Geofex Foxx Tone Machine Clone

This is RG Keen's Foxx Tone Machine copy -- without the cool fur. Comes with an 3 step octave up switch, and tone, volume, and fuzz knob controls. They are not labelled. Uses a 9 volt battery only, and has no indicator lights -- like I said, it is a clone of the 70's classic fuzz box. Given that this is a 'homebrew' effort, none of this should be a surprise to people who'd own it. Fortunately, it is true bypass. You can find out more at Keen's very helpful builder site at www.geofex.com

It is a somewhat bright, though certainly not harsh nor thin/tinny sounding fuzz pedal. There are sounds this pedal makes that are amazing, especially when used with some non-squeal yeilding discretion. I tend to like a more fully rounded, psuedo distortion/fuzz instead of the over-the-top wall of Husker Du fuzz. The TM clone can do either really well. Like the original Tone Machine, the GEOfex clone's octave switch is a toggle, so you can't easily engage it on the fly with your foot. It tracks well enough and can create some wild, psuedo psyche/flangish tones that can get near subtle wah sounds. It is especially fun to use the octave in conjunction with delay(s) when and if you are going for a noise death spiral! It can make some f?cking helatious sounds, and in a better player's hands, might be something rather magical. I don't know what sort of trans are in this (or the Foxx for that matter), but I do enjoy it immensely as a counterbalance to my Phoenix germanium clone of the original fuzz face curcuit. It is a very fun pedal and something any noisemaker, or dedicated fuzz user would really enjoy.

The pedal is cramped with alot of stuff in the Hammond sized box, which is larger than the original Tone Machine's enclosure. It looks a little scarry inside actually, a bit delicate with alot of wires going into the PCB. I know the Tone Machine is not an easy clone to make, and I am wary of fiddling about with the insides too much. On occassion, it can make some screeching sounds when the octave is engaged from the less treble cut mode. It also is capable of picking up radio stations when it is in a badly grounded enviroment. This has proven to be a pretty fun problem as I usually only use the true bypass equipped TM clone for 'noisemaking' a la Neil Young jams -- which it does VERY well. It is probably wise to treat this one with kid gloves. I would not gig with it as my only fuzz pedal,(gig? what the fuck?) especially given the unknowns associated with a given venue's eletrical wiring. Generally, I use it with another fuzz anyway since it's true bypass....

I suppose I could ask him to work on it, but I am gathering from his site that he's not too keen (no pun intended, though it was a f?cking brillant pun..) on doin pedal repairs.

Noisy rock, clumsy blues, derivative pop...sound familiar? Yeah, that's me. Anyway, I have only been playing 'seriously' for 5-6 years (funny!), but I played the Em chord (unknowingly) for years before. I only use tube amps with the pedal through a variety of mostly humbuckers. It works fine with my 3 HB guitars and sounds brighter with my single coiled Mustang. No surprise. Like most fuzzes Ive used, this one likes being at the front of my pedalchain. The GEOfex TM responds well to post placed compression, works well with my vaious OD's and mixes well with delay. It is a damn cool pedal that has a good range of sonic capabilities, is an exceptional noisemaker yet can be pulled back for more staid uses. And yes, my fellow noise conspirators are all TERRIBLY jealous of the beasty! Like I said earlier, it is of that slightly 'brighter' family of fuzz pedals. The up octave is a hoot and approaches almost flangy-wah capabilities. For a homebrew effort, it is great. I think for those who can't swing the serious dough an original Foxx Tone Machine fetches, this is a killer pedal option to have about the board. It is not something you will commonly find and I am not likely to ever sell it till my fingers are hacked off my hands by the numerous critics who beseech my high volume practices. Yeah, those critics are rat bastards for sure, but the pedal is a blast, so I just say, "Hey, why don't you sell your house and move if you fear the Tone Machine!?!" HA! I win again! :)