Freekish Blues pedals clone saga...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Random Hero
  • Start date Start date
If only people realized how common this actually is...

Dano cloning the Timmy and OCD
Fulltone cloning the Orman Mini booster
etc.

Don't even get me started on all the TS-808/TS-9 clones
 
This was one of the worst gear-related things I've witnessed in awhile. Guy takes a $30 pre-existing pedal, changes 3 or 4 parts in an extremely sloppy manner, repaints the enclosure, marks the price up $130, claims it's a handmade, original design, and fabricates a 7-week wait for it. Turns out ALL Freakish Blues pedals are relabeled, slightly modded, and marked up...all under the guise of being an original product.

How the TGP mods handled this was very disappointing as they continually censored the truth out of fear of being sued by the "builder." I'm currently a contributing member to TGP, but never again after this.
 
Crazy. Especially since Freakish Blues apparently has a company overseas "copying" their alpha drive. Something which they've been pissed about and have been trying to stop. How ironic. I had one and it sounded pretty darn good. Didn't remind me much of an OCD to be honest but the proof is in the pudding (a.k.a. goop).
 
Code001":141hcwia said:
If only people realized how common this actually is...

Dano cloning the Timmy and OCD
Fulltone cloning the Orman Mini booster
etc.

Don't even get me started on all the TS-808/TS-9 clones
Click to expand...

This is not the same.
I have no problem with tweaking/copying the circuits, this how it is in this industry.
But if I pay real money for something which I believed is handmade work in USA,
I want to get the real handmade pedal, not modified 30$ mass product :thumbsdown:
 
The Hoff":3odym1oz said:
Crazy. Especially since Freakish Blues apparently has a company overseas "copying" their alpha drive. Something which they've been pissed about and have been trying to stop. How ironic. I had one and it sounded pretty darn good. Didn't remind me much of an OCD to be honest but the proof is in the pudding (a.k.a. goop).
Click to expand...

But do they actually? I thought that was his excuse for this debacle.
 
Sikor":bl56k9z0 said:
This is not the same.
I have no problem with tweaking/copying the circuits, this how it is in this industry.
But if I pay real money for something which I believed is handmade work in USA,
I want to get the real handmade pedal, not modified 30$ mass product :thumbsdown:
Click to expand...

So if the guy took the actual circuit, swapped the parts to some breadboard and sold it for the $150 or whatever it goes for, you'd be fine with that? It would be the same thing...
 
So where can we score the $30 pedals? I would love to try one out. :D
 
Random Hero":1ui2tlql said:
The Hoff":1ui2tlql said:
Crazy. Especially since Freakish Blues apparently has a company overseas "copying" their alpha drive. Something which they've been pissed about and have been trying to stop. How ironic. I had one and it sounded pretty darn good. Didn't remind me much of an OCD to be honest but the proof is in the pudding (a.k.a. goop).
Click to expand...

But do they actually? I thought that was his excuse for this debacle.
Click to expand...
:dunno:

Not sure.
 
to quote someone from the freestompboxes thread:

mictester wrote:

It's actually quite a clever move...

Let's look at the whole story:

1. Wannabe clueless Boutique Boob hits on the idea of buying the cheapest Chinese pedals he can and "repurposing" them as "boutique" pedals.

2. Boutique Boob buys lots of cheap Chiese pedals from his pedal peddler - probably for much less than $30 a pop because he's buying lots of them.

3. BB goes and buys a few handfuls of cheap capacitors.

4. BB solders his capacitors into the boards, "improving" them to "boutique" standards.

5. BB gets his pal to repaint the pedal cases and re-label them with his own "brand name".

6. BB gets a reasonably competent guitarist to make one of the pedals sound reasonably good on You Tube.

7. He writes a few postings on TGP under various names extolling the virtues of this amazing new "brand".

8. The slack-jawed TGP readers fall over themselves to get these "wonderful" products.

9. The BB can't be arsed to actually "make" any of these pedals so builds up a mythical "waiting list".

10. The BB collects lots of payments for his as yet "unconstructed" pedals and banks them...

11. PROFIT!!!

What a brilliant business model! All he needs now is to get the Chinese to do "his" "mods" to the pedals and paint them for him.....
Click to expand...
 
The Hoff":30ryvlmc said:
Random Hero":30ryvlmc said:
The Hoff":30ryvlmc said:
Crazy. Especially since Freakish Blues apparently has a company overseas "copying" their alpha drive. Something which they've been pissed about and have been trying to stop. How ironic. I had one and it sounded pretty darn good. Didn't remind me much of an OCD to be honest but the proof is in the pudding (a.k.a. goop).
Click to expand...

But do they actually? I thought that was his excuse for this debacle.
Click to expand...
:dunno:

Not sure.
Click to expand...

I understood it that he was claiming the reason the guts are the same is because someone is buying his pedals, presumably at full price, re-housing them, and selling them for a $140 loss. Perfectly plausible really when you think about it. He's a God-fearing family man after all. He wouldn't scam you.
 
I'm suprised that TGP talk didn't spill over onto Youtube.


And are any of us suprised? $30 pedal with a few changes and charge $170 or whatever. :thumbsdown:
 
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