Ryan H Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 A friend of mine linked me to a topic on TGP that's quite concerning. A TGPer purchased a Vertex Axis wah, then started to hear rumors about it being a copy of the BBE Ben Wah...so he opened it up. Gooped. He carefully degooped the pedal and compared it to a BBE Ben Wah...and found that they were identical. Vertex is buying Ben Wah's, gooping them and rebranding them, and charging $200 more...oh, and they're claiming the pedals are made in California, with boutique components and custom-wound inductors...they're MIC. Just thought some of you may want to know, so you don't unknowingly support such a shady company... -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevDavidLee Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 If this turns out to be true - I hope that BBE takes him to the cleaners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 What an impudent way of badge engineering. So the only custom parts were the nameplates, stuck up in California? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan H Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 If this turns out to be true - I hope that BBE takes him to the cleaners. Well, on the original thread on TGP, the owner of Vertex changed his story 3 times, and then his lawyer started sending C&D letters to TGP members for libel...I'd say that's pretty shady... -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Well, on the original thread on TGP, the owner of Vertex changed his story 3 times, and then his lawyer started sending C&D letters to TGP members for libel...I'd say that's pretty shady... -Ryan Me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Where will it end? Seems like there are just so many scammers out there trying to rip people off. If they would put as much energy into an honest enterprise - they might actually succeed - and not risk going to jail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Admittedly there are only so many adjustments one can make to the classic wah circuit, so they are all somewhat similar. But in this case they actually purchased the units from BBE and then re-labeled them, right? I wonder if they started out clean but decided this would be easier or if it was a re-labeling job from the start. Guess we will never know, but preying on innocent customers like that is flat out wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 And no one could hear the difference. Imagine that. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 And no one could hear the difference. Imagine that. :) To be honest, I choked on laughing. :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 And no one could hear the difference. Imagine that. :) Well that is a valid point - the "boutique" industry is clearly out of control and the buyers are in some senses asking for it, not buying with their ears, but still... Let's say someone sends a pedal of mine back because they want more treble or gain. Should I simply ship it back to them without changing anything, knowing that I might get away with it? I couldn't do that. Could you? Obviously caveat emptor applies, but if this turns out to be true, then it would be like you buying pickups from GFS and calling them Searcys and saying they were individually wound in Tennessee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Looking at the BBE Ben it looks like a great wah for the price, the Vertex is $350? Yikes, who pays that much for a wah? What I noticed is that the PCB on the BBE Ben has big letters saying just what it is, I guess that part is gooped up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan H Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 Looking at the BBE Ben it looks like a great wah for the price, the Vertex is $350? Yikes, who pays that much for a wah? What I noticed is that the PCB on the BBE Ben has big letters saying just what it is, I guess that part is gooped up? Yeah..in the thread he posted pics of the guts of a BBE Ben and his de-gooped Vertex. The de-gooping process left the board really messy...but you can definitely see that every part, every piece of wire, everything is identical...even the battery. -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 And no one could hear the difference. Imagine that. :) evidently everyone that bought one "heard" the difference.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Obviously caveat emptor applies, but if this turns out to be true, then it would be like you buying pickups from GFS and calling them Searcys and saying they were individually wound in Tennessee. Ohhh I didn't mean to sound like I was defending the Vertex guys. I'm more just laughing at the guys who buy boutique gear because it's boutique. Not unlike the guys who buy vintage because it's vintage. You know what I always say... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sg50 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I believe I've read that relicked electronics sound better. So really it comes down to this: Which guts look older? Or, in the event of a tie, which look like the most obscure? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 One way or another, this grouchy old man figures it comes back to "play the guitar straight and think about whether folks can hear what you're playing 'stedda a bunch of mud, then mess with controls on the guitar and amp, then think about possibly adding something. Wah and volume pedals... a lesser concern IMHO in a lotta ways, but more than $100 for either seems a bit extreme. OTOH, I think a lotta stomp boxes had best have at least a well-made shell, 'cuz pickers can stomp as hard or harder than they think at times. That's likely 80 percent of the price tag of a wah or volume pedal, too. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Due process? What if they (Vertex) are innocent? What if the guy on TGP had an axe to grind? Tried and convicted on hearsay? Tough crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan H Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 Due process? What if they (Vertex) are innocent? What if the guy on TGP had an axe to grind? Tried and convicted on hearsay? Tough crowd. Supposedly someone else contacted BBE and Mason (owner of Vertex) is a "dealer" of their products, and has been doing this behind their backs... BBE also said that if your Vertex Axis ever breaks, send it to them instead of Vertex and they'll repair it... -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan H Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 Heck, I'll just link the topic my friend showed me and you can all decide for yourself how legitimate this is: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=1461942 -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Supposedly someone else contacted BBE and Mason (owner of Vertex) is a "dealer" of their products, and has been doing this behind their backs... BBE also said that if your Vertex Axis ever breaks, send it to them instead of Vertex and they'll repair it... -Ryan They may very well be guilty. I agree looks damning. I'm only pointing out that there are many times that the accused are innocent. Sounds like due process may and should occur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Looking at the BBE Ben it looks like a great wah for the price, the Vertex is $350? Yikes, who pays that much for a wah? Idiots, that's who. I only pay that much for nearly-done batteries that give me the creamy EJ sag. For threefitty I can usually get a dozen. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan H Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 Idiots, that's who. I only pay that much for nearly-done batteries that give me the creamy EJ sag. For threefitty I can usually get a dozen. rct And if you're lucky they'll throw in an elastic band so you can do away with those tone-sucking screws. -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 evidently everyone that bought one "heard" the difference.......... This is true, to an extent! Even I've experienced this, for a time. But, what happens (IMHO) is that we get "used to," a particular tone, or sound, from pedals (especially), and then they start sounding like everything else. I recently experienced this, going BACK to a Boss pedal, after using a more "botique" brand/version. Suddenly the old (what some call "ordinary") Boss pedal, sounded awesome! But, it was really just that it sounded "fresh" from what I had gotten used to. BOTH pedals, sound great, really. But, I was convinced the "boutique" pedal (had to) sound better! LOL I'll keep both, though, if for no other reason, than to switch back and forth, between the 2 when I start to get used to (bored with) one or the other. As the old saying goes..."Familiarity breeds contempt!" And yes, unethical behavior seems "rampant," anymore! Sad!! And, infuriating as well. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Apparently Vertex was doing the same with other pedals and even cables. Yikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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