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HNPD: Cool Cat Transparent OD

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tunghaichuan

tunghaichuan

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Just picked up a Danelectro Cool Cat Transparent OD. Maybe one of the last ones for sale in its current form :(

There is a big flap going on over at the Gear Page and Free Stomp Boxes. Apparently the TOD is a direct copy of a boutique pedal called the Timmy made by Paul Cochrane.

Details here.

Someone from Danelectro contacted Paul, and they are working to resolve it.

Anyway, I'll get some clips posted when I have a chance to try this pedal out. I'm working on my amp today, so I'll get to the pedal after I get done with the amp.

tung
 
I've been reading the debates too. Most interesting. I believe there's been a bit of a run on the Transparent OD's. How long before evilbay is full of "pre-lawsuit" models at inflated prices. Though of course Paul Cochrane can't afford a lawsuit. The Timmy is already a bit of a controversial pedal as lots of people appear to get on the waiting list just to sell the pedal on to the impatient for a premium. Tot had a Timmy last I heard, maybe we can get a comparison?
 
While I feel for Paul, I don't know if Danelectro has anything to apologize for. He can trademark the look and name of the pedal, and the artwork/layout for the circuit, but he can't trademark the circuit itself. He can only patent it, and only if it is something novel. AFAIK, an opamp with clippers is not novel.

No one has suggested that Ibanez sue all the boutiquers who have built clones (sometimes exact copies) of the Tube Screamer. And no one has suggested that ProCo sue Ibanez for the Fat Cat which is a clone of the Rat.

No one feels sorry for Dumble, and there are *lots* of clones of his amps.

I would encourage anyone who wants to try this pedal to buy one now to avoid paying the "pre lawsuit" tax on the originals. I've already seen the MXR Classic Distortion, available only from GC in Dec. 2008 for $30, being flogged on ebay for double. Ditto on the BBE Green Screamers.

markb said:
I've been reading the debates too. Most interesting. I believe there's been a bit of a run on the Transparent OD's. How long before evilbay is full of "pre-lawsuit" models at inflated prices. Though of course Paul Cochrane can't afford a lawsuit. The Timmy is already a bit of a controversial pedal as lots of people appear to get on the waiting list just to sell the pedal on to the impatient for a premium. Tot had a Timmy last I heard, maybe we can get a comparison?
Click to expand...
 
tunghaichuan said:
AFAIK, an opamp with clippers is not novel.
Click to expand...

In the beginning the was the Boss OD-1, closely followed by the Ibanez (Maxon) Overdrive Pro, later Tube Screamer which had (gasp) a tone control. Boss retaliated with the SD-1 and switched to the JRC4558 opamp as it was cheaper and effectively (sorry) no different to the expensive 14 pin opamp they were using originally. After that, everything is pretty much lawsuit fodder :)

What I don't get is why this cult has been built around the JRC4558. Every rubbish dump is full of the things in discarded audio equipment.
 
markb said:
In the beginning the was the Boss OD-1, closely followed by the Ibanez (Maxon) Overdrive Pro, later Tube Screamer which had (gasp) a tone control. Boss retaliated with the SD-1 and switched to the JRC4558 opamp as it was cheaper and effectively (sorry) no different to the expensive 14 pin opamp they were using originally. After that, everything is pretty much lawsuit fodder :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the history lesson, I did not know that. :AOK:


markb said:
What I don't get is why this cult has been built around the JRC4558. Every rubbish dump is full of the things in discarded audio equipment.
Click to expand...

Because SRV use a pedal that had that chip in it.

I have a DOD FX-55B Supra Distortion that has the JRC4558 chip in it. I think it sounds great, but everybody else in the world hates DOD pedals. Which is fine with me because I paid $20US for it. :D

tung
 
I hate to tell anyone how to spend their money, but it looks like Dano is going to change the circuit around. And many online suppliers are out of stock. But if you want to try the current version, yes I would buy one. Especially if you don't want to get raped by an ebay seller. :messedup: Of course, I could be wrong.

tung

Robert said:
So are you saying we should all hurry up and run out and buy one of these Cool Cat Transparent Overdrives?
Click to expand...
 
I just fired up my stock VJ head and tried out the Transparent OD.

Pros: sounds pretty good. Very, uh, transparent :D The EQ works great. There are two bands: bass and treble and are on a concentric pot. There is a lot of gain on tap, but unlike some pedals, you can dial back the gain control and still get a good crunch sound. True Bypass?

Cons: even though the case is metal, it still feels kind of flimsy. The battery door on the back is thin plastic and will eventually break or get lost. The control knobs are tiny and not on the face of the pedal, so they are a PITA to turn. The also work conter intuitively. It does not work as a clean booster (volume up, gain down). The footswitch feels kind of sticky, not smooth.

Still, not a bad pedal for $40.

tung
 
Robert said:
I just put in my order for a Transparent Overdrive! :D
Click to expand...

I did last night too. Every single one that was on the auction site vanished right away and MF and M123 are all back ordered.
 
Still stock in NZ. What am I bid? Hey, I could scalp on the shipping too :rotflmao:
 
Guess what? I just ordered one too, Music Planet, Auckland NZ$76 shipped (US$39 at today's rates). This controversy isn't hurting Danelctro's sales, is it?
 
duhvoodooman said:
I just went over and picked one up on eBay for $43 including shipping. I've heard so many good things about the Timmy pedal, this price is a steal if it's truly the same circuit, which apparently is the case.

Here's the 'Bay link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:31&Item=280269395022

Big seller with exemplary feedback, so worth the risk in my book....
Click to expand...
With reports of many places being sold out of this pedal, I sent a message to this eBay seller, asking if they really had the stock to fill my order. Here's what I sent:

"I just bought one of these Cool Cat Transparent OD pedals from you. I understand many places have sold out of this model. Please confirm you have the stock to fill my purchase."​

To their credit, I got a response back in about 90 minutes--quite impressive for a large volume eBay seller! It said:

"I understand. We've been swamped with orders for them. Yes, we have some here, and another 26 coming tomorrow, probably late, and another 11 coming next week. I should be able to ship yours by Friday. No problem. Thanks so much."​

So this would appear to be an excellent place to pick one up, if you're interested. :AOK: :dude: :bravo:


BTW, the March issue of Guitar Player has a test of 21 distortion pedals, including two of the Danelectro Cool Cat line, though not this particular one. Both did very well compared to the others tested, many of which were in the $200 - $300 range! The only thing they didn't like were the knobs--basically the same issues as Tung mentioned in his comments. Very complimentary of the tones, though, and the value of these pedals speaks for itself.
 









IMG_0265.jpg
 
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So far I think they sound pretty good. So I got two - one for me and one for some guy who missed out on them before they changed the circuit design and will be willing to shell out big bucks because he thinks the Timmy is over priced.:cool:
 
Spudman said:
So far I think they sound pretty good. So I got two - one for me and one for some guy who missed out on them before they changed the circuit design and will be willing to shell out big bucks because he thinks the Timmy is over priced.:cool:
Click to expand...

The Timmy costs $129. That's for a handwired pedal with true bypass (yawn), a clipping switch and a socketed opamp. Pretty good value, I think. The real pain is the 8 month plus waiting list. Timmy's sold on evilbay are overpriced because people are buying them to sell on to those who just can't wait :thwap:

If I really like the TOD, I might well order a Timmy. The Dano pedal might last until I get to the top of the list :)
 
I just ordered 144 of them. I figure what the heck. Who's going to seriously wait 8 months for a pedal that costs $130 when they can get from me in a week for just $75?:pancake:
 
Actually, Paul Cochrane's Timmy pedal (IMO) isn't overpriced at all. $129 for a handmade pedal is more than fair--take it from someone who is in a position to know, based upon what's involved in making them. I give Cochrane a lot of credit for not jacking the price through the roof and managing the demand that way. Instead, he's got a several-months-long waiting list of customers who want his pedal's particular sound and recognize that his price is a relative bargain among "boutique" pedal makers. $200 - $300 is the more typical range for an in-demand pedal like his.

The cost driver for hand-made pedals is the labor, not the parts. That's why Danelectro, who cranks them out on an automated production line in China, can afford to sell 'em for $40 and still make a decent profit. But I'm sure they pay a lot less for the parts, too, by buying in bulk.

Being a pedal maker myself, I would feel guilty about buying the Danelectro if not for the fact that I would never consider spending the $129 for another OD pedal--even a very good one--or waiting for months to get one. So in doing so, I'm not taking business away from Paul and giving it to Danelectro. But I'm happy to see that the Danelectro people have apparently been in contact with Paul to sort this out. Hopefully, they do the right thing--change the design and work out some kind of monetary settlement with him for "borrowing" his design for several months. As I understand it, legally they owe him nothing. But what's legal and what's right are so often two different things....
 
One thing that confuses me about the whole debate is that people are eager to jump on Danelectro for making a cheaper alternative to the Timmy. Yet no one has jumped on the opportunistic sellers who buy Paul's pedals, then turn around and flip them for a profit. When Dano sells pedals, its Evil. When sellers flip Paul's pedals for a profit, it capitalism. :confused:

tung
 
tunghaichuan said:
One thing that confuses me about the whole debate is that people are eager to jump on Danelectro for making a cheaper alternative to the Timmy. Yet no one has jumped on the opportunistic sellers who buy Paul's pedals, then turn around and flip them for a profit. When Dano sells pedals, its Evil. When sellers flip Paul's pedals for a profit, it capitalism. :confused:

tung
Click to expand...
I think maybe the logic is that in the latter scenario, Paul doesn't lose any business. Such people are just pandering to the impatient who want one NOW and are willing to pay for it. In that sense, they're just satisfying a demand that's out there and that Paul doesn't service directly with his business model. Though I do agree with you, Tung--strikes me as price gouging and taking advantage of the situation. Then again, nobody holds a gun to the heads of those who pay these inflated pass-through prices....
 
Either way this falls I bet both are enjoying all the free publicity
I have had this pedal for couple months now and really enjoy it alot ....like it best w/epi and 18w tmb
 
duhvoodooman said:
Or copying the answers of the smart kids, depending upon how you look at this kind of thing!
Click to expand...

Copying circuits is nothing new. The trademark only protects the artwork and look of the packaging. The circuit itself is up for grabs, unless it is patented. And there are very few new circuits. Most of them are just tweaked versions of existing circuits. Some pedals are direct copies, often lifted from the manufacturer's data sheets. It's one reason that some pedal manufacturers put goop on their circuit boards, to protect their tweaks.

This is the reason that Leo Fender couldn't sue Jim Marshall for copying the Fender Bassman. It is the reason that Dumble goops his amps, they are just high gain tweaked out versions of Fender amps. In turn, Fender amps were based on circuits published by Western Electric.

tung
 
duhvoodooman said:
I think maybe the logic is that in the latter scenario, Paul doesn't lose any business. Such people are just pandering to the impatient who want one NOW and are willing to pay for it. In that sense, they're just satisfying a demand that's out there and that Paul doesn't service directly with his business model.
Click to expand...

Actually, Paul does lose business, if someone buys from a gouger, then they're not buying from Paul. It is the same thing only for different reasons: buying the Dano results from people not wanting to spend $130 on a pedal. Buying a used, but marked up Timmy results from people not wanting to wait. So Paul loses out on both accounts.

duhvoodooman said:
Though I do agree with you, Tung--strikes me as price gouging and taking advantage of the situation. Then again, nobody holds a gun to the heads of those who pay these inflated pass-through prices....
Click to expand...

True, I agree.

tung
 

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