Vox Tone Bender - how old is it??

[drdanny]

I bought my Tone Bender in Nashville in the 1990s.

My theory is that it is a V828 (rather than a Mk1.5 or similar) made in 1967
There's nothing in the wiring to suggest that this is anything but all original.
The only issue I'm aware of is the heatshrink I put on when the battery wires
got slightly damaged.

It has SFT337 and SFT363e transistors in it - I think this means 1967 is likely ...
There is no cap under the board which I believe makes 1967 likely ...
The placement of the logo below the knobs makes it 66-67 I THINK ...

Can anyone help me be more certain / precise about the date?
I couldn't find a Vox-specific forum easily ... can anyone suggest one?

Many thanks,
Danny

[mozz]

Have you tried diystompboxes.com.

[drdanny]

cheers

[Helmholtz]

Look here: http://www.voxshowroom.com/us/misc/v828.html

[drdanny]

Look here: http://www.voxshowroom.com/us/misc/v828.html

Thanks, I saw that but my pedal doesn't resemble either in the picture. Yet other sources imply that it IS a V828 ... is strange

[Helmholtz]

Looks close enough to me. It's obviously a V828. Yours might even be a bit older than the one pictured at the Vox page, as it has an older type switch and a tropical fish cap.

I just did a similar research for a '68 Vox Wah. Those Jen manufactured effects had many component variations even within the same year.

[vintagekiki]

Do anything write (except value) on pots or elco?

[drdanny]

This page implies it is a Mk1.5
https://www.premierguitar.com/articl...ne-bender-fuzz

And this one says V828
https://soundgas.com/product/1966-vo...t-pedal-oc-76/

I'm still not 100% convinced which it is ...

[vintagekiki]

http://www.bigmuffpage.com/The_Tonebender_Timeline.html
The Tone Bender Timeline

[Helmholtz]

You're right. That's confusing. While the Vox page doesn't mention the Mk1.5, the article doesn't mention the V828. Maybe its different names for the same thing?

If not, it'snot clear to me what could be the difference or which one was first.

Judging from the components I think yours was built around 67/68.

[drdanny]

http://www.bigmuffpage.com/The_Tonebender_Timeline.html
The Tone Bender Timeline

I saw that but it refers (on page 3) to it being Italian made and there's no evidence to
mine being Italian ... my understanding is that Italian ones didn't come in
until about 1968 and yet all the rest of the evidence points to mine being
67 by my guess ...

[drdanny]

I need to find a VOX specialist / specialist forum like I said but there doesn't seem to be one ...

[drdanny]

You're right. That's confusing. While the Vox page doesn't mention the Mk1.5, the article doesn't mention the V828. Maybe its different names for the same thing?

If not, it'snot clear to me what could be the difference or which one was first.

Judging from the components I think yours was built around 67/68.

You might be onto something with "different names for the same thing" ...

I'm leaning towards it being V828, that comes up much more frequently ...

http://effectsfreak.com/effect/vox/v..._case_1967-68/
If you look at the first "Additional seller photos for reference" on the left and press 'view',
that one has similar internal wiring to mine

[drdanny]

The sequencing here places it after the Mk1.5 and indeed the Mk2
https://www.stompboxes.co.uk/History.html
... but it doesn't name it as a V828

It also refers to it being Italian made apart from an early run ...
perhaps that what I have ... the switch in mine is clearly
labelled Made in England ...

[vintagekiki]

It has SFT337 and SFT363e transistors ...

https://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/vox.php

The Vox ToneBender uses a SFT337 for Q1 and a SFT363E for Q2, while the ToneBender MKI is said to have used OC76 transistors for Q1 and Q2.