Are some "boutique" pedals really worth it.

[Musicman1901]

I have just started getting a little more into effects and have been looking at some things i want to purchase. How much better are these outrageously priced pedals. I was looking at 2 chorus pedals recently. I saw the boss chorus ensemble which was about 75$ then i see something called an analogman chorus for over 300$. Looked nice, it looked fairly simple only having 2 knobs. I guess im wondering if pedals like this are really worth it or not. And im open to any comparison fuzz, envelope, delay, etc. etc. i just used chorus as an example.

 

[metalinthenight]

A lot of the time, I think the price is worth it. You are usually getting way nicer components, true bypass and a smaller form factor among other things.

The cool thing about boutique effects is that they hold their value better than most things sold at GC or samash

 

[Musicman1901]

i see so many people including amateurs and professionals using the boss series pedals which also makes me curious. Any of the boss pedals i have seen or at least the common ones dont have true bypass and are all extremely cheap. Is there a downfall to these pedals. Im surprised i dont see more high end effects on pro's pedal boards and see stuff like 80 dollar boss pedals

 

[thorplaysbass]

I guess it's really up to you if it's worth it. Sometimes the costly equipment is costly for a reason. Sound quality varies from person to person. Durability varies depending on how hard you go at it, but it still stays rather constant. At least more constant then an individuals tone.

If budget wasn't an issue, then I'd buy the better pedal.

Also, by high end effects do you just mean "not BOSS or the like"? Are awesome vintage gear included in this?

 

[slaps76]

Depends on the pedal...there are some mass produced pedals that do a great job - I've become a huge fan of MXR recently. Really depends on your needs, if you find a boutique pedal that has the sounds you need vs something put out by Boss, then it's worth it.

As far as pros, one reason many may use pedals like Boss is they're easy to replace, so if they're on the road and one breaks they can pick up one up local easier vs. a boutique.

 

[Musicman1901]

I just used boss as an example because i know they are popular and quite cheap for the most part. By expensive i mean like any effect over 250$. Obviously vintage effects will always be a bit expensive. I mean things like the analogman chorus, the wooly mammoth fuzz, any of the zvex or red witch pedals. Most of them are over 300

 

[willbassyeah]

if it is the sound that you want its worth it.

 

[metalinthenight]

Any of the boss pedals i have seen or at least the common ones dont have true bypass and are all extremely cheap. Is there a downfall to these pedals. Im surprised i dont see more high end effects on pro's pedal boards and see stuff like 80 dollar boss pedals

Some of the Boss pedals are rad. Some are complete crap on bass, IMO. Their delays sound really good on bass, as well as the reverbs and some of the modulation. I don't care for their dirt pedals on bass, but honestly it really depends in your bass, rig and what kid of sound you are going for. I Have had numerous boutique pedals that sound terrible with my set up, but sound killer with other people's rigs and others that sound better the second time I've owned them because my rig has changed.

For instance the Digitech Bass Synth Wah makes some crazy nice synth sounds for the price, but it also ha plastic jacks, if I'm not mistaken. To me that isn't worth it. Plus like others have said the new MXR stuff is killer on bass.


Also cramming a better sound (or even the SAME sound) into a box that is half the size requires a lot of engineering and labor to make it happen. Small pedals are harder to build (and are built by hand, btw) so the price reflects that.

 

[Yurtra]

Depends on the pedal...there are some mass produced pedals that do a great job - I've become a huge fan of MXR recently. Really depends on your needs, if you find a boutique pedal that has the sounds you need vs something put out by Boss, then it's worth it.

As far as pros, one reason many may use pedals like Boss is they're easy to replace, so if they're on the road and one breaks they can pick up one up local easier vs. a boutique.

+1

I also think that it is worth mentioning that the level of personalized customer service you get with a lot of smaller, boutique brands will tend to eclipse that of larger brands. It is far easier to get custom builds/features from boutique builders —not to mention that small-scale builders seem far more likely to try new and creative things, in my experience!

EDIT: Also, is it possible that some of the major pedal manufacturers sponsor professional musicians or at least offer them substantial discounts?

 

[warwick.hoy]

Another thing to consider is that often times,...boutique builders will base their designs on older discontinued or forgotten about designs. Circuits that may have died out a long time ago,...but still have an appeal or a unique sound. Call it a revival of vintage designs. For an example; You can overpay for an old and rare Germanium Fuzz,...or B get a modern interpretation that sounds just as good, is in a smaller enclosure and is less expensive (IE the Malekko B:assmaster and the Ghost Effects Dizzy Tone [a modern version of the Elka Dizzy Tone/ Baldwin Buzzaround]).

A lot of the time they will be designs that had flaws when they were first produced and the booteek builder has fixed those flaws. Perhaps eliminate noise that may have been unbearable in the original circuits. Or they will take a center positive design and reverse it back to center negative so that they can be powered with a powersupply.

They will also include features that you just aren't going to find on mass produced pedals. Things like voltage starves and bias controls. Things that the mass producers won't put on their offerings cause they can't guarantee consistent results.

They will also often times take existing circuits and improve upon them to make the more bass friendly,..or have more tonal options. This was especially apparent during the UberMuff craze. I'll take my Supercollider over a Stock EHX Big Muff any day of the week.

The other appeal is more personalized customer service,...the fact that you can actually talk to the designer,...maybe have him customize or modify a circuit that meets your goals.

Lastly and big appeal for me is; who am I giving my money to. A big mass production company with huge budgets; huge markups,...or to some genius who is soldering all day in his basement trying to put food on the table.

I try to keep an even keel with my booteek VS mass produced stuff on my board. I have a great deal of used boss stuff as well and some new and used booteek stuff. I'm not for or against either or.

There is some stuff that I won't spend a whole lot on. If someone is just building tubescreamer clones and charging way too much for them; I'll just move right along. I also have a hard time justifying the price of Strymon stuff. I'm sure it's nice and quality,...but I don't have that kinda money burning a hole in my pocket. Effects for Doctors and Lawyers.

 

[MSUsousaphone]

Nice answer .hoy.

if it is the sound that you want its worth it.

Truth.

If it sounds good to you, get it. I HAVE seen a lot of pros with cheaper pedals. Just remember, they have other exoensive toys that help fix the shortfalls of those cheap pedals. I love boutique pedals. Pretty much my entire board is boutique. But I didn't try to get it that way. I just listened and read and went with what I like.

On the flipside, there are a LOT of boutique pedals that sell at insanely high prices that I don't think are worth it.....so a lot are worth it....a lot aren't, IMO.

 

[Primakurtz]

Lastly and big appeal for me is; who am I giving my money to. A big mass production company with huge budgets; huge markups,...or to some genius who is soldering all day in his basement trying to put food on the table.

That describes Monsterpiece pedals! Great fuzzes.

I think it is important to remember that most pedals have less that $10 worth of components in them - maybe a little more for fancy delay chips and NOS germanium transistors. You are paying either for skilled labor (try soldering a pedal from scratch sometime!), or for marketing & middlemen. I'd rather pay the guy in the basement.

 

[HolmeBass]

Short answer: yes. Some really are worth it.

 

[TheBassPreacher]

First two things about Pros using Boss effects.

1) A lot of the Boss effects on pro boards are modded Boss effects done by Keeley, Analogman, or JHS Pedals. Personally I have a Keeley Modded Boss Blues Driver and it sounds nothing like a stock Boss pedal.

2) There are a number of pros that know absolutely nothing about gear. I've had a number of conversations with guys in bands that couldn't even tell you what amp they were using.

Now about boutique pedals. Are they worth it? Some are, some aren't. With effects I think a lot of the main stream manufacturers are starting to make good high quality true bypass pedals for not much more than it'd cost you for a cheap boss pedal. Especially if your willing to buy used, you can get some really good deals

 

[bassbrad]

warwick.hoy hit the mark, +1

FWIW Boutique means a small shop or builder sometimes a little more expensive and some times a lot more expensive almost always "worth it". We are usually talking something designed, or redesigned & hand built by a committed individual instead of a drone in a factory. Jon B at Austone (a beloved builder I was blessed to know) spec tested every component in his pedals rejecting substandard parts for his repair biz.

It also depends on the builder, I have several boutique pedals that are special in ways that do not have a mass appeal but have become essential for me.

 

[lakedmb]

Another thing to keep in mind if that some players may use a Boss enclosure, but the insides have been gutted to prevent people from matching their sounds. This is something that I remember hearing of some guitar players. Trey Anastasio uses/used a Dunlop Wah, but it has been modified and updated to where you will never match that tone out of a stock Dunlop Wah.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Depends on what you want. Personally, I consider MXR pedals fancy and am perfectly content with the stuff from Boss.

 

[topo morto]

A lot of the time boutique designs are just braver. You wouldn't get a boss phat phuk (too subtle) or 'rocket' (the devi ever one - often sounds like its broken).

Another way to look at it is that booteek pedals aren't necessarily better, but a wider choice is... with hundreds of pedal designs kicking around, you're much more likely to find the one that's perfect for you - though the right one could easily be a boss or a digitech as an analogman or a zvex.

EDIT: but do be suspicious of mfrs who have been at the top for too long.... they can get away with taking their foot off the gas.

 

[G3Mitch]

i like both. there are boutique AND regular over the counter pedals on my board. I don't see anything wrong with Boss gear.

 

[FaithNoMan]

Absolutely. I tried a lot of pedals before I got to my favorite ones. One of them is a big company(Tech21 Oxford), the other and probably my favorite of all time, is a boutique - the Darkglass B3K.

People say "they cost more"...and that's definitely a valid concern. Here's the thing - I knew the B3k's description and the process in which Douglas Castro went through to get there sounded exactly like my tone quest, so I said "I'll save it until the last pedal I buy, since it's expensive."

When I look at this list of pedals and preamps I've bought and sold, the cost of that pedal doesn't really seem too expensive anymore:

Boss Bass Overdrive
Tech 21 BDDI
Tech 21 Bass Driver(original)
Peavey TG Raxx
Tech 21 Comptortion
Tech 21 Double Drive
Dod 250
Tech 21 Tri AC
Tech 21 PSA-1
Tech 21 Leeds
Proco RatII
Catalinbread WIIO
Ibanez TS9B
Reverend Drivetrain II
Aguilar Tone Hammer
Aguilar Agro

Tech21 Oxford(I still have this - it wound up working great with the B3k)

Tronographic Rusty Box(came the closest besides the B3k)