Testimonials

Here are a few words from some of my customers.

This really is something special. Many thanks Mike for, once again, assembling a masterpiece.

Plugging in this pedal is like taking a trip back to 1968- my favourite era for rock. Those filthy, sputtering Page/ Beck tones are easily attainable, as are sounds reminiscent of Cream and early Sabbath (with the guitar volume backed off, it does a great Hendrix impersonation too).

This pedal is fantastic- it is aggressive and gritty, yet sweet with a blooming sustain and a wide variety of smutty dirt can be found by simply using the guitar's volume pot. It is friendly towards other pedals and sounds as great with humbuckers as it does with single coils.

I am hugely impressed with this pedal. Between this and the FuzzFace you built for me, I can now replicate all of my favourite late 60s/ early 70s rock sounds. Playing those classic Telecaster riffs from 'Over Under Sideways Down' and 'Dazed And Confused' has never sounded so good!

I am now the proud owner of two of your pedals and have nothing but praise for your outstanding service. The build quality, sounds and prices of your pedals is first rate and puts many 'boutique' makers to shame.

Many thanks to you for giving up your time to create such charming little toys- they are greatly appreciated and a whole lotta fuzz.
Jake, Tonebender MKII and FuzzFace owner.

I ordered this as a custom build, modeled after an already existing product that has an obscene pricetag, made by an well-known company that makes obscenely priced pedals to obscene rock stars and generally people with wallets deep as the Mariana Trench. Sadly I am neither. But yet, I had to have it. Luckily MBM saved me from blowing all of my money.

Currently I have used it with my Squier Classic Vibe Tele (the fancy bindings-model) and my Fender Japan Mustang Bass RI into my unknown Taiwanese guitar amp named mr. Roboto and my Fender Rumble 100 bass amp.

The build quality is just lovely, solid as a rock. Mine is red with a red led. Just because I like red. Controls are Salt, Tone, Bias and Volume.

Sounds:
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Bass: Does what it's supposed to. By turning the bias you get either a "clipped" sound (cuts sustain) or a more sustain. Can get quite 8-bit if wanted. And I want. Goes from smooth to harsh with a simple twiddling of the knobs.

Guitar: Again, does what it's supposed to. Fuzz, from "hugging a Yeti"-fuzziness to "My, what an lovely short-haired rug"-fuzz.

Doing business with Mike was smooth like sailing on a yacht piloted by Kenny Loggins. Only problem that I had was that damned volcano erupting and disrupting the delivery. This was my first time ordering from MBM, but certainly not the last. I strongly recommend Mike's pedals to anyone.
Viljami, Salty Elephant Fuzz owner.

The Fuzzface is here!

I am running it through either my Marshall JCM 900 or my Blackstar HT-5 combo with either a Gibson Les Paul, Fender Aerodyne Tele or a Fender Highway One Strat, just so that you know...

I am not one to offer praise lightly but this pedal is fantastic! Firstly, the construction is top drawer (with one hell of an LED!) and certainly far superior to the shoddy workmanship I saw on a Devi Ever Rocket which I briefly owned earlier this year.

Secondly, the sound is glorious! It is full, rich and thick but not overbearing. I wanted a late 60s psychedelic fuzz tone- part Hendrix, part Page on on the first Zeppelin album, but a sound which pays tribute to those tones and is my own. I have a Throbak Stone Bender (great pedal) which was my number one fuzz but it is stupidly quiet through the Marshall (though it is very loud through the Blackstar)- that pedal is now off the board. The Fuzzface has just the right amount of gain for searing leads and dirty rhythms and it cleans up beautifully by using the guitar's volume (unlike the harsh trebly tone which my Fuzz Factory seems to offer). This ability makes the pedal extremely versatile. It sounds fantastic in front of wah or a phaser and truly delivers the fuzzy goods. I am hugely impressed!

Finally, the fuzz I have been searching for is here and, belive me, I have been through more fuzz than a 70s porn star. I tried an Analogman Sunface recently but didn't like it- not enough gain for me. I have a yellow Colorsound Tonebender (great for trebly single note riffs and sticky velcro fuzz but too fizzy for general use), a black Russian Big Muff (too scooped sounding), a Fuzz Factory (fun, but doesn't clean up well and is far too prone to picking up French radio stations), an Ooh La La Synth Mangler (great for octave fuzz but not versatile and will soon be up for sale) and the aforementioned Throbak Stone Bender- the Fuzzface is now my fuzz tone.

I wanted a fuzz which allowed the characteristics of guitar, amp and pedal to be heard. I wanted a dirty sounding but yet light fuzz which enhances, rather than overshadows, playing. I wanted a loud pedal which cleans up smoothly with use of the instrument's volume control. The Fuzzface delivers in all areas and the added controls really do help to shape the tone. I am incredibly pleased with your work! Wow!! This pedal is an absolute gem- a true piece of sonic weaponry which really sings.

I really like what you are doing. You clearly love pedals and enjoy making them. It is truly refreshing to see that somebody is making great quality but very reasonably priced handmade pedals.

Many, many thanks for your time in building the pedal, responding to emails and the swift delivery. Your customer service and workmanship are first class. I really appreciate what you have done and I shall certainly look forward to placing another order in the New Year.

Once again, thanks for everything. I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase
Jake, Fuzzface and Tonebender MKII owner.

I really love the harmonic percolator, top quality job as expected and it makes people standing outside my door go WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
Reece, Harmonic Percolator Owner.

He's got this wee pedal, and then when he stands on that, it makes everything sound pure class.
Paul - Bacchus. Saltbooster Owner.

I love Mike's pedals, lovely little high quality hand made gems full of love, wires and salt.
Hurb - Pussy Makes Three. Saltbooster and Custom Octave Fuzz 'The Hemy Roid' Owner.

My MBM pedal is exactly what I was hoping for. Rugged build quality that will survive even the roughest gigging and as far as sound it's got tone and volume for days. Really a stunning distortion pedal!
endsjustifymeans, Blender Octave Fuzz Owner.

My saltboost makes me sound cooler than I really am, it's small but loud like a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Kim - Pussy Makes Three. Saltbooster Owner.

I can see most of my pedals being replaced with Made by Mike gear. He's clearly doing this for the love of it and it shows in the quality of the work. Boutique without the B.S. After buying numerous Fuzz pedals over the years and never finding one I love I bought the MBM Fuzzface. It's the perfect mix of vintage sound with added control (something lacking on most Fuzzes I've owned). I'm never giving it up.
Thomas, Fuzzface and Blender Octave Fuzz owner.

I have a Made by Mike Ring Modulator, similar to the old Dan Armstrong Green Ringer. It's functionality is every bit as quirky as the original (in a good way), and it superseded my expectations of what this type of ring mod could be used for. It is a regularly used part of my pedalboard and I am happy for that. As a plus, the LED is so bright that is casts a red "donut" on my ceiling when engaged.
Troy, Green Ringer Owner.

My custom fuzz box is awesome! It adds character to my guitar tone, and plus it says C**T on it!
James - 4.5" Raw. Custom Fuzz Owner.

This is, by far, the biggest surprise and most versatile pedal I've used to date. I've employed the saltbooster as a true volume boost, a "hush" pedal for taming fully cranked amps, a tone enhancement for gritty solos, and even as an all-out overdrive. . . all with great success and all with only the use of its one knob and switch. the saltbooster is a true workhorse and permanent edition to my gear arsenal.
Jason, Saltboost Owner.

Not only are Mike's pedals well built and sound superb, but the service he offers is exceptional. He listens and gives you what you want, no messing about. If something is not working or goes wrong he will fix it, simple as that. Salt never sounded so good.
Thom - ScissorbeatsPaper. Saltbooster and Single loop owner.

Fuzz distortions have never impressed me enough to keep around very long until I heard the saltymuff demonstrated on shortscale.org by mike. My problem with most fuzz boxes is their lack of mid-range and untamed fizz you get as a byproduct with that fuzz. The saltymuff solves this by adding a mid control and diode lift and totally transforms your tones and the way you'll think about fuzz forever. It is the first effect of its type I've ever had in my rig for more than one session, and you'll only get mine away from me when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.
Jason, Salt Muff Owner.

I wish I was him.
Euan

Quality components, top notch customer service and an amazingly quick turnaround. Recommended.
Stewart - Black International. Green Muff, Custom Overdrive and True Bypass Kill Switch Owner.

Mike, I'm really chuffed; have wanted a fuzzface (and a germanium fuzz, for that matter) for ages now, and I couldn't be happier. There's much more fuzz on tap than I expected, and it's really touch sensitive. Add to that that you can dial in how much flub/sizzle sound there is with the contour control, and with the bias control you can chill the pedal out to make it a really useful germanium overdrive too. Thanks again Mike - we're lucky here in that we can send you a schem and you can make it for us. Great work, thank you. If anyone fancies a lush sounding fuzz, go for it.
Tim, Fuzzface Owner.

Great boxes- lovable and quirky, yet fully functional and useful.
Andy - Caution Horses/Casa Bonita/Weevil Knievel. Saltboost and Custom A/B box owner.

The Saltbooster; a small fella with a huge character! Theres no compromises with the SaltyMuff, come on feel the noize!
Fran - Temporary Asylum. Saltbooster and Salt Muff Owner.

Mike's jank make my jank sonds kool.
Shad - Mike Stone and the Trew Two. Saltbooster owner.

You can't have a one night stand with a MBM pedal, they've got something that needs constant sonic attention! Hand built, well thought out and unique.
Robert Hales, Saltboost, Box Of Mike, Duo-fuzz, Timmy and Tonebender owner.

Saltbooster - love it so much it's never turned off.
Ben, Saltbooster owner

I've been through dozens of so-called boutique pedals over the past year or so, from most of the big names (Keeley, AnalogMan, Fulltone, Diamond, Hartman Electronics). Never again. Why bother with the expense and the risk of taking a hit on import duty, when Mike is producing pedals that are just as good? (In fact, sometimes better than a couple of the aforementioned.)
Vince, Custom Distortion owner.

Plain and simple, Mike is a classy guy who listens to what you want and gets it right. The Boutique Overdrive never sounded so sweet - clearly a result of blood, salt, and tears and English hand-maded goodness. I can assure you he FULLY BACKS his guarantee. He can also make your awesome pedal ideas come to life [in the case of the "Box of Cake"] Made by Mike is simply the way to go. It's simply the only place i will go for pedals.
Matt, owner of two Boutique Overdrives and Box of Cake [custom design].

My MBM 2-in-1 trem / vibrato offers me endless possibilities to colour my sound, all inside a compact box...
Owen, 2-in-1 Tremolo/Vibrato owner.