Guitar effects pedals are one of my greatest obsessions. I love them all: vintage, boutique, and everything in-between. I have in fact made an entire career of it, having worked several years for “Analog Man” Mike Piera, who mentored me and bestowed the nickname Analog Tom. With Mike’s invaluable technical assistance, I went on to write
Analog Man’s Guide To Vintage Effects, and the rest is history. It’s been nearly four years since the book was published, and my knowledge and awareness of all things stomp-related has expanded enough to consider writing a revised, expanded edition of the book. I now have collector friends and knowledgeable experts all over the world who have given me new insights and info, tons of pictures, and tidbits of pedal minutia that I didn’t have access to when I did my original research.
Photo: Tom Hughes |
So, you may be wondering, what pedals from the original list have proven to be truly rare?
|
Since a new version of the book isn’t currently in the works, I thought this would be a good opportunity to update and expand upon a few aspects of this subject, specifically the current market for rare and collectible effects. While there have always been certain highly sought-after vintage effects pedals, over the last few years the market has skyrocketed. And despite the recent dip in vintage guitars, vintage effects continue to climb. I’ve gotten my share of disdainful correspondence from disgruntled longtime collectors who were not happy with the attention Analog Man’s Guide brought to the subject, holding me at least partly responsible for driving up the price of many pieces still missing from their collections. Believe it or not, I’ve even had my own words come back to haunt me when trying to negotiate the purchase of certain desirable pedals.
In
Analog Man’s Guide, I wrote a chapter called “Hen’s Teeth” where I listed the rarest and most collectible of all vintage effects. Since the time the book was published, I’ve received a great deal of information from many more collectors and experts around the world, in addition to my continued research, that would lead me to change some of the original content of that chapter. There are several pieces I found to be not quite as rare as I originally thought— among them are Tycobrahe pedals (the ParaPedal, PedalFlanger, and Octavia), the Ampeg Scrambler, the Gray Vox Wah, and Tri-Stereo Chorus. Don’t get me wrong, all of these are rare and definitely desirable to many collectors, but they’re not exceedingly scarce. It’s also been brought to my attention that there are at least a few items that were apparently so rare that their existence managed to escape my awareness— the Condor GMS Guitar Synth, for example (thanks Marty!). It seems the stompbox universe is more vast and deep than any of us imagined.
So, you may be wondering, what pedals from the original list have proven to be truly rare? At this moment my list would include the original Interfax Harmonic Percolator, the Pluto Dual Filter, Baldwin-Burns Buzzaround, Castle Phaser, A/DA Harmony Synthesizer, and the Astrotone Fuzz. But the one that topped the list in
Analog Man’s Guide is still my number one pick today—the EMS Synthi Hi- Fli (see sidebar).
eBay and the Pricing Conundrum
One of the most frequently asked questions we’ve had since the book was released is: when are you guys going to do a price guide for effects? On the surface, this seems like an appealing idea, but in my view it’s a futile endeavor. First of all, I’ve never been a fan of that concept to begin with. I know it’s very popular with guitars and other instruments, and there’s no doubt they do serve some useful purposes, but it seems to be a very subjective thing, based on the opinions of a handful of individuals who ostensibly have some expertise in the field. And if the experts in question also happen to be retailers of these same instruments, it begs the question of whether an additional agenda may ultimately influence whatever the market value is determined to be. I may be off base on this point, but I have heard this opinion expressed by more than a few people in the industry.
 |
An original EMS Synthi Hi-Fli is one of the rarest effects out there.
Photo: Tom Hughes |
|
The other problem I have with the idea of a stompbox specific price guide has to do with accuracy (or lack thereof). I’ve been keeping an extensive database of the final sale price of hundreds of different vintage and collectible effects that have been sold on eBay over the past seven years, and I can say with confidence that I’m probably in a better position than anyone to put together a comprehensive and informative vintage effects price guide. But I’m not going to do it. The reason is because, in my opinion, the vintage and collectible effects market isn’t stable enough to do so with any kind of accuracy. The guide would basically be outdated as soon as it was printed, which seems pretty pointless to me. The way I see it, the stompbox scene is the Wild, Wild West of the vintage and collectible music gear market. Any attempt to lay down the law or impose some semblance of order will be met with resistance.
Here’s an example of what I mean: let’s take one of the wackiest and most collectible of all vintage effects: the Ludwig Phase II Guitar Synthesizer (see sidebar). This ancient oddball was featured prominently in the “Hen’s Teeth” chapter of Analog Man’s Guide. Quite predictably, this fact alone gave a noticeable boost to its market value. Before the book, the going rate for these fell somewhere in the $800 to $1200 range, which was considered pretty high four or five years ago. Rest assured, if I could find a Ludwig Phase II for less than $800 now, I’d buy ten of them!
 |
| This later version of the Hi Fli has a “Growl” switch which is preferred by collectors Photo: Tom Hughes |
|
While vintage effects prices have been continually on the rise, something else happened on Halloween of 2006 that skewed the market for the Ludwig pedal beyond any predictability. A Ludwig Phase II popped up on eBay, and over the course of the auction there were two determined and persistent potential buyers who kept throwing down one bid after another in a frantic effort to remain on top. The coveted item ended up fetching a whopping $6600! Not long afterwards a glut of these Ludwig pedals began to pop up on eBay, one after the other—suddenly not so rare. The word was out and Ludwig pedals came flying out of basements and garages around the globe. The first one pulled over $4000, the next came in at $3934, and a couple more followed fetching slightly less. This, when only six months prior a Ludwig on eBay that topped out at $1000 and the auction ended without meeting the reserve. It’s worth noting that the condition of the pedal in each auction seemed to matter little. I found this odd since in my experience, the Ludwig Phase II is one of the most inconsistent vintage effects out there, in terms of sonic quality and condition, and seems particularly susceptible to the ravages of time and abuse.
While vintage effects prices have been continually on the rise, something else happened on Halloween of 2006 that skewed the market for the Ludwig pedal beyond any predictability.
|
The Ludwig does come up for sale every couple of months or so, but the final sale price each time seems to be determined only by who happens to want one that week and how badly they want it. To wit, here is a sampling of real end of auction eBay sale prices for the Ludwig Phase II: $3261 (Feb ‘07), $2111 (May ‘07), $1850 (Jul. ‘07), $1902 (Nov. ‘07), $1325 (Dec ‘07), $930 (Jan ‘08), $1450 (Mar. ‘08), $2195 (Apr. ‘08), $3315 (Aug. ‘08). It’s up, it’s down, it’s up again. See what I mean? It’s like telling a fly to sit still. How can a reasonably accurate value be reflected in an annual price guide?
It’s impossible to ignore the influence that a cultural and economic behemoth like eBay has had on the vintage and collectible market. As eBay first began its meteoric ascent, there were predictions that worldwide access to a virtual open flea market of this magnitude would signal the demise of high dollar vintage retailers. No doubt, the direct seller to buyer connection did level the playing field to an extent, and many people eventually began to view eBay’s end of auction prices as the final word in determining the true value of any given item. There is a certain logic and validity to this idea, provided there’s a stable and consistent market for the item in question. But as with the Ludwig syndrome, it only takes a couple of impulsive and illinformed buyers to distort predictability.
We alluded to this in the June ’08
Stomp School column, but it’s worth mentioning again because it’s become an all too familiar scenario—two eBay bidders with no apparent knowledge of market values or availability, dukeing it out with one another over a piece of gear like it’s the only one in the world, determined to win the pissing match that the auction has degenerated into. The final sale price often ends at double or even triple the price that half a dozen examples of the same pedal, of similar vintage and condition, were sold on eBay for in the past month. For some reason, the vintage effects market seems particularly susceptible to this type of consumer. So much for statistical probability.
Vintage Reissues
Of course, this discussion of vintage and collectible effects would not be complete without addressing the recent phenomenon of vintage effects reissues. For many years, the realm of vintage effects was minor niche consisting of a small yet rabid cult following of crazed fanatics (of which I proudly consider myself to belong). We did cover the vintage reissue topic such as it was in Analog Man’s Guide. At that time, the source of most vintage effects “reissues” was Dunlop Manufacturing, who owned the rights to the names Crybaby and Fuzz Face and, after several years of a fruitful licensing agreement, had acquired full rights to the MXR brand. We also covered the all too brief early-nineties reissue of the A/DA Flanger, and Ibanez had just come out with their TS- 808 Tube Screamer reissue. Well, it seemed inevitable that the growing interest would catch the attention of other major manufacturers. Over the last few years we’ve seen reissues of the Foxx Tone Machine (and several other original Foxx pedals), Fender Blender, the Ampeg Scrambler, the Vox Clyde McCoy wah, and the Ibanez Flying Pan.
“… the stompbox scene is the Wild, Wild West of the vintage and collectible music gear market.”
|
Speaking of Ibanez, let’s not forget those “9 Series” reissues— although the TS9 reissue has been with us since the mid-nineties, it’s been joined in the last several years by the Ibanez AD9, CS9, and FL9. More significantly however, Maxon (the manufacturer of the original Ibanez line) has done a more thorough reissuing of the “9 Series” pedals, in addition to their “Vintage Series” and “Reissue Series” pedal lines. And the reissues keep coming—at the 2008 Winter NAMM show, Fender introduced their “Classic Series” line of pedals, featuring reissues of the Fuzz Wah, Phaser, Volume/Tone, and Volume pedals. The way this trend is going, there’s no telling what’s next. The real question is will there ever be a reissue of the EMS Synthi Hi-Fli? How about the Ludwig Phase II Synthesizer? My guess is, probably not.
Still Flyin’ Hi
From Analog Man’s Guide to Vintage Effects
“Formerly known as the Sound Freak, the Synthi Hi-Fli represents the pinnacle of rare, collectible vintage pieces. For people in this business, there is none higher—it is the Holy Grail. Most people in the know have heard of it, but it’s hard to find someone who’s actually seen one, making it somewhat akin to a Sasquatch sighting… Analog Mike has one of the most extensive vintage effects collections known to man, yet the Synthi Hi-Fli eludes him. Whenever it is mentioned, he ruefully expresses the unlikelihood of ever acquiring one… The closest thing I ever came up with was when I found a dealer who had a rubber foot that apparently had come from the bottom of the stand in which the original unit was housed. He wanted twenty dollars for it. After much agonizing, I had to decline. I couldn’t stand the thought of taking it from some poor guy out there who might be suffering with a wobbly Hi-Fli.
The EMS Synthi Hi-Fli is known for having been used by David Gilmour on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon… Steve Hackett used the Hi-Fli extensively with Genesis on albums such as The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (featured prominently on the solo to “Counting Out Time”). Steve told us, “The Synthi Hi-Fli was also useful for achieving an almost backwards sound—specifically on the middle section of ‘Ripples’ on Trick of the Tail.” Ah, but what exactly is a Synthi Hi-Fli, you may be wondering? The best description comes from the original nineteen-page owners manual, titled Hi-Fli Explained:
‘The Synthi Hi-Fli combines many well-known processes in a single package, such as tone control, fuzz, octave dropping, modulation, phasing, waw-waw, vibrato, etc. The weighting of these effects is ostensibly at the control of the operator and can be manually set and/or be controlled by a dual foot pedal and in some cases can be effected by a transient generator which, in turn, is triggered by the operator. The purpose of this machine is to process musical signals, in particular, guitars.’ Well said.”
Little has changed in the time since the above was written. The fabulous Hi-Fli is still number one, and Analog Mike still does not have one. A fine example was procured, however, by yours truly for an absolutely embarrassing sum that I would be ashamed to disclose. Hey Mike! Are you reading? I got me a Hi-Fli!
 Formant Trajectories!
New information since the publishing of Analog Man’s Guide To Vintage Effects has lead us to believe that the Ludwig Phase II Guitar Synthesizer may not be as rare as we originally thought. Here is the lowdown oin this effect, from the book:
“The Ludwig Phase II Synthesizer isn’t a synthesizer at all. So what the heck is it? Hmm… good question. Well, it’s a multi-effects unit of sorts (one of the very first, too) that includes a fuzz, a tremolo (labeled “Animation”), and an odd filtering section labeled “Formant Trajectories.” (A+ for that name.) These appear to have been made in extremely limited numbers between 1970 and 1971 by Ludwig—yes, the drum company. The circuit uses a rather vast number of discreet components (no ICs). One of the more appealing features (depending on your taste) is the impressive array of lighted controls and colors; it seems more like a mini-cockpit than a stomp pedal, inviting the user to strap in and take off. In more recent years, the Ludwig Phase II has developed a loyal following of users, including producer/ engineer Tchad Blake, Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, and Larry LaLonde of Primus.” |