A cry for help - to LPB

[Aceman]

So we think a decent pedal is the right prescription? Maybe I have been slumming lately.

Let's see...

Behringer TO800
Boss SD1
Ibanez TS7
Ibanez TS5
Marshall Vibratrem


Hmmmmmm. Could be. But if I roll high end, it almost certainly means Tremolo.

 

[Drak]

I think the Moon Pool is a sort of ripped-off Nightwire.

 

[LLL]

look here Steve, Ace is asking for mental help...We are not in Canada like you - the only solution here is spending money with careless abandon on premium goods that will give us a short premium level high followed by buyers remorse, spousal regret, and latent depression worse than when you started.

I wrote a dissertation on this phenomenon... I call it the "Suck Tone Vicious Circle":

In the last decade, I have set foot in a brick & mortar guitar/music store and purchased something maybe 10 times total. A big reason is no one carries quality left-handed instruments... it's always the same sh!tty $200-special black Stratocopy with white pickguard.

Another reason: these are the places that sell Suck Tone gear; which helps perpetuate the Suck Tone Vicious Circle. The Suck Tone Vicious Circle is a circle of perpetual suckage that sucks you in with its new gear smell, novelty, fad appeal and empty tone promises - but your tone never actually improves and you essentially wind up losing $$$ because you sell the Suck Tone gear that you once thought was great but realize it wasn't... only to purchase newer Suck Tone gear. And of course, the Suck Tone Vicious Circle really takes advantage of the inexperienced.

Here is the Suck Tone Vicious Circle:

1) sucked in by new gear smell, novelty, fad appeal and (empty) tone promises
2) purchase of Suck Tone gear
3) new gear smell, novelty and fad appeal wear off; tone promises are found to be empty
4) disillusionment with Suck Tone gear sets in
5) the selling off of Suck Tone gear begins
6) use proceeds from aforementioned selling off of Suck Tone gear to get (go back to step 1)

You get nowhere because you keep going through a revolving door of gear that never hits the mark. At any point in the Suck Tone Vicious Circle, you can easily discern three things: sucky tone, a revolving door of gear and loss of $$$.

And yes, I too was once caught up in the Suck Tone Vicious Circle myself, but I pulled myself out.

 

[DKSEARS]

I'm not necessarily jonesing for a Harmonic Trem.

I wasn't in the market for Harmonic Trem either and found this: https://robertkeeley.com/product/keeley-vot-reverb-and-tremolo-guitar-effects-pedal/ and the Harmonic Trem is now my favorite mode. This one displaced the Strymon Flint off my primary board.

Then when my chorus died, I picked up one of these: https://robertkeeley.com/product/seafoam-plus-chorus/ The ADT mode does a pretty nice impersonation of the Eventide MicroPitch for the money, along with a couple of other chorus settings that very nice.

 

[NegativeEase]

I wrote a dissertation on this phenomenon... I call it the "Suck Tone Vicious Circle":

HAHAHA. Amazing.

It's amazing how many pedal companies are pimping the same simple circuit -just with different art.

Essentially people are collecting pedals out of emotional attachment to an artistic presentation or obsession with improving their guitar playing with perceived instant shortcuts to the best possible guitar tone.

 

[Aceman]

HAHAHA. Amazing.

It's amazing how many pedal companies are pimping the same simple circuit -just with different art.

Essentially people are collecting pedals out of emotional attachment to an artistic presentation or obsession with improving their guitar playing with perceived instant shortcuts to the best possible guitar tone.

I think LPB is with me here....Art is one of humanities defining and redeeming characteristics. Even if found on a pedal....nay, especially when found on a pedal!

 

[NegativeEase]

I think LPB is with me here....Art is one of humanities defining and redeeming characteristics. Even if found on a pedal....nay, especially when found on a pedal!

Sure, if you're buying for the art or it's a decent product, but using art only to convince someone to purchase something that is crap is where I'd say no.

 

[Demanic]

It's a joke, not meant to open a political wormhole -you don't have to ruin everything inserting this kind of thing into threads.

I guess that I'm the reason that we just can't have nice things.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[Demanic]

I think LPB is with me here....Art is one of humanities defining and redeeming characteristics. Even if found on a pedal....nay, especially when found on a pedal!

So that's why people put decals on their AMC Pacers and Chevy Chevettes.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[Aceman]

Might be nice, but I'll be damned if I'm going to spend 500$ for a pedal. I think there's a point of diminishing returns that starts to happen at a little over 100$ and then kinda peaks around 200$.

There is a time for price/performance, and I agree it is most of the time.

But then there is a time for cheap slutty whore pedals that activates when spit upon, and a time for that high-end top-drawer pedal that really should only be played while wearing a plush velvet robe, and with a sifter of fine cognac nearby.

 

[Aceman]

LOL - have a Soundtank and Tone Lok!

 

[Demanic]

I love my TS-7. Especially in hot mode.

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[Aceman]

I love my TS-7. Especially in hot mode.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

Hell to the yeah!

 

[Aceman]

I'm not taking it out to gig, unless it is "always on" - that's for sure. But at home, no worries.

 

[Drak]

There is never a time for godawful unreliable footswitches like on the old DOD pedals or Ibanez Soundtank and Tone-Lok series.
It doesn't matter what the circuit sounds like or how cool the enclosure is if you have to step on the switch five times to get it to turn on.

If you're strictly an end-user w/ absolutely no gadget experience, I would agree with you, nobody needs a device that you can't count on.
But those switches are really easy to clean, and even replace if its needed, and the switches are super-cheap.
Half-hour tops, even with a replacement, then they work every time.
So, opinion...DisCounted!

 

[GuitarStv]

LOL - have a Soundtank and Tone Lok!

Is the Tone Loc for 'Funky Cold Medina' covers?

 

[Drak]

And I will likewise discount yours.
I am not buying any more garbage pedals with poorly designed mechanisms that need to be coddled.
I would rather spend the half hour dialing in different tones. That is what I bought them for.

Fair enough, but that consumption-only mindset would rule out just about every vintage piece of guitar gear out there.
If that be you, it's certainly your choice.
No vintage amps (parts wear out, need replacement and servicing)
No vintage guitars (parts wear out, needs setup, replacement and servicing)
No vintage equipment...At All.

Your purchase field becomes very narrowed and limited to what's new today.
And by comparison standards, much of what's produced today is junk in comparison.
Certainly not everything, but a lot.
And all of it at premium retail prices, so no value in finding great used deals.
And when your new gear breaks down in a few years, you throw it away and buy something new.
I get that.
I just don't think it's a valuable mindset to carry around based on the ability to repair vintage equipment.
Especially those pedals, its cakewalk to fix them and they work like new.

The mechanisms are not poorly designed, that's retarded to even say it.
Most worked fine for at least 20+ odd years before encountering any problems.
Most guys would be replacing power tube sets as standard wear multiple times long before 20 years had passed by.

Your argument holds about as much weight as a baby goldfish.

 

[Drak]

Cool, let's approach it from another direction.
PM me with what you have and a reasonable offer (since, of course, they're broken), maybe I'll buy them.
Better fixed and working and appreciated than broken and sitting on a shelf being hated on.
Up to you.

If you want me to fix them for you and you want to cover all costs, I'll fix them for no charge, just shipping and parts.
Its so easy.

 

[NegativeEase]

Back on topic, ACE -this pedal will satiate the hole in your life for at least 3-4 days.

 

[NegativeEase]

Ace, I think you get a week solid from this one