soulsonic wrote:I've been sourcing up some parts. I'm going to be starting a little Rangemaster project. I've done a couple derivatives before already, but I'm going to try and go all-out and build what I'd consider to be the "Ultimate" $200-$300 Rangemaster.
While I am certainly one of those folks who complains bitterly about the outrageous prices on simple circuits like this, I do believe that a high price can be justified if the appropriate materials and techniques are used. And that's always been my complaint; booteekers who charge high prices, but then use the same cheap parts and techniques as the mass-produced pedals.
So, the project will be my attempt to answer the question, "What would be considered a true high-end boutique Rangemaster?"
I've got a handful of special parts already; a hand-selected OC44, a variety of different vintage Sprague paper-in-oil bumblebee caps, a variety of vintage carbon comp resistors, etc....
I still need a few little things; enclosure, a good stompswitch (not a blue one), a high grade volume pot (I'm thinking about trying a wirewound...), high grade terminal strips, etc...
I'm also considering adding an input cap selector, so I'll definitely need a high quality rotary for that, or possibly a 3-way toggle...
All-in-all, I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up costing well over $100 in parts, but this is good because the idea is to make the silly thing as expensive as possible. Heck, if I didn't already have a bunch of PIO caps in my stock, I probably couldn't afford to build it!
Hi,
This is not intended as a mere reply to OP, but just a view generally and expanding on things in the above post.
So 'you' is used in plural but english gives no clear distinction to this
OK, to be honest I'd say your transistor isn't all that
and I might wonder why you'd use such components as carbon comp resistors in a circuit that runs at 9V's and btw did you roast them first?
Wirewound pot?
Ah, but yes maybe 100 USD in parts........especially if you'd be using fine mechanical parts.
Right so who'd buy that?
Let's say you you want to get these out to stores, then you would be asked who you are, how many you can make per month, what would be the price of the first 100 or they'd say they'd take just this one and give it a chance.
Now a customer walks in to the store and tries this and asks who built it thinking what would this resell for ?
What's the name of this product? Rangemaster???
That's almost like Behringer did with AphexF...........
Using somebodyelses name as a salesvehichle is considered bad business practice in many parts of the world......in some parts not ofcourse;)
Just don't call it Dumble on e-bay, becuase the mere name is where Dumble will come down on you but you can take the circuits-because those are useless without the connection to a name
Might be less of an issue with something like the rangemaster though, but still......
Let's just say it's a treblebooster and it's been done before
What would be the merits of this one over the next guy that sells his clone for 20USD less?
But this is not a clone because it does not look exactly alike and does not preform exactly alike, but it would be a boutique, right well let's see and most of what would cost you in parts would be metal.
Why not get a little wild here
Let's say you'd use BC109C's that you have salvaged from an old Hagstrom.........you could claim lower noise and besides you also recycled those trannies and get good points with the environmentalists and yes you can easily measure noise........
Hm, a couple of years ago there was a symposium at which the correct turnover frequency for treble boost was to be defined.
There were hundreds of contenders and somebody won and frankly I don't know who nor do I really care.
However contemplate this for a moment so would there be a correct turnoverfrequency- 6dB slope assumed-for electric guitar?
If you were to examine that in a scientific way you'd have to null various variables and use defined test equipment and then you'd still have to use your ears and then you can analyze say just the sound of an open A-string- or G-string if you like-but that's only if you'd like to be a Doctor in Trebleboosting.
Ah so now you'd use your ears and maybe hear something that most others don't and if you would you have no obligation whatsoever to tell anyone how you hear this.
No, I don't think you'd hear more midrange if you put a plectrum on top of your amp at least I never heard it that way, except maybe if I'd instead play with fingers seeing that the plectrum is now on top of the amp.....
For sake of this experiment one could not get too wild and use different slope ratio, but let's say the exact turnover frequency could be tuned or defined, like with defined hie and hfe of the transistor aswell as perhaps metalfilm resistors and 1% caps yes OK 5% might do fine...........
Now the upper limit of trebleboost could also be defined and in the example there was to begin with an OC44 known to have low ft...........ahum what if one would make a BC549C have the same ft as a typical OC44?
Ah wait the EH Screaming bird did something of this sort but with a BC239C..........but you are not EH and cannot use any reference to said company in any of your text material-and besides if you'd put a screaming bird next to a rangemaster there would be a world of differences and really if we are just looking at trebleboosters
Uh, now we'd come to a user problem-trebleboosting isn't at its best as an on/off effect so maybe this could be made with a toggle but then footswitches last longer in the gear trunks of musicians ah but then if the amount of trebleboost could be altered? Right, no that was not allowed.
Oh yikes, doesn't sound that inspiring a train of thoughts to follow and who needs a treble booster these days anyway?
If Landgraff would make one I could see that it could be collectible from the percieved value of gods.....
And so unless you have a recognized name it's not going to sell-unless it's dirt cheap.
Now your name and reputation will be what counts and not really what your circuits are
Ah but then how much does it take to differ from another manufacturer?
Let's take Coron that made a distortionpedal that on a distance would look frightfully like an MXR and you really had to know about gear to tell the difference.
Electronically the difference was the value of two resistors...........
I mean the ROSS at least upgraded the OP to an RC4558! Yep lower noise.
Behringer did the same thing with BOSS and EH and unless you knew and got close enough you could get fooled.
Right but the internals might have differed-I don't know-still the backbone of this is that people have higher confidence in the quality and roadworthyness of products than they do in Behringer and with EH's newer boxes those are sturdy and you wouldn't expect them to break as once was the reputation of EH's casings.
Ah, but would there be Boutique versions of those? I'd guess that'd be Keeley and Analogman doing that.
Come to think of it buying two Marshall Bluesbreakers and spend time modifying those.......yikes, still they'd take up more room than necessary on a pedalboard.....
Oh and don't you just love it that metalfilm resistors and metalfilm capacitors puts more metal into your tone?
Back to the point let's say you'd build a treble booster type rangemaster, and assume you really need one
What would be the pitfalls of the original design and how would you change those to better suit your needs?
Second point, what is the finished project worth ?
This I'd say would be defined by resalevalue,which would be governed by the percieved skills and fame of the maker and the reputation of the maker and quite possibly how hard it would be to get another one.
How does this product hold up mechanically? Well that's defined above by the reputation of the manufacturer.
Does it matter what the circuit is to the user? Hardly as long as it works and does it's function and can be resold or it'll go in the garbagecan like Behringer's when they break and like once EH.
What is principally wrong with cloning is the use of a name associated with a product without the concent of the nameholder or the looks......
which for instance is why once all headstocks of Tokaiguitars in a tanker shipment where cut of at the harbour on the westcoast of USA and why Ibanez had to drop the silverseries and more lately things are being raised about the headstocks and shapes of Fenders .............
Would anyone care if somebody built any of this in their basement and for personal use?
No, hardly likely.
Oh, what if you'd use a 2 stage transistor amplifier with parallell current feedback instead of that OC44?
One might wonder how such a circuit would be defined and what name it'd be associated with?
Now how do you get 200-300USD for your product?
Let's look at how many can be made in one day by one person and paying some attention to what goes in there........
Withdraw all costs involved and let's see there was 100USD in parts......ah yes you'd just sell one on e-bay?
and the original whatever it was costs that much so???? and now you are faced with making how many per day to quit your day job?Yes right if you don't use good enough parts you will have complaints from things breaking down.
Now run along to your boss at your dayjob and tell you don't want more per day before taxes and please drop also the salestax of the state,country or region.........and watch your boss brushing his/her teeth with a razorblade.
Right on topic partsmojo: hm, this is dangerous-the more you tell people about mojoparts the more they might believe and only know a little part and then you have musicians asking if this or that has germanium in it or does it sound like an OP amp?
The one thing that has gotten better is communication between technicians and musicians and that will bring and has brought better gear and will continue to do so
Mass produced items aren't about that though just shere volumes, so there are boutique alternatives and you bet people ask for the standard circuits just better made and smaller and please jacks on top and DC inlet what user preferences have you?
In a way that gives more people than just the stars access to better gear and in any way you like if you look around, and for students on a budget Behringer is a steal, pun intended.
If you are really wealthy you can get Cornish to make you a custom pedalboard-what kind of mojoparts do you think goes into those boards? Nah, just techniques and the name.
Have fun
BJ
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