Chinese Knock Offs

[Alligatorbling]

What are your thoughts on cheating the real deal buy buying a knock off? I for one feel great about it lol. I landed this Woolly Mammoth clone for 47 dollars shipped from China. Ive inspected it inside and out. Its extremely sturdy and the circuit is basically a straight clone. The only difference is its two LED on lights that illuminate as eyes of the mammoth. (Cooler than the original imho) I had a clone I built years ago but it got lost in moving. Its in a storage box somewhere, it somehow got separated from my other pedals. it sounds identical to the clone. It also sounds spot on when listening to demos of the real thing. Why on earth would I pay 300 dollars for a pedal when I can get the exact same circuit in a sturdy build for 47 dollars? Its a no brainer for me.

 

[Rando375]

To each their own but I don't support it.

 

[Alligatorbling]

To each their own but I don't support it.

47 dollars.... 300 dollars.... I mean, its hard for me to not support it lol. this things built like a tank. I was expecting something along the lines of a Behringer pedal. Its a solid metal housing, the guts are well done and finished. It even has a battery door so you can pop a 9v in without removing the bottom plate. if anything the improved on the original. zvex charges way too much for their pedals.

 

[Rando375]

47 dollars.... 300 dollars.... I mean, its hard for me to no support it lol. this things built like a tank. I was expecting something along the lines of a Behringer pedal. Its a solid metal housing, the guts are well done and finished. It even has a battery door so you can pop a 9v in without removing the bottom plate. if anything the improved on the original. zvex charges way too much for their pedals.

I understand your point Bling, in the practical sense.
But the knock-off trade in general is theft. Its cheating the people that put the time and effort in designing, testing, building, marketing and selling the genuine products.
Its no different than buying a Chibson.

 

[LPMarshall Hack]

Go for it. As long as people don’t sell it claiming to be the real thing...but if you like it and are gonna use it, I see no problem.

 

[Alligatorbling]

I understand your point Bling, in the practical sense.
But the knock-off trade in general is theft. Its cheating the people that put the time and effort in designing, testing, building, marketing and selling the genuine products.
Its no different than buying a Chibson.

zvex could compete with it if he lowered his prices. say the woolly mammoth was 90 dollars, and the knock off was 50.... id consider getting the real thing. but 300 dollars vs 47 dollars? I know what it costs to build these things. Ive built them for years. components costs cents, literally, I sold mine to where id make about 15 dollars an hour in labor. I marked them up very little as I wanted to cater to the buyer wanting a boutique experience at a reasonable price. zvex is robbing people.

 

[larryguitar]

zvex could compete with it if he lowered his prices. say the woolly mammoth was 90 dollars, and the knock off was 50.... id consider getting the real thing. but 300 dollars vs 47 dollars? I know what it costs to build these things. Ive built them for years. components costs cents, literally, I sold mine to where id make about 15 dollars an hour in labor. I marked them up very little as I wanted to cater to the buyer wanting a boutique experience at a reasonable price. zvex is robbing people.

So you've compared the component cost of something someone else has created, researched, designed, laid out and de-bugged, and decided that they're charging too much. You can follow their pattern and layout for cheaper than they charge, especially if you 'pay' yourself a $15 hour wage.

OK.


Larry

 

[Alligatorbling]

fwiw im all about supporting small businesses and genuine hand craftmanship. I prided myself in the pedals I built by hand, and I support all small time builders of any trade. but when a company goes world wide and is producing something in mass production and marking the prices up astronomically I start to get the "damn the man" mentality.

 

[Alligatorbling]

So you've compared the component cost of something someone else has created, researched, designed, laid out and de-bugged, and decided that they're charging too much. You can follow their pattern and layout for cheaper than they charge, especially if you 'pay' yourself a $15 hour wage.

OK.


Larry

47 dollars.... 300 dollars.

 

[larryguitar]

47 dollars.... 300 dollars.

Imagine if you just dropped one in your pocket at Guitar Center? That'd be $0/$300.

Compelling argument.

Larry

 

[Alligatorbling]

Imagine if you just dropped one in your pocket at Guitar Center? That'd be $0/$300.

Compelling argument.

Larry

who goes to guitar center?

 

[fleahead]

I got no issue, but that's just me....

 

[larryguitar]

who goes to guitar center?

Nice sidestep.

But I think you got the point.

Larry

 

[Alligatorbling]

^ but you get my point too? greed.

 

[Alligatorbling]

I get it. someone put a lot of time into the design. they can charge whatever they want. but why not price it so anyone can afford it? zvex would probably increase revenue if they priced their pedals to where the working man can buy one. 300 dollars.... 47 dollars... and the Chinese knock off is still turning a profit.

 

[Caretaker]

I get the attraction but consider 2 things:

If YOU made the original, how would you feel about it?

How is this different from a Chibson?
Yes I know it doesn`t have the same name like a Chinese Gibson knockoff, but other that that, HOW is it different?

 

[Alligatorbling]

I get the attraction but consider 2 things:

If YOU made the original, how would you feel about it?

How is this different from a Chibson?
Yes I know it doesn`t have the same name like a Chinese Gibson knockoff, but other that that, HOW is it different?

if someone undercut me id under cut them. at least within reason. like I said. if zvex charged maybe say 99 dollars, and the knock off was 47. Id probably get the real deal. but 47 vs 300 come on now momma didn't raise no fool.

as far as the difference in a Chinese knock off guitar, its the quality. this pedal is built like a tank. its as well put together as any pedal ive ever seen. I took a gamble on getting it but I am very pleased with it. most Chinese knock off guitars are junk compared to the real deal.

 

[Sp8ctre]

As long as their not marketing it with the same logo and branding of the original I have no issue with it.

There are TONS of clones out there and many are made by companies that many people here use...some
of us just can't drop $300 per pedal, but we still like to use them...

 

[Sp8ctre]

How many people started out with some Joyo pedal before they could afford something better? I did...

 

[Alligatorbling]

my first guitar was an Epiphone strat copy. was Epiphone ripping off fender? other than the headstock it looks just like a fender.