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

Pics, info, thoughts on old and/or hairy gear.

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jerms
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Re: Original Zonk Machine on Evil Bay ( NOT MINE!! )

Post by jerms »

FTFY!!!
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bustaxlaw
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Re: Original Zonk Machine on Evil Bay ( NOT MINE!! )

Post by bustaxlaw »

Thanks. It was overwhelming! lol
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bustaxlaw
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Re: Original Zonk Machine on Evil Bay ( NOT MINE!! )

Post by bustaxlaw »

Thanks everyone for all your comments and assistance. Based on Graham's advice I have taken my Zonk off of ebay and will look for the backplate. I'll let you know when I re-list the Zonk or sell it.
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Laundromat
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Re: Original Zonk Machine on Evil Bay ( NOT MINE!! )

Post by Laundromat »

If you're not in desperate need of selling it I'd consider letting Dave have a good look at it. Being an oddity like this it'd be nice to know it's been examined for the "history books" before it disappears into someone's collection, never to be heard of again.
Condolences, the bums lost!
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bustaxlaw
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Post by bustaxlaw »

Does anyone have any idea what a Zonk Machine is worth these days with and without a backplate?
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TheWarmth
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Re:

Post by TheWarmth »

bustaxlaw wrote:Does anyone have any idea what a Zonk Machine is worth these days with and without a backplate?
My guess is that yours would sell somewhere between 2 and 3k with the backplate, but without it it loses a lot of its appeal, as I'm sure Graham explained to you.
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bustaxlaw
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Re: Original Zonk Machine on Evil Bay ( NOT MINE!! )

Post by bustaxlaw »

Thanks for the info. I've already had some offers in the high 2's without the backplate. So I'm not quite sure how much more it will add to the price. Obviously there's a time factor and therefore cost in finding it vs. how much more I would receive. I think it will turn up eventually, but a small item may be hard to find.
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TheWarmth
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Post by TheWarmth »

There are vintage collectors that are probably a more educated than I am on pricing for pedals like this, but if you can get close to 3k for the Zonk without the backplate, I'd say that you'd be doing quite well as the seller.
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vanguard
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Re: Original Zonk Machine on Evil Bay ( NOT MINE!! )

Post by vanguard »

Thought I'd throw some pics of my Zonk up. I think it's an early one on PCB. It came to me without a battery panel and with an unmarked gold button replacement Q3. It sounded very good, but was pretty dark, lower gain, and didn't gate at all.
I decided to build a new battery trap, and, while I was in there, figured I might as well swap Q3 to something more correct. I measured the little gold device when I had it out, and it measured 12 hFe with no leak :smashed:
Though it's not really like the old ones I've heard, I really like a Zonk with some gating: it gives more texture and swirl to the character. I tack soldered some sockets and started rolling transistors. Started with a load of unbranded and Mullard-branded OC71, but all of them passed along some crud in the signal generated by Q1 probably. I then moved on to OC44, and found the same thing. I was starting to realize why the repairman of old went with such a low-gain device. I persisted and eventually found a great Q3 in a super high hFe, high leak Mullard-branded OC44 w/ the cool Roman font. After surgery it gained a bit more high-end, sustain, and a touch of gating. Lots of scratch and stutter with the OC44, and silent at idle. One interesting quirk of this Zonk is that, no matter what went in Q3, it maintained a subtle bloom, not unlike the Supa MKI, that lended an explosive quality. It's also quite dark. Pretty cool effects that give this one a distinct personality.

ImageScreenshot_20201104-175846~2 by Matthew Seppi, on Flickr

ImageScreenshot_20201104-175820~2 by Matthew Seppi, on Flickr

Image2020-11-04_10-26-37 by Matthew Seppi, on Flickr

ImageIMG_20201027_185348230~2 by Matthew Seppi, on Flickr

ImageIMG_20201027_194134_254 by Matthew Seppi, on Flickr

ImageIMG_20201027_183633388~3 by Matthew Seppi, on Flickr
https://blackstrapelectrik.com/

Has anyone seen an Englishman called Gavin?
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innerflight
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Re: Original Zonk Machine on Evil Bay ( NOT MINE!! )

Post by innerflight »

:badlove:

This deserved its own new thread
’brutish in character but not thug like’
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