Handcrafting small batches in a Northamptonshire garden workshop, Markus and Izzy engineer fuzz circuits that bridge vintage lineage with modern reliability. As a deliberate homage to the rare John Hornby Skewes MK1 Zonk Machine and its MK1 Tonebender cousin, their Reeves Electro Z1 meticulously reconstructs the original three-transistor architecture—with a twist. By employing a matched set of vintage New Old Stock Mullard/Philips BC108C silicon transistors alongside carefully measured support components, the design captures that elusive, aggressive MK1 bite entirely free from the temperature-dependent fuzz-out that plagues germanium units.
Designed with an intentionally spacious layout to prevent component crosstalk and ear-bleeding high-frequency sizzle, the circuit is hand-assembled on a vintage-spec brown phenolic resin board using premium Alpha pots, JB capacitors, and Lumberg jacks.
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Sculpted Controls: Features a high-output Swell volume knob, an Attack control that doubles as a dynamic bias adjust for gated compression or crumbly decay, and a dedicated Sensitivity knob to fine-tune the primitive, crackling front-end gate of the original circuit.
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Voicing Toggle: Includes a Zonk/Thick switch to instantly toggle between a tight bass-cut profile and a fatter MK1 response.
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Aesthetic Finish: Each enclosure features a unique, hand-etched gunmetal patina created via an acid-etching process, verified individually by ear with a Telecaster before leaving the workshop.
Operating on a standard 2.1mm center-negative DC power supply, this small-batch creation delivers uncompromising vintage mojo with modern operational stability.
