Zachary Supernatural Touch Tone Optimizer pedal [Archive]

marsellus

05-03-2007, 03:19 PM

He is clearly aware of Klon prices. He is highly critical of the Centaur and the hype surrounding it.

http://www.zacharyguitars.com/Klon.htm

Wow. After reading that, I probably won't buy anything from Zachary. It just seems a bit in poor taste to totally trash a competitor. It's one thing to say you don't like it, or you think it's a bit overpriced, but really, I think he went too far. Good luck to him. From the "idiots page" he seems to be going for that kind of feel.

whoismarykelly

05-03-2007, 03:36 PM

Yeah he also has a policy where he will not build you a guitar; he must judge whether or not you are worthy of owning an instrument that he has made for $2500.

yeahyeahyeah

05-03-2007, 03:42 PM

WOW.

In the words of the grinch theme song..."I wouldn't touch him with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole."

dodelson

05-03-2007, 03:45 PM

Is that site a joke? I actually laughed out loud when I saw that every raving review of his guitars on the site is written by the same guy.

fuzzinator

05-03-2007, 04:23 PM

The guy sounds like a grade-A douchebag.

funkycam

05-03-2007, 04:44 PM

I don't know about Zachary personally, but I play with Bobby Simcox who is pictured on the front page of the Zachary website w/ bay area singer Bray.
He has a bunch of Zachary guitars & I played 3. Weird wood composites, big necks, felt really good. Sounded really nice.
Bobby is a great player & he is an exceptionally nice guy. I cannot imagine he would endorse anything by someone who was not "on the up & up"
I don't own a Zachary product & I have no affiliation to him, but I see these "everyone one the bandwagon" threads all the time & thought I would add some personal info...
Cam
Http://myspace.com/funkycam

Don't Post

05-03-2007, 04:49 PM

that Zachary guy just ain't cool :crazyguy :crazy :NUTS :BITCH:FM :puh :nono :moon.

:munch

rewog

05-03-2007, 05:58 PM

I remember stumbling across his blurb about strings and thinking it was a load of illogical cr@p.
He's opinionated... and his guitars are UGLY.
He calls PRS the Devil, and soes a similar rant about them as he does about the Klon... :roll
Here:- http://www.zacharyguitars.com/PRS.htm

el_cid

05-03-2007, 05:59 PM

He is clearly aware of Klon prices. He is highly critical of the Centaur and the hype surrounding it.

http://www.zacharyguitars.com/Klon.htm

he's critical of everything

hunkowood

05-03-2007, 06:13 PM

doof

MitchC

05-03-2007, 06:38 PM

http://www.zacharyguitars.com:80/Pedals.htm

Here's the pedal page..... anyone listen to the clips ? I have not yet.

whoismarykelly

05-03-2007, 09:34 PM

The leather pants tell me everything I need to know about that guy.

Craise

05-03-2007, 10:42 PM

Sorry, those guitars are just ugly (imho)
and I don't think the clips sound that impressive either.
ymmv...
I do like the MXR knob on the boost...tho...good idea!

Uma Floresta

05-03-2007, 10:47 PM

I think it's interesting that the pedal has the DIY look about it:

http://www.zacharyguitars.com/Pedal_01c.JPG

Really only noteworthy because of the self-aggrandizing (which I guess I would more expect if the pedal looked at least 'semi-pro').

*but not a pedal as you know it. http://www.zacharyguitars.com/Pedal_Ad_02.JPG

That's the prototype. This is the production pedal.

Blues Lyne

05-03-2007, 10:48 PM

I don't know anything about this guy, and his website is pretty crazy, but don't you think it's kind of unfair to post a picture of the first prototype as if that's what the production pedal looks like? Seems a little misleading.

Guess Uma beat me to the send button!

Uma Floresta

05-03-2007, 10:58 PM

The guy does seem pretty full of himself, but I have to say, his clips sound better than every Klon clip I've heard, which is dry and raspy. Having said that, I don't think the Zachary pedal sounds THAT good, certainly not $400 worth of good. "Best overdrive pedal ever made"? Um... yeah... no such thing. But it's nice he thinks so.

derek_32999

05-03-2007, 10:59 PM

About as unfair as it is to RAG on the KLON. C'mon Uma you dont actually believe this bullshit do ya? You are the anti boutique authority.

Slippin Uma you're slippin. :Spank

Uma Floresta

05-03-2007, 11:03 PM

About as unfair as it is to RAG on the KLON. C'mon Uma you dont actually believe this bullshit do ya? You are the anti boutique authority.

Slippin Uma you're slippin. :Spank

Do I believe Zachary's bullshit? No, he's full of himself.

Wait, I said a builder is full of himself. Isn't that against the bylaws? There must be a clause for exceptions - like when one builder insults another builder, it's okay to insult the first builder in return, as long as the second builder is more popular at TGP than the first builder.

:confused:

Uma Floresta

05-03-2007, 11:06 PM

The clean boost clips are really really nice, though. Must be the guitar/amp?

derek_32999

05-03-2007, 11:08 PM

Do I believe Zachary's bullshit? No, he's full of himself.

Wait, I said a builder is full of himself. Isn't that against the bylaws? There must be a clause for exceptions - like when one builder insults another builder, it's okay to insult the first builder in return, as long as the second builder is more popular at TGP than the first builder.

:confused:

Thats more like it. :AOK

Uma Floresta

05-03-2007, 11:14 PM

Thats more like it. :AOK

Wow, the more I read his website, the worse it gets. Apparently you have to be a shredder to buy one of his guitars, otherwise you're just scum and you should stick to "the most 3d looking flamed top Ed Roman abomination with the pick ups installed backwards."

:NUTS

scottywompas

05-03-2007, 11:19 PM

$400 is too much for any pedal Klon or otherwise.

This guy puts it in a big box to look like it's all cool but there is most likely only about $14 worth of radio shack parts in there. There are only so many ways to make a distortion,overdrive, or booster circuit.

Scott:BEER

Uma Floresta

05-03-2007, 11:22 PM

HitTheCity

05-04-2007, 01:48 AM

I still like BOR by zvex as it is his best pedal that he ever made and probably the pedal he "peaked" with....

-----------------------------
It should be made abundantly clear that this zachary moron has nothing to do with zachary vex, the genius behind the zvex pedals.

Graffiti Yellow

05-04-2007, 07:31 AM

The guys is a goof no matter how you slice it. I bought one of his prototype guitars 10 years ago and he seemed quite normal and nice enough at the time. Ever since he seems to have flipped his wig. Somehow he keeps selling guitars.

StompBoxBlues

05-04-2007, 08:18 AM

Uma Floresta

05-04-2007, 09:48 AM

Umm...we are clear (or am I wrong??) that this is a different Zachary?

Yeah, I would hope that would be abundantly clear. Night and day difference.

Thor

05-04-2007, 11:08 AM

Zachary Vex is a gentleman who is very quick to complement others, and is very much into doing his own thing.

The other guy seems to be a grade A douche! I don't own a Klon, and may or may not sometime in the future - it doesn't really matter what gear he was bashing - trying to make oneself look better by putting others down is just plain ugly. Even if this pedal was the cat's meow, I am so soured by his business practice that I would never consider checking it out. YMMV.

Cheers,

Edward

7String Thing

05-18-2009, 01:49 PM

The Zachary pedal sounds like a box of farts.

The amp sounds nice though. I would never give him 10 cents though because of his bad attitude.

unzari

06-06-2009, 02:24 PM

Wow, the more I read his website, the worse it gets. Apparently you have to be a shredder to buy one of his guitars

Don't know about that. I saw some vids on Ytube of a guy demoing his Zachary. For once, I felt good about my playing. But maybe the guy was just toning it down. Dunno, but it wasn't impressive playing at all. I thought about posting a link (the guy has a ton o vids of him playing his Zachary, btw), but decided against it. Anyway, they just showed me you dont need to be a shredder to get a Zachary. You prolly just need to stroke the builder's ego or something.

Yr Blues

06-06-2009, 03:00 PM

Panacea

06-06-2009, 03:21 PM

That's weird, I think one is only less douchie than the other.:bong

fyler

06-06-2009, 04:31 PM

his bad attitude.
i don't really see it that way. i come from a punk rock background, so i totally relate to his anger at what he perceives as the horrid state of the guitar industry. building guitar stuff 'his way' is his punk rock. i don't agree with everything he says, but it doesn't bother me that he says them.

ZachariahG

06-06-2009, 05:20 PM

i don't really see it that way. i come from a punk rock background, so i totally relate to his anger at what he perceives as the horrid state of the guitar industry. building guitar stuff 'his way' is his punk rock. i don't agree with everything he says, but it doesn't bother me that he says them.

he can build his stuff his way! all day! please! what we need is more independent builders, but people such as Gerard Melancon, Prariewood, Starr, they all build guitars their way, and they don't trash any of their competitors in the process.

by all means, build your products. but don't slander your competition in some self righteous rant, let the buyers decide which they like better.

7String Thing

06-06-2009, 08:22 PM

i dont think he is in the league of some of the guys you mentioned

CharAznable

06-06-2009, 08:40 PM

Some of his stuff is hilarious, and the guitars actually look cool to me, but the PRS rant was just bitter and douchy.

NewarkWilder

06-06-2009, 09:03 PM

public rants tearing down other people in the business is just poor poor form imo

wouldn't buy on that basis alone. especially since he treats his opinion like fact.

kovachian

06-06-2009, 09:31 PM

I'm pretty sure that Zachary masturbates to pictures of himself.

NBarnes21

06-06-2009, 09:47 PM

Yeah, that guy's a hoser, he bashes the Klon only to promote his own 400 dollar pedal. Classless.

Painasusual

06-06-2009, 11:58 PM

Whoa!! Just spent 30min reading through his site. What a load of horse shit. The guy is a lunatic. And builds pretty ugly guitars too..

jarek_anderson

06-07-2009, 12:27 AM

I really would like to play one. Graffiti Yellow... where in Canada is this guy?

Call his tactics out, sure. But if I may play "devil's advocate" until you play one... can you really judge? I kind of think that his rigid criteria process is kind of like pedal builders who 'goop': it's protection of what they have designed/created/built. Apparently he is investing at least a month at a time to these guitars. Clearly he is more passionate than someone at one of the bigger firms we all own guitars from.

It's one thing to question/call out/insult the idea. Another thing to do the same to the person for his idea...

FWIW as I read through the pages, seems to me Zachary is the brand name. I gather the builder's name is Alex.

nibus

06-07-2009, 01:20 AM

I'm pretty sure that Zachary masturbates to pictures of himself.

I lol'd.

lux_interior

06-07-2009, 05:16 AM

I decided I'm not worthy of reading his site, or buying any of his products. I think I'll just commit suicide now. Or maybe just give up music altogether and start painting miniature Napoleonic Wars figures. Or start a forum about "Dynasty".

Oh, this is also worth a look... http://www.edroman.com/rants.htm They compete for sheer awesomeness.

spentron

06-07-2009, 06:49 AM

I don't think legitimate criticism of competitors is at all unreasonable. But his big compliant with the Klon seems to be only that it's expensive, popular and he doesn't like it that much -- nothing new.

(My criticism of competitors is more as a group: realize how similar many builders are, and you will see you needn't try every one of theirs before you try mine.)

There are only so many ways to make a distortion,overdrive, or booster circuit.

I don't consider this a correct or knowledgable statement, but the Zachary rant doesn't inspire me to believe it's that new. Also the "supernatural" thing is over the top, although it would have been fine as the pedal name.

stratmaniac

06-07-2009, 06:11 PM

Yeah, that guy's a hoser, he bashes the Klon only to promote his own 400 dollar pedal. Classless.
Awesome, I haven't seen the word "hoser" used in ages. Thanks! :AOK

jackevorkian

06-07-2009, 06:41 PM

Just an observation....

If this builder were one of the sweethearts of TGP, the mods would have locked this thread down a long time ago due to all of the slanderous things being said about the guy.

Don't get me wrong...the guy seems like a complete douche. Just pointing out some irony.

Jules

06-07-2009, 06:48 PM

But his big compliant with the Klon seems to be only that it's expensive, popular and he doesn't like it that much

I get the feeling his biggest complaint with the Klon is that it's more successful than his pedal.

NewarkWilder

06-07-2009, 06:59 PM

I get the feeling his biggest complaint with the Klon is that it's more successful than his pedal.

especially since i'd never even heard of his pedal or his guitars until his stupid Klon rant stumbled onto my radar one day

pretty funny when you think about it, all he's really doing is riding the Klon's coattails. I've NEVER seen one of this assclown's pedals on ANYBODY's pedalboard... but from the way he talks about it we should all have 4 of them. :huh

Mesanixta

06-07-2009, 07:10 PM

just an observation....

If this builder were one of the sweethearts of tgp, the mods would have locked this thread down a long time ago due to all of the slanderous things being said about the guy.

Don't get me wrong...the guy seems like a complete douche. Just pointing out some irony.

+1000000000000000000000000000

Rod

06-10-2009, 10:17 PM

Good greif...He's the Ed Roman of FX pedals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TJSmitty

06-11-2009, 04:50 AM

Regardless of the sentiment, everyone owes it to themselves to check out his section on guitar strings:

http://www.zacharyguitars.com/Strings.htm

The bear

06-11-2009, 08:13 AM

Wow, Just wow.The string section is just insane.
Have you guys read the endorsement section?

Also have your people contact our people so that we can negotiate a license that will allow you to tattoo our logo on your forehead.
http://www.zacharyguitars.com/Endorsers.htm

Jimi D

06-11-2009, 11:17 AM

Well, I guess I'll chime in a bit here... I knew Alex when he lived in Ottawa for a few years (he left about five or six years back). Although I never tried his pedal or his amp, I did have the opportunity to play some his guitars, and I have to say that the guy is a hell of a builder. Unlike a lot of the smaller builders, he actually cuts and shapes his own necks from boards, and they are some of the smoothest, sweetest necks I've ever played. So why don't I own one of his guitars, you ask? Basically, because Alex is Alex, and he does things one way only - his way... which means he basically has one neck carve - his carve - which is basically a flat, wide "shredder" style carve, and completely unsuitable to my hand... Otherwise I would have paid out on the second Z2 he ever built. His guitars do sound pretty darned nice, too, but they might be a little too "hifi" for some.

As for Alex the person, he seemed to me to be a really nice guy with strong opinions, but face to face I never knew him to be anything but considerate and polite. He had me over to his house on several occaisions and was always generous and good humoured though I never actually purchased anything from him. My impression of him is that he's genuinely impassioned about his work and honestly seeks to excell at what he does... I never really understood his on-line persona, but I don't spend much time on his website, either...

Rod

06-11-2009, 11:48 AM

Jimi D....sounds like he's a good guy....Unfortunately, his website seems to not represent this side of him....oh well

Cap'n Fingers

06-11-2009, 12:30 PM

Has anybody read the comments on the Home page under
Latest Z News? Stuff like this leads to me to think the website
is a big joke:

"I can't say I see much of anything I admire on Zachary's website
in terms of design, ideology or attitude."
Mattia -hobbyist guitar tinkerer and full time guitar forums poster (Amsterdam, NL)

If money were no object I'd become the biggest collector of his "guitars", and every year I'd host a huge party where every guest gets to smash one to smithereens and throw it on the enormous fire built entirely out of his high priced firewood. Personally , I'd like to "earn" one of his guitars by smashing his head in with one!
Walpole, Ma. - Jeff 'Houndog' Porter - part time tinkerer/full time guitar chat room poster

fyler

06-11-2009, 02:51 PM

Stuff like this leads to me to think the website
is a big joke:

he definitely has a wicked sense of humor that doesn't always come through on his site.

also, i actually am an owner/player of one of his guitars. it's a D1 (the Danelectro looking model). everything Jimi D said about his builds is true. it's a fantastic guitar, and without a doubt, my #1 axe. the neck carve works for me.

magnus02

11-01-2009, 01:23 PM

that site is one of the funniest things i've ever seen...

grade A douchebag from whom i wouldn't buy water to put out a fire in my own house

nightraven

11-01-2009, 02:51 PM

http://zacharyguitars.com/Stand.htm

wow i would not trust my guitar to lean away from the stand like in this weird contraption

NewarkWilder

11-01-2009, 03:04 PM

lol

corksniffer guitar stands, complete with hyperbolic "This is the best stand you can buy period."

I wonder if this guy even realizes how much business he's losing (or at least not even having the chance to get) due to his completely over the top and aggressive sales pitches.

sutherland

11-01-2009, 03:16 PM

Sometimes it's good to revive an old thread like this...introduces a new crop of members to Mr. Zachary.

and I will leave it at that...he does such a good job letting everyone know how big of a choad he is on his own.

wcmiller

11-01-2009, 08:47 PM

Classy companies that produce supperior products don't need to slam the competition. I get suspicious when a company's approach to promoting their own products is dependent on expousing the evils of their competitors. I should mention that I am bias however, I have a tattoo that has a PRS guitar as part of the composition, lol. I am apparently the bane of this guy's hatred. lol

Can't please em all. I most definitely won't ever have a Zachary guitar tattooed on me. :aok

CharAznable

11-01-2009, 09:00 PM

The rant on strings has bad form but it's entirely true. Your average 10 set doesn't work, especially on Gibson scale instruments.

I find that I have to use light top/heavy bottoms on the SG to make the low end not fart out.

buddachile

11-01-2009, 09:20 PM

Yeah, that guy's a hoser, he bashes the Klon only to promote his own 400 dollar pedal. Classless.

For me it's not even a matter of class. The Zachary guy comes off to me as incredibly insecure if you ask me. My thinking is if the guy was really confident about himself and his product he wouldn't feel the need to bash anyone.

You don't see Paul Cochran bashing Bill Finnegan or vice versa, do you?

whoismarykelly

11-01-2009, 09:23 PM

http://zacharyguitars.com/Stand.htm

wow i would not trust my guitar to lean away from the stand like in this weird contraption

There of photos of guitars leaning forward to show what the stand looks like. Its not meant to actually hold the guitar like that. When you put your guitar in the stand it leans back like any other a-frame stand.

lol

corksniffer guitar stands, complete with hyperbolic "This is the best stand you can buy period."

I wonder if this guy even realizes how much business he's losing (or at least not even having the chance to get) due to his completely over the top and aggressive sales pitches.

I think you are completely misreading him as wanting to get lots of business. He has an application process to buy his guitars. He must approve you to purchase one. He doesn't want to sell a million of them. He wants to select buyers and have this kind of notoriety.

sutherland

11-01-2009, 09:25 PM

I'm pretty sure that Zachary masturbates to pictures of himself.

Still the greatest post of this entire thread.

NewarkWilder

11-01-2009, 10:54 PM

I think you are completely misreading him as wanting to get lots of business. He has an application process to buy his guitars. He must approve you to purchase one. He doesn't want to sell a million of them. He wants to select buyers and have this kind of notoriety.

yeah, I imagine you're right. I just don't know what kind of person would want to be part of that particular club. :dunno

Rid

11-01-2009, 11:55 PM

Not firing on all cylinders there......
Haha that is just crazy...lol

WhoJamFan

01-30-2012, 03:32 AM

I'm only digging this one up because Zacharys rant comes right up when you google Klon. I was hoping someone here actually had one or used one. Oh well, 5 pages of "Zachs a douche" and not a drop of info on the pedal. Hmmm......

So, almost 3 years later. has anyone played through or own one? With the trend of 400 dollar dirt boxes you have to wait years on a list to get, I wouls think somebody might have sprung for one of these, if for no other reason than to slag it off as the hype it's purported to be.

I agree that the guys site is over the top, and his opinions are stated as facts, but when has that ever stopped your curiosity dead in it's tracks? I would think that his rant is more of a challenge to be proven wrong then it is at selling anything. If his 400 dollar pedal beats the pants off of the Klon, wouldn't you want to know it, or more so, own it, and cloners to clone it?

Just playing devils advocate here, but hey, the worlds best overdrive unit may be fly right by in a giant toe knob box.

rewog

01-30-2012, 04:34 AM

I'm guessing this might have something to do with that.. it's been up for several years i think:
"Currently NOT in Production.
Due to the tragedy of life, my previous electronics partner has fallen to Cancer.
I am intent on making this amazing pedal again in the future.
It will be announced on this page as soon as its available again."

lux_interior

01-30-2012, 07:07 AM

If his 400 dollar pedal beats the pants off of the Klon, wouldn't you want to know it, or more so, own it, and cloners to clone it?

I'd rather make a video recording of grass grow and watch it on loop mode on Saturday nights.

WhoJamFan

01-30-2012, 01:59 PM

It just makes me wonder if this was a real pedal, or a giant hoax. While I think the guys advertising is right up nthere with how politicians run against each other, it's such an enormous claim that he makes it just begs for someone to take up the challenge, even if just to finitely prove it wrong.

I'm sure somebody here bought one and just doesn't want to fess up, as the price range and features are right in line with the most talked about pedals here. With almost a thousand posts on the new Klon pedal, with some being ridiculously negative, I know that element of curiosity had to be explored by one of the "proud to be informed" folks on this site. I'm not trying to be negative or insulting, but you would think that at least one of the "know it all" crew could actually make a review of thing. After all, this is a gear discussion page right?

I think Zacharys pedal claims are a pretty tall order, not to mention his overly abrasive, attacking comparisons. The site is amusing in a car crash full of circus clowns kind of way, but I would really like to see if they are in fact founded in any truth.

I can understand how some might feel if his pedal did indeed smoke a Klon, but hey, some still believe that there's nothing better than a tubescreamer, and we're all ok with that.

redslim

01-30-2012, 02:50 PM

Maybe its just an empty enclosure?? and thats why he has to select his costumers and probably havent selected anyone ever!! LOL

I guess if you wanna have a mouth THAT BIG you should at least come up with some Audio/Video clips or shut up!

ps. loved the vintage website

drbob1

01-30-2012, 04:07 PM

I've dealt with Zachary on a few occasions, and didn't find him this over the top in person. I bought a pair of his guitars, pre-Ebay. One was built from wood found in a dumpster back of Home Depot and was pretty cool cosmetically. They were both very light, very resonant and well put together. That said, making what amounts to a bolt neck guitar, then gluing the neck together (press fit?) seems less than durable to me. He doesn't believe in tone controls, and the guitars are really bright, so I added a push-pull pot instead of the toggle for the coil tap, then an on/on/on toggle for 2 levels of tone control. Worked pretty well. But still, not a guitar that I truly bonded with and when the time came to consolidate, they both went off down the line without much sadness.

Since then his rants have gone from merely idiosyncratic (the guitar construction) to wildly over the top and it makes me wonder if he's a little manic? No one I know has ever seen or played on of his pedals...

Prerequisite

01-30-2012, 04:24 PM

The "SuperNatural Human Touch Tone Optimizer" Looks like a DS-1 put in the same box with a MXR Micro Amp.

Whiskey N Beans

01-30-2012, 04:26 PM

The type of person who tells you how "smart" he is, usually is not. This guy seems like a know it all. His irrational use of unnecessarily large words reminds me of the self announced smart guy. Not saying anything about Z. I've never even heard of the guy before today. However, his website's approach to marketing is a turn off to me personally. His products would need to be better than advertised for me to support. He calls the universe of his potential customers "shockingly stupid.". That's the first thing I thought when I read his PRS pitch. Whatever dude. Good luck.

redslim

01-30-2012, 04:48 PM

Zachary Supernatural Human Touch Tone Optimizer pedal

"The Name says it all"

... Well with a name that long, it better do!

maybe thats why the enclosure is so big!

Bluesrocker99

01-30-2012, 05:01 PM

Hey, love him or hate him, but you can't ignore him!
His website is just a huge rant about people who have managed to be successful, whether or not they deserve to be successful is entirely subjective. Whether or not his products deserve to be is also subjective.
What is not in doubt to me is that the guy is bitter about other builders.
He keeps saying his stuff is better than XYZ but never actually offers any convincing reasons why.

Anyway, his website is a good read if nothing else! I laughed on more than one occasion, and actually agree on some points.
I do think that he comes across as a total tool, but, hey, you have to say that he ain't boring!

Rod

01-30-2012, 05:07 PM

He's the Ed Roman of guitar builders!!!!

Boosted

01-30-2012, 05:15 PM

lol. this thread makes me laugh.

most of the people here are the doing the same thing as he is...ironically.

redslim

01-30-2012, 05:30 PM

lol. this thread makes me laugh.

most of the people here are the doing the same thing as he is...ironically.

well ya know! you give love, you get love!

Tsathoggua

01-30-2012, 06:43 PM

I had fun re-reading this thread and his site (I guess I became aware of him when the thread got bumped in 2009). I can, for sure, remember that at least one person had posted a picture of his pedalboard with the pedal on it (on the Show your pedalboard thread of the time). If I'm not mistaken, the person was quite satisfied with it.

Too lazy to search, though.