Small Bear's Endangered Species List

[Paul Marossy]

On a philosophical level I'd like to agree with you.  On a reality level, people buy crap they can't afford every day and will continue to do so as long as they can. 

Ha ha, yeah that's true.

[jkokura]

I think the next stage is having places like Oshpark/Dorkbot that will supply you not only with your manufactured PCB, but will also have the board populated with SMD parts. In fact, I expect that we'll see the prices we're currently spending on our manufactured PCBs be about the same price as the populated PCBs. You'll be able to design your own layout, specify the parts, and then get YATS pcbs, stuffed and delivered to your door for less than $10 a piece. A finished pedal, all the parts and enclosure and everything, will cost you less than $25.

Mark my words, this is not far into the future. If you look at the development of this 'hobby' in the last 10 years, I think this is the next step.

If these are prophetic words and this does become reality, where does that leave the "boutique" pedal makers? If a guy can go to Target and get something that sounds as good as a Tube Screamer for $15-20, why would he pay $199 for some hand made pedal with thru-hole parts?

We're already there. There are lots of the 'boutique' guys who use SMD already. I've looked inside pedals I've owned from Redwitch and CAE, and both featured a fair amount of SMD. I'd put money down that lots of guys are considering it, at least guys like Lovepedal, Klon, etc. are. I'm sure that I couldn't hear the difference between an SMD and a thru hole cap or resistor, so I'd bet that most of the masses won't be able to tell.

I'm not so much thinking that the boutiquers will have to go with SMD, but certainly, those of us who DIY might find that it will be easier and less expensive to go SMD in the future, because the thru hole stuff will become rarer and harder to buy, and the smd stuff will get cheaper and more accessible to us. If someone really wanted to get in on the ground floor of this, I would start researching how to do a service like Dorkbot for the DIY pedal crowed WITH SMD parts already installed...

Jacob

[Jazznoise]

Not to forget our own Devi Ever!

There's no reason not to use SMD when you have demands in a large enough quantity. Hand soldered is NOT why people buy "Boutique" effects, they buy them because they think they sound cool... Or so they can plug them into their P2P Tube Amp! 

[rockhorst]

Lot a hype though...every other year or so, a new TS 808 comes to town in a new slick package and everybody is dumping their previous Fulltone/Mad Professor/Lovepedal/Catalinbread/[...your brand name here]. Painfully obvious if you've worked at a guitarstore for a while.

[J0K3RX]

I actually prefer SMD/SMT... I use surface mount resistors, transistors, IC's, smaller caps in the pF value etc.. still some through hole for certain parts.. Think about it - less drilling holes, less of a foot print (smaller board design), much less lead clipping, and they fit nicely in a compartmentalized SMD container right in front of you and you can pick them out with tweezers, place them on the board and quickly solder them...

Yes, I do it by hand... don't have the $$$$ to have them built using a pick and place machine.. Nor do I sell enough to even have a large enough run for mass production so, I do it be hand. very easy.

[culturejam]

I think the next stage is having places like Oshpark/Dorkbot that will supply you not only with your manufactured PCB, but will also have the board populated with SMD parts. In fact, I expect that we'll see the prices we're currently spending on our manufactured PCBs be about the same price as the populated PCBs. You'll be able to design your own layout, specify the parts, and then get YATS pcbs, stuffed and delivered to your door for less than $10 a piece. A finished pedal, all the parts and enclosure and everything, will cost you less than $25.

My god, that day can't come fast enough. 

[Paul Marossy]

We're already there. There are lots of the 'boutique' guys who use SMD already. I've looked inside pedals I've owned from Redwitch and CAE, and both featured a fair amount of SMD. I'd put money down that lots of guys are considering it, at least guys like Lovepedal, Klon, etc. are. I'm sure that I couldn't hear the difference between an SMD and a thru hole cap or resistor, so I'd bet that most of the masses won't be able to tell.

At some point, I think pedal makers transition from boutique to mainstream. I don't consider Fulltone a boutique maker anymore. But I am splitting hairs I think. But I did also work for a time for a company that really does make things by hand in the USA, so I'm a little biased I guess.

Just as long as they don't put "hand made in the USA" on it when it was wave soldered by robots in China. There's at least one company out there that I know of that does this and I think it's bogus to say that it's "hand made in the USA".

[Paul Marossy]

Lot a hype though...every other year or so, a new TS 808 comes to town in a new slick package and everybody is dumping their previous Fulltone/Mad Professor/Lovepedal/Catalinbread/[...your brand name here]. Painfully obvious if you've worked at a guitarstore for a while.

Yeah. And then the one I bought a few years ago will suddenly be going for $1000 on ebay because it was one of the last ones made before they went to SMD. And the "vintage" ones will be $1500. 

[rockhorst]

Yeah. And then the one I bought a few years ago will suddenly be going for $1000 on ebay because it was one of the last ones made before they went to SMD. And the "vintage" ones will be $1500.  icon_rolleyes

LOL

Even though I've built about half a dozen screamer variations by now, I still bought a Mad Professor LGW last week, cuz it was purty and I dig the design twist to the circuit.

I just found out that there's apparently some real money to be made (though you probably already knew): you can charge $4.99 for a single 4558 chip if you want to (I'll just give initials: MA)! I know people need to make a living and stuff...but that's prettty sick. Imagine if they go out of production There's a bleak vision of the future for you!

Personally I haven't touched SMD (or feel comfortable enough to do so), but I can see it moving down that way...But what about prototyping? That would be a lot more hassle, wouldn't it?

[timd]

yikes.

this doesn't bode well. time to start recycling/scavenging stuff whenever possible i guess. buy out radio shack's stock every month.

There can be something said about scavenging for parts. I do this anytime I see something electronic sitting on the side of the road. Sure - It can be messy and you always get tons of unmarked trannies, but sometimes cool and rare pieces too. Resistor leads are usually too small to work with, but many film caps can be had.

[aion]

you can charge $4.99 for a single 4558 chip if you want to (I'll just give initials: MA)!

Or $4.50 for a single Boss-style DC jack, and then calling it a "mod kit" because it comes with some instructions on how to install it...

[rockhorst]

Or $4.50 for a single Boss-style DC jack, and then calling it a "mod kit" because it comes with some instructions on how to install it...

Missed that one! Curious to try

[pinkjimiphoton]

...to play devil's advocate, is rationing stuff really necessary at this point?

For SBE, unfortunately and to some extent, yeah. Please put yourself in my paws(!) for a minute and think on the business decision that confronted me: I have numerous commercial accounts, domestic and foreign, who depend on SBE as a general store. Many of these shops would probably like to buy enough parts to support a few years of production. But they can't realistically deal with brokerages, partly because of high minimum orders and partly because the market is an un-policed jungle. But if I sell out everything I have in large lots, I have to replace that stock from the broker market. I can't entirely say No to these customers, partly because they have been very good to me, and partly because I would be cutting my own throat; if they can't get key parts, they are dead in the water, and, ultimately, so am I. So I've done what I think I had to do: set purchase limits and raised them as I have found long-term stock.

I hope this makes some sense.

SD

it makes total sense, steve.
you're a good dude, man, trying to make the best out of an uncertain future, and my hat's off to you my friend.