Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
Reeves Electro has 10 of its limited edition ZO : Professional Wedge Zonk Machine MKII up for sale tomorrow at 8pm BST
Key Points
Reeves Electro has 10 limited ZO : Professional Wedge Zonk Machine MKII up for sale tomorrow at 8pm BST. Point-to-point handwired in the large wedge enclosure and powered solely by a 9V battery; built by Markus.
Circuit uses 2 x Rare NOS 60’s General Electric Silicon 2N3416 transistors (original Reeves Electro ZO used late 60’s Motorola Gold Leg MPSA05’s). Controls: Swell (Volume), Texture (More Grain), Drift (Fuzz/Bias) and Bass Boost / Fat switch. Texture is fully granular versus the original toggle; Fat/Bass Boost echoes the BlackHatSound.
Only 10 copies; last project sold in 45 seconds and this edition is described as reassuringly expensive and likely to sell quickly. For electrical safety or if you plan to open/modify the pedal, consult a qualified tech.
We have a beautifully point-to-point handwired Zonk Machine II in similar wedge enclosure to the original format of that legendary pedal. It features 2 x Rare NOS 60’s General Electric Silicon 2N3416 Transistors, where my original Reeves Electro ZO has late 60’s Motorola Gold Leg MPSA05’s - both are excellent choices!
Controls - Swell (Volume), Texture (More Grain), Drift (Fuzz/Bias), Bass Boost / Fat Switch.
The Zonk Wedge is mostly the same controls as before - but with a fully granular Texture control - versus the toggle on the original, and we get an additional Fat / Bass Boost switch - similar to what is on the BlackHatSound.
This edition is very close to the original source pedal - in that same kind of large wedge enclosure - that I personally have never particularly got along with - just look how much unused space there is within that enclosure! The actual circuit is pretty tiny - and could be easily accommodated in a much smaller enclosure. I don’t mind the form factor - while I always felt that these vintage style pedals really aren’t that practical with their over-sized footprint.
And here we have another concessions to the Vintage form factor - as this ZO solely relies on 9V Battery Power.
It’s a cool looking, and great sounding device - and many will love it - while I would rather have this circuit in a more compact enclosure. Whichever size you prefer - you can guarantee that no one builds better than Markus - these are always going to be rather special!
It’s certainly reassuringly expensive - and not for everyone’s pocket - but a very cool take on this classic circuit. Only 10 copies will be going up for sale tomorrow evening at 8pm BST - and I wish all the runners and riders the best of luck. Hopefully Markus will make another Zonk special edition soon - but in the smaller form factor that better suits my sensibilities!
You need to be very quick on the trigger for the Reeves Electro Webstore - as the last project was snapped up in just 45 seconds - and I would expect these 10 to fly out pretty rapidly too!
Demos
