I’d like to open this column
by saying it’s an honor to
have been chosen to write it.
When I was first offered the
gig, my initial reaction was,
“Why me?” With so many
better-known companies and
talented designers out there, I
was surprised that
PG editors
considered me worthy of writing
a column about pedals.
While I have some knowledge
of effect design, I’m not an
engineer—I’m not even a guitarist
(although I have been
known to “slap da bass”)!
When I asked a
PG editor
about this, he said my “experience
marketing different effect
brands from around the globe
gives me a unique perspective
on the effects industry as
a whole.” I think this answer
confused me even more, but
it also got me thinking: Do
I have a unique perspective?
And if so, what is it? How did
it lead me to the various pedal
lines I’ve worked with over
the years? Is there a common
thread running between all the
brands we’ve handled, and if so,
what is it? Did I see something
other people didn’t, or was it
just dumb luck?
One thing I will say is
that sometimes
not being an
engineer has its benefits. In
my experience, designers can
sometimes take a myopic view
of their creation and overlook
small aspects that could take
the design from good to great.
I do have a tendency to look
at the whole picture (or lack
thereof ), and this has certainly
worked to my advantage in
the past.
At this point, it might help
to offer a bit of background on
how I got into this business. I
owe my fascination with effects
almost entirely to one person—Mike Matthews from Electro-Harmonix. When I was a kid
in the late ’70s, EHX was at
the height of their first round
of success, which was due in no
small part to Matthews’ ability
to write incredibly captivating—
often mesmerizing—ad
copy about his pedals.
A pedal that can make your
amp 10 times louder? Whoa!
How about one that makes
your guitar talk? Or sound
like “a screeching harpsichord
whose strings are whipped
instead of plucked”? These
were just a few of the amazing
benefits that vintage EHX pedals
could bestow on the lucky
user—at least according to
their catalog.
Keep in mind, there was no
streaming video or other ways
to preview pedals back then
(hell, there weren’t even websites).
When it came to creating
demand for a product, ad
copy was everything—and the
only thing.
The EHX catalog was more
mysterious and intriguing
than those “grow your own
Sea Monkey” ads in the back
of comic books. To a 13-year-old
kid just starting to play, it
was better than porn. If you’ve
never seen a vintage EHX
catalog, I strongly urge you to
hunt one down on the internet
and give it a read. You’ll
witness a modern day P.T.
Barnum in action.
Years later, I was fortunate
enough to work for the resurrected
EHX and help with
the launch of reissues like
the Memory Man and new
products like the Q-Tron. I
learned a lot working for Mike
Matthews, but probably the
most important thing I took
away from the experience was
that a product needs a good
story to stand out from the
competition.
Great sounds, the right
price point, and bulletproof
construction aside, it’s a great
story that really grabs people’s
attention. Once they’re hooked
by the story, they can be reeled
in by a product’s features and
benefits. Many of
PG’s more
conservative readers might
balk at this assessment. For
them, pedals are tools—not
toys. However, keep in mind
that even that mindset is just
another story that appeals to a
particular type of player.
Would Fulltone have been as
successful if there weren’t photos
of Mike Fuller’s Porsches,
Harleys, and vintage amps
plastered on their website?
Fulltone was selling the story of
success—their product just had
the added benefit of being able
to help deliver it.
Oh yeah, so back to me
and my perspective. Looking
back now, it’s pretty easy to see
the unique feature or “story”
that each of our brands carries.
In my view, each of these
attributes played a key role in
helping us bring these brands
to market without a major
financial investment:
Guyatone Micro Effects.
The totally cute, ultra-compact
size and candy colors were
what initially caught my
eye. In 1998, this had never
been done before (but it was
soon copied by a much larger
company).
Bixonic Expandora. The
round “tuna fish can” chassis
was a unique statement, and
an endorsement from one Billy
Gibbons of ZZ Top certainly
didn’t hurt.
Maxon. The guys that
designed and manufactured
Ibanez pedals from 1974-
98? Come on, this one’s a
no-brainer.
As you can see, there’s no
common thread between the
lines that we’ve represented,
except for the fact that each of
them had a unique quality or
“story” we could use to catch
people’s attention. From there,
the product itself did most of
the work.
So, I guess my perspective
is this: I like to view the “big
picture” and envision where and
how products can fit into the
market. I’m able to recognize
a good story and this ability—
coupled with a fair degree of serendipity
and lots of hard work—
has allowed me to be surrounded
by guitar effects for the past 12+
years and continue to earn a living
doing what I love.
In future columns, I’ll
expand on this idea and apply
it to other brands and products,
as well as trends in the effects
market. Until then, thanks for
reading. If you have any topics
you’d like to see covered, please
drop me a line at
kevin@godlyke.
com. Rock on!
Kevin Bolembach
is the President and
founder of Godlyke, Inc.
- the U.S.distributor for
many well-know boutique
effect brands
Including Maxon,
Guyatone, EMMA and Providence.