Would you spend $549 on an OD pedal?

[DougH]

As money it's of no use to them. Better to use your money for microloans and keep lending it out to people trying to start businesses in africa.

There's a charity where you provide the capital for the loan, and if they pay it back you get it back; if they default it was a donation (generally happens due to natural disaster, death etc)

THAT helps.

My daughter told me about a charity like that in S. America where they make microloans to women trying to start a business. I think she donated to them. Another area that could use a lot of help is in Africa where there are efforts to provide clean drinking water to villages.

Yeah, when you think about it, $500+ for an overdrive pedal is pretty f!@king obscene...

[robmdall]

The problem is not due to the guy charging $549 for a pedal, which we all agree on. The problem stems from the folks that can justify the cost to buy the pedal. Too many folks in the Americas have become 'rich' without having to work for it. When I say work I mean actual labor!

I have worked for everything I own and am very proud of that. For middle income folks, we have to scrimp and save for the items we want. We plan and juggle our finances to afford whats best for our family's. I could never justify purchasing a pedal for $500+.

Using $30 as a nominal build cost and doing the math, with $549, you could build 18 pedals and have $9 let over. Months, maybe years of enjoyment building pedals and a couple of trips to the fast food outlet in the neighborhood (have to spend the remaining $9).

Where as the person that can afford to buy an expensive pedal has about an hour of joy; buys it, plugs it in, figures out he still plays guitar like crap and shoves it with the rest of his expensive gear/toys.

[joegagan]

let's make sure and be mad at the rich. that'll help.

[joegagan]

agree on the microloans. on the documentary i saw, there was close to 100% repayment rate. impressive, i love the program.

[DougH]

let's make sure and be mad at the rich. that'll help.

[Hides-His-Eyes]

let's make sure and be mad at the rich. that'll help.

Doesn't hurt :lol:

[earthtonesaudio]

The problem is not due to the guy charging $549 for a pedal, which we all agree on. The problem stems from the folks that can justify the cost to buy the pedal. Too many folks in the Americas have become 'rich' without having to work for it. When I say work I mean actual labor!

I have worked for everything I own and am very proud of that. For middle income folks, we have to scrimp and save for the items we want. We plan and juggle our finances to afford whats best for our family's. I could never justify purchasing a pedal for $500+.

Using $30 as a nominal build cost and doing the math, with $549, you could build 18 pedals and have $9 let over. Months, maybe years of enjoyment building pedals and a couple of trips to the fast food outlet in the neighborhood (have to spend the remaining $9).

Where as the person that can afford to buy an expensive pedal has about an hour of joy; buys it, plugs it in, figures out he still plays guitar like crap and shoves it with the rest of his expensive gear/toys.

Or you could buy one capacitor, resistor, scrap of wire, etc. at a time, second- and third-hand used, for the rest of your life and on your death bed complete your first build! 

Imagine that, a lifetime of happiness and $512.48 left over.

[Johan]

let's make sure and be mad at the rich. that'll help.

Doesn't hurt :lol:

..But then, if a stompboxbuilder manage to pull 500+ $ out of the hands of a rich person, inst that a good thing then?....

[joegagan]

yes. a good rule in selling is to like your customer. wouldn't most of us here like to be the seller of such a pedal? i admit i would.

[DougH]

yes. a good rule in selling is to like your customer. wouldn't most of us here like to be the seller of such a pedal? i admit i would.

No not really... I've got a real job I love. And a life. This is a fun hobby, but...

edit: You know I love ya Joe, but I'm just being honest...;-)

[askwho69]

i think this od sounds same as CLASS A germanium amplifier booster. . .  its the best to my ear! damn love to have that one

[darron]

Now I don't question that they have carefully determined the price point that makes a modest profit for them.

i got in late so i haven't actually read the full 4 pages, but wanted to have a say anyway (:


the truth comes out....


For PARTS only (not including electricity, admin costs, and MY own labour) This pedal costs me around $37.11 to make (at last check, a little more now maybe):





i have no question that it competes with anything that anyone else offers.


of course you charge for the fact that YOU designed it, you arrange drilling, painting, labelling, circuit board layout and creation, population, cutting heaps of wires, testing (sometimes debugging failing components), and often in bulk in lots of 50 or 100, sales and dealing with customers and distributors, packing/shipping, warranty offer. fricken etc. etc. etc. etc.!


now i DOUBT that the price that they set is based on costs, but if people think that it's "the sh*t" and they need it then it may bery well be worth it to them. at the moment there is fairly decent stuff coming from china that you can get delivered to your door for around $80!!! how do you compete with that? the only way that you CAN compete with that is to offer something that goes above and beyond, and it sounds like (in your view) they HAVE made something that goes beyond a $80 chinese pedal.



i think their stand is "if you want it then you'll pay for it, otherwise i'm cool if you don't too"

[bwanasonic]

What I was trying to get at in my original question wasn't so much, is it ethical to buy or sell an expensive pedal while children are starving in the third world. It was more about looking at the entire signal chain and weighing how important an OD pedal can be. I'd think if I could afford a $549 OD, I could afford a proper amp. And if you have a proper amp, how much pedal do you need to make it sound good? Basically I think someone who is about to fork over $549 for an OD pedal, probably could use lessons on how to use the equipment they already have  And as I mentioned, there is hypocrisy in my attitude,, because if you told me you just bought six $100 pedals to see how each one sounded, I'd say "cool! can I come over?!"

[DougH]

It is a lot of $ to spend for a fairly insignificant part of the chain. I have built so many... After a while distortion is just distortion. Practice your guitar instead imo.

[Johan]

someone used the phrase "luxury market" earlier..I think there is such a market and enyone exploiting it and market their product the right way could get rich fast..stupid is no problem if it appears exclusive enough...."yes it's stupid, but my neighbor cant aford it so I buy it just to show him how much money I have...."

I propose "bottled air"...sold at horrendous prices at exclusive stores...can't you see it?...

"Bottled Air from the worlds most exotic places. Dont circulate that inferior city air in your penthouse, get something customized just for your personality"

Alpine Fresh: the BEST air from the French alp's
Sahara Dry: for those days when the humidity is killing you
Bahama breezer:  the summer is never far away
Colored rockies: the fresh autumn air from the high mountains
Medeteranian nights : remember that summer in Greece?
Arctic blue: always a fresh breath of air

soon the Designers and brands join in
Guzzi, D&G....Adidas: for the Rapper in you..
J

..necroposting just to tell you this just happened. ..a norwegian company just started selling bottled fjord-air in Hongkong. ...i should start realising all my stupid ideas myself instead of reading about others doing it five years later. .
j

[LightSoundGeometry]

depends on what you need and what you want. If it was something I really wanted and couldnt do myself I would pay 200, maybe upwards of 300. for example I love my deja vibe and payed around 150 for it. I never attempted a vibe, or phase, because I love mine and dont need one.


300 + and I would start looking at tube amps or frankenstrats before a pedal.

what would you pay for a binson echorec, lol :

what about something like a fractal audio for 2000-3500 

[J0K3RX]

what would you pay for a binson echorec, lol :

what about something like a fractal audio for 2000-3500 

What would you do for a klondike bar

Fractals do A LOT of different things really well as opposed to a $550 overdrive that has A LOT of hype and not much else...

I would be more likely to go with Positive Grid over Axe-Fx or Kemper if I were going in that direction.. I have heard people play on a Zoom g9.2tt that just absolutely blew me away and they can be had for like $200. Just think, I could buy 5 of those and still have over $1000 to spend on the entire Joyo line up

Bah... Just give me a Randall V2 Ninja and I will blast the moon out of orbit!! 

[LightSoundGeometry]

what would you pay for a binson echorec, lol :

what about something like a fractal audio for 2000-3500 

What would you do for a klondike bar

Fractals do A LOT of different things really well as opposed to a $550 overdrive that has A LOT of hype and not much else...

I would be more likely to go with Positive Grid over Axe-Fx or Kemper if I were going in that direction.. I have heard people play on a Zoom g9.2tt that just absolutely blew me away and they can be had for like $200. Just think, I could buy 5 of those and still have over $1000 to spend on the entire Joyo line up

Bah... Just give me a Randall V2 Ninja and I will blast the moon out of orbit!! 

I just picked them because they were in this weeks tone report.  I am with you on the throwback stuff that looks like a pilots %^&*pit
control panel.

I came across this shop as he is located in STL near me. I try and support any local shops who like to keep the tradition of all hand made Americana going; keeping a strong local economy.

http://www.locomotiveaudio.com/products.html

[Johan]

...i think you missed my point when necroposting. Perhaps i should have started a new thread. ..oh well. .
j

[J0K3RX]

...i think you missed my point when necroposting. Perhaps i should have started a new thread. ..oh well. .
j

A Norwegian company just started selling bottled fjord-air in Hongkong you said...  Perhaps you should start bottling your farts and selling them as a cures for different illnesses..? Or, you can just sit there and not let anybody else enjoy your brand of "healing aroma therapy"... You know, you will kick yourself later when you find out some other person/company has started selling bottled farts and they are now making sh!t loads of cash.