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Can you really nail that quintessential 80s sound without the huge rack units? Adrian Thorpe steps up…
THE BACKGROUND GERRARD JAMESON, via email
I have come back to the guitar after a 10-year hiatus but I’m struggling to find inspiration in my guitar sound. I love guitar music from the 80s so, in theory, I should have some big refrigerator-sized rack units made for me (which is not so practical). Anyway, why is there such a wide price range in pedals? If I were to build a ’board of 10 pedals, would I notice the difference between the two extremes for my home setup? And can I achieve those effects-laden 80s tones?
THE ANSWERS
Gerrard, I have to say, go big or go home: it’s massive rack units, huge hair and big shoulders or you’re not trying hard enough. That said, I concede that a rack unit may not be the most convenient option. With regards to your questions, the first one has got to be the most controversial I’ve had so far.
01. The price of any consumer goods such as guitar pedals is a complex thing to generate and it isn’t always based on the cost of the raw materials. However, with guitar pedals there does seem to be a sweet spot where the quality you receive is most proportional to the price charged. That seems to be around £200 to £300 and thereafter you enter the realm of the law of diminishing returns. Pedals that have new prices of around £20 seem to use cheaper materials in construction and cheaper components in the signal path. This yields a higher noise floor and typically a lack of robustness or longevity.
Other elements are also at play, such as machine-made versus handbuilt practices, and labour charges for the respective countries where they are manufactured. For me, the most important thing is that there is virtually zero innovation at the lower end of the market. In 99 per cent of cheap pedals the circuits are copied versions of more expensive products.
This means that the cheap companies are not suffering the research and development costs trying to develop exciting products. So while a cheap pedal may seem like a bargain, without supporting the innovation from the more expensive company, you may find the diversity of product diminishes.
02. Most likely the answer I give here is not going to please some. But, essentially, yes – you’ll be able to hear a massive difference. This isn’t gear snobbery: there are some real budget gems but you’ll hear the differences in like-for-like comparisons: firstly in noise floor, secondly in overall sound quality, but the real difference is in the flexibility and tonality you’ll be able to achieve from a more diverse set of pedal designs. These diverse designs come from companies that are innovating and looking to inspire guitarists with new ideas and interesting effects. This will allow you to craft your own unique sound.
03. As for 80s sounds from a small pedalboard, very easy indeed. Lots of chorus, flanger, compression, overdrive and delay – you’ll get in the right ballpark with ease, no matter what your budget. Just remember, you don’t have to turn on the red light…