The Tone Freak Effects Custom Shop
supports guitarists that have a special effect in mind. As artists and
guitarists, we are always searching for a tone that expresses our own
unique voice... our signature sound.
With the Tone Freak Effects Custom Shop, we hope to provide a way to
help the artist get closer to that sound they hear in their head. I
review the submissions and select the project I know will fit within
my time constraints. All Custom Shop pedals are built by me, Dereck
Tabata... from concept to finished product. These pedals could eventually
see their way to the production line-up, but initially, the Tone Freak
Effects Customer Shop builds one-offs.
What can I make for you? Send your ideas to custom@tonefreak.com.
Dazed Phaze 45
I used to offer a Dazed Phaze 90 when Tone Freak Effects began, but a client emailed me with a request to have a Dazed Phaze 45 made.
I added a Depth control along with the standard Rate control to add more flexibility. The result provided a more subtle phase shifting effect with smooth swirls and chorus like voicing.
Fuzzy Abunai
Some of the best tones comes from pushing the front end of an overdrive with a fuzz. My friend and Tone Freak Effects supported artist, Chris Nix presented me with an idea of putting a fuzz and overdrive in one box. Before then, I had never thought to have a fuzz and overdrive stacked together, let alone putting them in one box.
The result came from combining a classic germanium fuzz circuit with an Abunai 2 overdrive. Nix loved it and the Fuzzy Abunai earned a place on his pedalboard.
I have made several versions since. Some have the option of going from silicon and germanium. Others, I added a "Flip-It" switch that will the user to have the fuzz before OR after the Abunai 2 to create some really unique tones.
The Spoiled RAT
The RAT is one of those effects that every guitarist must have on their pedalboard. I wanted to take a standard RAT and not only modify the circuit to my liking, but to also wanted do something really custom.
The Spoiled RAT started with the enclosure, of all things. I stripped the original paint by hand, which proved extremely time consuming and difficult. I realize shortly after that I should have used my Dremel. I then painted the enclosure with 2 coats of primer and 4 coates of "sparkle" black, baking each coat in a used toaster over for an hour.
To the circuit, I applied some of the elements of Jack Orman's FAT RAT mods. I used the original circuit board and just exchanged/added components as needed. Variable clipping and a Hi/Lo gain switch completed the tonal offering.
This resulted in a distortion box with a great, aggressive crunch with enough tone shaping controls to take the effect beyond the original circuit.