Members jasonfuzz Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 On another note, PLEEEASE let a professional web builder create your webpage. It takes so much time and effort to find out there's nothing on the site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1DZReverendDavidLee Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 Originally posted by hempathy ..I am obviously fighting an uphill battle.. My Grandfather would sum this up by telling you you're {censored}ting where you're trying to eat.Did I mention I'm from Iowa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1DZReverendDavidLee Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 Originally posted by 1DZReverendDavidLee My Grandfather would sum this up by telling you you're {censored}ting where you're trying to eat. I think I've finally uttered something Sig-worthy.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members #16 Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 Originally posted by 1DZReverendDavidLee I think I've finally uttered something Sig-worthy.... :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members murch33 Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 Originally posted by hempathy Your loss. Did I mention they also birth children?In that case, fuuuuck that. /patiently awaiting the Skreddy Coat-Hanger clone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members skr3ddy Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 HEMPATHY: So am I a standup guy, or am I guilty of mojo BS marketing? Am I some kind of scammer, or do I make good sounding pedals? "There are far worse builders than skreddy I agree." So I'm not the worst? Okay. But I am BAD, though...? In what way?? Just because I choose to stop making a product when I can't in good conscience continue to call it the same thing without the same parts? That is simply my personal choice, driven by my own integrity--nothing else--and it is none of your business. But your scenario paints me as conspiring to manipulate the market's demand by intentionally manufacturing conditions of scarcity. Believe me, if I could have just continued making the original "Mayonaise" pedal, that would have been my only Big Muff clone, period. I was literally depressed and sad when I ran out of those transistors, because EVERY OTHER UNIT I TRIED sounded like {censored}. It took me a long time to find something else to use that I could accept as sounding good, and I also had to tweek a few other components to make the change work in that circuit. It no longer sounded like the Mayonaise to me, so I called it "Zero" instead. Unfortunately the same thing happened again (albeit I had more parts this time around--I was able to make 68 pedals instead of only 23). Finally Steve Daniels found someone who could make some new transistors like the old Electro Harmonix 2N5133s, and in QUANTITY. So there is no more shortage or scarcity where my "Mayo" is concerned. And all the transistors I use in my Screw Driver are new (some were custom-made for me, but I can get more). The Ernie pedal was a special request for a circa 1973 Big Muff sound. Demand took off for that one, too. (shrug) The input and coupling caps are different enough (along with various other subtle changes) that the character of the Ernie pedal was really different compared to what I was making at the time, the Zero. I use whatever parts sound good to me. Period. If I describe them as NOS or hi-fi or lo-fi or grainy or gritty or whatever, that's because that is what they are. You know, I don't even mention things like carbon comp resistors and tropical fish capacitors on my website, just because those words are like a red flag to people like you. The fact is I prefer their tone, and I use them wherever appropriate and available. But that's none of your business. I'm just saying, it's know-it-alls like you that try to make even the truth sound like lies. So I don't use those terms on my website when describing my products. "For the record I actually like Skreddy. Atleast he is somewhat upfront and honest about it." What? SOMEWHAT upfront and honest about what? It sounds like you're firing your shotgun of ignorance at me, hoping to accidentally hit some truth. If you're going to accuse me of something, go ahead and do it. And be specific; stop hiding behind your vague, masked slurs. Are you calling me a scammer? A liar? You said: "Hi-Fi caps" dont exist. Its more mojo BS. I use the term "hi fi caps" on my Top Fuel page, so that does sound like a direct stab at me specifically. MORE mojo BS? How do you explain that statement? Compared to electrolytics and ceramic caps (as found in "triangle knob" and "rams head" BMPs), I can guarantee you that metalized film capacitors are pretty DAMN Hi Fi and make a very different tone from ceramics and electrolytics. Obviously the tone of metalized films in a Big Muff circuit results in more clarity and high-end sizzle compared to the grunge of electos and the graininess of ceramics. Or am I lying? Is this different tone all a product of my mind trying to justify all that extra effort of trying out different components that I have lying on my bench? Is it cognitive dissonance? Or maybe I'm crazy. Maybe everybody's crazy who claims the exact same sonic differences between capacitor types. You're entitled to your opinion, but you REALLY seem to be accusing me of something. So why don't you go ahead and accuse me of something? Or, if this truly isn't an attack on me, like you keep claiming, then why do you continue to attack some invisible, nonexistent huckster in the context of my pedals? Am I someone who sells $30 worth of parts and one hour of labor for $200? You're free to fight your little crusade against mojo BS. But if you're going to accuse me of something, please do be specific. And bring details and facts. If this has nothing to do with me, why bring your rant to this thread in the first place? The fact is, you don't really know a whole lot about my work, what parts I use, how much time I put into each unit, what actual differences in tone result from different component choices available to me, what mods I make in values and part types, etc., etc. You're making a lot of claims about things you really know nothing about. And when you're called on it, you act like you're doing nothing wrong and you weren't even talking about me, per se. Well the fact is, you are trying to promote your products while offhandedly accusing me of being some kind of scammer. Bring your facts. Me: "I don't make a product with different parts, causing it to sound completely different, and fail to inform my customers of the change. It's not purely marketing; it's honesty." You: "For the people who buy 6 clones of pedal A and swear they hear a huge difference (other than EQ) please look up the phenomenon known as cognitive dissonance." So without hearing my pedals yourself, you're calling me a liar and my customers stooges who have to brainwash themselves into believing that there is something about my products that is worth what they paid for them. You: "There isnt a big difference between 2N4132, 2N5088 or BC109.....believe me, I have tried them all......." "There is no secret NOS mojo BS. Just good component choice for the best tone." So if any old transistor will do and any old capacitor will do, how do you decide what is a good component? You said that after experimentation, you settled on 2N5088's in your Big Muff. What kind of experimentation? You used your EARS??? Because earlier you claimed that humans can't be trusted to decide what sounds best to them, and that all transistors and capacitors sound alike. So which is it? Do component choices matter or not? Have you ever heard a Big Muff Pi made in 1971? How 'bout one from 1973 or '74? How 'bout 1975. Do you know the differences in them? Do you know how they sound, compared to one another? I bet if you haven't heard them, you still have a strong opinion about the answer to that question. It must be hard to be the only honest man left on the face of the earth. I'm sure glad we have you to defend all the innocent, gullible sheep in the world from hucksters and scammers out there like me. You know what, HEMPATHY? You're accusing me of lying and scamming without ANY facts to back you up--only half-assed assumptions. I say if you're going to make such serious accusations, you should arm yourself with facts. Also, since you're calling me a liar and a thief, you can stop pretending to kiss my ass at the same time. You are plainly trying to promote your products at my expense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members endo23 Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 Good response, Skred. Keep on keeping on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ollenorin Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 yeah good post Skreddy. Hempathy is lost....hes trying to take a stab at someone who offers great pedals that doesnt sound like other big muffs or big muffs clones... i just scored a Zero today...YAY!!!....and it is pretty damn the best fuzz ive played....ive played all sorts of big muff but nothing sounds like the zero. End of story. I also have a Mayo on order cause i want the thunder fuzz as well. Skreddy rocks ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members derek_32999 Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 Originally posted by skr3ddy You are plainly trying to promote your products at my expense. There it is folks, no more to see here. It's all over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members murch33 Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 Skreddy, I love you.The guy's clearly a douche, and if his pedals suck as much as his website then I don't think there's any threat of him "making it big" in the pedal building business./proud owner of a Zero and waiting on a Mayo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Speeddemon Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 +1 Skreddy. as a fellow builder I know for a darn fact that you can't make a Muff clone with only $30 in parts in 1 hour! -sanding, cleaning, drilling = 10-15 minutes. -applying 2-3 layers primer, 2-3 layers of paint AND decals = 20-30 minutes. (if using powdercoated enclosures, the lesser labour gets exchanged with more expensive enclosures, and you still have to apply decals and clearcoat) -populating and soldering the PCB=at least 30 minutes. a Big Muff circuit is NOT a 8-10-part Fuzz Face or Rangemaster. (and if you're like me, and modernising these old circuits, they're more parts; polarity protection, powersupply filtering, etc.) then comes the part that I hate the most: -cutting wires and solder them to the jacks, board, switch(es) and pots= 30 minutes easily. So even if you rush your ass off, we're almost 2 hours further. And rushing when making pedals=less quality, ugly soldering. So make that 3 hours. $25/h pay rate (I don't know if that's what Skreddy charges himself?) $50 in parts, and the COST of the pedal is $100-125. Slap on $20-50 profit, and you got yer saleprice. I know I'm not the person to say it, being without a website and all, but man, Hempathy's site really sucks! I'm waiting and waiting to SEE any products, but the angry black and white moving letters keep coming and I haven't seen a single pedal there, besides some names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members derek_32999 Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 Originally posted by Speeddemon So make that 3 hours. $25/h pay rate (I don't know if that's what Skreddy charges himself?) $50 in parts, and the COST of the pedal is $100-125. Slap on $20-50 profit, and you got yer saleprice. 25*3=75+50 in parts =125+$50 profit dont ya mean 40*3 = 120+ 50 in parts = 170 + $8 in shipping = $178I mean you cant say "I work for $25/hr and make a $50 profit on each pedal". Just say I make $40/hr. Who cares as long as the kick ass pedals are coming out. Supply and demand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ElvisIsNotDjed Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 Way to go Skreddy! Don't worry about the Douchepathy. I bet every customer you've ever had is willing to take your side and defend your good name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Arjae Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 I am sure that if each pedal cost Marc $30 to build and an hour, then he would NOT still be working a day job and having a 5 week backlog to fill orders. Once you hold a Skreddy Pedal in your hand and pop off the back, you can see that some serious time and work goes into each one of them. And that is all before you even plug the thing in. Then THAT is where it really shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members derek_32999 Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 Originally posted by derek_32999 25*3=75+50 in parts =125+$50 profitdont ya mean40*3 = 120+ 50 in parts = 170 + $8 in shipping = $178I mean you cant say "I work for $25/hr and make a $50 profit on each pedal". Just say I make $40/hr.Who cares as long as the kick ass pedals are coming out. Supply and demand. Also add in the money it takes to run a website (a nice one at that), R&D on different flavors of circuits and beautiful sounding new flavors ALA screwdriver and you can start to realize skreddy pedals are more than worth what you pay for them. I have never played a skreddy that didnt impress me. BTW I am definately not saying the above figures are correct. If they were like I said, who gives a crap!! Supply and Demand! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Speeddemon Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 Hey Derek, I was giving a rough figure. Btw, it DOES matter financially if you charge less per hour and add profit, or when you make more per hour without profit. There's income tax and profit tax, if I'm correct. You see, as a company, if you're making $40/h with no profit, you're a rich mofo, with no money to invest in your company. The profit stays IN the company and is used for R&D, new investments (like getting custom made knobs, and stuff like that). I'm not sure how it works in the US, but in Holland there are 2 different taxes for that. And depending on which tax is cheaper, you might want to play with those figures, within reasonable bounds. Let's say that 'profit tax' is like 15%, but income (or labour) tax is 35%, then it's smarter to charge yourself less, and make more profit. But within reasonable bounds, you can't make $100 profit on a pedal, and have like $5 labour cost. This is some info I've learned from my dad's new wife, who's a business woman, with her own business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gold_soundz Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 I'm all for cloning more obscure pedals. If someone could do a cheap doppleganger clone so that I could worry about mine less at dodgy pub gigs I'd be delighted. But the reality is that my old EH big muff is what gets stomped on the most. This is the case for most people, hence lots of muff clones and no dopplegangers (I know the dg is a more complex circuit, but the point still holds true.) So with all the muff clones, the fact that skreddy pedals have recieved such quick high aclaim from people on forums like these who know and care about fx says to me he must be doing something right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members derek_32999 Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 Originally posted by Speeddemon Hey Derek, I was giving a rough figure. Btw, it DOES matter financially if you charge less per hour and add profit, or when you make more per hour without profit. There's income tax and profit tax, if I'm correct. You see, as a company, if you're making $40/h with no profit, you're a rich mofo, with no money to invest in your company. The profit stays IN the company and is used for R&D, new investments (like getting custom made knobs, and stuff like that). I'm not sure how it works in the US, but in Holland there are 2 different taxes for that. And depending on which tax is cheaper, you might want to play with those figures, within reasonable bounds. Let's say that 'profit tax' is like 15%, but income (or labour) tax is 35%, then it's smarter to charge yourself less, and make more profit. But within reasonable bounds, you can't make $100 profit on a pedal, and have like $5 labour cost. This is some info I've learned from my dad's new wife, who's a business woman, with her own business. Ahhh, I see. Cool info, THANKS!! In that case, I would make $7.00/hr income and $33/hr profit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members skr3ddy Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 All that assuming one is incorporated; otherwise the point is moot. Adding to the time involved, I make my own circuitboards (not that that adds to the quality, but it does add time). And 4 coats of clear on the enclosures, each with a 24-hour cure time, doesn't speed things up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fusionid Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 Hey Skreddy, do you have a "shop', or place in Sacramento are where you have your pedals for display and to try out. i would love to stop by and check them out in person. I live in sacto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members derek_32999 Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 Originally posted by skr3ddy Adding to the time involved, I make my own circuitboards (not that that adds to the quality, but it does add time). Holy {censored} really, that is awesome!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members skr3ddy Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 You're welcome to visit my house in Roseville. At any one time I may or may not have finished versions onhand. There are a few models I never managed to make a personal model to hold on to, though. I have a Zero and a Screw Driver of my own, and maybe there'll be some other models on the bench we can play with. Shoot me an email, and we can get together sometime! MarcOriginally posted by fusionid Hey Skreddy,do you have a "shop', or place in Sacramento are where you have your pedals for display and to try out. i would love to stop by and check them out in person. I live in sacto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fusionid Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 terrific. Let me sell some crap to get some cash and we can set it up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Speeddemon Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 Originally posted by skr3ddy All that assuming one is incorporated; otherwise the point is moot.Adding to the time involved, I make my own circuitboards (not that that adds to the quality, but it does add time). And 4 coats of clear on the enclosures, each with a 24-hour cure time, doesn't speed things up. I could do that too, but the guy I'm getting them from is a real artist, he's quick, cheap and good. Why should I bother with etching stuff, drawing lines, etc, myself, if some dude can make me a Miami Fuzz PCB for $3? (cut and drilled)Next step would be the 'pro' PCB's with solder mask, silkscreening, stuff like that. But my batches are too small for that (or I'm gonna be stuck with 100 PCB's for a looooong time). Also, more and more I'm getting powdercoated enclosures. Besides the very important fact that it's infinitely stronger than any hand-spraypainted paint, it saves me a lot of time, money (for spraycans) and nasty fumes.Only problem is, not all my favourite colors can be made so easily in powdercoat. Regarding your clearcoats, I suggest doing 1 layer very lightly. Let it dry for 2 days. Then do a more thick layer, and let that one dry for 2 days too. Less chance of little specs of dust getting stuck in it, and less fumes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members murch33 Posted March 28, 2006 Members Share Posted March 28, 2006 Originally posted by skr3ddy There are a few models I never managed to make a personal model to hold on to, though. I have a Zero and a Screw Driver of my own, and maybe there'll be some other models on the bench we can play with. Shoot me an email, and we can get together sometime! MarcYou don't own a Mayonaise? You made one of the most sought after Muff clones in recent memory and you don't have one for yourself? Now *that* I don't understand. If I was in the pedal building business that's the first thing I would do. I'd have all of the "#1" pedals lined up in a display case or something. ...with a little hammer hanging from a string and a sign that reads "In case of financial emergency, break glass." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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