1972 Trade Show Special Jumbo Tone Bender

‘ I THINK IT’S GOT TO BE AN ORANGE BATMAN FLASH CASE’

we've had a few emails with customers having a problem at checkout - if you need a PayPal invoice , email me at info@macaris.co.uk - let me know where you are in the World and I'll get a PP invoice to you - Ant

So this story sort of starts with a telephone . . .and a cable – well a company that made telephones and cables – the Standard Telephone and Cable Company – better known as STC.

Open up a Sola Sound Tone Bender made between 1972 and 77 and you have a 90% chance that the transistors inside will be branded STC.

So – this is a pretty cool day – because I’ve just brought home my own Trade show special STC loaded MKIV and ‘earliest version’ Jumbo Tone Bender.

OK, I have some explaining and unravelling to do.

About a year ago we we’re looking through a copy of level and attack when we saw a pedal in a picture. An orange sola sound tone bender in a batman flash case. Just to be clear we have nothing to do with batman – it’s just a nickname for the pedal. But there it was a pedal in a picture of a trade show – a pedal that we’ve never seen in the flesh. So what was it – maybe it was just an empty case there to brighten things up – maybe it was a prototype that never went into production – or maybe just two or three were made and never seen again?

Then we started to think – but what if it was made! What would be inside – a MKIV or maybe the earliest version of the jumbo.

We were still thinking about it when we ordered the cases – then fate lent a hand – we somehow ended up with two sets – one set with a black flash and the other with an orange flash!

There was only one thing for it – a pair of trade show special tone benders!

This one is the Trade Show Special Sola Sound ‘earliest version’ Jumbo circuit Tone Bender

Louder – silky smooth but with such a bad attitude. Backed off – feels like you’re in a London Punk Club in 1977 trying to avoid the spit flying through the air. Pull your volume up full and you could join Genesis or Yes . Add the hugest tonal seep ever to the equation and you have an incredibly versatile orange monster.

Just about the only tones the Jumbo doesn’t produce are obtainable with the MKIV .

So there you have it – a mistake leading to something great – hope that’s what my Mum and Dad thought when I arrived !

this is a video of both trade show pedals - the jumbo kicks it at about 7.20 - Ant

we've had a few emails with customers having a problem at checkout - if you need a PayPal invoice , email me at info@macaris.co.uk - let me know where you are in the World and I'll get a PP invoice to you - Ant