I've been playing guitar since I was 7. I'm 35
now. I distinctly remember how it happened...my brother was in a high school
rock band, and they were practicing at our house one day. I was enamored by the
guitarist...He had a Gibson Flying V, and they kept practicing the same song
over and over..."don't tell me you love me" my Night Ranger. Sad but
true! That is the point that started it all! My Grandparents were even in a band
in their youth, and even received quite a bit of radio play in their day. So I
guess in one way or another, I was bitten by the music bug genetically.
I always have been kind of a 'gear geek'...always trying different
guitars/amps/effects to achieve certain sounds. It wasn't until 2001 or so when
Paul Weller (FiremanFx) modified a pedal for me, and I was amazed at how much
better it sounded. I immediately opened it up, wondering what he had done to
make it sound so much better...
That is what sparked my interest in the Effects modification world...I had
always been good with my hands and a quick learner, so I dove in head first and
read, and read, and read some more. Then I bought several different effects and
tested other's ideas, as well as my own. I was astonished at how one capacitor
or resistor could make a pedal have much more bass/mids/treble/distortion/etc.
I actually holed myself up in my garage for about a month, replacing components
in key areas, one at a time, and recorded the results on the first 'mod sheets'.
These were just notes for myself to remember what I did, and what the change
effected.
I did this one at a time, for every pedal I could
get my hands on...each time recording the results, and recording the before and
after tones from the pedal through the same setup.
I modified a few for the folks at Harmony-central effects forum, and the
response was crazy...almost immediately I saw there was a demand for a service
modifying pedals, even though a few were already doing it. Word of mouth grew
quickly, and I started my website "www.indyguitarist.com"
Within about a year I was literally working 18
hour days, modifying pedals like crazy...even famous musicians were calling me
asking me if it would 'be alright' for them to send me their pedals...some even
invited me to come with them into the recording studio, so they could get the
exact sound they were wanting...sort of an audio consultant...what an exciting
time!!
The good thing is it hasn't slowed down -- in
fact, its picked up quite a bit!! Nowadays I can turn on many radio stations and
hear my pedals -- in fact my pedals are being played on most of the country
songs you hear on country radio nowadays as well as a ton of pop, and rock
stations!
During the course of this time, I had so many
emails pouring in asking how I did this or that, so I decided to sell my
secrets... this was the beginning of my website "http://www.guitartone.net/"
Many many updates, new pedal modifications, and several years later, we
now have several books on modifying pedals, videos on playing guitar better,
videos on modifying and building pedals, and we are ALWAYS striving to be THE
best at what we do. I feel the best way to do this is to provide the best
possible products for the lowest possible price, and treat everyone, customer or
not, famous or not, with the same respect I treat my family.
Since 2004, this is my full-time 'job'. I can't say 'job' really -- I love it,
and its a huge passion! It's sort of like a paid vacation every day!
I encourage to check out my blog about my
personal beliefs: http://unchristianchristian.blogspot.com/
Our view on the effect pedal world...
There is a disturbing trend that has been going
on the past couple of years...I've noticed there are many 'builders' on the web
who can build you an overdrive, distortion, or fuzz pedal that isn't much
different from the next. I'll admit, many of them look very nice! Having played
many of them, I don't understand just what they are offering that is different
from the other thousands of builders trying to push their pedals on the web.
Seriously -- aren't you tired of buying the 'latest and greatest' and then
selling it months later when it just doesn't inspire you to play? Shouldn't
EVERY pedal make you want to play more, create more, and do it with passion?
There ARE several companies who I believe do just that. It's my hope that you
will see us in the same light.
Actually, it really all comes down to you - the customer. Do you want
another pretty pedal with a pretty paint job and mediocre sound, or do you want to be
plug into a pedal and get goosebumps?! Many companies just clone existing
circuits and call it something new. This generally leads guitarists to thinking
that all pedals are mediocre and sound similar. It is my goal for any person who
plugs into one of my pedals to be completely blown away!
What I provide for my customers is my 25+ years
of guitar playing experience which has brought what some might call a good ear,
original ideas, and an excellent grasp on what guitarists want and like in a
great tone. A good ear for good tone so to speak.
When you plug into one of my pedals,
you'll understand the difference instantly. I go to great lengths to insure that
each and every pedal is exceedingly inspiring to guitar players -- NOT guitar
collectors. For those wanting to own the next generation of $500-900 pedal with
a pretty paint job, we aren't it. You'll want to look elsewhere. We don't
believe in huge waiting lists, and we strive to offer extremely great customer
service.
If you are a gigging musician or just a musician
who's tired of trying pedal after pedal after pedal, and tired of each of them
falling short to your expectations, give us a try. Our money-back guarantee
proves that you won't be disappointed!
