Pedal opinions ZVEX, Death By Audio, etc

MilanPan!c

Any opinions?

Thinking of getting a Seek-Wah, the Interstellar Overdriver and some sort of compressor ... Oh and maybe a Malekko Checklet reverb.

Anyone know better stuff?

Have experience with these?

Sandvich

Seek Wah is incredibly expensive for what it does. You could spend the money on a Line 6 M9, which has a pretty dead on Seek Wah impression.

MilanPan!c

Sandvich wrote: »

Seek Wah is incredibly expensive for what it does. You could spend the money on a Line 6 M9, which has a pretty dead on Seek Wah impression.

I don't really want a multi FX, and I wonder about using it live..?

Dublin Guitar

Seek wah is really good when used correctly. No experience with the others, but check out the Keeley Compressor. Best by miles imo. MXR Dyna Comp is probably best value for money

rcaz

ZVex and DBA stuff (and most 'boutique' stuff) is hugely overpriced. Look at the DBA Total Sonic Annihilation; $150 for a feedback loop, something a complete beginner could build in a day with €20 worth of parts.

MilanPan!c

El Pr0n wrote: »

ZVex and DBA stuff (and most 'boutique' stuff) is hugely overpriced. Look at the DBA Total Sonic Annihilation; $150 for a feedback loop, something a complete beginner could build in a day with €20 worth of parts.

Not keen on a huge amount of boutique stuff for this very reason. I do think the DBA interstellar overdriver is pretty unique though!

Sandvich

Devi Ever is the only boutique brand that has reasonable prices, but some of the more feature heavy pedals can get pricey too. That's only really for Fuzz/Distortion though.

It doesn't seem worth it to me to pay that much just for one effect you're rarely going to use. But at the same time I don't know if there's a cheaper version of it.

This is what I hate about guitar effects pedals, they always tend to stick to the same ideas and if you want a specific effect you may have to shell out for it. There's nothing particularly new about Zvex pedals though either, the Obi-Wah did what the Ooh Wah does long before it. So glad I have an M9 to cover all the effects I'd use now and again.

rcaz

The thing that really annoys me about ZVex is that the stupidly expensive Fuzz Factory is just a Fuzz Face with 3 resistors replaced by potentiometers.

Sandvich

Yeah, though at least you can get the Vexter version, unlike for his more interesting effects. Fuzz Faces are also a bit silly expensive to buy.

I think the FF has some kind of a gain boost or something too. I've never been able to nail a Fuzz Face sound out of it really.

MilanPan!c

I would LOVE to know enough about electronics to make my own pedals!!!!

rcaz

MilanPan!c wrote: »

I would LOVE to know enough about electronics to make my own pedals!!!!

You don't need to know anything! You can buy one of those solder-by-numbers kits by Build Your Own Clone or Das Musikding or something!

Sandvich

El Pr0n wrote: »

You don't need to know anything! You can buy one of those solder-by-numbers kits by Build Your Own Clone or Das Musikding or something!

I think he means building new pedals or variations thereof. Plus building kits to a spec can be frustrating if you're not good with a soldering iron. I'd hate for example to build a Phaser which can get pretty complex.

rcaz

Sandvich wrote: »

I think he means building new pedals or variations thereof. Plus building kits to a spec can be frustrating if you're not good with a soldering iron. I'd hate for example to build a Phaser which can get pretty complex.

Well yeah, but who can stick two wires together can solder well enough for a simple fuzz.

Welease

Sandvich wrote: »

I think he means building new pedals or variations thereof. Plus building kits to a spec can be frustrating if you're not good with a soldering iron. I'd hate for example to build a Phaser which can get pretty complex.

Someone posted this before, not used it myself.. But might be the way to go if someone is interested in building their own pedals (without decent soldering skills).

http://www.beavisaudio.com/bboard/

fruvai

Sandvich wrote: »

Devi Ever is the only boutique brand that has reasonable prices, but some of the more feature heavy pedals can get pricey too. That's only really for Fuzz/Distortion though.

Barber
MI Audio
Malekko
Diamond (Memory Lane I and II excluded)
Catalinbread
Paul Cochrane (TIM and Timmy)
Foxrox
Fromel
Wilson Effects (wah guy)

to name a few

Sandvich

Are those Boutique brands?

I guess they are?

I guess Zvex is just a twat then since his stuff isn't particularly high end quality at all.

MilanPan!c

Sandvich wrote: »

Are those Boutique brands?

I guess they are?

I guess Zvex is just a twat then since his stuff isn't particularly high end quality at all.

Can you elaborate?

If I go here:

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Effects/brand/Z.Vex

and look at the reviews, most of them are VERY good!

Seziertisch

MilanPan!c wrote: »

Can you elaborate?

If I go here:

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Effects/brand/Z.Vex

and look at the reviews, most of them are VERY good!

+1

Sandvich

MilanPan!c wrote: »

Can you elaborate?

If I go here:

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Effects/brand/Z.Vex

and look at the reviews, most of them are VERY good!

In terms of the build quality, if you open them up it's a mess inside. Nothing like my Barber Dirty Bomb which is an amazing pedal that cost a fraction of the price.

True "Boutique" stuff should look like it as handled by Pete Cornish. Zvex's pedals are "good", but they're not exactly corksniffer boutique quality.

MilanPan!c

Sandvich wrote: »

In terms of the build quality, if you open them up it's a mess inside. Nothing like my Barber Dirty Bomb which is an amazing pedal that cost a fraction of the price.

True "Boutique" stuff should look like it as handled by Pete Cornish. Zvex's pedals are "good", but they're not exactly corksniffer boutique quality.

Hmmmmm... I appreciate that you may have pedals you like more, but I'm still a bit confused, is it the build quality you don't like, or the sound, or both... Have you seen zvex break?

I'm leaning toward one and, like I said in the OP and this is the first complaint I've heard about build or sound quality, so now, I'm confused.

Sandvich

I'm talking about the quality of the wiring mostly. The components used are also more or less the same as what you'd get in EHX pedals. And there have been hand painted Devi Ever pedals that haven't cost all that much, sometimes by the same artist Zvex used. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just that the price implies otherwise and it pisses me off that it costs nearly 400 quid for what in it's entirety amounts to a stuttery volume drop effect with flashy lights.

MilanPan!c

Sandvich wrote: »

I'm talking about the quality of the wiring mostly. The components used are also more or less the same as what you'd get in EHX pedals. And there have been hand painted Devi Ever pedals that haven't cost all that much, sometimes by the same artist Zvex used. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just that the price employs otherwise and it pisses me off that it costs nearly 400 quid for what in it's entirety amounts to a stuttery volume drop effect with flashy lights.

Thanks man!

Seziertisch

I don't know, the quality of the wiring in my Fuzz Factory seems pretty good, solid solder joints, runs of wire with just enough slack. Nothing to worry about there.

In terms of the cost of limited run, hand-painted Zvex pedals, the "work of art" element introduces a whole other dimension. In this case the pedal is worth whatever someone is willing to pay, and some people seem to be willing to pay for that. Though it would be nice if he offered more affordable Vexter versions of all his pedals, but that's his choice.

In terms of the components used, people seem to like the sound of his pedals and that is ultimately what matters.