3Leaf Audio Club - Episode 2

[MattLplaysBass]

This one was a drop of 111 so 1/3 what some of the recent drops have been

The aurora pink one was 111, and it lasted a little bit... who knows, I'm not smart enough to figure out why some sell faster than others, but I do give Spencer credit for trying different ways, although you'll never please all of the people all of the time...

 

[meisi]

I received an email on March 15 at 6:45 PM ET. Not sure why you didn't, but my post is consistent with my experience

It's fair to say that the Doom 2 isn't something you are interested in, but I'm going to push back against the idea of it being "relatively speaking marked up." It is more expensive relative to most other fuzz pedals, yes, but that doesn't mean it's disproportionately marked up. Maybe it is. I couldn't say without seeing a breakdown of the production and marketing costs for a slew of fuzz pedals. But I do know that the quality of the components and enclosures (USA steel, not aluminum) means 3 Leaf pedals are going to be more expensive to produce, even if we do not account for the limited nature of the printing runs.

I'm also going to push back against your second claim. Yes, plenty of people were trying to flip these, but that's precisely because of how popular they are with players. I know scores of folks who deeply enjoy their 3 Leaf Audio pedals--myself included.

Your memory is accurate: the "tools" colors lasted days and the Aurora Pink lasted hours.

I do not care for the Bronze Age color whatsoever. Too poopy lol. Also I like bright, loud colors on my pedals. To each their own.

True, but the most recent drop was also 111. Perhaps it has to do with timing? We're further from the holiday season now so maybe people have build back up their disposable income funds?

Well heard and by all means we can call these artisanal and that does justify prices above overseas mass production parts. No disagreement there. As far as small batch vs big batch it gets interesting in this case study because these are not hand soldered, they are PCB and surface mount components likely assembled by pick and place machines. The cases even if they are custom every run - once sorted it doesn’t cost much to reproduce either.

It’s a personal choice how to run a business and I have no qualms with the owner here. Lots of reasons to choose the number you produce including how to grass roots build hype on TB.

As for the overall quality of the pedal and my own potential enjoyment - no one knows. I’ve never tried one. Only heard about them about a month ago and I chuckle about the prices when they do pop up, including on TB classifieds.

Generally speaking guitars and the like are inexpensive hobbies. The price is what people are willing to pay - and the hype lasts as long as one can milk it.

This is not a knock on happy customers or the owner just commentary in general from a relatively new observer. Anticipation builds satisfaction in sales so it’s no wonder how some of these are doing so well. Once critical mass takes over sometimes the hype dies out. This can be seen in certain other small batch pedals that were one and done but lore takes over.

 

[joel the bass player]

Spencer is pretty active on Instagram, if you are worried about missing out on an email follow him there. Good for him they sold out fast, seems that plenty of people still want them.

Not just 3Leaf drops but also Broughton, etc---you gotta be ready when the time comes. I can get through check out plenty fast, just really have to get the page refreshed at the right time. You snooze you lose. I remember back when I got my MKIII I was up refreshing for something Broughton and happened to notice he had opened up a presale (mine was a B stock because of the disappearing print, but I still like that color scheme a lot) and you didn't really have to rush to get one. Just went to look in my email, that was December 2020. I got my second Doom2 (first one I got second hand and had sold) back in 2022, but don't really remember how fast that one went. Guessing quick? All the new versions are more attractive than the nickel dip or whatever that finished was called, but I'm not bothered. I like them both and if you are really interested you can land one, eventually.

 

[Enrique M]

Same. Received mine at 1745 CDT on March 15, 2025. I've bought two pedals from him recently, but was getting the emails before that when the releases were selling out instantly... was actually surprised how fast this last one went, seemed like the last few Doom releases hung around for a few hours... it is a sharp "colorway" though...

Same.

I showed up at 3:15pm and at about 3:25pm started hitting regular ol' refresh. Got lucky (Although, I will believe it when it arrives) and was glad not to be doing the same at 3:45 am PDT. I picked it up for my board. I love syth, play in one experimental out fit that is down with it, and am looking forward to putting the Doom 2 in between my Subsonic and my Josh Wah.

I do not know anything about the cost of production of such things. But I am happy to pay a premium to support an individual, particularly a semi local one out here in the NW. However, for me personally, this is just a stretch beyond my "willing to pay" price limit. But I did it because of what I have heard online and my sense that if I don't bond with it I can trade it for something else I might fairly hassle free. I also happen to be at the place, at the time.

I don't mind the "drop" game. I just don't get my heart set on anything ....

 

[Jantelagen]

It’s really just luck of the draw. No tin foil hats. You can get these limited releases by just hitting reload.

It’s not all luck of the draw. People can run scripts etc to be alerted or auto buy when products become available online (not just effects pedals). F5’ing is becoming old school.

 

[Enrique M]

Has anyone who received an "order confirmed" on the last drop also received a shipping notification? Roughly how long do those take? I thought I saw something (on the site, my order, somewhere) that said items would ship by March 24th. But, I could not find it again.

Thanks.

 

[jbybj]

you'll never please all of the people all of the time...

No need to please all the people, just ME.

 

[meisi]

It’s not all luck of the draw. People can run scripts etc to be alerted or auto buy when products become available online (not just effects pedals). F5’ing is becoming old school.

It’s giving Ticketmaster. That said, I’ve still managed to land highly coveted pedals with an old school F5 on mobile from bed.

 

[Charlie Tuna]

Well heard and by all means we can call these artisanal and that does justify prices above overseas mass production parts. No disagreement there. As far as small batch vs big batch it gets interesting in this case study because these are not hand soldered, they are PCB and surface mount components likely assembled by pick and place machines. The cases even if they are custom every run - once sorted it doesn’t cost much to reproduce either.

It’s a personal choice how to run a business and I have no qualms with the owner here. Lots of reasons to choose the number you produce including how to grass roots build hype on TB.

As for the overall quality of the pedal and my own potential enjoyment - no one knows. I’ve never tried one. Only heard about them about a month ago and I chuckle about the prices when they do pop up, including on TB classifieds.

Generally speaking guitars and the like are inexpensive hobbies. The price is what people are willing to pay - and the hype lasts as long as one can milk it.

This is not a knock on happy customers or the owner just commentary in general from a relatively new observer. Anticipation builds satisfaction in sales so it’s no wonder how some of these are doing so well. Once critical mass takes over sometimes the hype dies out. This can be seen in certain other small batch pedals that were one and done but lore takes over.

I've had a Chromatron, Octabvre and Doom 2. I sold all 3 but bought a Hi-Viz Doom 2 again because there really isn't anything else that is just like it. Some are close but hard to dial in. The D2 is easy to dial in and the knobs work as you want them to.

 

[meisi]

I've had a Chromatron, Octabvre and Doom 2. I sold all 3 but bought a Hi-Viz Doom 2 again because there really isn't anything else that is just like it. Some are close but hard to dial in. The D2 is easy to dial in and the knobs work as you want them to.

Agree totally, afaik doom2 is a unique and beautiful snowflake.

 

[Erithon]

Well heard and by all means we can call these artisanal and that does justify prices above overseas mass production parts. No disagreement there. As far as small batch vs big batch it gets interesting in this case study because these are not hand soldered, they are PCB and surface mount components likely assembled by pick and place machines. The cases even if they are custom every run - once sorted it doesn’t cost much to reproduce either.

Yeah, the PCB and surface-mount versus hand-soldered comes up from time to time on TalkBass. Musicians are a very conservative group in general; we tend to place a premium on tradition. This manifests in many ways, but most obviously in the obsession with vintage gear, historical tonewoods, and old-school construction techniques. But I myself prefer PCB and surface-mount components because they allow for small circuit boards and thus smaller enclosures. Pedalboard real estate is valuable and smaller pedals help me get the most out of a given board. Sure, there can be shoddy PCBs and surface-mounted components, but humans can also suck at soldering. The idea that one is inherently better than the other doesn't hold water: it comes down to the quality of the examples in question.

Say what you will about Spencer—and I sure have—the man clearly cares about the little details. It's why he posts about supply chains; color coordinates the finish of a pedal with the ink of his signature and serial number, the photo of the announcement email, the packaging tissue in the pedal box, and the ink of the user manual; reconfigured his logo as Mt. Fuji for the Japanese edition of the Sakura Proton; designs custom enclosures for his pedals; and uses higher quality materials and components like 304 stainless steel and Switchcraft jacks.

It’s a personal choice how to run a business and I have no qualms with the owner here. Lots of reasons to choose the number you produce including how to grass roots build hype on TB.

I have many qualms with the owner and aspects of how he has run his business lol. Read my past posts. And I'm not alone in that. Read the past 20 months of this thread. "Discovery pricing," "bundled preamps," "Chinesium," etc.

I agree he has managed to generate hype around his brand, but his business model is definitely not built around generating grassroots hype here on TalkBass. He is no fan of this forum. Read the early pages in this thread to see why. Regardless, this place is a bubble and there are plenty of musicians who want his products who aren't active on here.

As for the overall quality of the pedal and my own potential enjoyment - no one knows. I’ve never tried one. Only heard about them about a month ago and I chuckle about the prices when they do pop up, including on TB classifieds.

Welcome to TB and this thread! I didn't realize you were so new. I'm glad you were spared the 3 Leaf Audio prices of the pandemic. $800-1000 for a Doom 2 at the peak. Rough times. Those prices still scar many of us today, though they no longer inform the market.

The price is what people are willing to pay - and the hype lasts as long as one can milk it.

[...] Anticipation builds satisfaction in sales so it’s no wonder how some of these are doing so well. Once critical mass takes over sometimes the hype dies out. This can be seen in certain other small batch pedals that were one and done but lore takes over.

I concur with your general observation, but I do not think that's an instructive lens through which to view the Doom 2. The Doom 2 has been in production since 2019 and 3 Leaf Audio has existed since 2008. As of this latest batch, 1,799 units of the Doom 2 have been produced. For comparanda, there are less than 100 units of most Broughton circuits and less than 500 of most Iron Ether circuits. At this point, therefore, I'd hardly call it "hype" or "one-and-done."

 

[meisi]

Yeah, the PCB and surface-mount versus hand-soldered comes up from time to time on TalkBass. Musicians are a very conservative group in general; we tend to place a premium on tradition. This manifests in many ways, but most obviously in the obsession with vintage gear, historical tonewoods, and old-school construction techniques. But I myself prefer PCB and surface-mount components because they allow for small circuit boards and thus smaller enclosures. Pedalboard real estate is valuable and smaller pedals help me get the most out of a given board. Sure, there can be shoddy PCBs and surface-mounted components, but humans can also suck at soldering. The idea that one is inherently better than the other doesn't hold water: it comes down to the quality of the examples in question.

Say what you will about Spencer—and I sure have—the man clearly cares about the little details. It's why he posts about supply chains; color coordinates the finish of a pedal with the ink of his signature and serial number, the photo of the announcement email, the packaging tissue in the pedal box, and the ink of the user manual; reconfigured his logo as Mt. Fuji for the Japanese edition of the Sakura Proton; designs custom enclosures for his pedals; and uses higher quality materials and components like 304 stainless steel and Switchcraft jacks.

I have many qualms with the owner and aspects of how he has run his business lol. Read my past posts. And I'm not alone in that. Read the past 20 months of this thread. "Discovery pricing," "bundled preamps," "Chinesium," etc.

I agree he has managed to generate hype around his brand, but his business model is definitely not built around generating grassroots hype here on TalkBass. He is no fan of this forum. Read the early pages in this thread to see why. Regardless, this place is a bubble and there are plenty of musicians who want his products who aren't active on here.

Welcome to TB and this thread! I didn't realize you were so new. I'm glad you were spared the 3 Leaf Audio prices of the pandemic. $800-1000 for a Doom 2 at the peak. Rough times. Those prices still scar many of us today, though they no longer inform the market.

I concur with your general observation, but I do not think that's an instructive lens through which to view the Doom 2. The Doom 2 has been in production since 2019 and 3 Leaf Audio has existed since 2008. As of this latest batch, 1,799 units of the Doom 2 have been produced. For comparanda, there are less than 100 units of most Broughton circuits and less than 500 of most Iron Ether circuits. At this point, therefore, I'd hardly call it "hype" or "one-and-done."

To be clear, I don’t knock SMD nor robots for assembly. I think resistors sound like resistors, and most capacitors, too. In fact, smd is more consistent from this standpoint, just look at a robot vs human assembled pcb. You can tell the robot does a better job 99.99% of the time (I won’t risk 5x 9’s claim, however!). My attempted point to be made is that SMD simply costs less. Hand soldered through hole always costs more. When things are made by hand folks can be happy to pay up. When made by robot they ask why the markup. This is the case with guitar tube amps where the turret board is seen as peak mojo, anyways.

I am new in the sense I’m back from dormant handle I lost my password to my recovering email for 2 factor so this is a new handle. I’m also @Muttluk from circa 2000. I am very happy to have avoided the COVID GAS attacks. lol.

I’ve seen some of the earlier dramas and I agree it’s easier to plant a seed and disappear than fan the flames. Spend enough time on TB and it’s clear when the group think meets critical mass and you may as well not suggest anything else without folks piling on in agreement in opposition to status quo. In my opinion, after 25yrs the BDDI is finally met by uniform praise and opposition as opposed to just the solution for all things Ampeg praise it used to receive on here.

 

[cactusjuice]

Read the past 20 months of this thread. "Discovery pricing," "bundled preamps," "Chinesium," etc.

as someone who missed all that and doesn’t really want to search through 467 pages, would you mind giving a super brief summary of what those issues were?

 

[Jantelagen]

as someone who missed all that and doesn’t really want to search through 467 pages, would you mind giving a super brief summary of what those issues were?

This thread has finally moved past that. Perhaps this is something that can be shared through PM’s instead.

 

[AElfes]

This one was a drop of 111 so 1/3 what some of the recent drops have been

I just wanted to add to this as well, that SBL and Janek Gwizdala have been hyping up 3leaf on YouTube relatively recently, especially with clips doing the rounds in the shorts algorithm, so I’m sure that’s also driving new demand into the market.

I would expect the next Octabvre drop to be a massacre regarding time, regardless of how many, again assisted by hype from the above two

 

[Charlie Tuna]

I just wanted to add to this as well, that SBL and Janek Gwizdala have been hyping up 3leaf on YouTube relatively recently, especially with clips doing the rounds in the shorts algorithm, so I’m sure that’s also driving new demand into the market.

I would expect the next Octabvre drop to be a massacre regarding time, regardless of how many, again assisted by hype from the above two

This. There are a lot of people buying pedals out there that aren't on TB (for some reason).

 

[zwiebackdude]

I didn't plan on this manual collection becoming a thing, I originally just wanted to share the manuals I have. But apparently I'm not the only one who likes having them handy. Thanks to the following members who reached out with additions for the collection:

@Ralph Manak for the OG Groove Regular manual
@Admiral Chew and @tieftonmusiker both sent the Vulcan manual
@tieftonmusiker also sent manuals for the original Octabvre MkI and Wonderlove MkI



5sg.

Here's the updated list of manuals in the 3Leaf Audio Pedal Manuals folder:

Anima Preamp
Chromatron
Doom 2
Enabler
GR2
Groove Regulator
Octabvre Mini
Octabvre MkI
Octabvre MkII
Octabvre MkIII
Proton MkI
Proton MkII
Proton MkIII
Proton MkIV
PWNZOR
Vulcan XL
Vulcan
Wonderlove MkI
Wonderlove MkII
You're Doom

You guys are the best even though I have the paper manuals, I downloaded them just in case I lose them... and to get some hype for future buys

 

[meisi]

This thread has finally moved past that. Perhaps this is something that can be shared through PM’s instead.

We could alternatively start a new thread if copacetic.

I think history is important to keep in the open. I only know of the DG separation stuff which is pretty typical dramas when business partners separate and one starts their own gig.

Sounds to me there is more.

 

[moon-bass]

Has anyone who received an "order confirmed" on the last drop also received a shipping notification? Roughly how long do those take? I thought I saw something (on the site, my order, somewhere) that said items would ship by March 24th. But, I could not find it again.

Thanks.

It was about two weeks from the time I got the order confirmed until it got shipped.

 

[moon-bass]

I'm also going to push back against your second claim. Yes, plenty of people were trying to flip these, but that's precisely because of how popular they are with players. I know scores of folks who deeply enjoy their 3 Leaf Audio pedals--myself included.

Yup, this 100%. Even if we just look at the last Doom 2 drops, the percentage of people looking to "flip" is extremely small - a handful here and on Reverb - just a small drop in the bucket compared to what is out there. And tha being said, some of the more expensive ones have been for sale for quite awhile ..

As you stated, if they weren't popular with players, there would be no opportunity to flip.