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To Good Effect: Stompbox FX Pedals

Christian Wissmuller • ArchivesMay 2022Roundtable • April 28, 2022

In a corner of Guitarland exists a market segment which has been riding a sustained wave of popularity for well over a decade, with no signs of a slowdown: stompbox effects pedals. With (generally speaking) a fairly soft entry point, price-wise, and offering nearly limitless sonic variations, stompboxes are versatile, attainable, and… well, fun!

We recently touched base with some of the biggest names in FX design and manufacture to learn about what specific models are really resonating with end-users as they craft (and tweak, and re-make) their pedalboards in 2022 and what the prospects are for future profit for MI dealers.

 

A decade or so ago, there began a real resurgence in interest regarding stompbox effects pedals for guitarists and bassists. Any thoughts on what sparked that renewed curiosity and why the trend continues to the present-day?

 

Scott Shiraki: We have seen steady growth over the last decade, as we offer many classic designs that have remained unchanged such as the Fuzz Face and MXR Phase 90, but over the years have been adding modern classics such as the MXR Carbon Copy and MXR Reverb to fill out our line. And now, we are pushing the envelope with innovative designs such as our new MXR Poly Blue, with many more to come.

 

Mike Matthews: Especially with the emergence of so many new options continuing to open because of advances in digital devices, it opens development of many new sound possibilities.

 

Kevin Bolembach: I believe that there were several combined factors that contributed to the resurgence. I think a lot of people got hammered by the global financial crisis and either lost their jobs or experienced income reductions. With less discretionary income and perhaps a loss of employment, many pedal enthusiasts became pedal manufacturers and started to learn how to build their own effect units, which led to an overall expansion of market and interest in analog audio design within the circle of musicians themselves.

This renewed interest was helped along tremendously by the advent of high-speed internet, which allowed people to share information, designs, and sound samples, et cetera. Prior to this era, you really had to dig around for info about pedal design and construction. All of a sudden, all this info was available at the click of a button – the Genie was out of the bottle, so to speak.

I think that the interest in effects continues because this is a segment of the MI market that still allows players to be hands-on and involved in their equipment design and construction. It’s fairly easy to understand and implement and there’s a low cost of entry into the market for builders. Likewise, it’s not a huge investment to get some new creative inspiration by purchasing a new pedal as opposed to a new instrument or amplifier, et cetera.

 

Jamie Stillman: From my perspective, it coincided with the increased availability of information on DIY electronics on the internet, more access to and acceptance of experimental music and forum culture. This led to more small companies forming and having a supportive community to market to. I also think that musicians started to discover that effect pedals can be used on just about anything to quickly achieve new sounds and, with the increased popularity of affordable at-home recording, this led to more time for experimentation and creation of “palatable” music out of sounds that would have once been considered too abrasive without wasting tons of money experimenting in the studio.

 

Jeff Slingluff: From the very start, both Roland and BOSS effects have been very popular with guitarists. The biggest difference we’ve seen in recent years is in deployment of these effects. Single pedals were popular at the start of the ’70s, followed by rackmounts in the ’80s, multi-effects in the ’90s, then back to stompbox pedals in the 2000s. In the mid-2000s and 2010s, the industry experienced an increase in smaller boutique brands entering the market. An example we often reference is the rise of microbreweries. With so many different flavors to choose from, we saw lots of players on a serious bar crawl to try them all out. Good tones, good times, it was fun for users to try out their local brew, and I think the resurgence was just more of a sense of community and sharing of experiences.

 

Stan Cotey: I think a few factors are responsible. Primarily is the emergence of more electronic dance music and guitar-based bands that embraced heavily electronic sounds like Radiohead and Muse. I think many guitar players are continually looking to sonically expand their palates. Also, I think guitar playing goes in swings and roundabouts where sometimes technique is more important and at other times sound quality or character is more important. I see modern guitar playing heading back into technique-fueled waters and I suspect that means we’ve come from a place of less technique and more interesting

sounds.

 

Richard Bussey: To add to that, guitarists were simply getting tired of the options they had available and were looking to find their own tone. There’s only so far you can go with modeling-FX, and while there’s definitely a style and tone that emerged during that period, the stompbox craze seemed to be a way for any guitarist to define their sound. As long as someone picks up a guitar, they’re going to find a way to make it their own.

 

Frank Facciolo: It really took off right after the recession when everything tightened up. I think it was a combination of excitement being brought on by an onslaught of new boutique pedal companies and that fact that, generally, pedals are an affordable way to add gear to your collection and change your sound. For the price of one amp or guitar you can get several pedals.

 

Craig Hockenberry: There are several factors attributing to the resurgence and growth of the market. Musicians are very creative, and always looking for new ways to sculpt and shape their individual sound, and effects pedals can be a cost-effective way to explore the many different options available today. Social media and content creators also have a very large role to play. Information, personal opinions, and the ability to listen to the pedal on social media platforms all influence and help perpetuate the growth of the industry.

 

In general, what types (flange, distortion, delay, et cetera) of effects are “hot” at the moment?

 

KB: I don’t really know what’s hot in the market overall, but over the past several years we have been successful at marketing a variety of modifications to the classic “808” overdrive circuit developed by Japanese engineer Susmu Tamura. Players just don’t seem to get tired of hearing different takes on this classic design.

 

CH: The hot sellers seem to be ever-changing in this very dynamic market, but currently the Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-M and time-based effects seem to be the winners.

 

FF: Dirt boxes are generally king especially for us, but delays and reverbs have been really strong as well. With distortion pedals being so saturated I find it’s often easier to see excitement around a cool new delay.

 

SC: Overdrives, distortions, delays, and reverbs seem to be perennial favorites and never go out of style. We’ve seen a continual interest in unique fuzz circuits and other pedals that create an identifiable character.

 

RB: Exactly. To Stan’s point, overdrive, distortion, delay and reverb pedals are the salt and pepper of any pedalboard. Loopers also continue to be extremely popular.

 

JS: Distortion, fuzz, and overdrive are all still very popular effect categories along with delay and reverb. I’m seeing a lot more glitch and granular type effects popping up lately. It seems people really love that type of stuff right now.

 

Jeff S: We’ve had success with such a diverse range of products which include Digital Synthesizer pedals, Heavy Metal pedals, Analog Fuzz pedals, IR loaders, and 6 Track-Loop stations, to name a few. Typically, the “must have” categories will always perform well, such as delay and distortion. However, there seems to be a group of players getting more experimental and demanding new sounds that we are keen to cater for.

 

MM: Again, new digital designs are hot.

 

SS: Delays and reverbs are very popular right now.

 

For your brand, what are currently your top-selling FX pedals? 

 

FF: The TS9 Tube Screamer. It’s been our best-selling pedal since its reissue in 2002.

 

RB: The Pugilist Distortion and Marine Layer Reverb have been our biggest sellers from Fender’s pedal launch in 2018, while the Smolder Acoustic Overdrive is right behind those two.

 

Jeff S: At the top are always overdrive, distortion, and delay pedals, as they tend to be less subject to trends. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a lot of acceptance in the market towards the BOSS WAZA pedal line, our flagship multi-effects processors, as well as a rise of interest for new and unique sounds.

 

CH: The Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-M is our best-selling pedal at the moment.

 

MM: Oceans 11, Canyon, Synth 9, and Mel 9.

 

JS: Our most popular pedal at the moment is the Plumes overdrive.

 

KB: Right now our top seller is the TS808-TM which is a TubeScreamer mod developed by Susumu Tamura, the engineer who invented the 808 circuit back in 1979.

 

 

Any recently introduced or upcoming pedal releases you’d like to draw our readers’ attention to?

 

JS: We just released the Hizumitas fuzz which is a recreation of a specific vintage Elk fuzz used by the incredible guitarist Wata from the band Boris.

 

SS: The MXR Poly Blue is our latest release and our most experimental pedal to date. At its core is a polyphonic octaver, but the additions of a mono mode and separate fuzz and phaser effects gives the user an entire tone creating palette in one box.

 

SC: I would love to draw attention to our upcoming Hammertone pedals! The Hammertones are a series of nine pedals that combine great sound, rugged construction, original designs, and simple controls across nine functions (overdrive, two distortions, fuzz, two delays, reverb, chorus, and a flanger), all at an accessible price. The pedals are both analog (fuzz, distortion, and overdrive) and digital (chorus, flanger,

delay, and reverb).

 

RB: Yes, we’re over the moon excited to announce the launch of Hammertone series pedals. They’re built for performance and spec’d with enough features for even the most discerning musician. We’ve taken all we learned from Fender effects through the years and made them even more approachable, helping players looking to take their bass or guitar tone to the next level.

 

KB: We are just about to release a signature Scott Henderson Distortion pedal that was designed by Mr. Tamura for our house brand of TWA pedals. We hope to start shipping this model sometime in May, but there are still some supply chain issues that we are wrestling with.

 

CH: Maestro is an evergreen brand and I can’t get into details, but I can say that there are many more products coming – some original, some contemporary and wholly unique.

 

FF: As mentioned before, the TS9 has been our most popular model and this year we are celebrating its 40th anniversary with a special limited edition version in a chromed out ruby red finish paired with matching ruby red translucent knobs.

 

Jeff S: We recently introduced several exciting new products including the BOSS GX-100, bringing the AIRD technology from our flagship GT-1000s to a new class of multi-effects processors. In addition, we launched two new pedals, the RE-202 and RE-2 Space Echo Pedals.

 

MM: Very shortly we will be building, selling, and shipping a brand new “9” pedal. We do not talk about any new pedal until we start shipping.

 

 

Thoughts on what the coming months may hold for this market segment?

 

KB: I can’t really speak to overall market trends. At the current time we just have our heads down and are focused on our own projects and trying to make sure that we can get the necessary parts and components to keep the wheels turning.

 

MM: Continued growth and even more competition.

 

CH: The future for stompboxes and effects in general is very bright. Brands will be creating better and more affordable products, new brands will pop up into the market, and companies will continue to create new effects and new ways to create those sounds. Innovation is going to play a large role into the future and success of this market segment.

 

FF: Inventory is key. It seems like the demand will remain strong but supply is still inconsistent. I, for one, hope to see a return to normalcy sooner rather than later.

 

SS: I believe we are going to see steady growth and a bevy of innovative and cool products from many manufacturers.

 

JS: The guitar effects market is always growing and pushing boundaries. I’m sure we’ll continue to see loads of new mind blowing effects from everyone involved. I’m no analyst, but it looks like music will continue to be made and, as long as that is happening, people will always be looking for new ways to manipulate sounds. Effect pedals are a relatively affordable, fun and easy way to do that in real time.

 

RB: There’s so much potential for growth and innovation in the stompbox market. I know that we are just getting started in pedals and there are a lot of effects in our queue. Plus, guitar music seems healthy and with Fender Play it’s never been easier to learn how to pick up a guitar and get started, so the next generation of musicians will get their chance to construct their own symphony and soundscapes.

 

Jeff S: The industry will still be adjusting to some of the shipping delays and supply chain issues stemming from the pandemic. We’ve been lucky and have managed to navigate those waters better than most in the industry. The implications of the past few years may still dictate the products that some manufacturers make and design. Manufacturers will have to be flexible and make ongoing changes to support the current landscape, and successful musical trends for the next few years may be dictated by what components are available today.

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