Pedal Cost

[just strum]

I read up on almost every pedal that is noted in this section. Partly because I want to get a better understanding of the different pedals out there and partially because I continue to consider the best one to get (best in all around value).

So while I read up on the different pedals and read all the insightful comments posted here, I've now come up with a quandary.

Prices for pedals are generally anywhere from $40 to $200+. Some of the high end pedals have a lot of bells and whistles and some of them are obvious high quality.

1) I have a hard time buying a pedal that cost as much as the amp that I own ad30vt.

2) Just how good are some of the lower priced pedals?

3) I'm sure that after I purchase a pedal or two, someone has or will posted something about what pedal goes better with a specific amp or what guitar sounds the best with a certain amp/pedal combination.

So, do I buy a really expensive amp so that the pedal and amp price aren't so close that it makes it difficult to justify an expensive pedal? Do I buy low end and be happy with the combination? Do I just resign to the fact that this gear thing will never end?:whatever:

Just thinking out loud.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

The gear thing will never end.


I try to make sure that what I get will grow with me. So I'd rather have one pedal that I believe will stick around for 10 years than three that I'll want to upgrade. I may be mistaken about that one, but life's like that.

The most important part of the signal chain is the amp, then guitar, & then pedals (or so it seems to me). On the other hand pedals are the cheapest of the three so are the easiest to pick up. That is why I have a coupl'a nice pedals & inexpensive guitars & amps.

My preference (& it may not be yours) is that I rather have one pedal that I thought would grow with me & stay on my board for a long time, than three cheaper ones that I might want to upgrade later.

Still, if I were to place the words great, cheap, & no with no duplication next to the words amp, guitar, & pedals it would be

great amp
cheap guitar
no pedals

 

[duhvoodooman]

From what I've seen, three main factors drive pedal pricing:

1. Basic design & feature set
2. Materials, quality of construction & production cost
3. Maker reputation & brand/model "cachet"

The first two affect how the pedal sounds, its flexibility, and its reliability. The third does not, but may have a strong correlation to the first two. On the other hand, it may just be a convenient way to separate the buyer from more of his/her money. The ludicrously priced ($170) Ibanez Tube Screamer TS-808 Re-issue is a favorite example of mine of the latter.

Unless you're a serious gigging musician who needs ultra-high quality, extra features and bomb shelter-grade construction, I see no need to be dropping $200 on effects pedals. There are many excellent values in the $25 - $100 range. I have over 20 pedals of various types, and I only own two that cost me in excess of $100. The vast majority cost me under $75, and many, less than $50. I have several plastic-casing Danelectro and Behringer effects that were very inexpensive and yet sound good to great.

Sure, I've bought a couple of losers, but very few. If you do your homework and search around the internet for what customers say about them, you should get a pretty good idea of which are good values and which are not. The customer feedback on the big reseller sites can be valuable, though I always wonder if they aren't "managed" to some extent. You'll get more accurate feedback at a place like Harmony Central, I think. And reviews by independent third parties (e.g. guitar enthusiast magazines and web sites) can be very helpful. Google around and see what you can find.

One other thing--yes, you do need to resign yourself to the fact that this gear thing never ends.... :rockon:

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

The gear thing will never end.

+1

These last few years...I have gone through a ton of stuff..
As a newbie trying to find what I want to sound like and need.
(Like I am suppose to know..lol)

I started with cheaper digital boxes..

Moved to Digital amps...

added some cheaper pedals to the amps..

found tube amps for the cheaper pedals..

Found better (READ MORE EXPENSIVE) pedals for the tube amps

added more tube amps to try stereo...

found I like even more sounds so added even more pedals..

found a pedal thats like a digital box but not..

then I went back to a cheap toneport for the computer with one sound that sounds great "to me"

it's a model of a 1200-1800$ amp...

now thinking.. do I buy the amp...
or the floor podxtlive and a pa system? lol

I don't think it ever ends...

Danelectro has some very good pedals on the cheap!
Ibanez has a few fairly cheap...

Would suggest ... read read read on the pedal type you want..
than let those reviews and your judgement decide which ones you spend money on..

Now for me personally... the names draw me in to..
I bought a B.K. Butler ($300 pedal) because its used by certain people..
this is/was an awesome pedal for slight overdrive to "my" ears.
Added a nice warmth... but "I" didn't care for the distortion
well, after a few months... I found with my RAT pedal and BD-2 pedal..
I could obtain the same feeling to "my" ears.. so sold it..
nice thing... e-bay sells things you no longer need..
so you have money to buy yet more pedals etc..

:AOK:

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Getting decent quality ones for overdrive/distortion (boss, digitech, ibanez) is not too painful if you go used on ebay or classifieds. And you can fill in later with the Dano/Berhinger ones for a few of the others. You don't need that many right now really. (Nor do I, but I've bought a few). I say start with the overdrive and distortion types and get decent quality, like a Digitech Bad Monkey or Ibanez type for overdrive and a Proco Rat, Marshall Guvnor or DS-1 for distortion and find a basic clean and dirtied up sound. Then you can add from there. You don't really need to spend a lot of cash. Your amps seem decent enough (I don't know anything about your Fender really) and you can use those two pedals with the different amph models on your vox to dial in what basic amph sound you go to the most. Then you can consider whether to get that amph or one that does the sound you like, or to just stick with the models on the Vox. Other than considering an overdrive and distortion, I say use what you have until you really feel you know what you are looking for. Otherwise, you can chase your tail a lot looking.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Strummy, if you were more specific, I'd bet you'd get alot of help.

Eg, post two pedals that interest you of the same type & ask for opinions.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Strummy, if you were more specific, I'd bet you'd get alot of help.

Eg, post two pedals that interest you of the same type & ask for opinions.

PS, I agree with tot about getting at least decent ones to learn to play well, rather than a cheapy you are just going to want to replace.

 

[just strum]

I started the thread more as a joke than anything else. Just trying to point out the obvious that the acquiring can be endless. However, since it is taking a turn into a serious thread, I'll add to it.

In order to avoid as many pitfalls as possible (bad purchases by virtue of quality, poor or inadequate features and performance) I keep reading all these posts and there are a lot of knowledgeable people here, but now it's the task of narrowing it down to my particular needs.

DVM noted the other day the a good overdrive pedal would be a nice addition to the ad30vt. Ok, inexpensive investment, but which one? I looked at a few models starting with a Bad Monkey, but in that price range there are a number of choices.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

For me as a good versatile overdrive, the Monkey is a good one. Well built, can get them cheap, versatile. It was my first pedal.

 

[Spudman]

You can find many a standard issue inexpensive pedal by most any major manufacturer in a lot of pro players setups. In spite of the abundance of boutique pedals pros still go with the tried and true. You don't have to get something expensive to find a pedal that will work for you.

However, some of the more expensive pedals will do a bit more than their cheaper brothers. You'll either have to decide ahead of acquisition what sound you are after and do your research or go see a lot of guys playing live and find out what they use if you like their sound.

The most expensive pedal I own is the Radial Tonebone Hot British and after owning it for some time I can honestly say that it was worth the over $100 price tag. Not all of them work out that way but I knew what I was looking for and was willing to pay to get it. I might be able to get the sounds I get from the Hot British with some other possibly cheaper pedal, but with the Brit I don't have to try. It's right there every time and I have better things to do with my time than to keep searching and trying. So in some cases it's worth going upscale.

 

[Kazz]

One thing still holds true....the box will not make you play better....I myself have tried digital and analog....but most of the time....I play with 3 things....

...guitar....cord....tube amp...

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

One thing still holds true....the box will not make you play better....I myself have tried digital and analog....but most of the time....I play with 3 things....

...guitar....cord....tube amp...

Ya know.. I heard that for the last few years I been trying to play..

I think it depends on the tube amp...and the music your playing.

Please name 5 of your best players that use only a amp and guitar.

Just the point being.. even those you name if any, will have vibrato or reverb or something extra in/on their amp when it comes down to it..

I also think, yep.. that box/pedal surely did add something to my playing.. even while I suck.. The more things it seems I add..the harder I try to make a note sing out or chord play over the flow of the effect..?? that make sense?

chorus, flangers, overdrives..boosts.. there gotta be a reason there is such a big market..

 

[just strum]

If you want the forum to make a decision for you, it's the wrong place to be. If you want the forum help you make a decision, it's the right place to be.

I haven't decided on a model of pedal or pedals, but have more information to help make a decision. First pedal will most likely be an OD. I was amazed at the number of manufactures out there that market pedals and effects.

I'm still playing around with this ad30vt and finding new sounds I can get our of it. If I had to give one drawback of this amp, it would be that it only has two programmable channels, it should have 20.

Steve, regarding the Fender amp - If that was your first Fender purchase and you based all future purchases from it, one would never own a Strat, Tele or another Fender amp.

Now, I have $400, what guitar should I buy? Just kidding.

 

[wingsdad]

...I'm still playing around with this ad30vt and finding new sounds I can get our of it. If I had to give one drawback of this amp, it would be that it only has two programmable channels, it should have 20. ...

You can have what amounts to 30 preset channels, accessible with 2 toe-taps if you got this...you'd also have 22 Distortion/Overdrive pedals and a whole lot more.
What's the 1 Pedal etc. Thread - Boss ME50

 

[just strum]

You can have what amounts to 30 preset channels, accessible with 2 toe-taps if you got this...you'd also have 22 Distortion/Overdrive pedals and a whole lot more.
What's the 1 Pedal etc. Thread - Boss ME50

I casually looked at this a few months ago. I took another look today and I must say it is interesting and in the long run could be a money saver. I like the idea of the presets, that would add a feature lacking in the ad30vt.

Right now I see only one draw back - something goes wrong with the ME50 and you are left with nothing. Now how likely for that to happen is probably minimal based on Boss's reputation.

I out e-bay and see some units on auction. I thought ebay had a feature where you could check the selling price of recently sold product, but I can't locate it on the site.

Probably add the ME50 to the list of possibilities. I have a feeling that the list will get longer before it gets shorter.

 

[Plank_Spanker]

Strum,

You need to go uber high end boo-teek with your pedals. That way if you don't like them, you can always impress people with the fact that you own them............................................

 

[Kazz]

Strummer

It is under advanced search....you may or may not see that option from work if you are looking....I know at my work it is blocked....but under advanced search you will see the box completed listings only.

I casually looked at this a few months ago. I took another look today and I must say it is interesting and in the long run could be a money saver. I like the idea of the presets, that would add a feature lacking in the ad30vt.

Right now I see only one draw back - something goes wrong with the ME50 and you are left with nothing. Now how likely for that to happen is probably minimal based on Boss's reputation.

I out e-bay and see some units on auction. I thought ebay had a feature where you could check the selling price of recently sold product, but I can't locate it on the site.

Probably add the ME50 to the list of possibilities. I have a feeling that the list will get longer before it gets shorter.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Ya know.. I heard that for the last few years I been trying to play..

I think it depends on the tube amp...and the music your playing.

Please name 5 of your best players that use only a amp and guitar.

Just the point being.. even those you name if any, will have vibrato or reverb or something extra in/on their amp when it comes down to it..

I also think, yep.. that box/pedal surely did add something to my playing.. even while I suck.. The more things it seems I add..the harder I try to make a note sing out or chord play over the flow of the effect..?? that make sense?

chorus, flangers, overdrives..boosts.. there gotta be a reason there is such a big market..

It depends on the sound that you are going for & how loud you are able to crank that amp.

If you can't get the amp cooking you need something. My first choice is a clean boost.

If you want to quickly flip between clean & scream, then a distortion pedal will do the trick.

One thing that pedals seem to interfere with is the subtle boundary between clean & drive. Hence, the perennial question of how well does the pedal clean up.

I like pedals that do almost nothing (but do that well) & then stack them at low settings. The word typically used is transparent. Clean boosts, low-gain drives, comps. I also like pedals that can do a drop (ie go below unity) so I can lower the input into one pedal without overdriving it too hard (turns a medium gain into a sweet low gainer) & then clean boost the output to hit the amp. I am trying to get extra richness, sustain, harmonic content, ampy bounce, & feel rather than scream.

My favorite thing is when a resonant cleanish passage holds nooks & crannies of drippy swampy drive.

The Fender Champion 600 works well for this (love the 6V6), but nice results can be had with judicious use of some pedals.

I am not all that fond of when a pedal owns the sound of my guitar.

But, I'm a newbie & I'm sure that my opinions will change.

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Strum,

You need to go uber high end boo-teek with your pedals. That way if you don't like them, you can always impress people with the fact that you own them............................................

Yup..seems pedals have the same effect as amps and guitars.. the more you spend..the better it must sound.......

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Ive just seen an incredible deal on the Vox cooltron pedals over in the Uk at a chain of stores (one of which is close by). Incredibly, the 'Big Ben' can be had on closeout sale for £29!! $58 USD!! now, do I buy one to stick in front of my AD30 or not? got to act fast!!

 

[just strum]

Ive just seen an incredible deal on the Vox cooltron pedals over in the Uk at a chain of stores (one of which is close by). Incredibly, the 'Big Ben' can be had on closeout sale for £29!! $58 USD!! now, do I buy one to stick in front of my AD30 or not? got to act fast!!

Well, did you act fast???

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Ive just seen an incredible deal on the Vox cooltron pedals over in the Uk at a chain of stores (one of which is close by). Incredibly, the 'Big Ben' can be had on closeout sale for £29!! $58 USD!! now, do I buy one to stick in front of my AD30 or not? got to act fast!!

I'd get one for that price if you don't already have those OD needs covered.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I got one :AOK: Took my own guitar to the shop and had a shot on all of the cooltrons, went for a 'Big Ben' overdrive, tried both into an AD30 and an Epi VJ (which is on my GAS list). Lovely and warm, lot of gain available too, and very VERY shiny. £29 well spent. Im also well impressed with the EVJ, suited my guitar nicely.

Got a toneport GX too! Gonna have me some fun on my day off work tomorrow!

 

[just strum]

Alright Mr. G,

You have a blast tomorrow. It must be around 9:00PM over there right now - don't want to keep the neighbors up.

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Oh, And don't forget... the collecting aspect of pedals...

swwwweeeeet....




ancake: