuzz was next level
Major respect to Mr. Shull. A very good, if expensive decision. But not as expensive as getting back to the States wishing had, but you hadn't! Your commitment to your art will pay off in no time, I'm sure - just in smiles, not just the work!