The "Zoink" is a smaller more pedal board friendly version of our Zonk Machine clone, made per request of Doyle Bramhall II.
The sound of this fuzz is very defined and articulate. One of the best fuzz sounds for cutting through a mix and fast lead work where you want to hear all of the subtle details. It's also great for chords without sounding muddy. You'll hear all the notes in your chords. Middle position on the "tone" switch is the original Zonk Machine voicing, which is very bright, perhaps too bright for some rigs. So, the left position brings in a bit more mids, and right gives you ~the full frequency when used with guitar. We tuned the Zoink for better clean-up with your guitar's volume control, good sustain, and a wider range from the "fuzz" control. This circuit is utilizing NOS 1960's germanium transistors, so it is temperature sensitive and not recommended for outdoor gigs where it may be subjected to extreme temperatures.
In addition to the original "FUZZ" and "SWELL" (volume) controls, other features include:
- Tone/voicing switch
- True bypass switching
- LED
- 9V jack
- Compact size at ~4.75" X 2.5" X 2.3".
Top quality components throughout including a trio of NOS germanium transistors. Typical transistor sets are one Texas Instruments 2G374 or 2N1379, and two black glass Mullard OC75 or OC71. Capacitors are vintage "tropical fish" and similar film caps.
*NOTE ON TUNINGS: I'm currently offering two distinct tunings, the original/standard Zoink, and the DBII.
This circuit is extremely temperature sensitive. I made an exact clone of an original 1960's Zonk Machine for Doyle back in 2014. He later requested a smaller pedalboard friendly version for his Europe touring board. That became the Zoink. I initially tuned the Zoink to be much more open & clean up much better, because I assumed the temperatures in Europe would be lower than where we were in Los Angeles. This is the Standard tuning. The standard tuning cleans up much better than any other Zonk Machine I'm aware of & is best suited for room temperature and slightly below.
I only sell the original Doyle Bramhall II Zonk Machine clones with the originalTexas Instruments A02, Mullard OC75 & OC44 transistor sets as auction sales. So, I started offering the "DBII" tuning for people who wanted that tuning in the smaller & more available form. The DBII tuning is best suited for room temperature and slightly above. The DBII tuning is more gated & "pinches the note" more, as Doyle describes it.
I only sell the original Doyle Bramhall II Zonk Machine clones with the originalTexas Instruments A02, Mullard OC75 & OC44 transistor sets as auction sales. So, I started offering the "DBII" tuning for people who wanted that tuning in the smaller & more available form. The DBII tuning is best suited for room temperature and slightly above. The DBII tuning is more gated & "pinches the note" more, as Doyle describes it.
**This pedal is positive ground like the original Zonk Machine and can not be "daisy-chain" powered from one power supply with modern negative ground pedals. You must use a dedicated 9v power supply, an isolated power supply like Voodoo Labs, or just use a battery.
***Please note: As of 09/2020 all Zoinks have round knobs similar to the Cliff knobs found on original 1960's Zonk Machines. Some prefer chicken head style knobs for easier visibility of settings. If you prefer the chicken head knobs please let us know when ordering.
***Please note: As of 09/2020 all Zoinks have round knobs similar to the Cliff knobs found on original 1960's Zonk Machines. Some prefer chicken head style knobs for easier visibility of settings. If you prefer the chicken head knobs please let us know when ordering.
