I started this pedal during the “Howard years” when I became ashamed to call myself Australian due to our then governments attitude (not much has changed really) towards anyone who wasn’t “right” for their vision of the future of Australia. Charity and social security became bad terms and tax laws were changed to cripple charities and social support networks that had worked so hard to help people less fortunate. Let’s face it. In past years and still to some degree musicians have used these social securities to live on while they produce their art.
The first version of this pedal was a simple aluminium box with knobs and a switch. The first ones didn't even have anything written on them. They were just my response to how people were treating each other. They quickly got a simple paper transfer with the picture of Woody and his great slogan guitar. There's probably about 30-35 of these out there. I recently heard from Jim Roth from US band Built to Spill who just bought one of these early distortion TMKF's on a pedal forum in the UK and LOVES it. He says it sounds better than his original distortion +, and he's a pedal nerd.
There are currently 2 versions available housed in identical enclosures. When I came up with the idea for this pedal, the image of Woody and his guitar with “This machine kills fascists” scrawled across it came to mind and seemed the perfect name and artwork for a pedal of this kind.
The distortion is based on the classic MXR Distortion + but has been modified to let slightly more bass frequencies through. I’m a huge fan of this distortion circuit with either the 741 or the TL071 chip and the IN4148 diodes. The original removed bass frequencies as you turn up the gain, making the pedal “clear” and not too muddy but it tends to take a little too much out for my ears so I’ve modified it to leave some of these frequencies in.
The Fuzz version is a classic 60′s 2 silicon transistor fuzz using BC549′s. I like silicon for this “sausage sizzle” style 60′s fuzz. It’s a great simple little circuit with good volume boost and lots of FUZZ on tap.
These pedals are $100 Aus each with any donation of the equivalent amount or more made to any of the charities listed on my links page or other agreeable charities. Just because we have a “slightly” more charity/social security sympathetic government now doesn’t mean we should turn our back on these institutions that are out there fighting for human or animal rights or simply trying to conserve a world for our kids and future musicians to live in.
The one I just made for the shop is a distortion version and is marked serial number 070. This means Tym guitars (and my great customers) has raised over $7000 for many charities, which I'm pretty proud of. I'll have a party when I sell number 100 and everyone who has bought one will be invited ......... so , BUY ONE. Make noise and show you care.