What's up with all the band release pedals lately

[Jwar]

So.. I like Zakk Wylde.. but yeah his music is pretty bad and that MXR pedal of his is manure. At least Yngwie admits his is an OD250.. which is a great pedal. I understand that Wylde is kind of a generational thing at this point .. I grew up watching him play with Ozzy with them damn bell bottom pants on. Jesus.

Anyway.. band release pedals are stupid as shit. Really? Your band needs a special pedal to be your band? I say this after having just built a Gristleizer
.. but that was a straight up magazine article. It's totally a shameless money grab and while I do enjoy some of the pedals it irritates me that they feel the need to make an effect special edition or whatever for the release of a bands album. That's just over the top. They might as well start branding them with MacDonalds and Burger king

This sums up exactly how I feel!

The ones like Dwarfcraft and MASF does, I actually dig because it's cool art with cool bands and they aren't making a brand new pedal just to push an album. 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. Now, I'm also happy to find out what my latest bass player obsession is using but if I saw that it's a sig pedal (which is never fucking is lol), I'd immediately lose interest.

I'm all for using band graphics and shit like that. Don't get me wrong. The Dwarfcraft stuff especially holds a special place in my heart because well, I got to do them for the Fucking Russian Circles!! It's the other stuff the drives me bonkers.

Brian from Smallsound/Bigsound is also exempt from this because he always releases something that is insanely unique and he's not a money grab kind of dude.

[Jwar]

Death By Audio seems to be the front runner in this category as well. Release after release of a limited pedal that is oriented around some band. I know they've done this for awhile but it's becoming more common

With Death by Audio, from what I understand, their special releases were either related to being approached by the band for commission of a pedal (Thee Oh Sees Fuzz Warr Overload, The Flaming Lips Space Ring, Ty Segall Sunshine Reverberation) and they decided to sell a certain amount of pedals to the public (possibly to offset the cost of development ) or were the result of someone who worked/owned DBA wanting to do something special for an album release (APTBS Apocalypse, Grooms Exit Index).

Also, bear in mind that they've done special edition pedals in the far flung past, too (there's some special Skywave pedals, there's a special Airiel pedal, etc.), but that was also when very few people knew about them and most everything was a custom commission.

Pffftt research and development my ass! LOL!! It's not like they are writing code for a digital effect. They have that shit down to a science, I'd almost guarantee it. It does take time but I highly doubt they are doing it to offset costs. More likely they are doing it to take advantage of the second hand market like that douche from Klon does (though he does it for a good reason. Still a douche for making the Klon...haha).

I get making one offs, but I bet you that most of those bands use that shit for an album (or maybe not) then never touch it again. It's cool and all for them to make money. I just don't like that from a consumer standpoint. I'd be more inclined to be interested in something that was made because it's cool, not because some lame ass band wanted. IE any band that DBA does shit for pretty much.

[jrfox92]

Pffftt research and development my ass! LOL!! It's not like they are writing code for a digital effect. They have that shit down to a science, I'd almost guarantee it.

Well, I dunno. The Grooms pedal went through, at least, two variants before the current board, so.

More likely they are doing it to take advantage of the second hand market like that douche from Klon does (though he does it for a good reason. Still a douche for making the Klon...haha).

Also, that's a strong accusation that, from what I've seen, doesn't hold up (I've never seen any suggestion that DBA associates were selling off special edition pedals for super inflated prices, it's always just been Joe Dipshit).

I get making one offs, but I bet you that most of those bands use that shit for an album (or maybe not) then never touch it again. It's cool and all for them to make money. I just don't like that from a consumer standpoint. I'd be more inclined to be interested in something that was made because it's cool, not because some lame ass band wanted. IE any band that DBA does shit for pretty much.

Welllllll, I'm pretty sure John Dwyer still uses his FWO, but I haven't seen anything suggesting the others do.

Concerning being interest in something "because it's cool" vs. the prestige of band merch, for example, The Flaming Lips Space Ring was kinda sorta related to their old Crash Modulator, but different, too (side note: I have a feeling that a new version of it might be released in the next year, too ).
The Sunshine Reverb obviously morphed into the Reverberation Machine.
They just did another special version of the Fuzz War that was clearly related to the FWO version.
So, I don't think it's all just straight up gimmick with no purpose other than $$$ behind it, because it seems they still want to move forward with the limited edition circuits and make them regular designs.

Also, re: buying pedals that are band promotions, didn't you buy a Pretty Years and a No Memory?

[Jwar]

Pffftt research and development my ass! LOL!! It's not like they are writing code for a digital effect. They have that shit down to a science, I'd almost guarantee it.

Well, I dunno. The Grooms pedal went through, at least, two variants before the current board, so.

More likely they are doing it to take advantage of the second hand market like that douche from Klon does (though he does it for a good reason. Still a douche for making the Klon...haha).

Also, that's a strong accusation that, from what I've seen, doesn't hold up (I've never seen any suggestion that DBA associates were selling off special edition pedals for super inflated prices, it's always just been Joe Dipshit).

I get making one offs, but I bet you that most of those bands use that shit for an album (or maybe not) then never touch it again. It's cool and all for them to make money. I just don't like that from a consumer standpoint. I'd be more inclined to be interested in something that was made because it's cool, not because some lame ass band wanted. IE any band that DBA does shit for pretty much.

Welllllll, I'm pretty sure John Dwyer still uses his FWO, but I haven't seen anything suggesting the others do.

Concerning being interest in something "because it's cool" vs. the prestige of band merch, for example, The Flaming Lips Space Ring was kinda sorta related to their old Crash Modulator, but different, too (side note: I have a feeling that a new version of it might be released in the next year, too ).
The Sunshine Reverb obviously morphed into the Reverberation Machine.
They just did another special version of the Fuzz War that was clearly related to the FWO version.
So, I don't think it's all just straight up gimmick with no purpose other than $$$ behind it, because it seems they still want to move forward with the limited edition circuits and make them regular designs.

Also, re: buying pedals that are band promotions, didn't you buy a Pretty Years and a No Memory?

I also bought a Polygrace bro. I said Brian was exempt.

I'll reply to the rest later. I'm tired. LOL.

This isn't all about DBA. I just don't get it in general. They are just one that's been doing it more often and it came to mind.

[karmablock]

There have been signature pedals before but the first time I saw a pedal tied exclusively to a band was with smallsound/bigsound and Cymbals Eat Guitars (Brian being part of both). They are what first came to mind then DBA. The main difference is that DBA have done it for multiple bands and ss/bs only with Brian's band.

[jrfox92]

This isn't all about DBA. I just don't get it in general. They are just one that's been doing it more often and it came to mind.

I mean, I'm only responding specifically to the DBA ones because I've done so much research on their work and what facilitated the creation/release of certain projects and just wanted to present the argument that their limited edition pedals (sans the newest Fuzz War, though ) weren't created solely for gimmick/greed.

[rfurtkamp]

The "cool art with cool bands" means you're just the target market.

No different than the folks salivating over the Hendrix Monterrey Strat.

It's a way to move product and build some goodwill, always has been.

[qersty]

Yeah it's has been a thing for a long time and with more small pedal companies it just happens more often. Even EH did a Mogwai branded Big Muff some 10-15 years ago. Though I agree that it sometimes goes overboard but can you blame the builders if they get the commission and an opportunity to reach a bigger market?

A recent one that I thought was cool was the abominable acacia strain pedal, if I had the cash I would have gotten it... and if it wasn't one of those huge ass boxes... or a hyper fuzz... maybe I just find the idea of an acacia strain branded fuzz cool and kinda funny too. More death core fuzz to the people.

Also isn't the Zack Wyldy chorus supposed to be good sounding?

[$harkToootth]

My signature pedal is coming out soon. It's called the 'Soy Boy' and there is going to be a run of 22.

[D.o.S.]

The "cool art with cool bands" means you're just the target market.

No different than the folks salivating over the Hendrix Monterrey Strat.

It's a way to move product and build some goodwill, always has been.

Bingo.

I don't think signature gear is lame, though. I think trying to replicate someone else's rig to a tee is.

[UglyCasanova]

It's cool when it's something different or something that captures the sound of a band, like the Charlie Foxtrot or the new DBA or the SSBS PY. If it's just a different decal/graphic from an existing pedal from the same manufacturer or another tubescreamer, it's lame. My $0.02.

[rfurtkamp]

I don't think signature gear is lame, though. I think trying to replicate someone else's rig to a tee is.

Yea, I have zero objection if that piece of gear is what I need, at a price I'm willing to pay. I don't have to *like* the artist to consider it, especially if it's just a "Modified" version of something already in the line of a company.

[Invisible Man]

I think there is a NIN pedal in the sense that Justin Meldal-Johnsen has one. Malekko, I think.

[vallaton]

It's cool when it's something different or something that captures the sound of a band, like the Charlie Foxtrot or the new DBA or the SSBS PY. If it's just a different decal/graphic from an existing pedal from the same manufacturer or another tubescreamer, it's lame. My $0.02.

same boat here. also cool if it's a hard to find discontinued pedal that kinda needed re-release (not sure if there are any band pedals like this though, but still: possible coolness).

[jrfox92]

I think there is a NIN pedal in the sense that Justin Meldal-Johnsen has one. Malekko, I think.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, there's a signature NIN DBA pedal.
I shit you not. The Trent Reznor™ State-Variable Reznorant Filter (aka Anderton Super Tone Control) was sold in a small run back in the day.