Boutique or budget

[Leendrix]

What is it that makes boutique guitar pedals so expensive?

And what would make you want to buy boutique over budget (Boss, some MXR, digitech, DOD etc.)

[Ayy Itss Daveee]

I watched this Joe Bonammassa video and he said something along the lines of:

"I only use standard brand pedals, (mxr, boss, etc) mainly because they get the job done, and if one goes down, I don't have to go searching the world for another one, most music stores carry them."

I thought that was a pretty cool point.

[DoctorSkullington]

Gets a sound you like? Easily replacable?
Stndard brands are best.

[Sawgwa]

The expense of boutique pedals results from several things:

• The research and development work of the designer
• Better quality components
• Higher production costs
• Smaller sales volume

There are kits you can get to mod your won pedals to get more of the "boutique" sound and performance. I have modded several pedals with Allum's mod kits and the components that are supplied are quieter and tighter tolerances. I liked the Boss compressor as it was but after the mod it was quieter and more transparent.

I also built the Allum's distortion pedal which is a Rat clone with some popular Rat mods built in. Quality components and design work and the end results is a great sounding versatile pedal.

I have since been working assembling the BYOC 5 knob compressor, the Over Drive 2 pedal and completed their tremolo. I am wanting to build the optical compressor as the videos I have heard it sounds even more transparent than the 5 knob and they just reworked their analog chorus kit that is based on the old Boss CE-2.

And building and taking stuff apart is fun too.

Robert

[Lemonhead]

I (usually) want my pedals made in America by a single person or handful of people. With great customer service and cool graphics.

Plus, I think most Boss, DOD, MXR and Digitech pedals are just plain ugly.

[diceman]

I've got a bunch of boutique pedals. Lately I'm just running Boss stuff. They sound good, and don't take up much floor space.

[Guitar Freak]

I think mxr and boss pedals look pretty cool

[diceman]

[SteveGangi]

I use mass produced stuff - Boss and whatever. If it ever breaks, and it never does, I will either fix it myself or toss it. With a casual attitude like mine, boutique would not make sense.

[Leendrix]

Okay. That makes sense. I love Boss, MXR, Digitech, don't get me wrong. I was just curious

[River]

Originally Posted by Leendrix

What is it that makes boutique guitar pedals so expensive?

And what would make you want to buy boutique over budget (Boss, some MXR, digitech, DOD etc.)

a) The same things that make boutique-anything so expensive. In essence, lack of mass production.

b) The same things that would make you want to buy boutique-anything. Rarity, better components (maybe), unique design (maybe), special relationship with the builder (maybe), bragging rights. Primarily, the latter. How could anything you spent so much money for not be better? That just wouldn't make sense.

Gibson Custom guitars are pretty much in the same category. Due to an informal social contract between owners thereof, they depreciate less and sometimes even appreciate in value. That doesn't happen with mass-produced, budget-priced goods. Until they cease production of a quality example and 99% of them go in the dumpster. Then you wind up with $4,000 Melody Makers and $15,000 Juniors.

[GitFiddle]

Originally Posted by Leendrix

What is it that makes boutique guitar pedals so expensive?

And what would make you want to buy boutique over budget (Boss, some MXR, digitech, DOD etc.)

RMC5-WIZARD WAH

[Hector Arcadius]

The absence of mass-production is a very good point, and perhaps the main reason. River pretty much explained it perfectly.


But then again, there are these exceptions that get you thinking: check out the prices of M.I. Audio and tell me that they are expensive. Well, they're not! In fact, Boss pedals are in the same price range, which make you think about the huge profit margins that hide in the Boss pedals price. IMHO, Boss pedals are highly overpriced.

And then there are those ''boutique'' pedals that are terribly overpriced as well.

I always do my market search before I buy. I prefer to go with an independent small-time builder, because I like to support small business and own less-common items in my collection. However, that doesn't mean that I fall for the hype and therefore I stay away from 400 dollar wahs and 500 dollar delays.

My Luther is hand-made and cost me 130 dollars shipped. My Crunch Box cost me almost 160 dollars shipped. I think that they're logical prices. For up to 200 dollars you can get amazing, hand-made pedals. And always in my opinion, most mass-produced pedals, made by some kind of robot line in China or Malaysia (nothing necessarily wrong with it) should not exceed 100 dollars (not by far, at least).

Do you market search, buy with your ears and try to stay away from the several forms of hype out there. Then you will have less chances to have your wallet raped.

[firesgt911]

I usually buy based on sound and function. I love my Boss and MXR pedals, but they just don't do it for me when it comes to fuzz. With Fuzz, I am always chasing "the tone" and unfortunately the prices only get higher.

[Lemonhead]

I AM BRAGGING!

[firesgt911]

Originally Posted by Lemonhead

I AM BRAGGING!

Not really sure what pedal that is, but it looks cool as hell!

[Lemonhead]

Originally Posted by firesgt911

Not really sure what pedal that is, but it looks cool as hell!

That's a Freakshow Brown Rabbit. A modded Rat clone.

[Mayo5]

I prefer boutique, I think it sounds better and I like the limitedness to the pedals. They are more expensive, but I would rather pay extra for something that would keep me happy longer, then to settle for something cheaper and always have that thought in the back of my mind.

It just comes down to whatever you think sounds better and what you like more. If I find a Boss pedal or a Bad Monkey style cheap OD that I think sounds better than the current boutique flavor of the month, then I will ditch the expensive pedal.

You shouldn't get caught up in the hype of whatever pedal other people are using, but buy whatever makes you happy.


EDIT: To the OP, I prefer boutique because they use better components and can be crafted to my liking. They often have original designs and artwork, and I can often times speak directly to the builder.

So better components
Better designs
Personalization

[snaredrum]

i tend to go for whatever makes the sound i want best. most recently i wanted a spring reverb modeller pedal, and looked at quite a few boutique versions but settled on the Boss Fender '63 pedal.

my pedalboard is in constant flux, but at the moment there is a grand total of one (1) bouique pedal on there. didn't realise i was that corporate

[Les Paulverizer]

I use both, but it has to be of high quality, 'cause you can definitely hear the difference!
For Distortion/Overdrive I've used everything and anything under the sun but you can tell the difference between a regular Boss unit (which will get the job done for sure) and stuff like Fulltone, MI, Keeley, Z-Vex, and the like.
I know there are some boutique manufacturers that do churn out mediocre stuff and overprice it in the name of "exclusivity", but the good stuff it's definitely superior:there's an edge hard to duplicate, unless you make pedals one by one and take care of the smallest details, which is what boutique manufacturers do.
Mt standard pedals are MXR (a name, a guarantee) but then again it's the EVH series/Custom Shop kinda thing, so...
for example, I got a standard Phase 90, which is a very good pedal for sure, but compared to my EVH Phase 90 it really doesn't stand a chance: don't ask me why, but the sound on the EVH is so much better!

[SkyNet3D]

Not being mass produced doesn't mean it has to be expensive. A tube screamer, a circuit that is used under a lot of different names and brands, costs about 30€ in parts. Of course it's much cheaper for Boss or Maxon as they buy bulk and have everything automated. But nothing justifies paying $300 for an overdrive other than a lot of hype.
I think that's the main motivation behind boutique pedals, the hype around them and how much people are willing to spend. Nothing to do with the pedals themselves. And it's not research also, most of these guys are basically copying Boss and Ibanez pedals and making tiny changes, or just removing buffers.

[Grey]

Door 3: Build your own.

[Guitar Freak]

Door 4, have a friend build it for you.

Lol, just kidding, that'd fall under boutique anyways

[TeleDog]

Buy whatever sounds good. Cool graphics and brand names are not visible when the lights go down and it's just you and your guitar. Who the hell cares for a hand painted box if the tone sucks?

I got Boss, EH, Dunlop, MXR, Zvex... I don't have any special edition anything and if I buy one it'll be because the tone is good enough to justify the price, regardless of any hand painted enclosures or any other ridiculous stuff like that.

[Lemonhead]

Originally Posted by TeleDog

I don't have any special edition anything and if I buy one it'll be because the tone is good enough to justify the price, regardless of any hand painted enclosures or any other ridiculous stuff like that.

Not everything is ridiculous. In my case, I found a circuit I am happy with and, lucky for me, it is available in more than one version. And the price is pretty close to some of the Boss, MXR, etc. stuff.

[ehamady6]

MXR pedals are gradually taking over my board. I love their quality and they don't tone suck in my rig. I don't know enough about boutique pedals and whether or not they're true bypass, so I stay away from them. And I don't equate boutique pedals with extreme metal. For some reason I don't think they have the nuts for it. So the type of music you play may make one type better than the other.

[epilespaul2000]

I'm not really particular to any one side. I buy what sounds good. People think a lot of boutique pedals are over-priced, but they never look in the used market. You can nab some of them for the same price or even less than Boss or MXR pedals, so that's a bonus. Though I can't try out any pedals, because they are not available here, I go onto Youtube and listen to as many clips as I can find (including potential mods), read reviews, and get input from here to make a decision. I've been pleased with every purchase so far doing this (including guitar mods). Right now my signal chain is an OCD -> Boss DD-6, and I love the DD-6. It never fails to impress me tonally and looks to be built very well. I also have a Tonebone Hot British, that I got in mint condition on eBay for 100 American, and an MXR EVH Phase 90 that are coming from the States soon. So I'm really all for what sounds good and is not stupidly expensive. I've always found great deals on gear because I'm patient, and that's why I get a great sound for less than what others pay.

[Hamtone]

I won't buy off the shelf and if I happen to get one in a trade I modify it. I prefer boutique for the quality and the detail. I also like that if a boutique does fail you can open it up and see what's going on in short order.

[huw]

Originally Posted by SkyNet3D

...nothing justifies paying $300 for an overdrive other than a lot of hype...

I'm curious - how many $300+ OD pedals have you tried?

[Guitar Freak]

That's what I was thinking....