God City Instruments introduces Black Lives Matter Tone Bender-style PCB

(Image credit: God City Instruments)

God City Instruments, the effect pedal company run by Converge electric guitar player Kurt Ballou, has introduced a new “Black Lives Matter” Tone Bender-style PCB.

Explained Ballou in an Instagram post announcing the circuit, “I spent some time over the past few days thinking of ways I could use my resources to be more helpful in the fight for true equality of BIPOC people. One thing I came up with was this TB MKiii inspired DIY PCB.”

The circuit will be available in the God City shop “just as soon as I verify the design works and sounds good,” Ballou wrote, and all profits will be split between the Massachusetts Bail Fund and the Boston DSA.

God City isn’t the only company responding to the current protests against police brutality and racism that have gripped the U.S.

Abominable Pedals has introduced a new version of its Hate Stomper PCB emblazoned with the Black Lives Matter slogan, with proceeds benefitting the Black Lives Matter Seattle / King County bail fund.

Chase Bliss Audio and Cooper FX, meanwhile, are both raffling off one-of-a-kind pedals to encourage donations to organizations that combat police brutality and other injustices.

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Richard Bienstock

Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.