Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Fake Dark Glass Pedals
- Thread starter kirkdickinson
- Start date
No design copying there - or at least no more than was done by DemonFX.
🎸 Harley Benton RB-414CS Classic Series
Electric Bass Classic series, Body: Okoume, Glued-in neck: Okoume, Fingerboard: Amaranth, Dot fingerboard inlays, Fingerboard radius: 350 mm (13.78"), Scale: 864 mm (34.02"), Nut width: 43.6 mm (1.72"), Body and neck binding, Double-action...www.thomannmusic.com
Well, Ly-Rock continues apace (although they have no DG clones that I’m aware of)
Out of curiosity, would you object as much if their enclosures didn’t resemble the originals?
Obviously the near identical enclosures are a big part of the shady “business” practice.
You, I guess, are fine with that?
“Fine” is more simplistic than how I feel about it.
I don’t have an issue with the actual electronic side of their business model. I find the enclosure designs to be distasteful, but they aren’t by any stretch of the imagination counterfeits. I would still greatly prefer they not mimic the original designs: the Ampeg clones seem like a reasonable compromise. Selling the Darkglass clones in distinctly designed enclosures would be a novel model that would put them roughly in the company of Joyo or Mooer, but with unique pedals.
Their TurboTuner and Keeley clones cross the line for me. I don’t know that I can explain why. However, even they aren’t quite as objectionable to me as Ly-Rock’s Walrus clones. That feels like it’s straying more into counterfeit territory than what DemonFX does.
The DSM simplifier clones are in a whole other category, based on the fact that they might legitimately be the product of IP theft originally (Ly-Rock, again).
At the end of the day, Korg/Darkglass isn’t going to be getting my money: I passively have an open search for a real Harmonic Booster, but I would never buy one new.
Finally got my hands on one of those Demonfx Turbo Tuner clones after nearly 6 months of waiting for the real deal. Every time I checked the Sonic Research site, they were out of stock. Of course, typical—about a week after the clone arrived, the genuine one was suddenly available again.
Anyway, the clone seems solid so far. I think it's based on the older ST-200 model, which is discontinued, but honestly, it’s been performing well.
Now here’s the dilemma:
Do I sell the clone and grab the real one?
Would that just be perpetuating the copy market by reselling it?
Or do I just hang onto it and run it into the ground?
Curious what others think—ethics vs. pragmatism and all that.
Anyway, the clone seems solid so far. I think it's based on the older ST-200 model, which is discontinued, but honestly, it’s been performing well.
Now here’s the dilemma:
Do I sell the clone and grab the real one?
Would that just be perpetuating the copy market by reselling it?
Or do I just hang onto it and run it into the ground?
Curious what others think—ethics vs. pragmatism and all that.
You know, I’ve always had mixed feelings about clones and copies. On one hand, yeah, they’re riding the coattails of someone else’s design. On the other hand, they often reinforce the status of the original brand—like unpaid marketing.
Case in point: I started out on a Fender Jazz copy—an old Ibanez Silver Series bass. Loved it. Eventually, I saved up and dropped a whole month’s pay on the “real” Fender, thinking I’d finally made it.
Well… after a month of playing and two pro setups, I had to admit—the Ibanez was just a better instrument. That was a tough pill to swallow, but it also made me appreciate that sometimes the copy isn’t just a stand-in—it’s the better tool.
So did the clone hurt Fender in that case? Or did it lead me to Fender, only for me to learn something deeper about quality vs branding?
It’s not black and white. I think clones do play a role, and sometimes they even teach you what matters most.
Case in point: I started out on a Fender Jazz copy—an old Ibanez Silver Series bass. Loved it. Eventually, I saved up and dropped a whole month’s pay on the “real” Fender, thinking I’d finally made it.
Well… after a month of playing and two pro setups, I had to admit—the Ibanez was just a better instrument. That was a tough pill to swallow, but it also made me appreciate that sometimes the copy isn’t just a stand-in—it’s the better tool.
So did the clone hurt Fender in that case? Or did it lead me to Fender, only for me to learn something deeper about quality vs branding?
It’s not black and white. I think clones do play a role, and sometimes they even teach you what matters most.
What does that “compare to …” even mean? It’s a null statement. They are not telling you anything with it.
Maybe it is a statement of the chemical makeup. I.e. they're both the same active ingredient?
Nope, for that to be true it would need an “s” at the end of compare. They are telling you to “compare to” whatever.
I didn't read that properly. I see what you mean. It is like they are wanting us to do the field trials
That way they are circumventing legal issues because they are not saying that their product is/compares to the copied one. All kidding aside, that is exactly what they want the customer to believe.I didn't read that properly. I see what you mean. It is like they are wanting us to do the field trials
It is true that the Darkglass clones do not appear on the DemonFx page, but I do see some copies of the Harmonic Booster, B7K Ultra on AliExpress (I haven't looked much further) maybe it could depend on the country you are searching from.
By the way, I have a copy of the Harmonic Booster and although I can't compare it to the original (someday I will buy the original) I can say that it does seem to do its job, I like what it does, it gives the tone something that improves it. I also have a copy of the Alpha -Omicron... I don't see this one as being that great (I haven't compared it to the original either)
Note: Having said this, I know there are great Fender basses as a mate used to have a stunning 67 P bass that was just heaven to play. I just wasn't excited by this jazz. Maybe it was a friday afternoon unit.
Demon-FX has its own “official” Aliexpress store: “DemonFX Make Best Tone Store”. They are definitely available via other Aliexpress sellers, but I don’t really know how “stock” works for Aliexpress sellers.
Get a sledge hammer, use it to smash the clone to smithereens, and buy the real deal. Job done.
Some seem to be mixing up "IP" vs. "trademark" ...
As a point of related interest, I just bought a Wampler Thirty-Something pedal, formerly called by another name.. The maker is kinda amusing when he explains the name-change in various uchoob vids.
As a point of related interest, I just bought a Wampler Thirty-Something pedal, formerly called by another name.. The maker is kinda amusing when he explains the name-change in various uchoob vids.
