My (mostly) absence this weekend

[R.G.]

I was at the Arlington Guitar show, demoing pedals and amps. Interesting show.

The incidence of guitars with six-figure price tags is up. Scary. I used to think that it was silly to pay more for a guitar than a car. Some of them now cost more than some houses. 'Course, not many sold for those prices, but still.

The boutique pedal field is still blooming. I'm beginning to wonder whether the sheer number of effects makers is going to make "boutique pedal" a term which causes snickers. There sure are a lot of tube screamer and rangemaster knockoffs out there with $200-$300 asking prices.

I saw some of the first Maxon OD-808s. These were housed in... yep, a cast Hammond-style box with a through-hole stomp switch. I got a few pictures.

I also saw some amazing players. One girl looked to be eight years old and could really play. But the guys to watch are the quiet looking middle aged men. Some of them have been playing rock-n-roll for their entire lives now. Don't get into a head butting contest with one of these guys - you'll wake up with a headache. My eyes and ears are still wide after some of what I heard.

[DougH]

The boutique pedal field is still blooming. I'm beginning to wonder whether the sheer number of effects makers is going to make "boutique pedal" a term which causes snickers.

...That, and the number of hacks involved these days. Throw in the audiophile mentality that has crept in and it's a very strange industry. I don't understand how consumers wade through it all, in all honesty.

[vanhansen]

Hi, R.G.  It was a pleasure meeting you and discussing things with you at the show.  I really like Visual Sound stuff you showed me.  The Double Trouble is on my list of pedals to own.  I love how that sounds.  Of course I like the Jeckyll & Hyde too.  I may have to borrow a buddy's and see how it works for me.

I was pretty floored at the prices this year too.  Compared to 2 years ago, it's a huge difference.  The prices some old Boss pedals were going for is just crazy.  New ones cost way less.  I tried to find the table with the old Maxon 808 but couldn't find it.  They might have packed up early too.  Several tables were empty in the other big room.

There's just so many boutique makers out there now that it's almost overwhelming at times.  That's why I prefer to stick to the old faithfuls and then venture in to the few that I know I'm getting a good value for my money.

Even though it was a guitar show, I played 2 guitars all day.  The Ibanez in your booth and a Fender Deluxe Players Strat.

And thanks for the tips about my Crybaby.

[Headshot]

Actually a friend of mine had a booth at the show, and just told me that prices have softened quite a bit.  He also told me that this show had more gear out than any previous show he has been to.  So while you saw many high buck guitars, they are a much better deal than just a year ago.  It's a buyers market now.

[R.G.]

Thanks for the kind words Erik. We try hard to make sure that there is value received for the money players spend.

Our stuff is not flashy by the standards of the industry. I really like demoing the J&H and Workhorse combo. Most people are pretty jaded by the time they get to our booth, and you can see the boredom in their eyes when you offer them to play the stuff. There is very often a gradual widening of the eyes and a spreading grin as they try the stuff out. Then I get to tell them that they actually can afford it. That's worth the whole process of standing on the show floor for hours at a time.

The old Maxons were in one of the smaller rooms. Easy to miss.

That Ibanez was a decent guitar, wasn't it? Larry Morgan Music loaned it to us for demos. Have you tried the new Reverend guitar line? They are deliberately made  to be middle of the road - moderately priced and well set up to play. I didn't see Joe Naylor at the show, so I don't think they had a booth there. But do go check them out. They are uniformly well set up right out of the box.

The older equipment has been bid up so high that most players simply can't afford it. No way I'd take a $6000 amp and a $20,000 guitar to a Saturday night gig even if I could afford to buy them. I'd rather take a chance on losing maybe $2000 in equipment. I know that Reverend has been selling a trainload of the new line.

What's a bigger hoot is that my silly Japanese-made Strat has apparently become a moderately valued "vintage" piece. Just goes to show - "vintage" really just means "the year it was made".

It was indeed a pleasure meeting you.

Actually a friend of mine had a booth at the show, and just told me that prices have softened quite a bit.  He also told me that this show had more gear out than any previous show he has been to.  So while you saw many high buck guitars, they are a much better deal than just a year ago.  It's a buyers market now.

I did hear some grousing from the vintage dealers that ebay is killing them. Apparently knowing what other similar guitars go for is really useful in driving a deal. However that actually plays out, I'm not able to participate. Some moderation may be useful in keeping it all from crashing. A crash isn't good for anyone.

[Dragonfly]

I wish I could have made it to the show, but I had gigs all weekend....travel, travel, travel.....

The AVGS is one of the best, IMO.

[vanhansen]

The Workhorse amp is impressive too.  Good power behind it, very nice sound thanks to the hubcap over the speaker.  Yes folks, it really works.  I could stand right in front of it, off to the side, anywhere, and didn't hear any spiking treble.  In fact, I really couldn't hear much of a difference in the sound no matter where I moved.  I think I would've had to stand behind the amp to hear a difference.   

Oh yeah, the 9V DC tap on the amp is cool too.  I'm with R.G., every amp should have one. 

I didn't go very far in to the smaller rooms.  That explains why I missed it.  Oh well.  There was a lot more there this year than last year.  The show has grown.

I haven't tried the new Reverends but they are appealing to me.  I like some of the shapes.  Heck, Billy Gibbons seems to like 'em.  But that Ibanez, very sweet guitar.  It made playing through your pedals and amp that much more fun.  I could've stayed there all afternoon but the wife would've had words with me if I did. 

I'm very happy with my American Standard Strat and even some of the MIM stuff is good.  I just can't see myself paying the money being asked for some of those old guitars.  My '88 Kramer Baretta inherited that "vintage" tag as well.  I just don't see it that way.  I still play it.

[vanhansen]

I wish I could have made it to the show, but I had gigs all weekend....travel, travel, travel.....

The AVGS is one of the best, IMO.

Are you living out here now?  Where do you gig?

[$uperpuma]

It was great to see you again, RG, and meet you Erik, always great to put a face to a forum name.  I was impressed with the show this year.  I had a lot of fun at the Tone Factor booth as always. fun weekend.

[Krinor]

The boutique pedal field is still blooming. I'm beginning to wonder whether the sheer number of effects makers is going to make "boutique pedal" a term which causes snickers. There sure are a lot of tube screamer and rangemaster knockoffs out there with $200-$300 asking prices.

Wow. In my country an ordinary MXR Distortion+ cost about the equivalent of $380 !
Depending on what you get $200 for a handbuilt pedal is actually quite fair in my opinion.

[PerroGrande]

...really wish that one of these days I'll get a chance to get to one of the shows...

Wholeheartedly agreed on the Reverend line.  To borrow (and mod) a line from Miller Lite... A tasty guitar at a good honest price. 

A local music store is a Reverend vendor, and I've been impressed with their product line.  R.G. is spot-on.  They come right out of the box ready to play and have no business sounding as good as they do for the price.  Another line that I've been introduced to recently is Sparrow.   They remind me a bit of Reverend in that they offer a lot of guitar for a mid-line/student price.  Their LP knock-off is nice, but the neck is too fat for my stubby hands.  Their Tele variant, however, just plain rocks.  One of their big sales pitches is their $100.00 customization fee.  If I was into highly customized paint/logo/etc guitars, that would certainly perk up my ears (while remaining tame on the wallet).

My concern with the "Boutique" market is that it will end up full of snake-oil salesmen that will ruin the market for the reputable folks (like R.G.) who are selling great stuff at prices that people can actually afford... 

[wampcat1]

My concern with the "Boutique" market is that it will end up full of snake-oil salesmen that will ruin the market for the reputable folks (like R.G.) who are selling great stuff at prices that people can actually afford... 

Unfortunately, I think it's getting close to that already...
bw

[DougH]

My concern with the "Boutique" market is that it will end up full of snake-oil salesmen

We're already there.

that will ruin the market for the reputable folks (like R.G.) who are selling great stuff at prices that people can actually afford... 

Hopefully we'll never get there. I believe there will always be a market for true quality and value. I hope I'm right.

[Krinor]

My old teahcer used to say: "Only the best endures."

[vanhansen]

It was great to see you again, RG, and meet you Erik, always great to put a face to a forum name.  I was impressed with the show this year.  I had a lot of fun at the Tone Factor booth as always. fun weekend.

It was a pleasure meeting you too, Nate.  I only wish I had more time to hang around.  Next year I want to make a day of it if I can.  There's so much to look at.  Lots of it I see every year but I always like checking out the gadgets and such.


From the prices I saw on some old beat to snot Boss, Ibanez and MXR pedals, I agree that we're already in the snakeoil era, and not just with the boutiquee stuff but used stuff too.  I'd like to know what makes an $85 SD-1 that looks like it was dropped off a highrise and run over by a taxi any different than a brand new one for $20 less at Guitar Center.  The insanity.

I was glad that I came across R.G. and the Visual Sound booth.  At that point I was ready to head out but like he said, the smile was on my face, eyes widened.  Yeah, they make good stuff.  It was a breath of fresh air to see and play those pedals and hear that Workhorse amp.  Guys like R.G. keep it real.... It is what it is.

[Krinor]

Edit: Sorry, posted without intention. 

[antojado]

Sounds like it was a cool show. Are you going to be doing any shows out here in CA?

I had both the H2O and the Route 66 pedals, but got rid of them. It's not that I didn't like the sound, because I did. In fact I haven't liked any of the compressors that I've tried as much as the one in the R-66. I got rid of them because I felt like the footprint was too big and I didn't like the two effects in one box. I like to be able to mix up the order for different situations, but I couldn't do that with the VS pedals. So basically I had these pedals taking up a lot of space and adding weight, but I was only using one side. In the case of the R-66 I only used the comp. If you guys sold that comp by itself I would buy it in an instant. I miss it! Any chance of getting a custom comp by itself?

[Pedal love]

Too busy to make it out. Maybe another time.

[Pushtone]

Sounds like it was a cool show. Are you going to be doing any shows out here in CA?

I had both the H2O and the Route 66 pedals, but got rid of them. It's not that I didn't like the sound, because I did. In fact I haven't liked any of the compressors that I've tried as much as the one in the R-66. I got rid of them because I felt like the footprint was too big and I didn't like the two effects in one box. I like to be able to mix up the order for different situations, but I couldn't do that with the VS pedals. So basically I had these pedals taking up a lot of space and adding weight, but I was only using one side. In the case of the R-66 I only used the comp. If you guys sold that comp by itself I would buy it in an instant. I miss it! Any chance of getting a custom comp by itself?

VS has done just that!!! 
Here is a web listing but they are brand new and supply seems limited.
I've seen the Visual Sound full page ad in Nov Guitar Player and there is a whole bunch of single pedals comming.
Plus a couple of new circuits to try.

Perhaps I'll take a pic of the ad and post it.

In another thread RG tell us how many complaints they get about the size of the original dual pedals
even though they are smaller than two B*ss pedal put together.
VS has responded to the consumers, ah I mean players.

I like smaller pedals too bu the H2O seems like the perfect combo and well worth the real estate.

[vanhansen]

Yup, they did just that, antojado.  The compressor will be available separately (Comp 66), as will the OD side (Route 808).  The "Son of Hyde" is another one which is the distortion side of the J&H.  The "Liquid Chorus" is the chorus side of the H2O.  There's also the new fuzz named, "Angry Fuzz".  GREAT sounding fuzz.

I plan on picking up a Route 808 or Double Trouble (2 Route 808's in one box) myself.