Fuzzboxes.org is an online resource that chronicles the history and development of the 1960s-era British guitar effects pedals.

Interacting with the various images below will take you to individual pages where each different model is discussed and illustrated in further detail. The ‘timeline’ link at the top menu of each page serves as an index, and displays the different fuzz boxes in (roughly) chronological order, for an alternative way of navigating the site.

Fuzzboxes.org is a non-commercial and collaborative effort, and as more information gradually is made available — through the discovery of new sources, testimonies, and surviving pedals — this website will continue to be updated.

Viewer contributions are greatly appreciated, and any feedback, queries or corrections can be submitted via the Fuzzboxes.org contact form, or by contacting me directly on Instagram.

Rangemaster Fuzzbug

Background One of the lesser-known British Invasion-era fuzz boxes was the one that Sola Sound supplied to Dallas Music. Dallas sold a range of amplifiers […]

Sola Sound Tone Bender MKIV

Overview Sola Sound released the Tone Bender MKIV, approximately during the year of 1970, during which the model was regularly advertised in Beat Instrumental & […]

Jennings Fuzz

Overview Jennings Electronic Developments (JED) was formed by Tom Jennings, following his dismissal from Jennings Musical Industries (Vox) in 1967. The vast majority of the […]

John Hornby Skewes Zonk II

Background The Zonk II was a fuzz box that Hornby Skewes offered alongside the ZZ.1 ‘Zonk Machine’ during the period of approximately 1967 through to […]

WEM Project V

Overview WEM was one of the first major companies in the UK to offer commercial fuzz boxes, and based on the number of surviving examples […]

TVM Fuzz Box

TVM Manchester Ltd (also known as TVM Sound) was incorporated on the 26th of September 1957, and manufactured amplifiers and PA equipment during the 1960s […]

John Hornby Skewes Shatterbox

Overview The Shatterbox was an early ‘multi-effects’ fuzz box that combined the Hornby Skewes Treble Booster with the Zonk II. Featuring two foot switches, the […]

WEM Rush Pep Box

History During the 1960s, Pepe Rush ran a recording studio on Berwick Street in Soho, London. Pepe also had a workshop in a nearby mews, […]

Carlsbro Fuzz-Tone

Overview Carlsbro was a British guitar amplifier manufacturer, founded by Stuart & Sheila Mercer in Nottingham, in 1959. Carlsbro was formally registered as a company […]

Park Fuzz Sound

Overview ‘Park’ was a brand that was launched by Marshall during the mid-1960s, and along with a range of amplifiers, Park also sold its own […]

Arbiter Fuzz Face

Part 1: History Part 2: Overview Part 3: Analysis Part 4: Appendix Share your fuzz! Part 1: History The early days Ivor Arbiter was born […]

Gary Hurst Tone Bender ‘MKI’

History Origins These early Tone Benders were built with a three-transistor fuzz circuit, based on Gibson’s 1962 Maestro Fuzz-Tone. The Maestro Fuzz-Tone was an American […]

John Hornby Skewes Zonk Machine

History Zonk Machine fuzz boxes were manufactured during the mid-to-late 1960s and distributed by John Hornby Skewes’ now-famous musical instruments retail company in Leeds. Skewes […]

Vox Tone Bender Professional MKII

Overview One of the most well-known versions of the Sola Sound Tone Bender MKII is the one that was supplied, by Sola Sound (via Macari’s […]

Marshall SupaFuzz

History Marshall was one of a handful of companies with whom Sola Sound had agreements in place to build fuzz boxes. Early SupaFuzz pedals were […]

Vox Tone Bender MKIII

Overview Introduced in 1968, the Tone Bender MKIII was the latest incarnation of the series of Tone Benders that Sola Sound had been supplying to […]

Selmer Buzz Tone

Overview Selmer is a household name among brass and woodwind musicians, but for a brief period, the organisation’s branch in the UK offered equipment to […]

Sperrin Fuzz Box

The Sperrin Fuzz Box was made by David Sperrin, in Southport, in the North of England. The model was advertised in the music press various […]

Exel Shatterbox

The Exel Shatterbox (not to be confused with the John Hornby Skewes Shatterbox) was a compact fuzz box built from the late 1960s into the […]

Vox Distortion Booster

Overview The original Vox Distortion Booster was designed in 1965, and was initially built by Jennings Musical Instruments (JMI) in the UK as part of […]

Rotosound Fuzz Box

Background Rotosound was (and still is) a British manufacturer of musical instrument strings. The company was founded by James How during the 1950s, and it […]

G. P. Electronics Harmonic Generator

Background G. P. Electronics was a company in Bovey Tracey, Devon, founded by inventor Gerry Pope. G. P. manufactured guitar amplifiers and PA units during […]

Kelly Amplification Fuzz Box

John Kelly (Sr) was an employee at Selmer’s Service & Repair Department during the early 1960s. At some point, likely during the mid 1960s, John […]

Baldwin-Burns Buzzaround

Overview The Buzzaround was developed by Jim Burns’ guitar company in the mid-1960s, and manufactured in relatively small numbers over the course of several years. […]

Sola Sound Tone Bender ‘MK1.5’

History The Tone Bender ‘MK1.5’ was an influential two-transistor fuzz box that was built by Sola Sound in the mid-1960s. The exact origins of the […]