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Why are BYOC pedals so expensive?


mfergel

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:snax:

 

i thought they seemed reasonable. most IIRC are under $100 unless you buy one already built. it will cost a little to paint and put graphics on it but look at what some charge for pedals. first one comes to mind is Maxon and i like their stuff a lot but for mass produced product they charge boutique prices.

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They aren't that much cheaper than buying an assembled and finished pedal.

 

 

 

True in some cases, but some of the assembled pedals aren't true bypass. The GGG pedals are cheaper. I have one at home (808 clone) that I've yet to build, but the parts look comparable. the other thing that is appealing is the enclosures for some of the pedals (like the Muff) are smaller than the original. That's why I never got a "real" Muff - too big.

 

But you are right about knowing the cost of the parts. Before Keith stopped selling the PCBs I got a Screamer and Wah PCB and sourced my own parts (I used my Crybaby shell) and my total cost was about 1/2 of a kit - and I didn't buy bulk.

 

But, I imagine that he spends a good deal of time on R&D before he releases a pedal so that has to factor in there too.

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they're not expensive. you're just cheap.

 

 

Well, I've got a TC Electronics G-system into a Carvin Legacy stack (1-4x12, 2-2x12) and a slew of guitars including Gibson and Parker. Cheap....??? Yeah, to an extent but I like a good value. I just think they are about $20 more than they should be.

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True in some cases, but some of the assembled pedals aren't true bypass. The GGG pedals are cheaper. I have one at home (808 clone) that I've yet to build, but the parts look comparable. the other thing that is appealing is the enclosures for some of the pedals (like the Muff) are smaller than the original. That's why I never got a "real" Muff - too big.


But you are right about knowing the cost of the parts. Before Keith stopped selling the PCBs I got a Screamer and Wah PCB and sourced my own parts (I used my Crybaby shell) and my total cost was about 1/2 of a kit - and I didn't buy bulk.


But, I imagine that he spends a good deal of time on R&D before he releases a pedal so that has to factor in there too.

 

 

Exactly. I got the feeling I'll go with GGG. I mostly like the idea of the smaller pedals and that they cases are designed with the inputs/outputs on the top. Would allow me to fit my pedals closer together. Guess that's why the Electro Harmonix Nano line appeals too me.

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It's not like they are selling one here and one there every once in a while. It's a business that needs to pay the bills. Even though they are clones, you are paying for the time taken to research and create the PCB, sort the parts (which I am sure sucks), package everything together, trouble shoot, etc. They are quite reasonably priced IMO.

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Well, I've got a TC Electronics G-system into a Carvin Legacy stack (1-4x12, 2-2x12) and a slew of guitars including Gibson and Parker. Cheap....??? Yeah, to an extent but I like a good value. I just think they are about $20 more than they should be.

 

You have all that and then declare the BYOC as being $20 too expensive?

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You have all that and then declare the BYOC as being $20 too expensive?

 

 

its all relative man. $20 dollars more on a $80-100 pedal IS alot more. do the same math with a $2000 guitar. does it still seem like nothing?

 

a word of wisdom from the late grandpaaas. "its not how you save, it how you spend" :poke:

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True in some cases, but some of the assembled pedals aren't true bypass. The GGG pedals are cheaper. I have one at home (808 clone) that I've yet to build, but the parts look comparable. the other thing that is appealing is the enclosures for some of the pedals (like the Muff) are smaller than the original. That's why I never got a "real" Muff - too big.


But you are right about knowing the cost of the parts. Before Keith stopped selling the PCBs I got a Screamer and Wah PCB and sourced my own parts (I used my Crybaby shell) and my total cost was about 1/2 of a kit - and I didn't buy bulk.


But, I imagine that he spends a good deal of time on R&D before he releases a pedal so that has to factor in there too.

 

If you're interested the GGG 808 clone can be turned into a Landgraff DO clone with about $10 worth of extra parts. See page 5 of this thread over at The Gear Page for details. I just completed one and it sounds fantastic! Quite possibly the best $85 I've ever spent on guitar gear. :thu:

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yeah, as stated......$20 on an $80 pedal is a lot different than $20 on a $2000 guitar. I'm not going to balk at $20 on the guitar.

 

I do understand the additional work beyond the unit itself (packaging, etc) and yeah, I know the whole thing with profit vs. costs, etc. I did quite well in my Marketing courses in college and have manufactured and sold stuff myself.

 

I probably would just buy the parts myself but since they no longer sell the boards.......oh well. I know they really aren't worse than anyone other manufacturer but, I'll use the cafeteria here at work as an example. They keep raising the prices and the number of people that use the cafeteria keeps getting smaller each time. Why? Not simply because they raise the prices but because they have competition. There are roughly a dozen or more fast food joints and resteraunts all within 1 block of work. People of reached a point where the convenience of eating at work is no longer worth the cost when they can now eat for much less across the street. Granted, the cost of eating at the cafateria was always a little bit more, but you were paying for convenience, selection, variety, etc. They've started a downward spiral now where with each customer lost they need to charge the next customer more in order to make up for their overhead. They should either be lowering their prices or offering a significant advantage (or eliminate their competition). I kind of feel like BYOC might be better off to charge slightly less and work on increasing sales volume. Granted, I don't know their numbers so I can't say for sure. Maybe they are where they need to be, but the fact that I'm willing to go to GGG over BYOC means they lost a potential customer simply due to pricing.

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If you're interested the GGG 808 clone can be turned into a Landgraff DO clone with about $10 worth of extra parts. See
page 5 of this thread over at The Gear Page
for details. I just completed one and it sounds fantastic! Quite possibly the best $85 I've ever spent on guitar gear.
:thu:

 

I actually ordered the mod kit for the "expensive boutique" mod. I can't wait to get to it. I'm also gonna do the Fat Boost mod. I want to try MOSFETs in there too. My BYOC has the Landgraff clipping mods in there and the LEDs are kinda harsh to my ears. I did the stock/max distortion mod on that and love it.

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The cost for kit assembly is more than just the parts cost. There's cost involved in designing PCB layouts, drilling enclosures, separating / packaging per-kit parts, and processing orders.

 

You can, of course, build one of BYOC's kits for a lot less if you're willing to do the extra work. I believe Keith will sell the PCB's alone for most, if not all, of his kits. You can then use his online documents to get a full parts list and then order the parts, hook-up wire, and enclosure from Mouser, Small Bear, Pedal Parts, or some other electronics parts supplier. You'll have to do the parts layout and enclosure drilling yourself but that's an easy enough thing to do.

 

In short - when you buy a BYOC kit you're paying for more than parts. Keith's business provides excellent products. That business has costs directly related to those products. The products are priced so that he can cover cost and make sufficient profit to ensure that he stays in business.

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Well, I've got a TC Electronics G-system into a Carvin Legacy stack (1-4x12, 2-2x12) and a slew of guitars including Gibson and Parker. Cheap....??? Yeah, to an extent but I like a good value. I just think they are about $20 more than they should be.

 

 

you could say that about any boutique pedal.

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