What Pedal

[Peegoo]

A programmable pedal with three functions; the user can select which three functions from a software library that is included in the initial cost. One player may want a boost, an overdrive, and a reverb. Another player may want a phaser, a distortion, and a delay, etc.

Do not require an app on a phone to make it work. It certainly can be optional for remote programming, but the app should not be required or add any additional functionality.

If a player wants more functions than three, they can buy two pedals and stack 'em.

I suggest this approach because any new entry in the market that replicates anything else simply becomes lost in the oversaturated noise with all the other similar stuff already available.

There are already multi-effect pedals that do all this stuff, but most players never use more than about 20% of the total functionality of them. So keep it simple and allow the player to select what functions they want. It would save on production and retail costs.

If a pedal maker is going to succeed, the products need to be unique.

Just some random thoughts.

 

[Lowspeid]

RYRA Klone. As accurate as you can get and top jacks.

I had one. It’s in the same oversized case with an offset footswitch. The Ryra was close to my KTR, but once the gain hit 12:00 the Ryra wasn’t as “smooth”. The StewMac Ghost Drive is dead-nuts same as my KTR.

 

[gmann]

RYRA Klone. As accurate as you can get and top jacks.

The best IMO. It does KLON and nothing else, all the others add something else to try and improve it which defeats the purpose os having one.

 

[24 track]

depending on how tech savvy he is with analog and /or digital electronics, he could design an all in one time based effects pedal , that has reverb/flange/chorus/phasing/ and even looping capable or sampling , these always sell well, for analog a bucket brigade type delay/echo

I have a really cool pedal from Montreal Assembly called a " Count to 5", that is so far out there it has no classification and I love it, these are hand made in small batches and only available when there is inventory

 

[generic202]

I don't know anything about starting a bussiness, developing a new product, cash layout the work involved, but I would be worried about some foreign company stealing my design and selling it online for far less than I could.

Many domestic companies started by cloning other pedals. When it comes to analog circuits, there is no law against it so whether it's domestic or foreign company, it's all fair game. I wouldn't worry about any companies stealing circuit designs. More likely, this new pedal company would probably clone something already in existence or make "improvements" to those circuits.

 

[1 21 gigawatts]

Forget the Klon or Dumble. Everybody already makes one, in any price point. He can't compete there.

I'd suggest making versions of more obscure out-of-production pedals or his own take on simple, fun pedals (Fuzz Face and Tone Benders). I know that might be contrary to the above reasoning, but fuzz is always cool!

Here is an idea that I have never seen. A Fuzz Face is a 2 transistor Fuzz. A Tone Bender is a 3 transistor, and a Muff is 4 transistor. Is it possible to design a pedal that switches between them? If it is possible, you would have the three most popular Fuzz types in one pedal.

 

[BigDaddyLH]

A multi-fx pedal with a UI incorporating speech recognition. "Put the EQ after the overdrive".

 

[Gary in Boston]

Well gents as always great feedback and ideas, some were really interesting and "news to me because I'm not a pedal guy"

Thanks so much!

Gary

 

[jvin248]

.

+1 Fuzz pedal. The buyers of fuzz pedals are in a doom loop of continually buying the next fuzz pedal until they run out of cash. Adding one more to the spiral will work. Fuzz pedals are the lowest cost pedal to build too.

Otherwise ... there are many $25 import pedals of all the favorite flavors on Amazon.

JHS made a pedal switchable between all the Tube Screamer pedals and another one that switches through all the Big Muff PIs.

Wampler started his pedal business by modding Boss pedals (mostly the MT-2).

Both JHS and Wampler have youtube channels and talk about how they started, their first pedals, and pedal business topics.

From player's perspectives ... players are always trying to get a particular sound like EVH's Brown Sound, AC/DC Back In Black, Nirvana, Surf tone, Country Chickin' Pickin', Bro Country, and on and on. There is an EVH 5150 pedal (or two) but there are less of the others. Players are always asking 'how can I get that famous Tele Twang?' and if there is a pedal that does the whole tone into an amp set clean, that might have a following -- it will be a complicated pedal because it needs Delay, Compressor, and Reverb all in one box with a bunch of knobs but it might be simplified.

Overall, the pedal business has very low barriers to entry so there is a lot of competition, a new entrant needs a niche to stand out, very few niches remain to be explored, majority of guitar players are cheap/have no money (typical starving artists), and often a way in to the 'inner circle' of players (celebrity players in famous bands or youtube 'influencers') is necessary to get traction.



.

 

[generic202]

Forget the Klon or Dumble. Everybody already makes one, in any price point. He can't compete there.

I'd suggest making versions of more obscure out-of-production pedals or his own take on simple, fun pedals (Fuzz Face and Tone Benders). I know that might be contrary to the above reasoning, but fuzz is always cool!

Here is an idea that I have never seen. A Fuzz Face is a 2 transistor Fuzz. A Tone Bender is a 3 transistor, and a Muff is 4 transistor. Is it possible to design a pedal that switches between them? If it is possible, you would have the three most popular Fuzz types in one pedal.

There are many companies (perhaps more DIY-based/garage operation builders) already building every sort of classic fuzzes.

As for the switchable fuzz idea, Fuzz Face and Tone Bender circuits are not too far from each other so it's possible. Also some TBs are 2-transistor circuit very similar to FF. So it can be done but IIRC, it has been done... well at least on my breadboard at some point in time when I was deep into fuzzes but I've seen them somewhere for sure.

Muff is a different circuit and the 4th transistor stage is a booster that picks up the volume loss from the tone control and then some. Perhaps one could tap the tone control & output booster from muff and tag it to the end of FF/TB. Oh wait, I think that also has been done before

Overall, the pedal business has very low barriers to entry so there is a lot of competition, a new entrant needs a niche to stand out, very few niches remain to be explored, and often a way in to the 'inner circle' of players (celebrity players in famous bands or youtube 'influencers') is necessary to get traction.

Yes 100%.

 

[Tim S]

How about a modular pedalboard that is basically a single metal case with slots to insert modules? No power cables or patch cables needed.

The design would be proprietary so buyers have to come to you for each module. You don’t need to revert what’s already out there— just repackage it to make it more convenient for the consumer.

Kinda old-school, caveman simple — for people that despise digital menus and interfaces.

 

[JustinFun]

Hello

A friend of mines' son is starting a guitar pedal business and was asking my opinion as to what pedals should he try and create.

I've heard that many folks have tried for the elusive DUMBLE or KLON sound but then I said since I'm not much of a pedal guy I don't really know what he should set his sights on.

BUT I do know that the fraternity of the TDPRI would have suggestions so I'm putting it out there.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

Not wanting to pour cold water on this, but if it’s to be a business (as opposed to recouping parts costs and making a little beer money) then the question is: what can he offer in a market where every decent pedal has a Chinese clone for $40 which is sturdy and electronically identical. On the other side of the scale you have the ‘hand built, military spec, new old stock’ market, which does command prices in line with the time and effort involved, but you need to be really good at what you do, as well as very good marketing and a practically supernatural ability to source vanishingly rare parts.

I speak as someone who makes probably 4 or 5 pedals a month, usually copies of obscure or desirable vintage pedals (repeat percussion, harmonic energiser, buzzaround, that sort of thing) for fun - it’s like doing a jigsaw, or making a model airplane. I sell them to local musicians for about £50-£60 (I’m uk based) when parts cost all told is probably about £40 for each one by the time you’ve boxed up, added knobs, decal etc.

If I was to pay myself minimum wage, and then on top of that look to make a 50% profit to reinvest in marketing and r&d, I’d need to charge around £120. It’s possible, but I’d lose a lot of custom to AliExpress.

For fun and beer money, go for it! As a business, in 2022 it’s a tough gig.

 

[JustinFun]

Not wanting to pour cold water on this, but if it’s to be a business (as opposed to recouping parts costs and making a little beer money) then the question is: what can he offer in a market where every decent pedal has a Chinese clone for $40 which is sturdy and electronically identical. On the other side of the scale you have the ‘hand built, military spec, new old stock’ market, which does command prices in line with the time and effort involved, but you need to be really good at what you do, as well as very good marketing and a practically supernatural ability to source vanishingly rare parts.

I speak as someone who makes probably 4 or 5 pedals a month, usually copies of obscure or desirable vintage pedals (repeat percussion, harmonic energiser, buzzaround, that sort of thing) for fun - it’s like doing a jigsaw, or making a model airplane. I sell them to local musicians for about £50-£60 (I’m uk based) when parts cost all told is probably about £40 for each one by the time you’ve boxed up, added knobs, decal etc.

If I was to pay myself minimum wage, and then on top of that look to make a 50% profit to reinvest in marketing and r&d, I’d need to charge around £120. It’s possible, but I’d lose a lot of custom to AliExpress.

For fun and beer money, go for it! As a business, in 2022 it’s a tough gig.

Or 2023 even. In my defence it’s 01:40 here…

 

[Peegoo]

This one.

 

[BFcaster]

Ask the kid who he wants his market to be.
Is it for Thrashers? 60s fuzz purists? Jazz guys? Country pickers? Or just 'a pedal I can start a business with'?
Is he planning on selling then locally (a smart move) to local musicians - (word-of-mouth still counts for something)...these things are important to consider in any advice you/us could give him.

 

[ReverendRevolver]

This one.

Forgot the blowtorch setting.

 

[Swirling Snow]

Another way to look at is, what it does is not as important as who plays it. Look at how PRS got started.

 

[Killing Floor]

Idea came today in some recording. I would buy right now.

A Ge/Si selectable analog fuzz like a Tonebender and build a notch filter at the back end to tamp the noise but not a gate.

 

[Lowerleftcoast]

His version(s) of:
MXR Super Badass Distortion/ Ratt/ Boss DS-1
Fuzz/Muff/Tonebender
Boost
Overdrive (mild to wild)

If he will be designing and having the overseas kids assembling, move into delays/reverbs/digital/programable/EQ/ampless direct to PA stuff. The small boxes are popular. There may be a market for higher quality overseas pedals. Make higher quality than Joyo.

If he can get to a NAMM show, the overseas companies are pawning their products/ideas... pick their brains. Of course the 1st world companies are there as well.

 

[BrazHog]

Suggestions?

Not a pedal, but some kind of wireless headphone amp would be useful for us bedroom players to have. A minimally sized transmitter, so you can plug it in a telecaster, and play it sitting (or laying) down without it bumping against your leg. And a small receiver that you can plug into your headphone amp / or perhaps is a headphone amp itself / or maybe it's also a USB interface.