My take on the mighty "66"
To get the ball rolling in the 1966 category, I thought I'd post some thoughts on my '66 for those who have wondered about one of the less discussed D*A*M beasts. I have a '66 circuit that is built into a Dual Tonebender which Dave built for me last year (dubbed "The Space Oddity"...the other half is a MKII). My '66 came from Dave with Mullard OC76 trannies. I was looking for a tone to compliment and contrast the MKII's thick, dense, sustaining tone. The easiest way to begin explaining the tone of the 1966 dual transistor Tonebender is to start with a comparison to a fuzz which most people have either played, heard, or had some experience with a variant thereof: the Fuzz Face. If you've ever heard a really tremendous sounding old Germanium Fuzz Face-style circuit but been turned off by the overwhelming amount of woofy bass, then the 66 is probably right up your alley. The '66 is more balanced throughout the frequency range than the Fuzz Face with a strong midrange and a high end which dials in progressively as you crank up the Attack knob. By the time you reach the top of the dial on the attack knob, the difference between a Fuzz Face and the 1966 circuit become more exaggerated... At this point the high end rasp of the 1966 really blossoms, and you get that high end bite that is characteristic of early British fuzz. (I'm thinking here of Revolver-era Beatles, specifically, and some early garage /psych rock tones like the Count Five's "Psychotic Reaction") The '66 , like many fuzzes, also reacts differently to a very clean amp than it does to an amp which is naturally overdriving. With a crystal clean amp, the '66 is most easily capable of the classic fuzz tones mentioned above. Through a hot, cooking amp the '66 can get into a very tight, focused rhythm or lead tone without losing articulation. The strong midrange voice of the '66, along with the lack of a flubby bottom end, helps the '66 really bark and cut through. Overall, the '66 fills a niche that no other fuzz which I have tried or owned can fill. It is an authentic 2 transistor Tonebender fuzz ... ideal for capturing mid-60s psych, rock, and pop tones as well as serving as a seriously powerful fuzz for nailing a Marshall or Vox to acheive maximum fuzz overload. A+ Other '66 owners...Chime in here with some input on your setups and feedback on the 1966. I'd love to hear some other impressions of this fuzz.

My Take on the 1966
I think the 1966 is a great sounding pedal, I have 2 of them. One is the standard 1966 with the AC128/OC76 transistors and the other is one half of a MkII/1966 combo (named "Blow Up") with SFT337/OC76 transistors. I discovered some of the original SFT337s and David was nice enough to put them into my box. I think the 1966 has much more treble and tightness than most fuzz pedals. It's a very buzzy vintage sound and is kind of the opposite of the bass overload that can sometimes overwhelm your sound with a Fuzz Face type pedal. It sounds great driving the front end of a cranked tube amp. The other side of the pedal, the Super Bee, has a sound I especially like. The Super Bee rounds out the tone some and takes away some of the treble that the 1966 has for a more full freq sound. I'm playing through a Vox style amp with EL84s and it's a great combo with the Super Bee. I would say the 1966 is not as loose sounding as the MkII which is a great wild pedal. The build quality is outstanding and David is great to work with, a real class act.

I saw the "Blow Up" pedal go on eBay a few weeks back... Did anyone here snag it?

It was me who got the Blow Up Fuzz! Can't believe I spent that much on a fuzz pedal, but It is pretty sweet sounding and cool to have 2 great pedals in 1. This is my first DAM pedal as they have been impossible to get a hold of otherwise. I have been out of town for a while, but I did play it alot when I got it. I thought the Super bee setting was almost identical to a 1966-67 vox tonebender that I have , while the 1966 setting... not so much. I know Dave says the 1966 setting is more like an old vox tb, but I don't hear it. Anyway the super bee setting is very impressive. The MKII is incredible as well. This is the best MKII I have heard, never having played a vintage one. Wish I had something like this years ago. Would have been cool to be on the list for the 1965, but I really can't complain with the Blow Up!

it sounds like a really cool pedal. (great name!) a secret weapon, for sure! ...and one-of-a-kind.

That was mine.
:( I had to part with my beloved "Blow Up". I had a truck that cost me about $2000 in the month prior and finally had to buy a new car. That certainly is a one of a kind masterpiece. I'll have to console myself with my purple metalflake 1966 loaded with the SFT337s I found from some supplier in Europe. I felt bad having to part with it but as I said, it was either that or 2 of the others and I had to make a choice.