kmartem Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 I just purchased a new Carl Martin AC tone.It sounds great with my old Traynor guitar mate but then I got to thinkin,Why do pedals cost so much.You can buy a Coffee Maker with a real plug (not a wall wart)that does every thing but drink the coffee for $100.My Craftsman power drill was half the price of my Carl Martin.Are we being had or what??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXE® Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 Crap !!! Have you priced Maxon pedals lately... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Martin Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 They are expensive in general and of course they aren't "worth" what you spend, but you're already on the Gibson forums so you should know already that quality = $$$. Besides, when you're buying BOUTIQUE pedals, you can only expect to pay nothing but a shitload. Alot of them are hand-wired, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thermionik Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 . . You should try making your own - gives you an insight into why they cost a lot..... and to put it into perspective, I recently sold my Version II Big Muff Pi "Ram'shead" all-violet for the sterling equivalent of $400, and it was old and rusty with thirty years of abuse. Tone to die for admittedly - but I have fed it into my PC and model it now..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 There's two sides of this one... First, "commercial" pedals (don't know if that expression is correct), are, most of the time, overpriced but just a little... even the cheap ones: behringer... they cost about 15 bucks but are not worth even 5... made of cheap plastic and the worst electronics in a factory in china; boss, well made, some have a good price: the ds1 and sd1 for example... but, some are overpriced IMO (delays, reverbs, flangers, and those with supposedly more complex circuits); now, electro harmonix aren't as overpriced as others IMO, why? "made in NY": higher manufacturing costs, not only salaries and facilities, but, the components are either american or chinese... if they use american, they are more expensive than chinese... if they use chinese, they are more expensive in the US than they are in china (and EH pedals cost sometimes less than BOSS pedals). Second... "boutique" pedals... you can say whatever you want about them: sound better, charge you just for the labbel ("boutique"), make you pay for the name, are made in the US or wherever (the most expensive pedals I've found are made in Korea), but the thruth is, THEY ARE NOT SELLING MILLIONS OF PEDALS A YEAR, like BOSS is, so they have greater production costs, regardless of the materials, facilities, salaries and everything else they have to invest in. Let's see in easier terms Brand "A" and brand "B" have the exact production costs: $1000 (daily) Brand "A" sells 100 daily, brand "B" sells 1. Brand "A" CAN sell theirs at $25 (hell even at $11 for the first year till they get everyone else out of bussiness); while brand "B" HAS TO sell them at $1500 minimum, or else they wont be able to stay on bussiness. The better or lower quality of each is debatable... with some, you know they are using better components, with most you can't even guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 There's a good middle ground too; both Boss and Ibanez make good pedals and some are even considered classics. Me? I'm a boutique guy for a couple of reasons. Most of what I use are by Analogman and Foxrox. My current setup: guitar --> Analogman Beano Boost --> Foxrox Aquavibe --> Analogman Bi-Chorus --> Foxrox Paradox TZF flanger --> Analogman King of Tone --> amp Why I chose each one: Analogman Beano Boost: My first boutique pedal. It was really the sound clips on the web page that sold me and it's an awesome pedal for boosting leads as well as snarky rhythm tones. There are other clones and variations of the Dallas Rangemaster by other companies, but the Analogman version seems to be the closest to the original. It gets the most use aside from the King of Tone. Foxrox Aquavibe: When it comes to swirly sounds, I'm a freak for vibes. I own several other Foxrox vibes including one that's a part of my Captain Coconut 2, but the Aquavibe stays in my chain for sounding just like the others but being more compact and less likely to get ripped off (and if it does, I can get another one). Analogman Bi-Chorus: Admittedly, I overbought on this one and would have been fine with just their regular chorus but, at the time, I thought I would use more of the functionality available on the version I have. Foxrox Paradox TZF flanger: Another one I overbought on for what I use it for (one song) but it's infinitely tweaky and a LOT of fun. Actually, I doubt I could find another flanger that gets the sound I'm using with it anyway. Analogman King of Tone: I use this as more of a clean boost than overdrive. It just works... I step on it and it gets a sound that works for me. It was a bit tweaky at first as I fussed with it to set it where I want it, but now I just step on it and go. Very natural sounding and HIGHLY recommended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmartem Posted November 9, 2008 Author Share Posted November 9, 2008 I guess what I'm getting at is other appliances are so much cheaper considering the amount of components ,plastic and metals they used to make them.My Carl Martin AC tone sounds so good that I'm thinking about buying the C.M. compressor so I'm not *****in,just wondering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fixr1984 Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 I would agree that the price on pedals, commercial and boutique are pretty high. Thats why I just build whatever it is I need. The nice thing about that is you can tailor the circuit to fit the needs of your personal set up. I belong to a couple of DIY forums and the info is available to make most pedals including the boutique ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepultura Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Your coffee maker is made in a factory that probably cranks out a million of them a year, using cheap mass produced components sourced from the lowest cost supplier, that should last a month past your warranty expiry date. Your coffee maker doesn't have to be 100% reliable like your stomp box has to be on a gig. If cost is a huge problem, you can always get a cheap plastic $29.99 danelectro. You *can* get Carl Martin or Moollon style coffee makers too. How about this $20,000 coffee maker here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/dining/23coff.html?ex=1358830800&en=bbab081c8b49ac8b&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink Or how about this Lamborghini coffee maker: http://www.luxist.com/2007/04/14/rev-up-with-the-lamborghini-coffee-machine/ I just purchased a new Carl Martin AC tone.It sounds great with my old Traynor guitar mate but then I got to thinkin' date='Why do pedals cost so much.You can buy a Coffee Maker with a real plug (not a wall wart)that does every thing but drink the coffee for $100.My Craftsman power drill was half the price of my Carl Martin.Are we being had or what???[/quote'] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rybass Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 I would agree that the price on pedals' date=' commercial and boutique are pretty high.Thats why I just build whatever it is I need. The nice thing about that is you can tailor the circuit to fit the needs of your personal set up. I belong to a couple of DIY forums and the info is available to make most pedals including the boutique ones.[/quote'] +1 build them yourself and mod them to your tone. I just built a copy of a boutique bass fuzz that is priced over $200 for $30 in parts and paint. New pedal prices are out of control right now IMO. Go to pawn shops and used equipment dealers and try different pedals out that you normally wouldn't. You'll find some gems for cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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