A Range Overview of Netherland's Finest Guitar Pedal Maker - GuitarSystems

Controls - Volume, Drive, TFM / EQ (Treble Full Mid)

The DriveTool is a really cool take on Craig Andertons's Tube Sound Fuzz Overdrive which circuit he created in the 90's via somewhat unconventional use of CMOS logic chips. Those same 80's derived CMOS chips are at the heart of the DriveTool - delivering a most wonderfully dynamic overdrive with really decent guitar volume gain clean-up.

The Tube Sound Fuzz also inspired the Way Huge Red Llama, and the Mytrhos Chupacabra in turn then. While the frequency response has bee tweaked to be more like a Klon - and therefore much tighter and more focused than the somewhat looser Red Llama. The DriveTool also benefits from th TFM EQ control - which allows you to adjust the High and Low end response of that pedal. The outcome being really that you have one of the most fantastically dynamic and responsive 'transparent' overdrives out there.

This variety only comes in the smaller Junior enclosure - and largely with just 3 knobs, while there is a custom edition out there with and additional Overdrive / Distortion switch. Perhaps GuitarKing can commission GuitarSystems to make some more of those for the shop, It would certainly be nice to get a little more versatility out of this pedal. It's a genuine secret weapon overdrive - which most aren't the slightest bit aware of. If we ever get a cool custom version of this I would for sure snap it up immediately!

Controls - Volume, Gain, TFM / EQ (Treble Full Mid)

The FuzzTool is obviously a very finely crafted 2-Transistor Germanium Fuzz Face. Where my own Hybrid SilverFuzz edition (below) has one Tungsram AC12X type (AC125 or AC128), and a Soviet MП20 or MП40 series type - the references alas face away from view - and so it's impossible to determine without ripping the circuit up - but definitely in that ballpark.

I mentioned that I have to have an external Bias for all my Germanium fuzzes - so the default edition was never going to float my boat as such - albeit these sound truly amazing - lovely rounded, open and balanced character - which just sounds glorious when you power it up. There was some confusion for me on Positive Ground vs Centre-Positive - these very much take standard 9V DC [-] power leads - and all come with batteries too if you prefer that.

My Silver Fuzz per below is one of my favourite sounding Fuzz Faces - which means a lot as I have near 80 of those - and mostly Germanium types!

Controls - Volume, Gain, Transistors : Hybrid / Full Ge, TFM / EQ (Treble Full Mid), Bias.

As there is no demo for the SilverFuzz edition - I'm using the Sam's FuzzTool demo - per the above - which is a similarly Hybrid Si/Ge Fuzz Face - per the second Band of Gypsys voicing of the SilverFuzz. The SilverFuzz is a custom 25th Anniversary FuzzTool - for the celebrated Boekel, Netherlands store. It comes in a Junior size enclosure - and has extra Silicon Transistor onboard - where you switch it in for one of the stages - via the Hybrid / Full Ge toggle-switch - it also has an external Bias knob on the left-edge of the pedal.

From what I can see around 30 or so of these were made, and there's still 8 or 9 in stock. The idea is that the Full Germanium setting delivers those original Jimmy Hendrix tones - as heard on the Axis Bold as Love album, and then the Silicon/Germanium Hybrid option generates Band of Gypsys tones - as heard on the sane named album.

As mentioned above - it's impossible for me to determine exactly what transistors are being used - without tearing the circuit apart - as the legends are concealed on the the non-visible side of the transistors. The TO-92 plastic stye Transistor is fully visible - while that has been painted over to disguise what it is - I would guess BC548 or 549 to be period correct - would have been nice to have had some of those BC108 or 109 metal can types - but the newer varieties are fairly exacting replicas of those anyway. The Germanium Transistors are a skinny metal can type - obviously a Tungsram AC12X variety - while you can't tell if it's AC125 or AC128 (could even be AC127). In my Custom Blue Tone Bender - it's an AC125 - so possibly that's more likely. The final transistor is one of those Soviet flying saucer types - here a sort of battleship grey painted variety which looks like an MП20 or MП40 series - more likely MП20-odd if the other Germanium is AC125!

The SilverFuzz really sounds perfect - just a perfectly balanced FuzzFace with gorgeous open and fully rounded character. I typically prefer it in vintage Full Ge mode - but the Hybrid mode sounds great too. The fact that this has a switchable Silicon Transistor, and external Bias - just makes it perfect for me, and it's one of the best sounding Fuzz Faces in my collection - where I already have some incredible candidates! This is definitely a pedal I recommend you getting your hands on - if you're a fan of Germanium Fuzz Faces!

My preferred settings are Volume @ Max, Gain @ c 2:30 o'c, Switch on Full Ge, TFM @ c 10 o'c, and Bias @ Max.

Controls - TFM / EQ (Treble Full Mid), Gain, Tone.

The TrebleTool is GuitarSystems' superb take on the RangeMaster Germanium Treble Booster. With 3 controls, and a 4th Impedance switch on the Standard version - which seems to be in very short supply these days. Most of the TrebleTools I glimpsed were Junior enclosure types - while several had custom shop modifications on them.

So many Guitar Pros really rate this Treble Booster - and this is the GuitarSystems pedal that seems to turn up the most on Pro Pedalboards. It's for sure a really clever take on the format - combining both GuitarSystmes unique TFM EQ, as well as a more traditional Tone control also - to give you somewhat full-frequency range coverage.

Much like with the DriveTool - I would be looking for a custom edition of this with some extra features - and in the smaller Junior forma factor - this is a really great pedal for this genre.

Controls - Volume, Fuzz, TFM / EQ (Treble Full Mid), Bias.

Note that the demo is of a regular Red Junior BenderTool!

So this is the variety of BenderTool I picked up - obviously a cool take on the Tone Bender MKII - where my GuitarKing Blue Custom version comes in the larger Standard enclosure - and handily has that external Bias knob that I so like.

Unlike the FuzzTools - it's quite evident what the transistors are in this one. Looks like 2 x Tungsram AC125, and a Soviet flying saucer type П27A. It sounds somewhat denser and more compressed than the FuzzTool - courtesy of its 3rd Gain Stage / Transistor. So to soften the attack I first crank up the Bias, and then knock it back until things open up a touch.

It's still a great sounding MKII of its type, but not quite as immediately appealing as my SilverFuzz above - which is slightly better balanced. All that means really is that the Custom Blue BenderTool just takes a wee bit more effort to dial in. Both pedals really sound superb.

For my preferred settings I tend to have Volume @ 2 o'c, Fuzz @ 2 o'c, TFM @ c 10:30 o'c, Bias cranked up and then knocked back a touch to soften its attack.

Controls - TFM / EQ (Treble Full Mid), Intensity, Speed.

And finally we come to the largest standard format edition - GuitarSystems' take on the Uni-Vibe or the VibeTool. This comes with pretty much the standard complement of controls - bar the somewhat unique TFM EQ. And you can nicely control the Speed / Rate of modulation via a side-mounted knob - which you can manipulate with your feet.

This is a classic Analog Photocell / Bulb Uni-Vibe that of course sounds gorgeous too. It's funny how highly priced these tend to be - where the Medium sized ones are typically all between $400 and $500 - with some even a lot more than that. When you have compact editions like the superb DryBell Vibe Machine it kinds of shows the way that these pedals don't need to be as large as they are.

There has been at least one reduced size Custom VibeTool - with all controls mounted on the top facia - so no side-Speed action for that one, but possibly the preferred way to go.

There are so many great Compact and vertical BB-Size Uni-Vibes out there - that I would not consider getting a Vibe quite as large as this one. There's no denying though that it sounds glorious!