Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

hmmm....I would never have the money to buy one....lol!


I just can't justify spending that much. I'm sure they are amazing though.
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

brute, so am I (interested in them). Glad this thread calmed down. As a matter of fact, this thread has ignited me wanting to try one out again, but I doubt I have the money to buy one.

Cream, in 10 years you're not gonna be worrying too much about $150.
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

brute, so am I (interested in them). Glad this thread calmed down. As a matter of fact, this thread has ignited me wanting to try one out again, but I doubt I have the money to buy one.

Cream, in 10 years you're not gonna be worrying too much about $150.

haha, yeah. I agree. I could actually sort of justify right now.....but idk. I don't really want anymore guitars. I just want a single channel....versatile amp. and then some effects....a lot of effects. :D
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

Pop over to the Carl Martin forum and take a nose around. You might find help and info there...
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

hmmm....I would never have the money to buy one....lol!


I just can't justify spending that much. I'm sure they are amazing though.

Remember you've got a thread talking about spending 1300-1500 on another amp. ;)

Luke
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

I have a CM prototype. It's their Rectified OD in a HDB box. I'm impressed, as Rid knows. It's really open, with a lot of sustain and that unique fine-grained treble tooth that Rid likes so much. He calls it "not so high-gain", but the crazy thing will induce sustain/feedback at four. Anyway, since I won it in a giveaway I can't comment on the overrated-ness, and as it's not an official model I wasn't sure if I should mention it. I would give a a rating of "pretty dang sweet."
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

Remember you've got a thread talking about spending 1300-1500 on another amp. ;)

Luke

haha, I know that....but to me....an amp is worth it. I'm not convinced that a Carl Martin (or any other "boutique" effect company) effect is worth the extra dough. It's just an effect. Now, if I only wanted to keep it to one or two really good pedals...maybe. But I like more variety than that.
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

haha, I know that....but to me....an amp is worth it. I'm not convinced that a Carl Martin (or any other "boutique" effect company) effect is worth the extra dough. It's just an effect. Now, if I only wanted to keep it to one or two really good pedals...maybe. But I like more variety than that.

Your tone is only as good as your rigs weakest link.

Believe pedals really CAN sound that much better than a Boss.

Luke
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

Still....I don't want to invest that much in something I won't use very often. The only effects I ever use are vibratos and flangers....and they don't seem to have either.
 
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Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

haha, I know that....but to me....an amp is worth it. I'm not convinced that a Carl Martin (or any other "boutique" effect company) effect is worth the extra dough. It's just an effect. Now, if I only wanted to keep it to one or two really good pedals...maybe. But I like more variety than that.

Try a Fulltone OCD. It's about $180 new. You try one and then you tell me if it's worth that or not worth more than a $40 Boss DS1. If you can't hear the difference between those two... i guess I can't help that. ;)

Good effects are more than just effects, they're like sounds that you can feel through your fingers and taste through your ears.
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

lol, still....I just can't justify paying over 120 or so for an effect unless it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I'd rather buy something that I'd get more use out of....or that I would use more than a Distortion. I just don't like Distortion. If I need one....I might consider spending some money on a good distortion. But not $180. That's a bit ridiculous.
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

lol, still....I just can't justify paying over 120 or so for an effect unless it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I'd rather buy something that I'd get more use out of....or that I would use more than a Distortion. I just don't like Distortion. If I need one....I might consider spending some money on a good distortion. But not $180. That's a bit ridiculous.

If you want to see ridiculous look at how much vintage pedals are going for!

Have you ever played through a Klon, Banzai, Tim, Timmy, King of Tone, Teese or Fulltone wah?

A real good question is What is more ridiculous 250 for a pedal that you'll have forever, or 250 for tubes that will burn out in 5-10 years?

Luke
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

I can't really say about CM pedals.

I have never played a pedal that captures the presence, tone and feel of the dynamic action of an amp overdriving.

I've played some that sound really good, just not the natural sound and feel of an amp overdriving. For the price- I was really happy with the Barber Direct Drive. Although it failed to do what I originally got it for (to be the overdrive of my old BF Showman) it excels as a non-compressing solo boost type thing.

To say you wouldn't pay $180 (or more) for a pedal that accurately simulates that isn't giving the designers of the pedal enough credit.
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

If you want to see ridiculous look at how much vintage pedals are going for!

Have you ever played through a Klon, Banzai, Tim, Timmy, King of Tone, Teese or Fulltone wah?

A real good question is What is more ridiculous 250 for a pedal that you'll have forever, or 250 for tubes that will burn out in 5-10 years?

Luke


or the better question - why not find a good pedal that's cheap and not worrying about spending $250 on guitar accesories?
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

or the better question - why not find a good pedal that's cheap and not worrying about spending $250 on guitar accesories?

:confused:
Because the cheap pedals don't sound the same?

Remember I'm not just talking about OD/distortion pedals.

Thing is man we spend boatloads on accessories. Have you ever added up how much you've spent on strings, picks and cables? Let me tell ya man it's DEPRESSING!

Luke
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

Anything and everything can be overrated (or underrated)

Trying to put a price on tone is somewhat like trying to put a price on art, or anything subjective. Theres no common scale we can use because everyone is going to see/hear things differently. One man may judge with just his hears while another may judge more with his wallet. Sounds good or sounds good for the money ?

Are they "worth" the money ? Depends who you ask. Might as well ask if a BMW is worth the money. Or a $100 bottle of red wine. Or some $3000 paint splatter called modern art. Or a 68 Plexi. Or a _________.

You get the idea that there is no one correct answer.

Some people no doubt bought a CM effect and it didn't impress for the price they paid. Maybe however they would like it if it cost half as much. Maybe they wouldn't like it even if it was $5 though. Someone else may love it for $50 but not $200.

Really just comes down to if YOU like it or not. Who cares if everyone else in the room thinks its a waste of money, its YOUR tone so it only matters if your happy with your purchase.

I can look at a guy driving a BMW home from some fancy art show where he paid $5000 for a painting that looks like a 2 year old did it and think to myself what a waste of money. My Nissan gets me around just as well and my $25 picture from Target looks just as nice on my wall, but who cares. If that guy likes his car and really enjoys his "art", more power to him.


Same thing applies to guitars, effects, amps, and music.

:werd:
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

"A real good question is What is more ridiculous 250 for a pedal that you'll have forever"...OR.

That is an excellent point Luke, and one of the philosophies that I've adopted in the past couple of years regarding any purchase, guitar related or not myself. A lot of people don't think to the future. And if they're not stuck in the past, a lot are just going for immediacy. It's all perspective. But yeah, which is more beneficial, and longer lasting?

If somebody wants a certain effect, instead of impulsively jumping on one for some reason take the time to search all the possibilities. By the time someone's decided, "ehh this wasn't all that I thought it could be." After going through the time and hassle of unloading it, or keeping it, even accumulating more than you need and wasting space in a box in the closet, the end result is the costs paid out over & over again will far outweigh one that is backed by reputation, quality, and experience which may be a little bit more coastly initially. You do what you can do. Whatever you do just enjoy it, and don't worry about another person's choice to use something else.

In a nutshell, I think that everyone should just play what they want to play through and stop betchin and moanin. If somebody wants to pay $85.00, or $200.00 for a piece of equipment that may do similar things, it's that person's prerogative, and what they're capable of doing, or not. Whatever you get make the best of it, and incorporate it to give all that you can get out of it.

These are all just tools that help us to put out what we want to get out. Some form of music.
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

I am sick and tired of the "CM and Rid are overated" attitude around here.
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

ol, still....I just can't justify paying over 120 or so for an effect unless it is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
We have a vibrato(soon two, one with a chorus/vib)........a flanger is coming...and that will be something!!
Pedals are tools...it is your job to make them sound good!
I can only say that our mainseries are not operating at a measly 9v, and that we aim for natural useful tones, as for overdrive...it will only sound as good as your amp and skills allow it:)
That is the oldest rule in the book!
 
Re: Are Carl Martin Effects Overrated?

Try a Fulltone OCD. It's about $180 new. You try one and then you tell me if it's worth that or not worth more than a $40 Boss DS1. If you can't hear the difference between those two... i guess I can't help that. ;)

Good effects are more than just effects, they're like sounds that you can feel through your fingers and taste through your ears.

I tried a OCD vs DS-1. I left the shop with the DS-1 that is now on my board. OCD didnt sound good to my ears :)
 
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