Fender Entering Pedal Biz Big Time in 2013
 

http://www.fender.com/accessories/pedals/

http://iheartguitarblog.com/2013/01/...eart+guitar%29

FENDER® RELEASES COMPETITION SERIES EFFECTS PEDALS

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (January 4, 2013) — Fender is proud to announce the Competition series pedals, a whole new line of effects pedals designed and built to provide inspirational tones in a reliable package at an astounding value.

The Fender Distortion pedal drives tube or solid-state amps into thick distortion and singing sustain, evoking the edgy hard-rock tones of the ’70s and ’80s. Great with many different amplifiers, it’s responsive enough that a guitar’s volume control can be adjusted to the exact amount of distortion desired, from aggressive crunch to full-on saturation. It can be used to create a distorted tone or as a boost for higher-gain rhythm and solo tones.

The Fender Drive pedal creates a warm overdrive reminiscent of classic ’60s and ’70s rock and blues tones. It can be used to push tube or solid-state amps, creating harmonically rich crunch and sustain. With an old-school design that matches its vintage warmth, it makes an ideal choice for the musician looking for rich, harmonic overdriven tone.

The Fender Chorus pedal will remind guitarists just how cool and indispensable the lushly spatial effect can be. Add sparkle to clean open chords, to animate strummed passages and to thicken distorted power chords. Get just the right amount of chorus desired, cleanly and quietly. Operates in mono or with stereo outputs for vibrantly huge sound while creating wide, sweeping modulation effects or shimmering 12-string sounds.

The Fender Delay pedal creates richly resonating echo effects from short slap-back rockabilly sounds to longer repeating echo perfect for huge, soaring guitar solos (it’s great for other electronic instruments too, such as keyboards). Dedicated delay time, feedback and level controls give you complete command of your sound’s spatial characteristics. Operates in mono or with stereo outputs for two-amplifier setups.

not very exciting

+++STOP PRESS+++FENDER RELEASES RANGE OF GENERIC PEDALS+++

Excuse me while I continue looking at boutique builders who have some actual new ideas.

I wonder if they're going to try and make pedals that consume the entire pedalboard, not just a single column.

/Looking at you, Limey.

I like the racing stripes that means they must be good because people only put racing stripes on things that are good. :)

Actually I can see Fender making a pedal shaped like this:

See I told you :)

Wait, are the first two both just boosts? They both just say that they push your amps into dirt. Do they give you any actual dirt on their own?

A chorus. ... ok

A three knob delay. ... ok

Looks pretty cool. If they perform as described, these could be some sweet pedals.

If only they made a pedal that sounded like a cranked svt, then I'd be all over it.

Wow those things are ugly. The feedback thingy looks like it could be fun. It's huge and hideous but it could be fun. The rest of the line up just seems boring.

Meanwhile at a Fender corporate meeting..........

" Ok folks we really need to jump on this pedal bandwagon folks are craving for anything that says Fender and our market research says we should definitely go with the racing stripes also before we leave does anyone have any suggestions for new bass colors?"

First impression I got when I saw'em: they look cheap. I'm (pretty) sure they're not, but still. It don't change my love for my Jazz tho.

:-)

"It's OK honey. No need to hide the checkbook. Besides, I don't want to get beat up in the parking lot after the gig when someone notices the racing stripe."

Guess that I will have to maintain hope that they do something wondrous with the NAV line.

PS - How much for the orange car? I'd make that look good !

Are you sure they're new for 2013? Not just the same old stuff they were making in 1963 painted in this year's colours?

no love to bass players :-(

I expect more companies to follow this path.
Mesa Boogie also released several pedals this year.
As expensive amps are not selling companies are trying to generate some profits by selling pedals.
Pedals have registered some huge gains since the start of this economic crisis. According to the Namm music industry report, it's been one of the only segment of the music industry to grow.
Meanwhile expensive gear is not selling due to economic factors but also due to Ebay. It's the largest competitor to music retailers.

Many new pedals are just "me too products", instead of creating inovative products, companies just try to gain market share by selling a similar product.
When it comes to inovative, Pigtronix comes to mind. These guys are coming out with all sort of crazy things. Note to large companies: it's a good acquisition target.

If I was in the pedal business, I would seriously look at market access. With so many pedals available and a shrinking base of retailers, where do you sell all this stuff? Perhaps it's time for a Dunlop MXR store or a Electro Harmonix store on 48th Street in NYC. In fact these two manufacturers should ally to open the store, they would both sell more products!

= for sale in Walmart and Best Buy who cares what they sound like, they'll sell a dozen shipping containers of this junk a month

With those looks, they could easily sell them at Toys'R'us.

I just wonder whose rebranded pedals Fender is using?