RoboPimp's weekly boutique rant: What makes you so good?

[BryanMichael]

This is a forced false analogy, that one "must be good" in order to "need" a boutique pedal.

I don't know how old some of you are, but I'm just shy of 40 and gigged out regularly between 1988 and 2001- more than 12 years. When I was a teenager and first getting into gear, it was the mid 80's and choices were limited- this was just before the rise of the AMS's and Musician's Friend's and online shopping. Were people getting "good tone" back then? sure! But I remember when people didn't refer to their sound as a "tone" - it was Eric Johnson I think that seemed to start that whole thing- and I think the expansion of the overall market, the education of the general musician public and the quest to individualize one's self afterelectric guitar music has been around now for 60+ years has allowed the "boutique" market to exist.

What I mean: Just reading back through the history of rock music in the 60's and 70's you can see how things were customized and built for individuals from the very begining! From guitars to fuzz boxes- and at the time these things weren't "mass produced"! But it used to be the touring pro or the studio musician that really had access to someone tweaking and crafting for them-Now the average joe can get a high-quality handbuilt effect, maybe even tweaked to their own specs.

Arre the better? Well, I'll say that I was rather happy with my SOundtank TS-5 tubescreamer in like 1999 when I started playing more guitar- then I bought a regular TS-9 reissue because it was metal instead of plastic- the sound was the same- and I was happy! Then I heard about this guy around 2001 named analogman that could "mod" my pedal and it would sound "better"
Well, I had to give it a try so I ordered a modded TS-9 from Mike and sure enough, side by side I preferred the modded pedal overwhelmingly! And then you begin to wonder what other sonic delights await you that you haven't experienced. It used to be: When I was younger it used to be "Do you want a Boss Phaser, a DOD phaser, an Ibanez phaser or an old broken EHX phaser?" so your choices were limited- now everything can be compared to myriad other choices, and so people have become more picky as the subtle differences become apparent- once you know the subtle differences, and have experienced them- it's really hard to go back!! And thus- I was never happy with an unmodded TS-9 again. I think some of that comes into play.

Boutique builders have done two things:

1. take an existing idea or highly regarded example of an effect (let's use the TS-9 for example) and built a high-quality version
2. Listen to all the complaints and wishes and suggestions of a generation of guitarists and applied those to their designs in a way that mass produced pedalmakers really hadn't done.

The result is a high-quality product that addresses the shortcomings and wish lists of players- and in that way, to many people, they are BETTER.

Gear fetishism also plays a big part in any gear slection IMO as wel.

[melx]

Because the diversity is from what I've seen much bigger among boutique pedals than "mass produced" ones.

 

 

 

The most beatiful, diverse and unique guitar tones I've ever heard recorded by anyone on this forum are by Fender&ehx4ever.........using Electro harmonix and Boss pedals into a fostex porta studio.

[SylphCo.]

Says the guy with a hand-painted SHO, a BoR, and a ReezaFRATzitz?

I'm actually not picky about my sound. I got the Reeza and the SHO because of their names, and because I got them from the States, the prices were good, and the BoR I got dirt-cheap secondhand. To me, they're just a couple of distortion units and a booster.

[starsailor803]

3) Many musicians that don't spend hours here every day, have little knowledge of the options available. If they did, they might spend a bit more on better gear, but often times the "it works for me" mentality wins out over what might actually be better.

 

 

Yep, for years of playing in bands I got away with some of the {censored}tiest gear imaginable. I had a decent guitar(PRS) but that was all. I would go back and forth between using a Crate DX212 modeler amp or a Fender Princeton Chorus(SS)/Marshall Valvestate 80. The only pedals I owned were a DS-1, a Metal Zone, and a DD-3(loved that one).

 

I was never happy with my sound back then but I didn't know jack {censored} about good gear except that I couldn't afford it. I got by and no one ever noticed I had {censored} for sound so I left it that way.

[johanwastaken]

 

The most beatiful, diverse and unique guitar tones I've ever heard recorded by anyone on this forum are by Fender&ehx4ever.........using Electro harmonix and Boss pedals into a fostex porta studio.

 

 

Yes, I believe you. I didn't say that boutique pedals sounded better, but simply that there is more diversity so the sheer chance that a boutique pedal will sound better is higher.

[frankiej]

Wait what are we considering boutique? The only semi boutique pedals i have on my board are my Monsterpiece, which is very reasonsably priced and Subdecay which to me isnt boutique.

Then the rest is boss.

[bieke]

could it be that the majority of "working musicians" can't afford a 300$ pedal ?

[Uma Floresta]

"Boutique" as a sound is a made-up concept. Hand-wired has nothing to do with good tone. Either a pedal is good or it isn't, regardless of who made it.

[dandy13]

When I played out all of the time my board was all mass produced stuff. After the band I was bored with my sound and through these forums discovered a bunch of pedals that I didn't even know existed. If it wasn't for the interwebs I would think all that's available was what I find at GC. So anyways the buy and flip cycle began and I ended up finding some stuff that I really liked and the rest I sold. I don't think I "need" boutique options to sound like me, but if I like something and it's within my means then it's all good imo. Also, if it wasn't for purchasing my fulltone '69 I wouldn't have discovered the awesomeness of germanium based pedals as there really aren't any mass produced germanium fuzz faces.
The times are changing tho. I've noticed in the last year Guitar Player magazine in particular reviews a ton of boutique stuff every issue and these pedals are becoming more and more mainstream. For example, the equally ridiculous threads that read something like: are fulltone and zvex considered boutique anymore? As if their status as boutique pedals has an impact on the way they sound.
It's all a bunch of crap. And on here it's become a lot like "I'm more punk then you cause you wear name brand shoes" and {censored}

[SylphCo.]

It's all a bunch of crap. And on here it's become a lot like "I'm more punk then you cause you wear name brand shoes" and {censored}

 

 

If people aren't proud of their playing, having some exotic stompbox gives them to be proud of.

[NetStar]

3) Many musicians that don't spend hours here every day, have little knowledge of the options available. If they did, they might spend a bit more on better gear, but often times the "it works for me" mentality wins out over what might actually be better.

 

 

 

This is true.

A freind of mine, who played 200+ gigs last year and has been playing live for the last three, asked me "Does anyone make a 'noise gate pedal'?"

[goldie-gold]

could it be that the majority of "working musicians" can't afford a 300$ pedal ?

 

 

Possibly, probably. I don't think it really matters. Whether they can or they cannot it does not, for me, change the validity, or otherwise, of using a boutique pedal if you want to.

 

I don't think that the fact that Robopimp has seen people not using boutique pedals proves anything. I also don't think that the majority of people who use boutique pedals think they are better than anyone else. Maybe some do, but probably only as many people who think they are better than other people because they DON'T use boutique pedals.

[DanJep]

Boutique provides more options. It's retarded to buy a $300 TS clone, so don't do that. But there are some pretty unique dirt boxes out there and really great modulation pedals. Why limit yourself by ONLY buying boutique or ONLY buying mass produced? Buy what you need and shut up.

[Ben Co.]

 

If people aren't proud of their playing, having some exotic stompbox gives them to be proud of.

 

Not here...

You want that indie cred, you gotta rock EHX. Having anything 'boutique' is shameful 'round these parts. Shameful in general I'd say.

[SylphCo.]

Not here... You want that indie cred, you gotta rock EHX. Having anything 'boutique' is shameful 'round these parts.

Damn, you're right, and I try so hard to keep myself fashionable. Are tight jeans still cool?

[bt2513]

Not reading the entire thread, but what qualifies as a boutique pedal? I mean, I think we all have an idea of what a boutique pedal is but if we are going to get into the semantics of gear I think its worth defining a little further....

My point(s) being:

1. Almost all pedals available from any retail store anywhere use at least some sort of mass production techniques. Whether this means interchangeable parts, batch processing in production stages or whatnot. Is there a number (i.e., units produced per year) that we can assign that clearly distinguishes boutique from the rest?

2. Regardless of your definition of #1, the fact remains that these same guys may go out and drop $400 on the new BOSS GT-1234948. Its expensive. I think we would all agree that its not boutique. But its a $400 pedal that they may only use for a fraction of the feature set.

3. This may have already been said, but would you take your nicest gear to a pub to play Bad Company and Dire Straits? I wonder if these guys have good stuff at home? The last several groups I saw at a bar used various modeling amps and Blues Devilles/Deluxes. I'm convinced that the Fender HRD line is the official blues combo of all pub bands everywhere.

[dandy13]

If people aren't proud of their playing, having some exotic stompbox gives them to be proud of.

 

 

I think that's probably true for some. There does seem to be a measure of people that are more collector types or people who's hobby is more gear flipping and less gear playing. I think many of us can spot those people tho. I mean, I feel like I see some people posting in the "post your pedalboard" thread every week or so, each time with a different set up!

[SylphCo.]

To all those wondering of how boutique is defined in Robo's argument, I think what he's questioning is why people buy certain pedals, regardless of boutique-ness/cost/etc.

 

 

"I couldn't get a usable tone with XXX, then I got Magicman's boutique screeming tube ocverdrive and my tone was killer"

 

 

Often people spend more money on certain pieces of gear because they think they are convinced that they need them, due to hype or unhappiness with their own playing or whatever, when they could have been happy with a less expensive unit. The pedal then sounds better to them, simply because they think it should.

[Ben Co.]

Often people spend more money on certain pieces of gear because they think they are convinced that they need them, due to hype or unhappiness with their own playing or whatever, when they could have been happy with a less expensive unit. The pedal then sounds better to them, simply because they think it should.

And that's true for some of the boutiquers of course. It's also true for some of the anti-boutiquers who won't consider a boutique pedal because it's 'not cool' or because it's 'so pricey'. Lack of perspective or education exists on both sides I think. And ultimately it doesn't matter. Talent will rise, {censored} will sink. And whether Tommy A. has boutique drives and Tommy B. has all Digitech... it doesn't matter. It's who makes the most of what they've got.

 

I love my DOD DFX9. I also love my Fetto.

 

And ultimately, Robo doesn't care what anyone posts here; the point is to stir up {censored} . I seriously have a chubby for Robo...we totally have to get together and whip up some mansauce for manwiches.

 

[mrbluetone]

Anybody who spends lots of time in this hellhole reading all this crap ain't improving their playing anyways......and effects are just effects, good, bad, or indifferent.

[CS]

This is your opinion. Yet I see people here all the time "I couldn't get a usable tone with XXX, then I got Magicman's boutique screeming tube ocverdrive and my tone was killer"     This is not the real world it's an effects BBS. Anyone geeky enough, me and you uncluded, to spend time here is not 'normal'.   what makes you so "good" that you need a $300 dirt pedal to get your tone?

 

This question is designed to get people using $300 overdrives on the defensive.

 

 

Bottom line if one is happy with their tone who cares what others are using?

[hecticone]

Gotta remember a lot of musicians have endorsements to play certain pedals and amps.A lot of guys will have certain amps on stage that aren't even working but the head they use is tucked out of sight.

[dandy13]

Often people spend more money on certain pieces of gear because they think they are convinced that they need them, due to hype or unhappiness with their own playing or whatever, when they could have been happy with a less expensive unit. The pedal then sounds better to them, simply because they think it should.

 

 

Ignorance is bliss they say.

[Mr. Awesome]

I'm not a touring player but here are reasons guys probably don't use expensive stuff on the road.

1. Cheap and easy to replace.

2. Greater chance of theft or loss.

3. Live playing sound is not so much in your control so a boutique probably will make less of a difference.

There also is an element of stacking pedals especially overdrives. When I have experimented I found that maybe pedal "A" didn't work well with my new "super duper coolest OD" but my old "xxx" worked much better. I'm sure guys playing out do not want to be fussing around with pedal order and such, I'm quite sure thay want easy.

I would also bet these same guys when recording will do what ever it takes to get the best tone and I wouldn't doubt it if they did use different stuff in the recording studio.

Slamming boutique stuff is pretty stupid IMHO, some of it is lame, a lot of it sounds remarkably similar, but most of it is better then the mass produced stuff.

[BR4D]

This dead horse has to be really sore by now.

Why does it even matter what some random guy on a forum uses on his pedal board? Use what sounds good to you. Go make music.