Re: Best Botique Pedals $150 And Under?
Sadly the so called "botique" trend has really spawned a ton of overpriced crap with flashy paintjobs and marketing hitting the market in recent years. Theres still some very good products coming out by talented folks such as the MI Audio stuff (just as an example) but now it seems that each week theres yet another designer who's got something in the $200 range trying to cash in on the action.
Some of these products had the designers no doubt spend more time thinking of a cool name or graphic than actually making a good circuit design. You then buy the pedals and they really sound quite poor, or the extra features don't do anything the least bit musical/useful.
Generally theres little reason a pedal should cost $200+. Case, knobs, powder coat, componets, even some harder to find stuff really doesn't cost more than about $20-30 even on a smaller scale of production. Add in some labor, marketing, packaging etc, not to mention distribution cost if you choose to go that route and your still under $50.
If some builders can produce quality units for $119 and still make a fair profit its really hard to justify some pedals in the $249+ range as being a "good deal"
Somethings simply cost what they cost, I just paid $255 for a Teese Wah Pedal and thats probably pretty high to most but then again they are said to be the best and you do have alot of extras such as the fuzz friendly technology, shielding etc all going into the cost.
Fact is though that you've really got to look long and hard at what your buying and what your getting for your money.
Its quite easy to drop a grand on a few pedals that sound like crap. Maybe they look cool but you won't use them.
Most would be better off buying an empty case, paint whatever cool name you want and some graphics on the thing and you'd still have the "cool" factor to your pedal board but a lot of money left in the bank LOL
I've got a non working MRX pedal. I think I'll just jump some circuits til it makes any random noise then I think I'm going to paint it black, give it some "blood" splatter red paint and name it the "Disemboweler". Its going to have a single knob labled "Kill" and a red LED.
I will then give one to someone in a black metal band so I can have them as an endorser on the "artist page" and talk about how this is the most hardcore, over the top, not for the masses, pedal ever created.
It can be yours for $299 as well.
