The Boutique Pedal Market - Ups and Downs
Вставка
- Опубліковано 6 бер 2024
- Baxter and Jonathan discuss the ups and downs in the Boutique Pedal Market, and what builders are doing to stay interesting and relevant to players.
If you have enjoyed this video click to subscribe to our channel to see more killer Guitar Demos and other great content - / @casinoguitars - Розваги
I got into boutique pedals in the early 2000s when it was mostly Fulltone, Zvex, and analog man. I took a several year break from guitar to play drums and came back 4 years ago. The amount of pedal manufacturers that make expensive pedals, and the ones that make cheap pedals, has become absolutely overwhelming!
Unfortunately having kids doesn’t leave a lot of money for guitar gear
I think Josh Scott at JHS pedals has done more to popularize effects pedals than any one else. His UA-cam Channel is a treasure trove of information regarding all the different brands and their lines. He'll take a brand like MXR and do an entire video on their history and why the pedals were important at the time they were released. His pedal collection is insane.
He’s a great hype-man
He totally has. Love that he highlights his competitors too.
Josh, Keith and Jimi 😅
I got their Notaklon and it’s awesome.
Pedal chasing was around years before those UA-cam channels were a thought.
Half the fun is pedal research. Then the find and buy! Ooh yeah when it's puttin it on the board, it's priceless.
Baxter it was Great seeing you at the show, Thanks for stopping by to say hi.
Pedals are the Hot Wheels for the guitar player, plain and simple.
I think pedals and amps are ahead of guitars right now. The boutique pedals being made right now are just unreal.. Chase Bliss and Beetronics are breaking totally new ground, and we're seeing new takes on old pedals that finally live up to the hype!
Thanks!! I had to spit out my coffee when you compared pedals to craft beer
If IPA was a pedal, what effect would it be?
@@honkytonkinson9787 Shit, obviously
@@yargnad 😂
@@honkytonkinson9787a transparent overdrive.
Perfect comparison
Out of 48 pedals, three are boutique. The rest are used or cheap to mid range. Mooer, MXR, EHX, Outlaw and TC Electronic making up half of the collection.
2/3 are $35-75 and the rest are $75-225.
I have a few Fulltone Deja vibes from the original Fulltone California facility..I wouldn't have it any other way..
I'm also a big fan of most Fulltone stuff! I'm a uni-vibe and fuzz junkie, so I got a Soulbender Mk2 and MDV-2 just a few months before he closed his doors - in addition to several backup fuzzes & vibes from other makers.
Great show, guys ! 🎸👍
You left out a very important aspect of the appeal of boutique pedals, art work!! Haven’t you ever seen a pedal and thought, “ I don’t care what it sounds like, I have to have it!” ? lol.
Strymon is the company that brings secret special fun to pedals. They often hire secret special film stars from LA to help them design pedals. I have seen Strymon Pedals in Las Vegas and Pattaya and quite a few in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Love my Boss pedals --I remember when they came with the power supply!
After years and years of playing and going through boutiques while chasing tones in my head, it all circled back to a few boss pedals.
@@user-tz2zz5ij1s but I'm sure the journey to that realization was fun ! 😁
I own one pedal, a looper. I borrow pedals from a library, run by the Audio Foundation here in Auckland, New Zealand. I get a pedal every month. Some are handmade. It costs me nothing, but I gave a donation (and they gave me a tote bag).
Nothing beats the good old Boss pedals. A good amp, a good guitar, a couple simple boss pedals and you are set.
Moving to Chapel Hill area looking forward to checking out the shop
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is the original Klon of beers.
$1200/year on pedals?!? I can't imagine. I'm going to start polling my guitar-playing buddies.
I think the Dolphin trainer needs to make an appearance on the show..
lol, I play two amp’s regularly for my $500 bar gigs. Both low wattage 1x12 combos (Traynor Guitar Mate Reverb and a Lil Dawg Pug). One towards the band and one towards the audience. I slave one amp into the other. So fun. Roll them in on my harbor freight cart. And I’m a nobody.
Just try it, it’s so fun!
Baxter, I used to question you sometimes.
Now that I know we agree on IPA, I think your alright.
I feel like we’ve kind of over saturated the boutique pedal market. Like it’s pretty rare to find truly crappy pedals these days. You’ve even got major manufacturers getting in on the game (Waza).
Turns out a $500 overdrive sounds exactly the same as a $100 overdrive
I'm with Jonathan on this one. My pedals are utilitarian. Got the sounds I need on my pedalboard and I'm good to go. Pretty sure it's been 2 years since I even bought a pedal.
I am a pedal junkie for some reason. I love Robert Kelley pedals. They aren’t crazy expensive but they are super well built and cool. Also, I love your channel. I look forward to your videos. Yes, I live a sad life. Guitar playing and Casino Guitars videos😂
I love pedals, but as a low income type of guy, I don't really use any boutique stuff. With the number of drive pedals available, I don't see the point of boutique overdrive. My main overdrive pedal is a $50 Joyo American Sound, and that pedal is fantastic. Add a big muff and cheap fuzz face knock off, and I am a happy man. Where I see a value in boutique is in unique sounding delays and reverbs. Still, my favorite reverb is a JHS 3 series, and my current delay is a Nux tape core. I'd love to try a Strymon or something but just can't justify the cost when I get great sounds out of $100 pedals. EHX do some amazing things, and you don't have to sit on a wait list.
Agreed! As a former working musician (now I gig when I feel like it), I got used to spending less on gear and more on rent. It's just reality. Now my kid (almost 30) and I get a real kick trying to find the super bargains. The genuine surprises. The 30 dollar Hail Mary. If it puts your mind at ease, as an electronics guy who fixes pedals for people, there is a massive dose of snake oil in the boutique pedal business. If it floats your canoe, and makes you happy, fine...but is the tone really so magical? No...not really. So save your cash and eat a good meal instead. Oh, and hats off to Joyo...both the kid and I agree, they are solid value.
Nothing wrong with Joyo. They make great stuff, especially their latest R series, but it's mostly all good in my book.
Good morning from Missouri!!!!
Howdy, from Nacogdoches, TX
From MO and live in TX, good morning gents!
So I've got a bunch of wampler pedals among other boutique'ish pedals and I've started an all Boss Waza craft board and I'm freaking loving those pedals. I've had Boss for years but the Wazas are pretty great with their extra custom modes.
Not to bash Boss, but their pedals don't have great buffers and too many of them in a row can really suck tone, especially as the last pedal in the chain before the amp.
Fender Blues Jr, TC Electronics G Sharp, Gurus 1959. Boss DD6, DD7, CE5, CS3. Voodoo Labs Minivibe, Klon kit clone I built myself, Line 6 Crunchtone, Big Muff Tone Wicker, TC Sub n Up. I got a lot of pedals as trades sort of like baseball cards. But I could easily live with just the Gurus, the G Sharp and the Blues Jr.
It seems like all the boutique pedal builders build a new pedal and then pass them out to all their UA-cam influencer friends who, in turn, give them free demos with glowing reviews. It magic they sell everyone they make until the next one comes out.
I found a guy out of Bethlehem Pennsylvania who builds fantastic pedals! WA & CO, Bethlehem Amp & Pedal
He lists on Reverb, true blue boutique pedals, quality built, very reasonable prices too!
Got a Bearfoot prototype once on a whim, no real paint or markings, just a number. Best damn pedal ever. It could be Un-obtanium for all I care... And Amen on the IPA being the bane of the beer world...
Basically, IPA's (India pale ale) were born out of necessity... The added hops would allow the brew to remain unspoiled during it's trip across the Atlantic. Or something like that. Long live beer! (and Casino Guitars)
As far as buying pedals without knowing what it is, Rick Matthews of Matthews Effects does one every year for April Fools’ Day. You know cost ahead of time, but don’t know what it is until it arrives at your door. It’s wild fun!
I had the ehx sitar pedal and didn't really vibe with it, but I do sometimes use a digitech dan donegan pedal with a sitar setting
SD1 and done for me. But I’ve got tube verb and tremolo in my amps.
I always come back for the Rat, the BOSS Blues Driver, and the Big Muff. My 3 gain stages.
Ohhhh I love some pedals.. I have way too many. If anyone's wondering tho, a boss blues driver will do you right.
What was this video about?
My 8 year old was obsessed with imagine dragons. We took her for her first concert. Her little mind was blown. Not my jam but it was fun
If I could only have one effect? TC Flashback!
Guys, a question if you can do a short video on this: There are a lot of pedals that do only one thing, but do it really well. Electro Harmonics comes to mind with their David Gilmour Dark Side pedal, their specific pedals that emulate organs, etc. I'dlove to see a video oo would you spend the money on a pedal that only does ONE thing, but does it Exceptionally? Or is it better to buy three or four pedals that can then emulate that sound, but do so much more?
Haven't had an adult beverage since 1996
I don't know much about pedals. Just actually got a blues driver. But I saw some videos on the old sovtek Big Muffs and realized that I had one, years ago, the rare civil war (not green) and it was in great condition, with the wooden box. Then I saw how much even bad condition ones were going for and wondered what happened to that thing. Had one of those original orange boss distortion pedals too. But this was in 1997 when I found them at an old music store that I was helping to clean and renovate. It's possible they are somewhere in my parents basement but I'm pretty sure they are long gone by now.
I had a 90s muff, the ones they released right after the big green ones. They’re worth a little bit these days
Had an original whammy for a while too!
Now I never sell pedals but the ones I have probably won’t be worth anything remarkable lol
I use a blues driver since I fried my tube screamer.
@@honkytonkinson9787I had one of the green sovtek muffs back in the late 90s and it was fantastic but someone stole it...can't see myself paying $500+ for one now though but ya never know
Guys, I don't think I'm gonna be famous from playing guitar 😢
You and I should start a band! 😂
Bet your screen name opens lots of doors. 😂❤
Takes a lot to admit that 😂
You are in good company
Few of us do.
Boutique pedals are all about marketing. Get the guitarists to pay up for that elusive "tone". Market it as exclusive and premium and people will pay. Similar to how guitars are marketed as having special pots or caps which actually cost pennies.
I used to buy pedals, but some of them cost so much now. I feel like I could buy another guitar or amplifier for the price of a couple pedals. Plus I just felt like a lot of them weren't great. Plus I felt like everything is so, "NOW FOR A LIMITED TIME, GET OUT YOUR CREDIT CARD" in the pedal word. Plus I am pretty sure practicing makes a bigger improvement than any pedal to your tone... Actually, in general I have been moving more to acoustic for this reason. At least I still end up practicing when I am gassy.
Many times, when I get the NGD itch, and know that’s not in the budget. I solve that issue by picking up a new/used pedal….
itch scratched.😮
EHX makes good pedals for the money too. Have had a Big Muff for awhile and just got the Soul Food (rather than Notaklon)
What are pedals?
Overdrive pedals are the hardest thing for me to buy..I went through at least 7 before I stacked 3 of rhem..
Mxr sugar 1st
Nobel 2nd
Blues driver 3rd
Dumbloid is for real! Kogoy Musical Devises too
IPAs are bad beer! 1000% agree!
Pedals... a necessary(?) evil? A sweetener? I have a closet full of 'em. I end up using three or less for gigs. With a great amp, you don't need that many pedals, depending on your sound.
I purchased a Delay Llama Xtreme from JAM Pedals .... I don't know how to use it and have more fun with a friends Boss DD-7. I'm sure it's a great delay but it's just over my head and above my needs.
Oddly, the Benson temperature controlled germanium heats the transistor, and does not cool it. The rely on the white color to keep it cool.
CMAT Mods Super Signa Drive........... rare and great......... Pretty much does it all other than outright Fuzz . For that get a JAM pedals Fuzz Phrase . If you can't afford that just get a Earthquaker Devices Hoof....... All the overdrive and or boost you need.
Future of pedals is combos….also pedals that are boutique today will be more concerned with buffer quality …and midi.
Just ordered a Browne Protein and can't wait. Plus, I've already got a Gladio in my Reverb cart. Looking for a nice reverb/delay pedal as well. Definitely agree about the buffers... That's where Boss really falls short. The Wazas sound great, but they still got that weak buffer.
Wait a minute!!! People are actually talking about GUITAR PEDALS in here???!!! lol
Yep, we run a bunch of transistor trash in front of our handwired amps
The 300 dollar pedal is a real turnoff and feels like a really greedy cash grab. However, small builders like Funny Little Boxes and Soundlad Liverpool making 100 dollar pedals in liverpool and london are fantastic. The Funny Little Boxes 1991 pedal is just simply the greatest thing ever....especially if you are a pearl jam fan.
Can anyone remember the name of a pedal, from about 20 years ago, that just made random weird noises? It was advertised as uncontrollable and a way to push your creative abilities.
The DOD/Digitech Gonkulator comes to mind. It was their take on a ring modulator.
@@ericwagner2997 Thanks, I think that was it.
I didn't goop my NotAKlon 😊
Boss=Coors Banquet (never gonna go wrong!)
So, here's a technical question. If I have a Korg Miku and a Fart Pedal, will I be able to fart in Japanese? 🎸
It depends on the order in the signal chain. First Miku, is Miku farting. First the fart, is something farting on Miku.
@@nicolas.grisanti 😅❤️🎸
I have had a lot of fun with cheap sub $100 pedals, even a lot of super cheap $30 pedals. Truth be told, most of them are not that great compared more expensive ones. That is most of them, there are some good ones out there but it is a crap shoot. Even watching UA-cam demo videos can be misleading because of so many factors. Pedals are fun, and there are some for most every budget!
What about space trains with free WiFi?
I'd vote for that.
DSM HUMBOLDT SILVER LININGS!!!!!!!
I have a Korg Miku Stomp. I got it new from Japan for $129. I can’t believe what people are paying for them now. It’s kinda shitty sounding. 😀
It's hilarious that guitar players get mad at having....choices.
Tired of spending money on one-trick ponies. Bought the Fender FR-12 and gonna give modeling a go.
There are some very awful IPA out there and to make it worse, I have discovered an allergy to some of the hops used in certain ones. It’s like beer roulette. All IPA should taste like Beavertown Neck Oil, a brewery set up by Robert Plant’s son.
More beer talk and less pedal stuff in future please
I won’t pay more than $150 for any given pedal new or used so I’ll leave it to your imagination as to what’s on my board…and if video killed the radio star then IPA’s have definitely limited my selection of “drink able” beers at the supermarket…
🎸🔊🎶🤘✌️❤️🤟
I’m cured from GAS and retired from any new gear (for now).🤪🤣
If ya think about it... You could buy a pedal a week and it would only cost you about what yer already spending buyin' a gram of coke every weekend for the band, am I right?! We should bring back Weed and Powdered Coke. I no longer like crack. 🤗😏🤑
I think most pedals bought are probably overdrives
I wish a pedal was $100 anymore
People like IPAs because they think they have to. Just like some people hate Gibson because they think they have to
There are too many IPAs and too much Gibson hate
Gibson does suck tho
@@Starch1b2c3d4a most corporations do. I don’t think a corporation can be successful and not, sort of like an attorney can’t be good at the job not being a jerk
@@honkytonkinson9787 I hate that lawsuits are happening, but as someone who helped develop quite a few projects, they are a necessary evil. If you want to gain as much profit from your work or investment, you can’t let others profit off your designs or art. This goes for every industry. For some reason guitar buyers forget this.
It would be like someone re-recording your song and not giving you anything just because you recorded it a while ago
@@popeye089 for me it’s personal. I tried to be a legal assistant and found working with good attorneys to be difficult. The ones that were fun to hang out with didn’t do as well in the court room, were also young.
where is the fart pedal?
Wtf is a IPA?
You guys clearly don’t use pedals much. Its ok
Try Bell's Two Hearted Ale.
Baxter wants Elon Musk for president.
JHS is the worst at the creating demand scam.