What's up with all the band release pedals lately

[Eivind August]

Also, I'm going to make a Polygrace thread like Eivind did about the MASF pedal. Whatever that shit is called. 86? Whatever.

I love you, man.

[oscillofuzz]

I totally get it that it seems like a sell-out move to do something like this, as an 'underground', 'alternative' or otherwise non-mainstream band (which mainstream band uses pedals anyway...), but those guys need to make a living too and this + other merchandise is the only commercial sell-out move that doesn't actually negatively influence the quality of the content/art they create, as opposed to watering down or even dumbing down their sound to appeal to a larger market/become easier to sell by large label corporates. Looking at you, Mastodon...

[elevenstrings]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRaoHi_xcWk[/youtube]

[Chankgeez]

Looking at you, Mastodon...

We should start building "anti-signature" pedals.

We can start with this one: Mastodon't

[Pete]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRaoHi_xcWk[/youtube]

[Jwar]

I Looking at you, Opeth...

FTFY

[Christophe]

I think that what has changed, is that back in the days, when brands would put out a "sound like Hendrix" pedal, people didn't really care cos:
-people already know Hendrix' gear. you know you need a Strat, cranked up Marshall, octavia, etc... so this new pedal is clearly a hoax.
-"get the sound of a legendary guitarist" is quite intimidating and/or, you wanna find your own sound anyway.
Today the trend is different, imo, because of the niche, and very specific products. It's like "we've worked on a fuzz, a trem", or whatever, and it's not about a "legendary tone" anymore.
I wish I had a Watafuzz, I've seen the vid when I was browsing Youtube for new pedals, and the sound was amazing, I didn't even know who the fuck Boris was. Same thing with Xotic bringing together the AC and RC boosters into one pedal; this is a signature pedal, but actually who cares? Its seems like a cool feature to have both pedals in one, it's not about the endorsed guitar player, or getting to sound like him.
It's commercial tactics for both brands and endorsed artists, but besides that, you can just get a cool pedal that happens to have the name of a musician on it.

[jrfox92]

I wish I had a Watafuzz, I've seen the vid when I was browsing Youtube for new pedals, and the sound was amazing, I didn't even know who the fuck Boris was.

1) Clone a foxx tone machine
2) Use whatever transistors MASF did, I think some of the resistor/cap values were slightly different, too
3) ?????????????
4) Profit

[Christophe]

I wish I had a Watafuzz, I've seen the vid when I was browsing Youtube for new pedals, and the sound was amazing, I didn't even know who the fuck Boris was.

1) Clone a foxx tone machine
2) Use whatever transistors MASF did, I think some of the resistor/cap values were slightly different, too
3) ?????????????
4) Profit

Yeah I've read that somewhere on Ilf (maybe it was you?)... I can't do that but I have a friend who builds clones. Did anybody post gut shots of the Wata?

[Ghost Hip]

In response to those who see it as a sell out move or whatever. I really don't have an issue with it. I don't see how it is selling out or whatever. Tom Dalton and I talked about doing a Mudwest/Fuzzhugger pedal back when that was a thing. Also when smallsound/bigsound does it he creates some rad and unique featured pedals.

Honestly if you're a touring band, you survive on friendships made on the road be it with fans, other bands, or in this case builders. To have a place to sleep, to get gas/food money, sell merch, get gigs, etc. People do split record/ep releases/compilations. I know one band, Mad Anthony from Cincinnati that I toured with made a song every week for a year and collaborated with a different musician or band on each track. If a pedal company and a band want to collaborate to make a limited edition pedal to go with their new album, that's really cool. Creating something unique and fun to enhance the experience of making music is a good thing. I look at it as two artists supporting each other.

[Chankgeez]

Honestly if you're a touring band, you survive on friendships made on the road be it with fans, other bands, or in this case builders. To have a place to sleep, to get gas/food money, sell merch, get gigs, etc. People do split record/ep releases/compilations. I know one band, Mad Anthony from Cincinnati that I toured with made a song every week for a year and collaborated with a different musician or band on each track. If a pedal company and a band want to collaborate to make a limited edition pedal to go with their new album, that's really cool. Creating something unique and fun to enhance the experience of making music is a good thing. I look at it as two artists supporting each other.

Merch makes more money for musicians than music does. Bands are a brand.

[ummohyeah]

DBA on the other hand, that shit seems ridiculous and it is a shameless money grab. Special effects made for bands to mass market is lame as fuck.

Sorry dude I don't buy this. You can't make allowances for people just because you like them and then tar&feather someone else for the same thing.

Releasing 157 pedals at $225 to coincide with an album is hardly mass-marketing. DBA is still small-time, and Oliver & co. are really cool, humble guys.

If DBA wanted to make me a fuzz pedal I'd be all about it, I think that'd be a huge honor considering how badass their pedals are and how awesome the history of DBA as a company/label/venue is.

BTW did you hear they are making a Russian Circles ABY switcher.

[$harkToootth]

I agree with the above. I think it would be fair to categorize by company size. Context is important too. The Charlie Foxtrot isn't really "marketed" as a signature pedal. It just happens to be. Much like the Diabolik Fuzz.

I stand by my word choice for the more mass produced stuff. 'Contrived'. I don't think it's "selling out" or a "cash grab" or anything; I don't really care about that. The 'feeling' I get with that stuff is akin to somebody trying to sell you something at a networking event (which they are...just work with me for a minute here) that you clearly don't need or want and has nothing to do with your business, yet the person is slimey, tenacious, and trying to appeal to social proof, when, again, it's irrelevant.

Segmentation does exist for a reason though, as just an endorsement is sufficient assurance for some consumers.

[jrfox92]

BTW did you hear they are making a Russian Circles ABY switcher.

No shit?
Did Brian stop using Jupiter Effects' (the original one) switcher?

[lost in music]

Just for completeness's sake, Dandy Warhols dude got two signature pedals out of Malekko. The Charlie Foxtrot and the Distortland