Members RoboPimp Posted May 22, 2006 Members Share Posted May 22, 2006 didja ever think about maybe just "cloning" the Dist. + instead of buying them and modding them? Originally posted by State 6000 The funny thing about price is that consumers are used to seeing cheap boutique pedals these days. Being based in Australia puts me at a dsadvantage because it costs around US$110 to buy a new Distortion+ here, and another US$15 to ship over the rare tube socket I use. Add the cost of the tube, the extra components, and the 6-7 hours labour...and you can see it's not exactly economically viable when selling to the US market. Ironically enough, I studied marketing for about 2 years ages ago. Perhaps I should actually put what I learned to good use Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members State 6000 Posted May 22, 2006 Author Members Share Posted May 22, 2006 Yeah...but each unit would take too long to build, and I only have one day a week free to work on pedals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members beezdeez Posted May 22, 2006 Members Share Posted May 22, 2006 I think your project is very ambitious. It seems like a really neat pedal. I would like to hear, or better yet WATCH a clip of that thing in action. Possibly a better approach... Get on a forum, or a few, and build up a really good reputation. Get some e-friends. Get in the middle of a cult following... a Distortion+ cult. Then make one of your pedals, a prototype. Create a video of you or someone good using the pedal. Something with some narrative. Make it professional. Then post it on a bunch of boards. The key is having someone that is talented playing. Let everyone know it's just a prototype and there is currently only one made. This is when people start GASing, because there is very limited number and when you've got someone good playing people want to have their sound and thus, that pedal. Then when people are asking about production, start taking names and really monitoring the market for these pedals. Also, ask people what they think before going into a final design. Do this at the time you are piddling with your prototype. Give the audience possible placement and see what they would rather have. Putting the tube like that wouldn't be a problem for someone like me because I'm careful, but I can see how it would be a problem for others. As of now, if you aren't turning a profit, just try to break even. At worst, you've gained invaluable experience about building pedals and the market but no profit. Then next time, when you are bringing something to the market you will have learned a thing or two. Anyhow, that's a neat looking pedal. I definitely would like to hear clips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members State 6000 Posted May 22, 2006 Author Members Share Posted May 22, 2006 I really should have got some decent clips. The ones I made with my Behringer sansamp clone don't do it justice.I knocked up this quick video of the tube warming up though! The glow doesn't show up so well in daylight.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po0UixYrPP8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phishmarisol Posted May 22, 2006 Members Share Posted May 22, 2006 Originally posted by fernmeister bump it with obscure chit chat and insider jokes and then you release it give it a different name, different specs and a different price... ...and then re-release it with a different name every few months. remember one design is good for at least five different pedals. Geez, wonder who you are talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dave esmond Posted May 22, 2006 Members Share Posted May 22, 2006 Originally posted by State 6000 If anything, I've learnt that: a) Original pedal mods that take 6-7 hours to do and require exotic parts to make don't sell.b) Tubescreamer mods that take 5 minutes to do and require 50c worth of parts sell like hot-cakes at a large profit. One other lesson. Changing/tweaking a few parts = mod. Completely changing the way a pedal works = not a mod. I'm a HUGE distortion+ fan. I love stuff like the neodrive which is basicly a moded D+. The second you added a tube it stoped being a D+ and I lost all interest. The D+ is one of the classic (and to me) best sounding diode clipping distortions ever. I'm guessing on the other side you have tube distortion pedal fans who are scared off by the D+ housing. Again because it's known as a diode clipping distortion. So no, I'm not surprised you'd have a hard time selling 'em. But if you want to try again. Don't call it a D+ mod. It's not. It's a whole new pedal, celebrate that. Call it something else, paint the housing and I bet you'd have better luck. d Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Godin73 Posted May 22, 2006 Members Share Posted May 22, 2006 Originally posted by Ronsonic B Sorry, but maybe it just isn't a good idea in the first place..... Besides the tube should stick out on the other end, less likely to get stepped on. Exactly what I thought. Even with the shield, it's absolutely not practical to have the tube sticking out at the wrong side. I'm sorry, but this design is plain silly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Captain Howdy Posted May 22, 2006 Members Share Posted May 22, 2006 Originally posted by State 6000 Yeah...but each unit would take too long to build, and I only have one day a week free to work on pedals First, let me say I respect what you're doing- and like others said, you've gone beyond modding and seem to have made essentially a new pedal- a good thing. However.... if you're only devoting one day a week to the pedal biz, that isn't even close to the amount of time needed to sustain a thriving musical instrument business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members State 6000 Posted May 26, 2006 Author Members Share Posted May 26, 2006 Wow...my second auction ended without any bids. So I guess I can't even sell it for below cost price! Btw, I don't really give a rat's ass about what "consumers" want in a pedal. I build things that I personally like...and the only reason I sell them is because I couldn't afford to make pedals at all otherwise. Now I understand why 90% of boutique pedals are the same boring ideas rehashed over and over -it's what sells.Oh well, I'll be able to afford to keep the pedals I build after I graduate...so the days of trading my personal pedal ideas for the money of jackass guitarists are numbered Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HeHateMe Posted May 26, 2006 Members Share Posted May 26, 2006 Originally posted by State 6000 ...so the days of trading my personal pedal ideas for the money of jackass guitarists are numbered Well, at least you're not bitter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members State 6000 Posted May 26, 2006 Author Members Share Posted May 26, 2006 lol...just a tad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phishmarisol Posted May 27, 2006 Members Share Posted May 27, 2006 Originally posted by State 6000 Btw, I don't really give a rat's ass about what "consumers" want in a pedal. Which is fine, except for the fact that you DO wish to sell them to said "consumers". If you want to sell them you better care. btw, I think your "mod" looks cool but I never cared for that original pedal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gethsemane Posted May 27, 2006 Members Share Posted May 27, 2006 Originally posted by fernmeister bump it with obscure chit chat and insider jokes and then you release it give it a different name, different specs and a different price......and then re-release it with a different name every few months. remember one design is good for at least five different pedals. so you bought the lovepedal marketing guide, too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dave Fox Posted May 27, 2006 Members Share Posted May 27, 2006 Originally posted by State 6000 Btw, I don't really give a rat's ass about what "consumers" want in a pedal. I build things that I personally like... That's my attitude. I make what I'm into - if others want it, fine. If they don't want it, fuk'm. I'm sure it will bite me in the ass eventually... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members State 6000 Posted May 27, 2006 Author Members Share Posted May 27, 2006 Well it's obviously worked for you so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChitownTerror Posted May 27, 2006 Members Share Posted May 27, 2006 So, lemme get this straight--You don't care what the consumer wants, but you can't figure out why no one wants to buy your pedal?I was sympathetic at one point, but now I'm just drunk and ambivalent. Good ideas, but hire a PR man if that's how you deal with the consumer, bud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nico de Roode Posted May 27, 2006 Members Share Posted May 27, 2006 No the guy said the world is not ready yet. He follows his vision, not the customer. The trick is to let the customer follow you. Give the idea that this is what the customer was waiting for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChitownTerror Posted May 27, 2006 Members Share Posted May 27, 2006 Following your vision is great, but if it's not in line with what consumers want, then don't bitch about it not selling. That's the price you pay for bieng an iconoclast. I wish State well, as his D+ mod seems like a good idea and quality work. I just don't understand why there's anger at the market for not realizing the genius of an idea without A) trying to sell us on it and B) informing us of what it does. I know my cashflow is too weak to splurge on unknowns, and I'm sure the same follows for most people hre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members spentron Posted May 27, 2006 Members Share Posted May 27, 2006 "what the consumer wants" They say this a lot about music too. The problem is, when you ask a non-musician what they want in music, the answer is always something that already exists or close to it, or otherwise too abstract to be useful. Not being musicians, it's not their job to know what is possible or create something new. For those who want to make something new, it can help to show their most familiar face first, it's essential to have high quality, and you still have to get it in front of the right people. Of course, the added implication to those who give advice is reconsider how it applies to themselves.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members State 6000 Posted May 27, 2006 Author Members Share Posted May 27, 2006 I'm not really angry at folks for not buying my pedal...I was being a bit tongue in cheek This pic should answer some of the complaints about the tube's location:Your foot isn't going to worry a military tube housed in a locking, brass/nickel tube-shield with an internal retaining spring and heat dissipating fins. If you managed to break this pedal...you'd deserve it for treating your gear like crap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fuzz Explosion Posted May 27, 2006 Members Share Posted May 27, 2006 You should really rehouse this in a larger case with ventilation and just build the Distortion + board yourself. It is the easiest pedal to clone. You would save tons of money. For now it looks like an MXR on a stick. Decent Idea though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dot-dot-dot Posted May 27, 2006 Members Share Posted May 27, 2006 Aye - I would think it'd be far easier to sell a tube overdrive/distortion than a tube modded D+. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members State 6000 Posted June 2, 2006 Author Members Share Posted June 2, 2006 Yay! Someone finally bid on it. $60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members papa taco Posted June 2, 2006 Members Share Posted June 2, 2006 Originally posted by Dave Fox That's my attitude. I make what I'm into - if others want it, fine. If they don't want it, fuk'm. I'm sure it will bite me in the ass eventually... Kind sir! Please put the Octron circuit into the Captain Coconut. CC3??Love,taco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Auchenorrhyncha Posted June 3, 2006 Members Share Posted June 3, 2006 I was actually thinking of getting that, was in the process of saving up money for the shipping and everything, well, good luck with what you do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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