Biggest rip-off pedal manufacturers?

[Phil O'Keefe]

Do you honestly think a dirt pedal that sounds the same as half the dirt pedals out there is worth 350$? Or a 3 knob analog delay?? I just can't see paying that much for anything that doesn't do multifunctions.

Then don't. Seems pretty simple to me.


My parents have had several very nice cars - Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Jaguar, BMW... I've never seen much need for dropping that kind of dosh (even if I had it) on a fancy car when I can pay a fraction of that and still have the vehicle perform the same basic function - transporting me from point A to point B. However, that doesn't mean that Porsche is ripping people off...

YMMV ( )

[Phil O'Keefe]

I think that when people say that these hyper-expensive pedals are the "best they've heard", there is somewhat of a placebo effect that is impairing their judgement. They want it to be the best they've heard, since they spent so much {censored}ing money on it.

 

Have a look at my boards sometime, or my guitars - heck, my whole STUDIO sometime, and you'll find a lot of very nice stuff - AND a lot of low cost / big bang for the bucks stuff too.

 

It's about how well it does what I want / need it to do. If I can really nail something for $25 (Fish & Chips), then I don't feel obligated to spend more just to prove my manhood. However, I've yet to find a budget mic preamp that sounds just like an API or a Neve... and I want / need that sound...

[enuenu]

What are the {censored}ing buying police or the posting police or something? :poke: I'm just asking if any of you guys find certain companies overpriced. I didn't mean to piss in the almighty HCFX bowl of Cheerios. What? People never complain here? I'm sorry, your highness, for disrupting the ebb and flow of your awesome chi. {censored}... some of you guys are really {censored}ing uptight, man.

 

 

I agree with you to a point, you just raised a topic for discussion. This can really raise the hackles of some on HC at times. All people have to do is give their opinion. However as you unloaded a bit of vitriol in your opening post, having people respond in a similar fashion is perhaps to be expected.

[Brian Marshall]

The same reason people don't have the balls to go out and buy danelectro pedals no matter how many good reviews it's got.

Yeah, that sitar swami was freaking awesome

some of their pedals actually do sound ok. Their original plastic ones were built like {censored} though. I crushed one at GC while demoing some pedals (quietly set guitar down and walked out the door)

[roquero]

Yeah, that sitar swami was freaking awesome some of their pedals actually do sound ok. Their original plastic ones were built like {censored} though. I crushed one at GC while demoing some pedals (quietly set guitar down and walked out the door)

:thu:

[Brian Marshall]

I think that when people say that these hyper-expensive pedals are the "best they've heard", there is somewhat of a placebo effect that is impairing their judgement. They want it to be the best they've heard, since they spent so much {censored}ing money on it.

 

 

You could easily argue the reverse as well. People like their cheap gear because they don't want to buy something more expensive.

 

I've met waaaay too many dudes who think the hot-rod deville is "one of the best amps ever" 10 years ago it was just about the cheapest tube amp you could buy. I've heard dudes swear buy line 6 spiders. or that their Malaysian plywood guitar is just as good as a USA fender.

[roquero]

 

You could easily argue the reverse as well. People like their cheap gear because they don't want to buy something more expensive. I've met waaaay too many dudes who think the hot-rod deville is "one of the best amps ever" 10 years ago it was just about the cheapest tube amp you could buy. I've heard dudes swear buy line 6 spiders. or that their Malaysian plywood guitar is just as good as a USA fender.

 

 

Right on!

Reverse snobbery also rears its ugly head when forumites talk about their cheapo gear.

In the end, you are the consumer- if you think it's overpriced, don't buy it!

If you can't afford it, don't criticize those who can

 

The concept of "bang for the buck" can apply to expensive pedals well as to the cheap ones.

There's something to be said for "you get what you pay for"

My first amp was a Peavey- back when Peavey was the Danelectro equivalent in guitar amps.

It blew up the week after the warranty expired.

I learned my lesson and saved up to buy a Mesa Boogie, which in those days you had to buy over the phone and get on a waiting list while the amp was built [sound familiar? Mesas were not sold in stores back then]

That amp may have cost me 4 times what the Peavey cost me, but it has lasted almost three decades, traveled all over the world with me, and never once crapped out!

[Brian Marshall]

That amp may have cost me 4 times what the Peavey cost me, but it has lasted almost three decades, traveled all over the world with me, and never once crapped out!

 

 

I actually thought some of their USA made amps were pretty good... at least if you ignored their offerings of mega-gain brewtalz metal amps. I have a C30 and a ranger212. C30 ain't the greatest amp in the world, but the old ones are built like a tank. I've probably have more hours on the ranger than any other amp I have ever owned mostly because it works so well with pedals/effects.

[motzman13]

[DRGUN]

lets all just play whatever we want and {censored} off.

[Brian Marshall]

oh, but he was so hoping to order a soda and eat free breadsticks all night.

Shoulda gone to the olive garden

[DanJep]

Yet another pointless rant. Neither side will ever change their opinion and yet the posts will continue to come in....

[boytbpc]

if you haven't played one then shut the {censored} up.

 

Just because I haven't played/tried/eaten/believed X doesn't mean I can't make rational conclusions based upon the evidence. Begone with your logical fallacies!!!

[roquero]

 

I actually thought some of their USA made amps were pretty good... at least if you ignored their offerings of mega-gain brewtalz metal amps. I have a C30 and a ranger212. C30 ain't the greatest amp in the world, but the old ones are built like a tank. I've probably have more hours on the ranger than any other amp I have ever owned mostly because it works so well with pedals/effects.

 

 

I'm not sure how far back you're talking about, but this Peavey was from late 70s or early 80s

 

Not even sure what model number amp it was, but the Transformer blew up right after the warranty expired!

 

My Mesa Mark IIB had to be ordered by phone and paid for in advance- I think I waited a couple months for it to be built and then went to the airport to pick it up.

 

But that little Boogie has been with me almost 30 years and aside from changing tubes never had any issues!

[boytbpc]

It's amazing how quickly a price can go up when you don't hire 13 year old taiwanese children for assembly.

 

Having lived and worked in Taiwan for nearly 5 years, I gotta say that sweat shops are VERY infrequent there (probably pre capita equal to the U.S.), being a constitutional democracy with child labor laws and all. You are getting confused with China, which is evil.

[Jules-RM]

There are plenty of lower priced mass produced pedals you can buy. Picking on hand made or short run builders is just dumb.

[Brian Marshall]

I'm not sure how far back you're talking about, but this Peavey was from late 70s or early 80s Not even sure what model number amp it was, but the Transformer blew up right after the warranty expired! My Mesa Mark IIB had to be ordered by phone and paid for in advance- I think I waited a couple months for it to be built and then went to the airport to pick it up. But that little Boogie has been with me almost 30 years and aside from changing tubes never had any issues!

 

 

not quite that far back. Peavey never seemed to take their amp line seriously until they made the 5150. For better or for worse they finally had a bona fide hit on their hands. After that they made some pretty decent amps in the 90's. Amps that were well thought out and actually had a distinctive sound (whether you liked it or not)

 

Then they made the XXX around 2000 or so and moved production off shore... {censored} went down hill fast after they stopped taking their amps seriously.

 

So yeah, I'm talking way later than you. I'm 36 and didnt start playing electric guitar until 1989. Even then i remember the selection of peavey amps was pretty bad, but was pleasantly surprised when i was buying up some of their sleeper amps in the late 90's.

[Phil O'Keefe]

Just because I haven't played/tried/eaten/believed X doesn't mean I can't make rational conclusions based upon the evidence. Begone with your logical fallacies!!!

If I did a review of a product without trying it out, I'd get criticized, and rightly so. There are indeed other sources of "evidence", but I can't imagine making any final conclusions on any piece of equipment without using it first.

Thanks for letting me know you form opinions about gear without personally researching it / using / trying it first - unlike a lot of other people who do likewise, and then post their "conclusions", at least you're honest about it.

[slevin]

I think paying over 200$ for ANY dirt pedal (vintage/new etc...) is stupid. Stuff like delay would require much more R&D so the high prices are understandable.

 

 

this 100%

[Brian Marshall]

Yet another pointless rant. Neither side will ever change their opinion and yet the posts will continue to come in....

 

 

It may be pointless for some... ultimately i suppose discussing just about any opinion is ultimately pointless. Even if you change someones mind that $400 pedal is still $400.

 

In terms of "sides" meh. I know some will try to put it in those terms, but when you get past the "f*** you's" there's ultimately some valid points, valid questions, and a much larger majority who probably could not care less either way.

 

As far as BFJE/MP goes he's got a ton of upfront costs simply because he runs a business in one of the most expensive places in the world to run a business.

 

We in the US don't know how good we have it in terms of music equipment. Go to a shop in the UK, France, Japan or Australia and look what they pay for boss and digitech pedals.

[slevin]

It may be pointless for some... ultimately i suppose discussing just about any opinion is ultimately pointless. Even if you change someones mind that $400 pedal is still $400. In terms of "sides" meh. I know some will try to put it in those terms, but when you get past the "f*** you's" there's ultimately some valid points, valid questions, and a much larger majority who probably could not care less either way. As far as BFJE/MP goes he's got a ton of upfront costs simply because he runs a business in one of the most expensive places in the world to run a business. We in the US don't know how good we have it in terms of music equipment. Go to a shop in the UK, France, Japan or Australia and look what they pay for boss and digitech pedals.

 

 

{censored}, i gotta quote this too for a "this" post.

[Brian Marshall]

If I did a review of a product without trying it out, I'd get criticized, and rightly so. There are indeed other sources of "evidence", but I can't imagine making any final conclusions on any piece of equipment without using it first. Thanks for letting me know you form opinions about gear without personally researching it / using / trying it first - unlike a lot of other people who do likewise, and then post their "conclusions", at least you're honest about it.

a review and a conclusion are two different things. I certainly can not review a product with out trying it, but I can easily look at a price tag and decide that it's not within my budget... That doesn't mean I can emphatically declare as fact that the price is a rip off.

[Lou Speed]

That Spice Box is pretty sketchy looking.

[bieke]

We in the US don't know how good we have it in terms of music equipment. Go to a shop in the UK, France, Japan or Australia and look what they pay for boss and digitech pedals.

yeah this
tried a BJF pedal for the first time couple of weeks ago, the Honey Bee OD
on a crappy SS amp at superlow volume

[Phil O'Keefe]

a review and a conclusion are two different things. I certainly can not review a product with out trying it, but I can easily look at a price tag and decide that it's not within my budget... That doesn't mean I can emphatically declare as fact that the price is a rip off.

I stand corrected regarding conclusions. Yes, you can draw a conclusion regarding price / budget, even without playing or hearing something.

I guess what I was driving at is all the people who will post such and such opinions about X piece of gear based solely on what they've read from other people, and then pass it off as their own opinion based on their personal experience. I see a lot of that on the forums - especially in recording forums, and it does tend to annoy me.

My apologies to boytbpc if I misunderstood the nature of the conclusions he was drawing.