Greetings, fellow effects fanatics!
This month we have yet
another column that will raise
more questions than it answers—and perhaps a few hackles, to
boot. We’re going to examine
the word “boutique,” as applied
to music gear, and consider how
the defining criteria may have
changed in the past few years.
I recently found myself trying
to explain the idea of boutique
effects to someone outside the
music industry, and I suddenly
realized I was at a loss for what I
felt was a truly accurate description.
This got me wondering what
the word (when used as an adjective)
means to most guitarists in
relation to music gear. I quizzed
a few of my gearhead compadres,
and even began a discussion on
one of the internet forums that
I frequent. The topic definitely
seemed to strike a nerve, and I
discovered that I wasn’t the only
one to have difficulty arriving at
a precise definition. What’s clear
is that the word entered our gear
lexicon at some point, and has
been applied more loosely and liberally
over time as the frequency
of its use has increased.
Boutique, as a description and a
concept, was originally used in reference
to custom-built amplifiers
dating back to the ’70s. Dumble
and early Mesa/Boogie amps
were considered boutique. The
boutique amp movement gained
momentum in the early ’90s, when
such makers as Díaz, Trainwreck,
Matchless, and Kendrick demonstrated
the demand among musicians
for these products. Indeed,
scores of players seemed to want
the highest-quality gear—and were
willing to pay for it. The boutique
aesthetic soon made its way
into the rest of the player’s signal
chain, including, most notably,
effects devices.
I first addressed this topic in
Analog Man’s Guide to Vintage
Effects, in a chapter titled “State
of the Stomp Today,” where I
wrote, “The term boutique is
commonly used to describe high-quality,
handmade effects built
in small-scale production runs
without the use of automation
or mass-production techniques,
thus allowing for greater attention
to detail and custom-tuning of
individual units. Obviously, the
price of these effects will be significantly
greater than most of the
mass-produced offerings of the
larger manufacturers. Many players
question whether the benefits
of boutique really warrant the
investment. It is decidedly a niche
market, attracting only the most
discerning ears and discriminating
tastes (or biggest wallets).”
Later in the chapter I wrote,
“Part of the popularity of boutique
may lie in its grassroots,
back-to-basics appeal. There is
a sense that you have a product
of fine craftsmanship made by a
real person who’s into what he’s
doing, not some faceless corporation
cranking them out by the
thousands, always with an eye
on the bottom line. We want to
believe that the boutique pedal
we’ve just purchased is a labor of
love, made with the finest ingredients.
It’s the difference between
fresh-baked, homemade Tollhouse
cookies and Chips Ahoy.”
The paragraphs above say as
much about customer expectations
and perceptions as they do
about what qualifies an item to be
labeled boutique (which in itself is
telling). Not only that, but today’s
stompbox market is quite a bit
different than it was when the
book was first published six years
ago. The delineation of what
was
and what
wasn’t boutique seemed
fairly clear at that time, precluding
the need for any particular set
of standards that would patently
identify a product as boutique.
The stompbox market has
indeed grown and changed substantially
in just a few short years,
and this in turn has impacted
not only the process of boutique
manufacturing, but also the products
themselves. For example, a
number of programmable digital
effects now on the market are
considered boutique. At the same
time, a couple of pioneering
boutique effects brands—namely
Fulltone and Z. Vex—are now
so widely distributed that they’re
available at Guitar Center. These
are just a couple of examples that
blur the boundaries between boutique
and mass-produced effects.
It’s not surprising, then, that
the understanding and context
of what’s boutique seems to have
become hazy and less distinct to
the average player. Some would
even argue that, in relation to
gear, the word is all but meaningless,
having been reduced to a
nebulous catchphrase that could
be attached to anything that isn’t
blatantly mainstream.
One example that comes to
mind is a particular brand of
pedals that uses a phrase in its
ad copy touting boutique tone
for the masses. Yet the pedals
being advertised are rebadged
versions of a pedal that’s mass-produced
in China and marketed
under several other brand
names, as well. This would
support the sentiment that the
word “boutique” has now been
rendered as nothing more than
a marketing buzzword.
So, what exactly is boutique?
Do we need a new definition, or
do we need another word? Check
with us next time as we get down
and dirty with all the details.
We’ll be discussing selection of
components, country of origin,
production techniques, and anything
that will help bring us to
a better understanding. Until
then, keep on stompin’.
Tom Hughes (aka
Analog Tom) is owner
and proprietor of
For Musicians Only
(
formusiciansonly.com)
and author of
Analog
Man’s Guide to Vintage
Effects. If you have questions or comments
for Tom, feel free to email him at
stompschool@formusiciansonly.com.