The Toad was born out of my love for the raw, organic sound of classic germanium circuits and from a deep admiration for the late Cesar Diaz, one of the true masters of tone shaping.

It brings together two of Diaz’s most iconic designs, the Dallas Rangemaster-style treble booster and the Fuzz Face in one compact box. Both circuits are fully germanium-based, built around carefully selected Tungsram AC125 transistors, in the spirit of “Hungarian pedal, Hungarian mojo”.

The Toad continues the path started by one of my earlier designs, refined with subtle but meaningful improvements. The goal was to capture that unmistakable vintage response, the dynamic, touch-sensitive and harmonically rich tone that made those 60s circuits so inspiring.

The signal path follows the classic order: the treble booster feeds into the fuzz, creating a tone that can travel anywhere from sweet vintage boost to full-on, roaring germanium madness. Together, they form a combination reminiscent of the legendary Tone Bender MkII, but with their own modern attitude and flexibility.

Every unit is hand-built and fine-tuned, using hand-matched NOS transistors that haven’t been made for decades. Each transistor is measured and paired to perfectly complement the other, ensuring that warm, responsive germanium behavior that can’t be faked or emulated.

This limited 2025 edition will consist of only 250 units worldwide, each numbered and assembled with care. The Toad isn’t just a pedal, it’s a small celebration of tone history, a nod to Cesar Diaz’s legacy and a tribute to the timeless magic of germanium.

Controls

• Range – This is the Gain and the Volume in the same knob, just like in the original one knob table top version.
• Bottom – Allows you to simply dial through from the tones of the original Rangemaster on the left, to the full on bass fuzzy boost to the right, with a nicely centered mid boost right in the middle.
• Top – Reverse treble cut with more highs when dialed clockwise. Useful addition not only to fine tune the treble content of the boost side, but to dial out the inherent noise of the germanium circuits when both sides are active.
• Internal Body DIP Switch – Sets the bass content of the output of the boost side. With both circuits engaged it takes you through the sounds of the Tone Bender versions.
• Level – The Volume control for the fuzz side. Due to the carefully selected transistors and the internal bias option, it will be louder than a standard Fuzz Face circuit.
• Fuzz – From clean germanium preamp sound to full on raspy fuzz it’s everything there to be set with this knob. Use it wisely!
• Fat – At fully anti-clockwise the Bass is minimum, to avoid the flabbiness in the sound. Tight overdrive or distortion depending on the Gain setting. Gradually ads more Bass when turned clockwise. With both effects On, also acts as a secondary Gain control for the Tone Bender sounds.
• Internal Bias Trim Pot – It is well known the temperature sensibility of the germanium circuits. Don’t worry! You can cure any of these issues with the bias control. Moreover, if you are after a different sound, cleaner or even more raspier miss biassed, just experiment to your liking.

Tips for Use

• Both circuits are highly responsive to your guitar’s Volume knob – try rolling it back for that classic glassy clean-up.
• Use the Treble Booster to push your amp or the fuzz side into natural germanium breakup.
• Experiment with Bias Trim on the Fuzz side: a slightly “off” bias can add beautiful texture and vintage grit.
• Stack the two sides for rich, sustaining lead tones that capture the spirit of a Tone Bender MkII
• The Body DIP Switch helps you fine-tune the low freqs when both sides are active.

Germanium pedals have a personality of their own, they breathe, react and respond to how you play. Let your hands and your guitar control the tone and the Toad will reward you with warmth, dynamics and that unmistakable vintage magic.