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Harmonix Classics

What are Boutique Guitar Pedals?

All guitarists are searching for their own original sound, and using boutique guitar pedals is one popular way to insure that you stand out from the crowd. Unlike mass-produced guitar pedals, boutique pedals are usually made by small independent workshops, and most often, the pedals are hand-made and numbered.

While the large manufacturers can usually sell guitar effects pedals cheaper, small boutique pedal companies specialize in individuality and attention to detail in their effects. Companies such as Carl Martin, Divided by 13, Fulltone, Keeley and Red Witch are all smaller boutique manufacturers, dedicated exclusively to producing outstanding guitar tone.

As you might expect, small companies that hand build guitar pedals usually charge more for their products, but many pro guitarists insist that the higher price of boutique pedals is justified because of their quality and originality of tone.

As well as the small guitar workshops, boutique pedals are also produced by a few larger companies such as Electro Harmonix and Huges & Kettner. These medium-size manufacturers manage to avoid being labeled as mass producers of guitar effects because of their stellar reputations, and their attention to detail in producing quirky, non-traditional guitar effects.

Boutique guitar pedals come in many different flavors, from swirling chorus effects, to vintage, hand-built overdrive units. Primarily, most of these high-end effects are influenced by the vintage guitar pedals of the 1960s and 70s. For example, many boutique pedal manufacturers sell replications of rare 1960s pedals.

And though the prices of these units tend to be much higher than standard mass-produced guitar effects, when you consider the rarity of these 60s era pedals, and the fact that many of them will be in poor condition after all these years, it can actually make much more sense to buy a replication of a classic pedal than the original.

In a way, the trend toward using boutique guitar pedals is a reaction to the overly commercial music of the past few decades. Guitarists use these unusual and unique sounding "stomp boxes" to create an entirely different palette of sounds.

By using exotic guitar pedals, artists are able to shape the sound of a music to a far greater degree, and avoid the bland same-ness of much commercial music these days.

But as well is sounding unique, boutique guitar pedals are also small, functional works of art. Many boutique pedals are actually hand-painted and hand-labeled, ensuring that no two will look like. Boutique pedal producers such as Zvex are a good example of this. All of their pedals feature vintage analog knobs and foot switches, and are decorated with hand-painted symbols and icons.

So when a guitarist buys a boutique pedal, they are buying something very different from a mass produced multi-effects gadget; they are buying a unique piece of history that has been handcrafted and tested in a small workshop to perform to the highest standards, and create a totally unique sound.

There's no doubt about it: these pedals cost more than mass-produced units from the big names, but you can also find them on auction for about the same price as a bland, mass-produced effects pedal. And when you consider the originality and inspiration you will gain by using boutique guitar pedals, it's easy to see why they are becoming more and more popular everyday.

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Bid on the hottest boutique guitar pedals and vintage guitar effects at Soundsfat.com

Electro-Harmonix Classics Small Cl1 Analog Chorus $88.99 Electro-Harmonix Classics Small Clone Analog Chorus Guitar Effects Pedal

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Electro-Harmonix Classics Wiggler Tube Vibrato / Tremolo $194.7 Electro-Harmonix Classics Wiggler Tube Vibrato / Tremolo Guitar Effects Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Classics English Muff'n Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal $194.7 Electro-Harmonix Classics English Muff'n Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Classics Flanger Hoax Guitar Effects Pedal $210.9 Electro-Harmonix Classics Flanger Hoax Guitar Effects Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Classics Wiggler Tube Vibrato / Tremolo Guitar Effects Pedal $194.7 Electro-Harmonix Classics Wiggler Tube Vibrato / Tremolo Guitar Effects Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Classics 2880 Super Multitrack Looper Footswitch $114.9 Electro-Harmonix Classics 2880 Super Multitrack Looper Footswitch

Electro-Harmonix Classics Small Clone Analog Chorus Guitar Effects Pedal $88.5 Electro-Harmonix Classics Small Clone Analog Chorus Guitar Effects Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Classics 2880 Super Multitrack Looper Guitar Effects Pedal $417 Electro-Harmonix Classics 2880 Super Multitrack Looper Guitar Effects Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Classics Black Finger Compressor Guitar Effects Pedal $169.39 Electro-Harmonix Classics Black Finger Compressor Guitar Effects Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Classics 2880 Super Multitrack Looper Footswitch Regular 886830313707 $91.92 Electro-Harmonix Classics 2880 Super Multitrack Looper Footswitch Regular 886830313707

Electro-Harmonix Classics 2880 Super Multitrack Looper Footswitch Regular 886830313691 $91.92 Electro-Harmonix Classics 2880 Super Multitrack Looper Footswitch Regular 886830313691

Electro-Harmonix Classics Tube EQ Guitar Effects Pedal $194.7 Electro-Harmonix Classics Tube EQ Guitar Effects Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Classics Tube Zipper Distortion Guitar Effects Pedal $194.7 Electro-Harmonix Classics Tube Zipper Distortion Guitar Effects Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Classics Tube Eq Guitar Effects Pedal $194.7 Electro-Harmonix Classics Tube EQ Guitar Effects Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Classics Usa Big Muff Pi Distortion / Sustainer $81.99 Electro-Harmonix Classics USA Big Muff PI Distortion / Sustainer Guitar Effects Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Classics Lpb 2Ube Stereo Tube Preamp $194.7 Electro-Harmonix Classics LPB 2ube Stereo Tube Preamp Guitar Effects Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Classics Deluxe Electric Mistress Flanger / Filter Matrix Guitar Effects Pedal $151.5 Electro-Harmonix Classics Deluxe Electric Mistress Flanger / Filter Matrix Guitar Effects Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Classics LPB 2ube Stereo Tube Preamp Guitar Effects Pedal $194.7 Electro-Harmonix Classics LPB 2ube Stereo Tube Preamp Guitar Effects Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Classics LPB 2ube Stereo Tube Preamp Guitar Effects Pedal Regular 886830313400 $155.76 Electro-Harmonix Classics LPB 2ube Stereo Tube Preamp Guitar Effects Pedal Regular 886830313400

Electro-Harmonix Classics USA Big Muff PI Distortion / Sustainer Guitar Effects Pedal $81.6 Electro-Harmonix Classics USA Big Muff PI Distortion / Sustainer Guitar Effects Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Classics HOG Footswitch $114.9 Foot controller for the HOG guitar synth.

Electro-Harmonix Classics Hog Footswitch $114.9 Foot controller for the HOG guitar synth.