I'm just starting out a pedal collection, but I have the feeling that there will be quite a few EHX items in it. So far I have two (Bass Big Muff and 720 looper) and have just ordered a third one (Freeze).
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Why the hate on EHX?
- Thread starter eyeballkid
- Start date
I've read complaints here that they don't last, they break down sooner than other pedals. That hasn't been my experience, but that doesn't necessarily mean there is or isn't some truth to it.
Is this a troll post? Or have you been hanging around TGP? (I have no idea what goes on there, other than it seems to be a place where white collar bedroom players try to one-up each other.)
NO working guitarist or bassist that I know hates EHX - they are good pedals at a good price. I have a Soul Food and a Canyon for my Tele and I enjoy them - they work as advertised, at a reasonably low price.
And they have, hands down, the best guitar effects demos on the net: clever lede-ins, and, on guitar, the incomparable Bill Ruppert, whose virtuosity puts him head and shoulders above the typical product hawking guitar demo.
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Well count me in on the “Huh wut hate??”
I haven’t noticed - any more than ANY product / brand gets crapped on when dude #5693 gets a bad one and flips out and says "THIS CMPANY SUX AND EVERYTHING THEY DO SUX!" - much really in recent history. Yeah back some years they had the crap period but stuff seems real well liked these days.
FWIW, I have an East River Drive and a 720 and they are both great. Seem solid and standard mainstream modern pedals to me.
Well, tubes are entirely different story.
If you understand the global vacuum tune industry you know that a "consumer brand" like EHX means nothing. There are only a handful of actual tube foundries left in the world, most sold by 3 global companies. An "EHX" Tube is - last i checked - just a screen print onto a Russian tube that also is probably sold under 4 or 7 other brands. Now New Sensor does own EHX and all the rights to all the Russian tubes (though they don't own all The factories AFAIU) but unless somebody does some testing and eval of specific models its a crapshoot what's inside. I tend to avoid any fake brand crap like "EHX" Or "Mullard" on the outside of a tube unless I've read good sources that tell me those specific models are better quality variants coming out of better quality factories.
I haven’t noticed - any more than ANY product / brand gets crapped on when dude #5693 gets a bad one and flips out and says "THIS CMPANY SUX AND EVERYTHING THEY DO SUX!" - much really in recent history. Yeah back some years they had the crap period but stuff seems real well liked these days.
FWIW, I have an East River Drive and a 720 and they are both great. Seem solid and standard mainstream modern pedals to me.
Well, tubes are entirely different story.
If you understand the global vacuum tune industry you know that a "consumer brand" like EHX means nothing. There are only a handful of actual tube foundries left in the world, most sold by 3 global companies. An "EHX" Tube is - last i checked - just a screen print onto a Russian tube that also is probably sold under 4 or 7 other brands. Now New Sensor does own EHX and all the rights to all the Russian tubes (though they don't own all The factories AFAIU) but unless somebody does some testing and eval of specific models its a crapshoot what's inside. I tend to avoid any fake brand crap like "EHX" Or "Mullard" on the outside of a tube unless I've read good sources that tell me those specific models are better quality variants coming out of better quality factories.
Why? My EHX Screaming Bird is knocking off all overdrive pedals (NOT fuzzes! 
) off my 6-string pedalboard.
The only time I see people dissing EHXs are when comparing the reissue Muffs against boutiques, and for one of these people there are 2 people who claim EHX reissues are better
) off my 6-string pedalboard.The only time I see people dissing EHXs are when comparing the reissue Muffs against boutiques, and for one of these people there are 2 people who claim EHX reissues are better
A local pedal builder told me that in his opinion EHX stuff is over-designed and under-produced. That made sense to me. I've seen some weird stuff on brand new EHX pedals that should've been caught in quality control, internal connections not being soldered, parts missing, bizarre problems that shows they cut lots of corners to make their effects as cheap as possible. I can see those kind of problems being an unforgivable offense to some, and as such can understand not caring for the brand. I'd have pretty negative things to say about EHX if the first pedal I bought from them didn't function because someone at the factory neglected to solder the input jack.
That said, I do think that's the exception rather than the rule and I've never seen widespread hate for EHX.
That said, I do think that's the exception rather than the rule and I've never seen widespread hate for EHX.
I've a couple Russian Mullard tubes in my Vox 6-string amp. Zero issues. The stock Shuguang (Chinese) tubes are great as well -- more of a tone thing regarding my change. Wish I could have such dynamics and breakup for a bass amp.
New Sensor and EHX are the exact same company with the exact same owner, so I don't get how the EHX label is "fake crap," especially when they and Sovtek tubes are among the least expensive you can get. "Mullard" is definitely stretching it, but the new Mullard 12au7 definitely looks like a better built tube than the EHX 12au7 and has much lower microphonics than the Ruby my Ampeg PF-50T came with, so I can deal with the name. And the Sovtek 6N1P my REDDI came with is still going strong after of 6 years of pretty steady usage. At the end of the day, all I care about is performance.
Not sure if you know this, but New Sensor and EHX are essentially the same company. Mike Matthews was the founder of Electro Harmonix, and he also founded New Sensor, which is the company that makes/sells EHX, Mullard, Gold Lion, Tung Sol, Sovtek, and Svetlana tubes. Electro-Harmonix’s Mike Matthews
I believe with few exceptions, all tubes sold in the US under these marquis are made at Xpo-pul (formerly Refector) in Saratov. According to this link, "In 2000 New Sensor became the sole shareholder of CJSC Expo-PUL." State of the Vacuum Tube Industry 2016
New Sensor also sells some tubes that are made by JJ and Shuguang. You can see this from the EHX tube product page: Amplifier Tubes & Valves | Electro-Harmonix, EH Gold, Tung-Sol, Mullard, Genelex, Svetlana, Sovtek, JJ Electronic | Electro-Harmonix I can only think of one tube that is labeled under a New Sensor brand that is not made at Xpo-pul. That would be the standard Genalex Gold Lion ECC83, which is a Chinese tube that sounds a lot like a Sino 12AX7B. The premium Gold Lion ECC83/B759 is a Russian. For the record, I think both sound great, but so far I have liked the Russion version better in clean circuits, and the Chinese version better in OD circuits.
I have bought most of the New Sensor 12AX7 variants. Some of them look very similar, but in my experience they don't sound the same. From what I have read, different chemicals are used during the manufacturing process, which changes the way the tubes are voiced and operate.
I don't know how widely New Sensor tubes are relabeled. I think it's mainly by companies that use/sell a lot of tubes like Mesa, TAD, Ruby, etc. I am not aware of any off brand tube label that sells New Sensor products. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
Real happy with my Enigma Q Balls. I’m running Tung Sol 12ax7 and Gold Lion EL84 tubes in my Vox AC15 and it’s the best sounding combination out of everything I’ve tried (and I like playing with tubes).
I've used various EHX boxes over the years, never had an issue with sound or quality - good price point. I'm not familiar with any anti/hate sentiment for them. ??
My issues with EHX are definitely of the snob variety. I simply have always found a pedal made by another company that does the sound better. More hi-fi, more stability, more usable sounds. Even for a Big Muff, my Stomp Under Foot Civil War is way better than any EHX Muff I’ve tried. The Bass soul Food is good, the CAL Grizzly Bass is better. My Q-Tron+ is good, but really only has two usable sounds. The Tru-Tron does both of this plus a few more, and the Xerograph and MXR BEF both give me better even than that - for me and what i want out of an EF.
So not hate, but definite snobbishness. I do want one of the new small green muffs though. Only $80!
So not hate, but definite snobbishness. I do want one of the new small green muffs though. Only $80!
Snobbishness would be if you only bought boutique brands because they're boutique. I don't consider liking a more expensive pedal than a cheaper one snobbishness whatsoever.
I have sort of mixed feelings on them, but not hate. They cooked up some classic pedals, and continue to innovate, which is great. But I've owned a few over the years and have had sort of meh experiences. I bought the Q tron plus right when it came out. First one was DOA. Second one, the FX loop never worked, but I just kept it after the hassle of getting the first one replaced. It sounded OK (there weren't many envelope choices then) so I used it for a while. I got it out recently because it does the down filter (And my others don't). It worked for 2 rehearsals and then just quit. I have (or had) one of the smaller Electric mistresses. LIked it in the store, something about the tone just wasn't right for me after living with it for a while. Replaced with an MXR. I went looking for it the other day and think I may have sold it. Last, I have a current big muff (not a reissue). I love it with the sustain dimed, but not really set anywhere else, whereas some of the boutiques can do some better sounding mid gain stuff.
TL/DR- I had quality control issues with a couple pedals, a few others just weren't quite my cup of tea
TL/DR- I had quality control issues with a couple pedals, a few others just weren't quite my cup of tea
No idea, I personally love EHX, they make quite innovating effect pedals to quite affordable and fair prices, often for something you would have to go boutique for to get the same kind of features, or at least pay considerably more.
My best guess is that it might be due to their notoriously bad quality control, but really it's not that bad, and certainly not for the kind of products you get for the kind of prices they ask.
My best guess is that it might be due to their notoriously bad quality control, but really it's not that bad, and certainly not for the kind of products you get for the kind of prices they ask.
So I'm reminded of what I love about TB.. I ask a question and quickly start learning ALL KINDS of things I never knew were even related to my question! Cool.
