# Did Fender Hurt peoples feelings RE:Pedals?



## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

I find myself exploring Fenders line of pedals lately, nothing crazy but I went and got a couple. I have been extremely happy with them, the do what they should and sound like they should and make my little face smile.

Looking for information on the internet I dont come across a lot of chatter about them. There is more information on some obscure one off pedal makers (cannot verify this claim) than there seems to be about these things.

Why?

There has to be something to this. I would think a lot more people would have a lot more to say. I did not exhaust the internet searching nor am I that adept but am I missing something here?


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Generalizing, F have been underwhelming certainly at least from a marketing perspective if not actual products, for a long time, with long gaps of *no pedal production, I believe. They’ve just rarely had momentum forward, in history very few big winners.


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

Not what they’re known for, so they don’t really get much interest. I haven’t ever tried one, so I have no opinion.


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

My opinion is crafted on a very limited selection, not gonna lie, but every single thing I get my hands on I fall in love with.

It just seems to me like there is a huge hole where the information on these things should be. One of the top result pages on a Google search from TGP had all of 4 posts. I could probably mash my keyboard add the word PEDAL at the end of it and get a longer thread on the subject.


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

L&M have some on sale on GearHunter..


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

tomee2 said:


> L&M have some on sale on GearHunter..


I have most of them in my cart right now lol


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## Parabola (Oct 22, 2021)

I suspect it’s a bunch of things, I may be completely wrong, but I’ll toss in my 2 cents:

Fender’s reach on social media and influencers is focused on the guitar part of the business. They don’t seem to do nearly as much work with their amps as they do guitars, and with pedals and other products, even less. I think they probably feel they own the part of the amp market they inhabit, while they have to work harder against tough competition in the guitar market.

With pedals, they see opportunities for growth but seem to be happy to build their products up and cultivate their customer base, Gibson seems to being the same with the Maestro line. When I look at the Fender pedal lineup, I see their recent pedals really taking on Strymon in terms of digital pedals in that price point, a good example is the Fender Tre-Verb looks to be a head to head competitor with the Strymon Flint. The Fender Hamertone line really seems to counter the Maestro line, down to how they did their YouTube marketing.

I think as people catch onto them, you’ll see more discussions and presence online, The word will get out.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Put the Fender pedals next to the Fender acoustic guitars.


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

player99 said:


> Put the Fender pedals next to the Fender acoustic guitars.


Why do you want to be mean 🤣


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Mark Brown said:


> Why do you want to be mean 🤣


No, just very similar product popularity.


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

player99 said:


> No, just very similar product popularity.


Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought you were tying to be funny which for the record worked brilliantly if unintentional. I take your meaning now though. Fender could release the world's greatest acoustic guitar and I would remain largely unaware. Good point


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## Parabola (Oct 22, 2021)

Three years ago I picked up an old Fender F-35 acoustic for cheap to use as a campfire guitar, and I have to say, it’s pretty damn good in that role for the $50 I spent on it. It’s a keeper for sure.,,but yeah, they are invisible otherwise as a product.


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## superfly (Oct 14, 2021)

jdto said:


> Not what they’re known for, so they don’t really get much interest. I haven’t ever tried one, so I have no opinion.


This. They need mileage of proving their pedals are good. Technically, building a pedal cannot be simpler, and the profit on them is huge, so, naturally, they are interested.


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

I agree with most here. There are so many pedal makers and suddenly Fender pops in with zero marketing. I only know about them because of YouTubers


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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

Gear and gab socials, that's what the guitar world needs.

Pandemics suck.

I haven't seen many threads of glowing reviews.

I don't often get excited about pedals, except volume and expression pedals for some reason. The RE-202 is a recent exception.


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

I think the Fender pedals are priced a little bit too high for what they are, and they take up too much real estate. All the ones I've tried have been "good". I had the Marine layer Reverb for a bit, but ultimately switched to the EHX Oceans 11 due to the size, and I liked the spring and plate settings better. And then there's the LEDs that will burn your retina or signal aliens depending on your situation.

Choice is good. There's lots of people who might like something "boutique" in their signal chain and pedals are a relatively (compared to an amp or guitar) affordable way to do that. Funky graphics, undecipherable icons and graphics just happen to be in vogue. The Fender (and Gibson for that matter) pedals just seem a bit too generic.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

I bought an acoustic reverb pre-amp F pedal a few years ago and used it for a short period. It was mediocre i found and sold it this year. I wont be buying another one.


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

I have ADHD. It makes it hard for me to poop. Because I only poop at home and when I’m at home I’m neck deep in something I don’t need to do and I hold it for long periods of time. I have developed an alter ego for myself named Hansel for when I am about the enter the sequence for taking a poop. Hansel is a little German boy who is essentially raised by a black nanny. Her voice hijacks my mind and says “Hansel, baby.. it’s high time you took put down this shit and go to the bathroom”.

I literally pull my shirt over the back of my head like Beavis and sit on the can and if I’m home alone I’ll yell “LET IT FLY HANSEL!!!! YOU KNOW YOU GOT THIS!!!” In the voice of a heavy set southern African American woman. If I’m home alone, I’ll utter it with the same intensity but I try to limit the volume so that my GF doesn’t realize how deeply regressive my emotional needs are.

I think that pedals are the exact same thing. I think that many of us think that by using a pedal, we can take our shit music and make it sound like sister Rosetta Tharpe. We associate pedals with alter egos and tones and attitude that we are simply making up to avoid having to take responsibility for our own life.

Fender pedals are great. They just aren’t cool to the career YouTube influencers.


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## Pat James (5 mo ago)

I'm not really sure what you are talking about, but I believe Fender has done a great job of advertising by hiring this guy named "Mark" who has basically been introducing these to the masses.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

1) I think there is supposed to be an internal trimmer to adjust LED brightness. At the very least, there is a switch to turn them on or off. Modern blue LEDs are especially bright. They're one of the reasons why I made myself a little LED brightness tester, with a 12 position rotary switch to insert a range of known resistances in series with the LED under test. I start with the highest resistance, and work my way down to one that yields an acceptable brightness level.

2) I find the current crop of Fender pedals very well thought out with respect to usability. Even the battery drawers are more accessible than many others. Where they fall down, I suppose, is that they "only" go a bit farther than other pedals of the same category, and don't strive for anything earth-shattering (i.e., they aren't trying to compete with EQD, Death By Audio, or Chase Bliss). But that's not surprising from a company that has used the same 3 body shapes/styles for what feels like 90% of their guitars for the last umpteen years, and only created new "models" by using different pickups. Not a criticism, just an acknowledgement that their strategy is to adhere to their brand, when it comes to guitars and amps, and now pedals.

3) The Hammertone series strikes me as a response to the JHS "3" series, by adding just a little more, at a lower price, in a slightly smaller form factor. It also positions them as just a little pricier than the various Chinese pedals (Caline, Joyo, Donner, Rowin, Amazon, et al.), with a perceived assurance of American quality (although I imagine they are Chinese-made), or at least known retailers one can return malfunctioning units to.

4) I don't sense any animosity towards them. They just don't have as much of a wow factor attached, and folks aren't as interested in showing off Fender pedals on their board as they are to display more obscure pedals. By the same token, there are a whole lot of MXR three-knobbers that also receive the same very limited amount of love.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I tried a couple of the Fender pedals briefly and wasn't really wowed. There wasn't anything really wrong with them. They seemed built really well. Most of what I have on the board is higher end, boutique. However I also have a few Boss waza pedals on the board that I think are better than the Fender pedals and as someone else mentioned takes up less room.


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## Parabola (Oct 22, 2021)

mhammer said:


> 1) I think there is supposed to be an internal trimmer to adjust LED brightness. At the very least, there is a switch to turn them on or off. Modern blue LEDs are especially bright. They're one of the reasons why I made myself a little LED brightness tester, with a 12 position rotary switch to insert a range of known resistances in series with the LED under test. I start with the highest resistance, and work my way down to one that yields an acceptable brightness level.
> 
> 2) I find the current crop of Fender pedals very well thought out with respect to usability. Even the battery drawers are more accessible than many others. Where they fall down, I suppose, is that they "only" go a bit farther than other pedals of the same category, and don't strive for anything earth-shattering (i.e., they aren't trying to compete with EQD, Death By Audio, or Chase Bliss). But that's not surprising from a company that has used the same 3 body shapes/styles for what feels like 90% of their guitars for the last umpteen years, and only created new "models" by using different pickups. Not a criticism, just an acknowledgement that their strategy is to adhere to their brand, when it comes to guitars and amps, and now pedals.
> 
> ...


The entire Fender line of pedals is made in China, as is Maestro, I think JHS is made in the USA, but probably of components from China.

It’s worth noting the Hammertone series was ready to go all at once on release day, while the Maestro was as well, they had a smaller initial release that didn’t include probably the most famous pedal from their original line, the phaser. It’s been over a year and there have been no further releases from Maestro, and their pedals are twice as much as the Hammertone and JHS Series 3. That’s a Gibson thing to do! I think they probably would have had a great one/two punch had they focused on rolling out the fuzz and phaser.


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## Parabola (Oct 22, 2021)

guitarman2 said:


> I tried a couple of the Fender pedals briefly and wasn't really wowed. There wasn't anything really wrong with them. They seemed built really well. Most of what I have on the board is higher end, boutique. However I also have a few Boss waza pedals on the board that I think are better than the Fender pedals and as someone else mentioned takes up less room.


If you are looking at some sleeper pedals try Digitech, their later offerings before letting go of their pedal team were excellent, and the pedals can be found fairly cheap on the used market. The Ventura Vibe in particular is a really well done univibe.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Parabola said:


> If you are looking at some sleeper pedals try Digitech, their later offerings before letting go of their pedal team were excellent, and the pedals can be found fairly cheap on the used market. The Ventura Vibe in particular is a really well done univibe.


I do have an older digitech on my board. A Harmony man 2. Its pretty good for what it does. I don't use it to often. Maybe 2 or 3 times a night. I have the room on my board so I just leave it. 
I had a complete board of digitech back in the 80's. Those big double pedals, OD, Delay, etc.


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## Parabola (Oct 22, 2021)

guitarman2 said:


> I do have an older digitech on my board. A Harmony man 2. Its pretty good for what it does. I don't use it to often. Maybe 2 or 3 times a night. I have the room on my board so I just leave it.
> I had a complete board of digitech back in the 80's. Those big double pedals, OD, Delay, etc.


I wish I had kept my 80’s DOD pedals…


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

mhammer said:


> I think there is supposed to be an internal trimmer to adjust LED brightness.


I haven't opened one yet, but when I do I will do something. You cannot turn off the jewel light, just the knobs. Who wants to turn the sexy knobs off?

Folks assessment is rather spot on. I don't find them at all earth shattering. They are simply functional at a level that I would expect and do the things one would expect them to do. I just found it rather strange that there was so little out there.

I have yet to experience the Hammertone series, mostly because they look hideous, there are enough hideous things in this house already (Me) and I don't need more.

As for the price of them, well, I can say used they carry value well. Or at least I can say I perceive a value in them.


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## MetalTele79 (Jul 20, 2020)

I've heard they're great but they don't appeal to me visually and there are sooooooooo many effects options out there. 

It's the same thing with the Laney BCC pedals. They're awesome effects but you don't see them very often.


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

Poor marketing and bad names are the primary cause of the lack of visibility. The price point given that they're made in China doesn't help, but would be fine if the pedals were outstanding. Sadly, I doubt the line will be around much longer.


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

Parabola said:


> The entire Fender line of pedals is made in China, as is Maestro, I think JHS is made in the USA, but probably of components from China.
> 
> It’s worth noting the Hammertone series was ready to go all at once on release day, while the Maestro was as well, they had a smaller initial release that didn’t include probably the most famous pedal from their original line, the phaser. It’s been over a year and there have been no further releases from Maestro, and their pedals are twice as much as the Hammertone and JHS Series 3. That’s a Gibson thing to do! I think they probably would have had a great one/two punch had they focused on rolling out the fuzz and phaser.


Gibson doesn't get enough hate for what they've done with the Maestro line.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

What the hell does ‘hurt feelings’ mean or have to do with Fender pedals???!!!!

I think they are not popular because Fender has been sporadic in its pedal production; releasing different series of pedals, discontinuing them, not producing anything for a while, and then bringing back entirely different lines. Some of these past lines were clearly just relabelled Chinese knock offs with a fender label stuck on them. Of course, with that fender label came a higher price.

So a lack of consistency, lack of creativity or originality, and a general commitment to an “also ran“ form of marketing, leads to very little interest.

Which of the new line of pedals do you like? From what I have read, people who actually own them think they’re quite good.

TG


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

traynor_garnet said:


> What the hell does ‘hurt feelings’ mean or have to do with Fender pedals???!!!!
> 
> I think they are not popular because Fender has been sporadic in its pedal production; releasing different series of pedals, discontinuing them, not producing anything for a while, and then bringing back entirely different lines. Some of these past lines were clearly just relabelled Chinese knock offs with a fender label stuck on them. Of course, with that fender label came a higher price.
> 
> ...


It doesn't have anything to do with anything..... but it seemed to fit. Gotta grab attention somehow 
I am learning this internet thing.

As for the ones I find favorable, it ibtje anodized case ones. I just found it really strange that the typical over abundance of information did not seem as forthcoming where they were concerned. I found this strange.


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## HeavyMetalDan (Oct 5, 2016)

PRS is now making pedals. On their site, they show the circuit board of one of their new pedals. Well, to me, who ever soldered that should not be doing that job. So I emailed them and told them, that soldering is not that great, they responded, thanks for the interest in our pedals, like wtf??? lol


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Mark Brown said:


> It doesn't have anything to do with anything..... but it seemed to fit. Gotta grab attention somehow
> I am learning this internet thing.


Don't be human click bait!  You have more depth than political buzz words.


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## teleboli (Aug 19, 2009)

Always12AM said:


> I have ADHD. It makes it hard for me to poop. Because I only poop at home and when I’m at home I’m neck deep in something I don’t need to do and I hold it for long periods of time. I have developed an alter ego for myself named Hansel for when I am about the enter the sequence for taking a poop. Hansel is a little German boy who is essentially raised by a black nanny. Her voice hijacks my mind and says “Hansel, baby.. it’s high time you took put down this shit and go to the bathroom”.
> 
> I literally pull my shirt over the back of my head like Beavis and sit on the can and if I’m home alone I’ll yell “LET IT FLY HANSEL!!!! YOU KNOW YOU GOT THIS!!!” In the voice of a heavy set southern African American woman. If I’m home alone, I’ll utter it with the same intensity but I try to limit the volume so that my GF doesn’t realize how deeply regressive my emotional needs are.
> 
> ...


😃You had me with the first two paragraphs


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I just wish Fender would bring back the Runaway pedal. To my mind, one of the very best feedback simulators ever made. Removes the obligation to use your picking hand to control things. Never seen one in the flesh. About time for that to change.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

mhammer said:


> I just wish Fender would bring back the Runaway pedal. To my mind, one of the very best feedback simulators ever made. Removes the obligation to use your picking hand to control things. Never seen one in the flesh. About time for that to change.


I had an overdrive pedal back in the 80's that you could step on and hold for simulated feedback. I had one song where it was necessary to get a long feedback. Ronnie Millsap Stranger in my house. There's a very long feedback before the solo. Of course, initially I used it in other places only because I could. But it only suited that one song perfectly. I don't remember what pedal but I'm pretty sure it was a Boss. Back in the 80's thats about the only make pedal I used.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I have two feedback simulators: the Boss DF-2 and the Line 6 Dr. Distorto. They provide a reasonable facsimile of feedback,but neither permit the fluid application of overtones the way the Runaway did/does.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

mhammer said:


> I have two feedback simulators: the Boss DF-2 and the Line 6 Dr. Distorto. They provide a reasonable facsimile of feedback,but neither permit the fluid application of overtones the way the Runaway did/does.


Just looked up a pic of the Boss DF-2. Yup that was the one I had. Yeah I remember it wasn't great. I didn't keep it for long and instead preferred to try and get feedback naturally, which wasn't always easy with my Tele depending on the volume. These days, playing a Les Paul with unpotted pickups its super easy albeit sometimes hard to control.


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

mhammer said:


> I just wish Fender would bring back the Runaway pedal. To my mind, one of the very best feedback simulators ever made. Removes the obligation to use your picking hand to control things. Never seen one in the flesh. About time for that to change.


I'd also like to see a practical enclosure version of the Fender Blender. Great pedal, but unnecessarily large and with reversed jacks.


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

Well, I had never heard of any modern day Fender pedals. A quick Google put me on Fenders page. Found the pedals, and this vid. 

None of these are appealing to me. And the video is MADE BY FENDER!!!!!!


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

SWLABR said:


> Well, I had never heard of any modern day Fender pedals. A quick Google put me on Fenders page. Found the pedals, and this vid.
> 
> None of these are appealing to me. And the video is MADE BY FENDER!!!!!!


This is my point. The most immediate available information is directly from Fender, digging deeper brings up slightly more fender.... some guy in Lithuania in his basement and not a lot else. 

I also find most of those unappealing, if mostly because they are ugly. My looks didn't allow me to be shallow in love but my money says I can be in my gear


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

Mark Brown said:


> This is my point. The most immediate available information is directly from Fender, digging deeper brings up slightly more fender.... some guy in Lithuania in his basement and not a lot else.
> 
> I also find most of those unappealing, if mostly because they are ugly. My looks didn't allow me to be shallow in love but my money says I can be in my gear


I have found Fender tends to do this. As in, make independent reviews nearly impossible to find. Years ago my young niece was looking at an electric/acoustic and had her heart set on a blue Fender single cutaway. More so the blue, than the Fender, but as her loving, guitar playing uncle, her parents sought my opinion. I could not find anything from anyone not associated with Fender. That's troubling!! 
I talked them into a Yamaha, and well, she's still rockin' it.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I've seen reviews/demos of Fender pedal from folks other than Fender. But keep in mind that the plethora of Youtube demos one sees are a product of the promo copies companies send out to reviewers/influencers beforehand, with posting of the demos usually synced up to release date. If a manufacturer has confidence in the product and likely demand, they probably don't need to flood Youtube with videos. Consider how many demos you see of new EHX pedals that *don't* involve Bill Ruppert or someone else who works for EHX? Generally not nearly as many as you'll stumble across from smaller companies trying to break into the market.


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## 2N1305 (Nov 2, 2009)

HeavyMetalDan said:


> PRS is now making pedals. On their site, they show the circuit board of one of their new pedals. Well, to me, who ever soldered that should not be doing that job. So I emailed them and told them, that soldering is not that great, they responded, thanks for the interest in our pedals, like wtf??? lol


I had to go see that... Yes, on their horsemeat pedal page, you can see the PCB. It's not super terrible, but it's definitely not nice. Looks like cold solder joints. Maybe the picture crew was rushing the elec dep't for a picture candidate and they said "we don't have any new builds back yet. We have _*this*_, though..."
And the picture crew doesn't know any better, so _click_


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Mark Brown said:


> My opinion is crafted on a very limited selection, not gonna lie, but every single thing I get my hands on I fall in love with.


Keep yer paws off me wife.


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## HeavyMetalDan (Oct 5, 2016)

2N1305 said:


> I had to go see that... Yes, on their horsemeat pedal page, you can see the PCB. It's not super terrible, but it's definitely not nice. Looks like cold solder joints. Maybe the picture crew was rushing the elec dep't for a picture candidate and they said "we don't have any new builds back yet. We have _*this*_, though..."
> And the picture crew doesn't know any better, so _click_


Yes, that was the picture. Half of the pads barely have any solder on, cold solder joints, etc...
They should send me a free pedal for pointing that out, 😆


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

SWLABR said:


> Well, I had never heard of any modern day Fender pedals. A quick Google put me on Fenders page. Found the pedals, and this vid.
> 
> None of these are appealing to me. And the video is MADE BY FENDER!!!!!!


I think my Peavey Bandit makes all those same noises.


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

tomee2 said:


> I think my Peavey Bandit makes all those same noises.


Mine too! 

I really should get around to selling my Peavy Bandit!


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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

mhammer said:


> I just wish Fender would bring back the Runaway pedal.


Well, that is great, almost like a pedal eBow. That gets me excited.

Is that what a feedbacker does? What control is the pedal adjusting?
"Controls how fast the feedback builds up"


https://www.fmicassets.com/Damroot/Original/10001/2301040000_pedal_manual_all.pdf











Fender Runaway Feedback Expression Pedal | Reverb


Fender Runaway Feedback Expression pedal. Cool collaboration between Fender and Softube. comes w/ box and instructions. power supply not included. Fun pedal that you don't see come up for sale very often.From Softube site:The Fender Runaway Feedback Pedal is a natural feedback simulator tha...




reverb.com




"Cool collaboration between Fender and Softube"
"The Fender Runaway Pedal is based on Softube's patented feedback algorithm, already used in the Acoustic Feedbackplug-in"









Acoustic Feedback


VST guitar feedback plug-in for realistic guitar feedback. Works with any major DAW.




www.softube.com





I wish they wouldn't have discontinued their vintage line, fuzz-wah, volume.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Hammerhands said:


> Well, that is great, almost like a pedal eBow. That gets me excited.
> 
> Is that what a feedbacker does? What control is the pedal adjusting?
> 
> I wish they wouldn't have discontinued their vintage line, fuzz-wah, volume.


An E-bow just keep the string vibrating at the pitch it is fretted at. Feedbackers will fade in an overtone and hold it. The Boss DF-2 lets you blend in a mix of a lower or higher overtone. Holding the switch-treadle down longer makes it switch into "feedbacker" mode, gradually fading the synthesized overtone mix in with the drive tone.

Unlike the fully-analog DF-2, the Line 6 Dr. Distorto is digital and offers a slightly better simulated feedback. As you can see, the drive and feedback can be blended, but the time it takes for the simulated feedback to be introduced, or disappear, can be adjusted; something the DF-2 does not permit.


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## elburnando (11 mo ago)

I just saw these in a shop, and i dont really see how the size would be an issue. I didnt notice the jacks reversed, bit I guess if you've got the set of them, or multiple rows of pedals that would be an issue.


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## Pat James (5 mo ago)

Parabola said:


> If you are looking at some sleeper pedals try Digitech, their later offerings before letting go of their pedal team were excellent, and the pedals can be found fairly cheap on the used market. The Ventura Vibe in particular is a really well done univibe.


I have their Digitech Tonedriver XTD. Where would you rank that in their lineup?


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## Parabola (Oct 22, 2021)

Pat James said:


> I have their Digitech Tonedriver XTD. Where would you rank that in their lineup?


No idea, never tried one. I do have a Bad Monkey from that era and it’s not bad.

I was referring to later pedals,though like the ventura vibe, Obscura, Polara and Carcosa. Thomas Cram lead the Digitech team back then and went on to found Spiral Effects.


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## desolation_angel (2 mo ago)

When Fender launched the anodized box versions I played a few. They were all surprisingly good. I bought the buffer for my wireless chain... love the lit knobs, hate the piercing jewel light, thought the battery compartment was clever. 

As for their popularity, my two cents from a product marketing point of view... They "look" dull as ditch water. They just don't look like "rock 'n' roll" products, they look like placeholders on a product powerpoint presentation and someone put them into production like that. No character. They make the JHS 3 Series look cool. The "hammertone" ones look a little more, er, flavourful, perhaps.



Parabola said:


> Thomas Cram lead the Digitech team back then and went on to found Spiral Effects.


And Tom is back at Digitech, too...


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## SmoggyTwinkles (May 31, 2021)

Mark Brown said:


> I find myself exploring Fenders line of pedals lately, nothing crazy but I went and got a couple. I have been extremely happy with them, the do what they should and sound like they should and make my little face smile.
> 
> Looking for information on the internet I dont come across a lot of chatter about them. There is more information on some obscure one off pedal makers (cannot verify this claim) than there seems to be about these things.
> 
> ...


Well, I'm gonna comment without reading the rest of the thread so I can give me true "opinion" about these new Fender pedals. 

I've always been intrigued, they cost a lot (MRSP) compared to my level of interest. 

That's kinda pathetic but that's the way it is. Fender has never been known for pedals (Fender Blender, what else?) and then they come out with this line, form factor is a major issue for most I would assume, hell I don't know? I don't care about form factor personally but you better believe the pedal community does, they go nuts if a new pedal has sidejacks for example, gotta be top mounted to fit on their "pick up and go" metro board.

I seem to remember you picked up a few of these on the cheap. Hell, I saw a bunch on L&M Gear Hunter deeply discounted and would love to try them. But first I would want to know if they're good, and I guess I haven't watched enough videos, because I haven't felt like I should look into these Fender pedals. 

And yet I could. I could go try them in real life at L&M.....

But then, what am I even after? I'm pretty content with what I have. And there are so many of them too I guess. 

Hopefully you have some thoughts on them, or links to videos that you think demonstrate well what the ones you have do (or give us some vids of yours would be awesome)

Hey, you got all those Dano pedals, I know those are awesome because I've tried them, but most people just don't take them seriously because of a lot of the things I've said already. 

Not sure. Maybe I'll spend a little time watching some demos of one's that could potentially replace what I already have.


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## SmoggyTwinkles (May 31, 2021)

Mark Brown said:


> I find myself exploring Fenders line of pedals lately, nothing crazy but I went and got a couple. I have been extremely happy with them, the do what they should and sound like they should and make my little face smile.
> 
> Looking for information on the internet I dont come across a lot of chatter about them. There is more information on some obscure one off pedal makers (cannot verify this claim) than there seems to be about these things.
> 
> ...


Ok, second reply seconds later. You kinda said it in your own OP, there's just not much talk, no hype.....why? Only someone who can champion these pedals can help us with that. Maybe they're really good? Who knows? 

There's a bunch of pedal lines I think that about. Gibson has those new Maestro pedals, but they're not even really re-issues, and well, they're underwhelming to me. The overdrive was the best sounding one and it's not even based on an old Maestro.


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## SmoggyTwinkles (May 31, 2021)

Pat James said:


> I'm not really sure what you are talking about, but I believe Fender has done a great job of advertising by hiring this guy named "Mark" who has basically been introducing these to the masses.


I mean this basically sums it up (along with the ADHD pooping thing)


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## Pat James (5 mo ago)

SmoggyTwinkles said:


> I mean this basically sums it up (along with the ADHD pooping thing)


This I did not know about, but I agree it does add up


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

I think it's all about sales, distribution and profit. They developed a line of pedals they could get made on the cheap. Then they have this world wide distribution network aka authorized Fender dealers. They let them all know if they buy x number of guitars and or amps then they get a sweet deal on an inventory of pedals. They could even force every Fender dealer in the entire world to buy an inventory when they place their next order for guitars. Either way what Fender dealer wouldn't buy an inventory of Fender pedals? They work and they will be profitable and they are Fender. People buy Fender.


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## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

Couple decent reviews on the Fender pedals. For 100+ dollars they sound fairly decent. Don't think they are going to compete with AnalogMan, Catalinbread, tc Electronics, BOSS, Strymon, Electro Harmonix, Walrus Audio, Dawner Prince, Diamond, Empress, etc.,... but at this price point I wouldn't expect them to. Seems like a good bang for the buck.





Premier Guitar Review: Fender Hammertone Reverb, Overdrive, Flanger, Chorus, and Delay Reviews


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## SmoggyTwinkles (May 31, 2021)

Midnight Rider said:


> Couple decent reviews on the Fender pedals. For 100+ dollars they sound fairly decent. Don't think they are going to compete with AnalogMan, Catalinbread, tc Electronics, BOSS, Strymon, Electro Harmonix, Walrus Audio, Dawner Prince, Diamond, Empress, etc.,... but at this price point I wouldn't expect them to. Seems like a good bang for the buck.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That flanger sounds good. The rest are just fine. Something to keep an eye out for on the used market years from now.


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

SmoggyTwinkles said:


> That flanger sounds good. The rest are just fine. Something to keep an eye out for on the used market years from now.


A local shop here had a Fender Hammertones overdrive for $70. I'd probably have bought it if I made it down there in person 1) To try it out. 2) I like that they used the Star Trek font.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

MHammer may have a case for copyright infringement.


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## SmoggyTwinkles (May 31, 2021)

player99 said:


> MHammer may have a case for copyright infringement.


I hadn't even seen this Hammertone series before this thread, just the ones Mark Brown (the only guy that likes my posts, wait....he likes everyones posts) has purchased. 

I can dig hammertone finish, but a whole line is pretty boring looking IMO.

But who GAF if it sounds good, and we can maybe grab a couple of these on deep discount when the line inevitably fails sales wise. 

Like for real that Flanger sounds really good from that clip, and that Space Delay is pretty interesting. Other than those two though, can't say I'd want any of the others simply because I have those effects covered already. 

Is that flanger better than a BF-2 though? Not sure, just saying it sounds really, surprisingly good.


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

SmoggyTwinkles said:


> I hadn't even seen this Hammertone series before this thread, just the ones Mark Brown (the only guy that likes my posts, wait....he likes everyones posts) has purchased.
> 
> I can dig hammertone finish, but a whole line is pretty boring looking IMO.
> 
> ...


If I was a regular flanger user I'd be buying that big, stupid PRS abomination.


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## SmoggyTwinkles (May 31, 2021)

I'm not sure what flanger I'd use if I really wanted best of the best. 

I had a BF-3 not that long ago and it was quite good, but the BF-2 does sound better but less options, but most people I'd imagine would prefer the BF-2 sounding better vs. the BF-3 sounding good but more going on. 

Yeah it's one of those effects you love for a bit, then realize you don't really need it, then miss it at some point, and want another one, rinse and repeat.


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## AJ6stringsting (Mar 12, 2006)

I have one of the most Frankenstein guitar rigs ever , it's got foot pedals in a MIDI Looper , a Decibel Eleven Loop Expander, that has a built in buffer with the ability to add a Behringer AM100 Acoustic Modeler with a Boss GE-7 Eq in one loop and a Elecro Harmonix Ravish Sitar simulator and an MXR 10 band Eq.

I just got another DE Loop Expander for the effects loop of my Digitech 2112 to add a Carvin X-1 pedal ( modeled after the X-100 B amp) , a pedal from GFS , the Brownie pedal that gets EVH's Marshall tone .... maybe I'll check into those Fender pedals to add more gearth to my sound to preserve some headroom in my processor.


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