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FAQ

Have a question?  Ask here... Alex answers

What make Dirty Boy Pedals unique?

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Dirty Boy pedals are entirely handmade: all the circuits are hand-wired, boxes are hand painted, stickers are hand-cut , etc.

They use mostly Germanium transistors that are individually tuned. No two pedals have the same value of resistors, nor capacitors. This is why they can never be manufactured.

 

Each transistor is measured for it's FHE value and assembled in a way that the pedals will essentially sound the same even though Germanium transistors are inconsistent in power.
 

There is a fluctuation with Silicon transistors as well but not as much, however those need to be adjusted as well.
That is why old pedals never sounded the same, so you could get a great one or a not so great one, but I resolved that problem.

 

Dirty Boy pedals are very flexible. If you get one with a frequency selector, then it opens up a whole new field.

 

Your pedal can now sound good with a Marshall type amp as well as a Fender type amp by just choosing a different setting. You thin sounding crappy guitar can now sound like a fat huge guitar. And your expensive one can be reduced to sounding like a rat should you so desire.

 

It helps marry many combinations, look at it as having more than one girlfriend or boyfriend as may be the case. We also offer modern conveniences like LED's and power adapter capabilities.
 

You may find some settings extreme that sound useless at first but may be great with your active pickups. Some sounds are really out there sonically but can be used for soundscapes in the studio. All our pedals are true bypass.

 

These pedals are tools for the professional musician.
 

The more proficient the player, the more appreciation they will have for that instrument.
 

These are not recommended for beginners...

Why do I need a Dirty Boy Pedal?

 

That is an excellent question.

 

If you can tell the difference between a hand made Martin Guitar made in the 1940's and a shiny new guitar (made in Foreign territory), then you should read this.

 

If you can't, then these pedals are not for you.

 

Most of our customers are professional players or just darn good players. That is why I say that Dirty Boy Pedals are "Tools for the Professional Musician". 

 

Let me start by saying that everything that goes into making the pedal is done only by my hands.

 

I drill the enclosures, spray them with self etching primer, use a suspended virtually indestructible FR-4 board (of which I remove the copper coating ), use only steel rivets for good solder adhesion, draw out the caricatures that make them unique, treat them with acrylic clear, paint them with the coolest colors I can find, chose the proper font for each individual pedal, label the pedals according to their functions, attach the best feet on the enclosures, and that is all before I start building them.

 

Now let's get down to the R&D, that is a constantly ongoing process (sometimes taking close to a year). Both in appearance and in functionality, I try to constantly improve the product. But here is the most important part:

 

Anyone who manufactures in bulk is not financially nor technically able to have every step of the development tuned by hand when you are dealing with components that are not constant.

 

When I work with Germanium transistors, their HFE (multiplier) is all one the place. They can range in a transistor rated at HFE 60, from Hfe 20 to Hfe 150. I need to reduce or increase the current to make them act alike. That requires a very good ear as well as the knowledge of dealing with a Scope. I also decided that the consumer should have more then one frequency assigned to their pedals so that it is flexible.

 

For example a bright guitar through a bright amp may want to favor lower

frequencies and so on…

 

You should be in control of your effects and do more than increase treble, mids and bass. I could go on for days, on telling you what these pedals do that others don't but just listen to the sound clips and watch the videos.

 

But if you want that extra little edge that sets you apart, you must pay for it. There always will be very few of those pedals floating around, since there are just so many hours in the day and none of us are getting younger...

Why are the pedals expensive?

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Everything on that pedal is handmade by me.
I drill the boxes, I drill the boards, I rivet the boards, I paint the boxes I apply the finish, I hand cut the logos, I glue the boards, I install the feet, but most importantly is that I calibrate each and everyone of the transistors for maximum efficiency. Also, germanium transistors are not really sold on Wal-Mart.  I get them from old electronic gear from the 60s and 70s.

 

Each pedal is tuned individually and tested as well. That is something that a mass manufacturer cannot do.
I am constantly improving the product and the pedals must be looked at as a tool for the professional, experienced musician.

 

It takes years of experience and exposure to vintage instruments and early rock music and attending a gazillion concerts to know where even to start. This is why all that care and knowledge has to be compensated. 

 

If this is meaningless to the customer or if he just doesn't understand the concept behind the pedals, there are a great array of well manufactured products in stores that will suit their budgets and I strongly recommend they buy them.

Like pornography, if you don't like it, don't look at it but don't badmouth it.

 

I hope this makes good sense.

How did you come up with that name?

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When I was building Blues' first amplifier, I used and old rusty chassis that had been left hanging around.

After drilling the holes and installing the first transformer that I just hand-wired, I went to put it back on my workbench and I noticed my hands were covered with rust. So I turned around and said to the guy standing next to me: "Man that is a Dirty Boy!".

 

I immediately realized that this would be a perfect name for that amp.
 

Sometimes in life, things just fall in place...

 

How did you come up with the design/logo?
 

I had a clip art book (clip art means that the drawings are public domain) about drawings dating back to the 1940's.

 

I never had real skill when it comes to creating, but I do have the ability to look at things and how they are done and improve them.

 

Sometimes people are so focused on what they are doing that they can miss the big picture (sorta like "you can't see the forest for the tree"). So I took the designs and started to change them around, adding crazy hair, tattoos, beards etc. to give them a cool, dirty and mean look for those pedals... And I plan to keep on changing the designs as I see fit, since Dirty Boy pedals are a "concept".

Are your pedals flexible?

 

Dirty Boy Pedals may be the most flexible on earth.

 

What I attempted to do is to make a pedals that will marry your amplifier with your instrument. What I mean by that can be best described by noticing that what combination you have in one instance, let's say a Stratocaster through a pedal , then through a Marshall amp, may sound great to your ear. However, once you take that same Stratocaster through a pedal, then through a Fender, it no longer works as well.

 

The answer to correct that is simple. Adjust the frequencies on your pedal until you find that sweet spot that will work with a new combination (amp to instrument). Most manufactures assign a frequency to their pedals that they think is best and you are stuck with that.

 

I have added to many of my pedals a frequency selector (sometimes at the input, sometimes at the output) to allow total flexibility, along with what I feel are some of the best electronic designs available today.

I would like to endorse your pedals, what do I need to do?

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Nothing.

When I started this concept, I only wanted to use Blues Saraceno as the endorser. 

 

Too many artists will endorse a product just for the compensation and the exposure... Some people have said that Michael Jackson did not even drink Pepsi.

 

I know Blues loves the pedals since he had a lot to do with the sonic ideas that went into the design. Therefore these were originally made for only him.

 

Then I made some for his friends, then producers wanted them, engineers wanted them for their studios and so on...

But this is more a hobby for me than a business. I don't make that many of them since I am the only one that builds them: they require way too much work for me to give them away in order to make more sales when I have a hard time keeping up with the demand as is...

 

We decided to create great audio and video demos of each pedal and I doubt that using more musicians would improve on the quality of the performance.

 

I can't tell you how many bands have offered to promote the pedals in exchange for free ones.
It's not going to happen, guys.

 

We already have a good number of super popular bands from Heavy Metal to Pop to Country using our product.
However we choose not to mention their names since we do not seek their endorsement and also respect their privacy.

 

The pedals’ merits need to stand on their own...

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