Original Zonk Machine on Evil Bay ( NOT MINE!! )

[DucRyder]

Yeah, I thought I read "ShitterBox" as a description, but how similar is the zonk to the shitterbox?

[Mr. Min T. Fresh]

Not very......I thought the shatterbox was a zonk II with the treble boost. From what I understand the shatterbox does not sound all that great

[Graham]

Hi Davey - was just checking over the old files I've accumlated on the earliest Zonks and reading some real old comms between Dave and myself - Think youll find he was referring to the later Z2 or Shatterboxes - I was just comparing the Zonk he was showing to the 2 I have - not a trimpot or obviously Silicon tranny in sight.(And yes Gino - the Shatterboxes do sound pretty "garage" [using that term in its very most optimistic usage] although I would say that they can really grow on you) - I've now got a couple, Daves old well documented Shi*tybox and Leon's think thats where I had that one anyway --- they both sound the same and arenot even the slightest shade of their illustrious predecessors (Incidentall G - I also still got that minty JHS-1 you sold me - still love it!! Got a matching Bass one too now days. SWEEEEET)

As an aside - you'll know I spent a while with Gary Hurst last Autumn when he visited me here - around that time he had built a small batch of 5 metal mk 1's that he had built totally himself (of that I'm certain :) he used to moan at me on and off for months - pressed out the cases, the lot - He often graphically described the horrors of dealing with the 50 plus year old Impex SC1T trannies -- before final assembly he bread-boarded each pedal seperately and fitted a trimpot (variable resistance) alongside each tranny. When he had each pedalo set up he trimmed them to sound "best" to his ear (he's ALL ABOUT SUSTAIN) then once happy he could reliably hit 20 - 25 secs AND was hapy with the overall sound across a range of settings he measured the values of each of the variables and replaced them with that exact same value in resistors

I know it will open up wounds BUT HE WAS ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that he didn't test or measure the transistors when he first built those earliest British fuzz pedals (all were bought in a funny little ex military [Army& Navy] electronics component stockists in Lisle Street - Just across Charing X Rd and around the corner behind the theatres (and sex clubs!) over in the then firmly "red light area" of Soho - only a handful at a time (only scored what he had orders for) didnt have plastic baggies - they came in small cardboard boxes (if Mullards - not sure about Impex) but were wrapped carefully in folded greaseproof or thick brown paper-

What he told me he did do if he found he couldnt get a pedal to sound ok he simply swapped over trannies until he found the one that made his pedal sound nice again - I have it all on video for when my life returns me the time to finish my book & associated media site

I'm mentioning it as I too have beenvery much intrigued - enough at least - by this particular pedal to spend almost a day trawling back through ALL my pics - there are a few of those now :)~ In not a single one have I found a similar build - BUT like Brad I can still convince myself that it is all ok - I do have a couple of the cast bodied Zonk 2's (as well as a couple of the later aluminum bodied Zonk 2's) - Don't want to reveal all my info here (got to have some nice bits for the book!!) BUT of those 2 - let us call them "prototype" Zonk 2's - one has the 2 tranny "mk1.5" TB type small board circuit - the other a 3 tranny closer to traditional Zonk build. My conclusions (and some others who helped in the research) in rough were that John Skewes was trying to find an improved "house" fuzz more reliably built (re the reknowned as tricksy Zonk Machine) that could replace their earlier fuzzes . I really hope through Dennis at JHS to get at least a little bit of interview vid - time will tell - they are about Britains if not Europes largest privately owned music biz - guitar agencies to sheet music & book publishing and everything in between !!!!!!

From what I have seen from looking through an almost full run of contemporary mags with adverts & reviews and also MANY MANY hours talking to a range of people - designers/dealers/players/builders/engineers/collectors.....Also carefully sifting through component date codes (never underestimate that as one of the finest "detective" techniques) - I would go as far as to say that JHS were definitely playing around with an upgraded Zonk in the latter 60's say somewhere in late 67 into 68 - but although they had a few "proto" style peds put together by the leading OEM pedal builders of the day, (As would be consistent with the recollections of Mr Macari Snr). It appears that none really caught their eye and as such I believe there was a spell - maybe a few years - during which there wasn't really a regular JHS House fuzz - Eventually into the early - mid 70's they arrived upon the far more lightly built folded aluminum bodied Zonk 2's and also their Shatterboxes (a combination of their little boosters and a very basic (read CHEAP) silicon fuzz circuit - in the same lightly (again cheaply built cases).

I originally stashed some pics of mine (some years back now) and a fairly exhaustive written commentary from both myself and many knowledgeable contributors on the old site - very regrettably much of which didn't survive various "changes" (though I ought to have access to proper backups when it comes to it) Then following the chance to score some lovely gear from our friend Leon, stuck a load more piccies onto my currently pretty inactive (for now I'm afraid) - decadeoffuzz site


Rattling off a little here now (sleepless in Alderney!) but reading up on the work that I've roughly put together over the JHS peds (they will definitely be getting their own chapter as well as feature very heavily in discussions over the earliest Mk1 "style" fuzzes - probably in a seperate "general discussive" section - aside from the Mk1 history) and then spotting this thread thought it might make people think..

The technique that Gary was using seemed the precise same deal as that in use in this - possibly amongst the final batch of original Zonk Machines. He said it was such a pain but he really wanted to get them right and the trannies he had gotten hold of had an absolutely dire useable rate.. Incidentally, I know I have mentioned this before but he said that when in the old days (65-68) he had to pull a misbehaving Ge tranny it wasn't necessarily thrown away (they cost an awful lot of money proportionally in the final third of the sixties) and he found that they could often find a reasonably satisfactory re-use in single tranny boosters --

Don't ask me any more - although I've got him on film explaining all this at enormous length (they will all need a lot of editing work before becoming usable) - My own electronics skill is even less than limited - when we discussed every Sola & contemporary pedal I was allowed to undo the base screws and maybe check the batteries were OK - with a soldering iron I can just about reattach a battery clip :) Though after over 45 yrs trying I can wrench an electric twelve bar of sorts out of most pedalso (in my ears at least!) think my neighbours see things differently.

I'm sure I didn't catch every single ZM photographically but did see the handful that came across my notice - either passed through ebay or TGP (or those few that were also offered privately - regrettably often from dubious sources - probably why I didnt get one or two more!) but despite checking folders of some seven or eight pedals that I have in great detail to work from - I really couldn't spot any other than Germanium in various configurations..

Now if only Michael can find that pesky backplate!!!! Might have some fun then eh boys?

In fact were I him (please don't hit me!!) I'd put the auction on hold and spend a day having a really REALLY good look - - interesting though the build is, that pedal is still very notoceably incomplete (not that my second one is at all perfect either what with its clumpy old replacement switch) PLEASE SOME KIND SOUL FIND ME AN OLD ARROW -- I'd be so grateful.

Cheers - Graham

Wonder what a silicon beast Zonk sounds like... Anyone get a chance to jam through something like this?

Back on the old forum Dave M had a Ge Zonk, which reportedly sounded really good...
but i think i remember him writing about a Si one (or was it a Si Shatterbox?).

I think i remember hearing report that the Si one
did not sound so good (shitty, iirc)

but maybe that was an ALL Si, so not like this one....
that was possibly a Si Shatterbox...it's been quite a while, so i don't remember...
(old forum daze)




... Maybe Dave will chime in with his speculation about this one...

[Electric Warrior]

Not very......I thought the shatterbox was a zonk II with the treble boost. From what I understand the shatterbox does not sound all that great

Right on!
The Shatterbox sounds quite radical. You can hear one on the first T.Rex album:

[bustaxlaw]

Thanks Graham for this great information. Based on your comments about the technique Gary was using, it sounds like I have a great Zonk where the components were change or added to make sure it was right on. I was talking to someone I know this week who has technical knowledge on circuits and components and who re-soldered my battery wire back on, back in the early 70's. He said something similar; i.e. he had read somewhere that the TI 806 2N 4061 was put in the later batches of the original Zonk Machine and this was done to correct and/or manage some variances in the components. He also commented that my circuit board was all original solder and the components were obviously originally placed to accommodate the trimpot. I'm laughing as I write this because if not for Gino's email last week to me on ebay, I would not have looked into all of this nor even have known that there was such a thing as a trimpot. I play guitar and bought the Zonk because my friend was quitting playing and I liked the sound.

In one of the earlier posts, one of the guys remembered reading some comments and wasn't sure whether they were about the Shatterbox. In doing this research this past week I came across a site that makes these comments about the Shatterbox while praising the Zonk Machine - but not the Zonk II. The site reference is http://pedalporn.blogspot.com

I am considering your comment about suspending the auction and finding the backplate. I remember moving about 10 years ago and coming across it and thinking whether I should just throw it out. I seem to recall putting it into a box with papers and receipts, etc. rather than throwing it out and think I still have it somewhere. I'm planning on moving the latter part of April, so needless to say, I'm in the midst of packing and have multiple other boxes in storage. I of course never thought there would ever be this type of interest in a Zonk Machine fuzz!

Thanks again, your sharing of this information has been really helpful. Michael

[Electric Warrior]

Finding the backplate and adding some higher quality picutures (know anybody with a dslr?) sure would make your auction more attractive...

[bustaxlaw]

Good afternoon everyone. I'm quite enjoying this discussion and have learned so much from all of you. I just wanted to thank you all again and let you know I've posted some additional pictures on ebay of the back of the circuit board in my Zonk. As you can see, this board has not been modified and was set up to specifically accommodate the TI Transistor and Trimpot. Don't we all miss the sixties !!!

[psycho*daisies]

Also, could you post a photo of the bottom/sides of the enclosure, esp where the missing section/velcro is..?

Thanks

Ok, we see FIVE new photos of the back of the board,
still no photo of the enclosure with the missing piece?

Welcome aboard, bustaxlaw...can you post a photo of the area w missing backplate?

thanks

[bustaxlaw]

I'm feeling like my Zonk is a Victoria Secret's model. lol How do I post the pictures on this site? [img][img][img][img][img][/img][/img][/img][/img][/img]

[jerms]

underneath the post a reply window you'll see "upload an attachment"..... hit "choose file" and a popup window will appear, navigate thru that window to where your photo is stored.... select the desired pic and hit "choose file" in the pop up window..... you'll see the file name of your pic where it previously said "no file selected"..... "then hit the "add the file" button..... it'll take a sec for the file to load..... then hit "submit" and you're good to go!