# Anyone else following the Alpha Drive debacle?



## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

I haven't ventured over to TGP, but lots of the other forums are buzzing about it. That is some good solid internetainment there if nothing else.


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

So many pedals are mods of existing designs, it was only a matter of time til someone cut out the middle-man of making mods and just created the exact same pedal!


----------



## bobb (Jan 4, 2007)

Not being a cork sniffer, I have been watching with great amusement.


----------



## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

I posted some kudo's to Tapestry in the Dealer Section for handling it the way they did. I got mine a couple of days ago, meh! Way too bassy. There is a mod apparently. Very entertaining reading though. Lots of cork sniffers have their panties in a knot over this one, LOL.


----------



## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


----------



## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

... and you probably never will again 



nkjanssen said:


> I thought I was up on my overdrive pedals, but I've never heard of the Alpha Drive or the Ultimate Drive.


----------



## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

I love a good debacle. Are we missing out on something juicy? Quick summary anyone? :sport-smiley-002:


----------



## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

bagpipe said:


> I love a good debacle. Are we missing out on something juicy? Quick summary anyone? :sport-smiley-002:


I put a very quick one in here.

http://www.guitarscanada.com/dealer-emporium/42411-tapestry-music.html


----------



## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

So has FB made any statements about it?
The Alpha Drive was still up for sale on the web site a day or two ago.
Some dudes sig pedal too, nice.
So did they (apparently/alledgedly) take curcuit designs, 
or just stuff the actual guts of the Joyo pedal in a new enclosure?


----------



## tapestrymusic (Mar 10, 2009)

The only statements made are threats to anyone critical of them, including us. If you like a good debacle or just like to watch the rise and fall of a company then TGP has 2-3 locked threads still readable, Freekish Gate is still going on at HC, and freestompboxes is bopping along about this as well.


----------



## Jeff B. (Feb 20, 2010)

I've been watching this mess from the start at FSB. I wonder if Joyo knows why their pedal sales have spiked recently?
Gooping a product always brings about scrutiny and attention. Will the goopers ever learn that? Especially with a mess inside like that. Nail-polish and exterior window caulking?
Goop isn't needed in the every day objects that come in cheap plastic cases that put up with untold abuse such as remote controls, cordless phones, video game controllers and other similar items that get launched off the couch and dropped on a very frequent basis. So why is "needed" in a pedal in a mechanically sealed metal casing that seldom moves off the floor? If you ever see a builder with explanation other than "to hide the circuit/to prevent copying" or "the guitarist constantly spills his beer on it" or "we have an underwater gig" raise your BS flag.

I doubt that Freekish Blues is the only company to have ever done this, they were just the first to get caught.
If he had made his own layout and boards this would not have been _as bad _for him. 
Some at TGP would probably get worked up about it being an OCD copy that costs more than an OCD but that would have been it. 
Rehashing and modding other designs is the backbone of the boutique pedal business and fundamentally stripped down to the very basic level that's what he did but it's the way he went about it is what added so much fuel to the fire.
Repackaging other cheaper pedals, using other players names on them for credibility, having his products "talked up" on TGP, the terrible workmanship on the parts he did change, lying about building them in his basement and having a waiting list, the foolish goop and nail polish job on it and then his poor reaction to it when the truth was revealed. He had a chance to come clean and make it right but choose not do so. 
The fallout from this is not done yet although it is nearing the end of it's 15 minutes. Skepticism and suspicion will run wild for a bit longer and some builders will all be smeared with the proverbial "same brush" for a while as a result.
It has shown once again that getting caught up in internet hype and hearing with your eyes does not work, that inexpensive pedals (a la Joyo) should not be dismissed as being inferior or sounding bad and that gooping a pedal paints a target on it with a flashing neon sign saying "Look at me!".


----------



## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

For anyone interested I tried the mod suggested by Analogman and it works a treat. Simplest way is to just remove a resistor that jumps across the tone pot. Opens the entire pedal right up and now it's very usable. Sounds a heck of a lot like my OCD V3 which, after all these years and God knows how many "boutique" OD's, is still my #1 

Sweet spot is now around 12 o'clock on the tone but it gets very bright beyond that. There's probably a resistor value that would work perfectly but I can live with it as is just fine.




davetcan said:


> I posted some kudo's to Tapestry in the Dealer Section for handling it the way they did. I got mine a couple of days ago, meh! Way too bassy. There is a mod apparently. Very entertaining reading though. Lots of cork sniffers have their panties in a knot over this one, LOL.


----------



## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

So buy a joyo, snip a resistor and sound good. Sounds good! hwopv


----------



## TubeStack (Jul 16, 2009)

First I'm hearing of this, very entertaining. Thanks for the thread!


----------



## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

mrmatt1972 said:


> So buy a joyo, snip a resistor and sound good. Sounds good! hwopv


From what I understand the resistor was added by Freekish Blues, so just buy the Joyo and you're good to go


----------



## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

It's pretty funny that the "mod" to the pedal is to remove something added by the second builder.


----------



## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

I have to laugh at this. There so much cork-sniffing over at TGP, they always have to have the "latest and greatest", lots of times based on a stellar review from one of the "tone experts" over there. Its funny to see someone actually call their bluff.

Good times.hwopv


----------



## theroan (Oct 7, 2008)

So I'm up to date because of this thread. Freekish Blue has allegedly taken these Joyo pedals and modded them (I don't know in what ways) painted the enclusures and sold them for an enormous profit. People feel dooped because they implied there ads that this was something they had developed on their own.

Here's what I don't get, the demos I've heard against Dumble clone amps are extemely convincing, is the pedal just being thrown out by people now? Or are people doing the mod themselves and getting the same results? Any A/B videos?


----------



## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

Burgerman666 mentions the controversy and is leaving his videos up for everyone's reference...

[video=youtube;jYpzqBUy6B8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYpzqBUy6B8&amp;feature=relmfu[/video]


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

davetcan said:


> Sounds a heck of a lot like my OCD V3 which, after all these years and God knows how many "boutique" OD's, is still my #1 .


Same here. A lot of dirt pedals have come and gone, but I've had my OCD v3 for a couple years now, which in the life of a dirt pedal on my board is an eternity!


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

jimihendrix said:


> Burgerman666 mentions the controversy and is leaving hid videos up for everyone's reference...


We're not supposed to use any streamed media here at work, so I just snagged about 30 seconds of that video. A not unpleasant sound, but pretty dang pedestrian, I have to say. I probably have 15 different thngs that can do that.


----------



## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

I'm guessing this is the copied pedal...???...Joyo Ultimate Drive...???...Aside from the paint job it looks the same...

[video=youtube;ReLjVOwL5yU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReLjVOwL5yU&amp;feature=related[/video]


----------



## CSBen (Mar 1, 2011)

jimihendrix said:


> I'm guessing this is the copied pedal...???...Joyo Ultimate Drive...???...Aside from the paint job it looks the same...
> 
> [video=youtube;ReLjVOwL5yU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReLjVOwL5yU&amp;feature=related[/video]


I can tell you one thing:

It is one of the worst soundin' stomp I've hear in a long, long time. I mean...just horrible! Sure you can blame some of it on the audio compression from youtube..but this just ain't right!!


My humble two cents only of course : )


----------



## gtone (Nov 1, 2009)

IMHO, too much of the stuff going on at TGP is hype and herd-following when it comes to gear talk, as opposed to "cork sniffing" per se. While there is a bit of the latter going on also, there's a lesson to be learned here about all that BS. There's some great stuff being made today - try some out and see what works for you. Many TGP'ers would do well to stop worrying about the "flavour of the month" and getting peer approval on all their gear decisions.


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

CSBen said:


> I can tell you one thing:
> 
> It is one of the worst soundin' stomp I've hear in a long, long time. I mean...just horrible! Sure you can blame some of it on the audio compression from youtube..but this just ain't right!!
> 
> ...


Someone take the shipping blanket off that amp!!! This thing sounds sooo muddy and muffled! I can't believe it's a clone of my OCD pedal, which sounds about a gazillion times better.


----------



## CSBen (Mar 1, 2011)

hollowbody said:


> Someone take the shipping blanket off that amp!!! This thing sounds sooo muddy and muffled! I can't believe it's a clone of my OCD pedal, which sounds about a gazillion times better.


Glad I'm not the only one to think that!!

And yeah - the OCD is a great stomp of them mid-gain OD needs! Can't go wrong with that one.


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

davetcan said:


> From what I understand the resistor was added by Freekish Blues, so just buy the Joyo and you're good to go


Hey davetcan, did you check out the clip below? Did your FB pedal sound like that before the resistor clip? I'm just wondering because for an OCD variant, I thought the Joyo sounded way too muffled and I know you mentioned the mod to the FB pedal helping. I'm wondering now if it wasn't Joyo who had initially installed that resistor??



jimihendrix said:


> I'm guessing this is the copied pedal...???...Joyo Ultimate Drive...???...Aside from the paint job it looks the same...
> 
> [video=youtube;ReLjVOwL5yU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReLjVOwL5yU&amp;feature=related[/video]


----------



## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I joined TGP mainly to get links and info of what's out there, not to join the fanboy club.
Lately, it's the Strymon stuff. Probably because it sold out right away and they all want to get on the boat.

That pedal demo sounds like he's plugged into a pillow, or the amp is face down on a carpet.


----------



## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

That sounded unbelievably muffled and, no, the Alpha did not sound like that. The resistor clip made a world of difference and opened up the top end of the pedal but it never sounded muffled, just had too much bass.

Having said all that I'll still take the OCD 




hollowbody said:


> Hey davetcan, did you check out the clip below? Did your FB pedal sound like that before the resistor clip? I'm just wondering because for an OCD variant, I thought the Joyo sounded way too muffled and I know you mentioned the mod to the FB pedal helping. I'm wondering now if it wasn't Joyo who had initially installed that resistor??


----------



## CSBen (Mar 1, 2011)

sulphur said:


> I joined TGP mainly to get links and info of what's out there, not to join the fanboy club.
> Lately, it's the Strymon stuff. Probably because it sold out right away and they all want to get on the boat.
> 
> That pedal demo sounds like he's plugged into a pillow, or the amp is face down on a carpet.


Agreed - pillow, wrapped in carpet and dropped in the pool.

Thing about the Strymon stom stu stuff though - they really are awesome pedals! But its their marketing strategy..the slow drip drip method of releasing their products that I don't agree with. Its already R&D, they are ready to ship and it creates a huge buzz. Hey, being electronic guys, they most likely went to the Steve Jobbs's school of makin' money!


----------



## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Lately I have really tired of TGP's search for "the best", as if there could possibly be one "best" piece of gear for every situation, style, and rig. The constant cycle of "flavour of the month" pedals grows old, really fast. Amazing pedals get zero recoginition because they don't cost a gazillion dollars and you can actually buy them without a massive wait. 

As Sulphur notes, it IS a great place to find out about what is out there. If it weren't for TGP I wouldn't have known about some of my favourite pedals (Timmy, Arion SAD-1 delay) so I continue to read. I tend to balance out the crazy fan boy stuff with people's opinions here. This board seems much more balanced and mature (I suspect TGP has a lot of young members, but I don't know if this is true).

TG


----------



## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

This vid kinda reminds me of the FX pedal market...just substitute your favorite new pedal in place of these products...

[video=youtube;eZAAZ7iXN-o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZAAZ7iXN-o&amp;feature=relmfu[/video]


----------



## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

buy back program = renting 

But yeah, you make a good point


----------



## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

You bought the wrong pedal sillyhead!

lol


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Aint that the truth in terms of electronics


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Was reading some of the closed threads on TGP regarding this debacle. Sounds like these people sold a ton of the those pedals. Was making some good money for sure.


----------



## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

The pedal in question is_ STILL _for sale on the site with the players name still tied to it.
In the header on the site, it used to say "all original designs", that has since disappeared. 
So, as far as I know, it's one guy "building" these pedals out of his basement.

Has he ever come out to either defend himself or fess up?

I noticed another thread on TGP about if all his pedals were suspect but I didn't read through it yet.


----------



## tapestrymusic (Mar 10, 2009)

GuitarsCanada said:


> Was reading some of the closed threads on TGP regarding this debacle. Sounds like these people sold a ton of the those pedals. Was making some good money for sure.


And no refunds! We're out a few $$$. We figured they're actually worth about 69 bucks being a mod. Still have a few left-hey, they might become collectors items!


----------



## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

It IS a good sounding pedal, especially after the tone mod, and well worth $69. I've spent a lot more on a lot worse. The real issue was never the quality of the tone, it was the ethics behind what he was doing/claiming.



tapestrymusic said:


> And no refunds! We're out a few $$$. We figured they're actually worth about 69 bucks being a mod. Still have a few left-hey, they might become collectors items!


----------



## Evilmusician (Apr 13, 2007)

Thing is I find on TGP that alot of these players with the flavor of the month pedals are all young guys(ambient sounds type guitarists )some of there pedal demos are terrible ,out of tune ,too much delay,or generally just not that experienced at guitar and also have never played outside there own homes ! I tend to take advice from pro's and working musicians,ones who know what cuts through a mix ,and know great pedals that won't cost you a fortune to replace.............just my two cents! now I must go play guitar rather than buy another toy!


----------



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

This thing is still for sale - Freekish Blues Alpha Drive


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Robert1950 said:


> This thing is still for sale - Freekish Blues Alpha Drive


They appear to have just ignored the whole controversy and continued on business as usual


----------



## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

GuitarsCanada said:


> They appear to have just ignored the whole controversy and continued on business as usual


I wonder how Thaddeus Hogarth feels about all this.


----------



## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

They're still claiming a 2 week wait and price is still $168.


----------



## Guest (Sep 9, 2011)

I bet orders are down...


----------

