Really? $1500?

[Mac-P]

Originally Posted by Astro Strat

That's what he wants us to think. You see, it's a marketing trick.... You take something away from a person and in return the opposite person wants it back or desires it. It's like telling your daughter she can't see her punk-boyfriend no more, yet she'll sneak out the window at night to go see him.... You see my point?

Basically, Mr. Klon knows he has a highly desirable product (don't know why as it can be mimicked quite easily). He then takes that product away from the masses by discontinuing them for apparently no reason from what i've heard. Eventually the price skyrockets, thanks to the masses, to the point where only "the most worthy" can afford and making everyone else want it because it's supposedly the Holy Grail due to hype and cost. You want to feel worthy right??

If it cost's a ton, then it MUST be the best right? This is what most people believe.

After Mr. Klon discontinues the "Holy Grail", everyone wants it back and he knows it. He then offers the "supposed" next best thing, a Klon in a smaller enclosure! However, the release-date of it is non-existent....

Sounds kind of fishy if you ask me....

What he's trying to do is keep everyone hooked on with the Klon fishing reel. You just can't discontinue a pedal and let it be end of story right? NO, not if you have money on the brain, that would be insane. You want to build up the suspense, making people want it more and more because it's discontinued. The rest is up to us, increasing the price to insane amounts ($1500.00), thus making people want it even more. Everyone wants the unobtainable right?

Later on down the road, Mr. Klon becomes a savior.... He offers a newer Klon, one that's smaller and pedal-board friendly. In this day and age size matters, so this executes a perfect maneuver in the business realm. Once he feels like releasing this new model, he will become flooded with orders within minutes.... He will be one rich s.o.b. when that day comes.... Not that I blame him, people DO need to make money.

Also, you have to think to yourself, how long can it possibly take to design a new pedal casing or 'pick-out' a newer, smaller casing? If he truly is going to a smaller casing, then he's pretty limited in terms of design or style. It possibly can't take that long to redesign the circuit either and make it smaller. Not when you know exactly what you're doing, he made the Klon for peeps sake right! Which is why my theory fits hand in hand with this scenario. It's all about the sheep, us, wanting and eagerly waiting to be fed so we can engorge ourselves.

This post seems extremely and unnecessarily negative.

"Mr. Klon" is a human being & has a name: Bill Finnegan. He designed a product and charged $300 hand built & shipped from out of the country. If you didn't want to buy it then you didn't. But in the late 90's many famous players did; and mentioned the Klon in interviews because they loved it so much.

And this is bad how? Bill kept on doing what he does: build pedals. He is not in control of the frenzy or eBay prices. He could probably make waaay more money if he only sold on eBay, but he doesn't.

So now the guy decides to take some time off and update his classic pedal to reflect a more modern need (smaller enclosure) and it's a plot?? It's "fishy"? Really?


Here is a link with Bill defending himself to some angry people (like he should have to). It is the highlighted text:

http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/...p?f=11&t=16567


People need to lighten up in my humble opinion....

[Astro Strat]

I never said you had to believe my "conspiracy". It's just an opinion of mine that i'm standing behind, whether others do the same or not doesn't matter to me....

Hasn't he heard of hiring employee's so he isn't the only one building them? You can't tell me he isn't 'into money' when he has had huge wait lists and etc. On average, $300 a pedal is pretty damn pricey, and when you get atleast 1-2 orders a day.... well, you do the math.... Anywhere between $300-$900 A DAY is pretty good in my opinion.... Beats working at Mcdonalds right?

[Astro Strat]

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/6826799/

[Agreed]

That was funny exactly once, but its continued re-posting in every context where the person posting the video holds an antagonistic view toward some well-liked product is just blatant misuse, in poor taste, reflecting poorly on the poster. In this case, if you need it explained to you, it doesn't even apply in the least because practically everyone agrees (and the thread was started in ridicule of the fact that) this is a ludicrous price and someone would be a fool to pay it.

[The Pup]

Wow! I bought mine used for $180 and thought it was a less-than-smart purchase at the time.

[anais]

Originally Posted by Mac-P

This post seems extremely and unnecessarily negative.

"Mr. Klon" is a human being & has a name: Bill Finnegan. He designed a product and charged $300 hand built & shipped from Siberia. If you didn't want to buy it then you didn't. But in the late 90's many famous players did; and mentioned the Klon in interviews because they loved it so much.

And this is bad how? Bill kept on doing what he does: build pedals. He is not in control of the frenzy or eBay prices. He could probably make waaay more money if he only sold on eBay, but he doesn't.

So now the guy decides to take some time off and update his classic pedal to reflect a more modern need (smaller enclosure) and it's a plot?? It's "fishy"? Really?


Here is a link with Bill defending himself to some angry people (like he should have to). It is the highlighted text:

http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/...p?f=11&t=16567


People need to lighten up in my humble opinion....

Siberia, huh? Last time I checked Massachusetts was in the United States

[alguit]

Hmmmm...my advice to anyone contemplating such a purchase-don't, and I am actually putting mine up for sale soon! I mean, I'll be happy to make a bit of a profit on it (mine is an early one, #305), I could use the money, and I suppose if someone has the bucks to part with, let them...

...still, it furthers an unnecessary and I think foolish trend of elevating cool gear out of the price range of most of us.

Not that I don't like my Klon-it is a great boost (its best function, I've found, as have many). But I've come to realize that I have other boosts that better serve my purposes, and frankly, as great as it is, there's no magic in it, nothing with which I cannot live.]

So, off it's going, sometime soon, and for a lot, lot, lot less than that person is trying to charge.

Better yet, everyone, be patient and wait for the new ones; Bill is an honorable guy with a perfectionist's drive (pun intended!), and the new ones will sound just as great as the old and take up less board space.

All the best,

Alan

[DonneR]

oh come on - its called 'marketing'

The guy has a best offer which is what he wants ...

I think even he would be shocked if anyone bought it now for $1500

[Mac-P]

Originally Posted by Astro Strat

I never said you had to believe my "conspiracy". It's just an opinion of mine that i'm standing behind, whether others do the same or not doesn't matter to me....

Hasn't he heard of hiring employee's so he isn't the only one building them? You can't tell me he isn't 'into money' when he has had huge wait lists and etc. On average, $300 a pedal is pretty damn pricey, and when you get atleast 1-2 orders a day.... well, you do the math.... Anywhere between $300-$900 A DAY is pretty good in my opinion.... Beats working at Mcdonalds right?

So your premise is that your own personal contempt for him (& his successful product) is justified because:

1) he has the nerve to actually make money (that people are willing to pay) selling some stupid pedal that he builds, alone, by hand

2) that he's lucky to not have to work at McDonalds - having done nothing to "really" earn the money he makes

3) and he doesn't employ the number of people that you feel he should.




By the way, he's not exactly living at home with his parents. Maybe his kids need to eat or go to college. Or should he be doing something entirely different with his life if he needs to support himself or a family?

[Blix]

I had a Klon way back in the 90's, I died on me and Bill fixed it really quick, very quick turnaround for going norway-us-norway, killer customer service. I ended up selling mine for like $500, which felt like a lot back then...

[Blakemore Effects]

I just noticed that some of the silver ones have been going for over $700 on eBay now. I bought mine new for $344 like 3 months ago. That's just crazy.

[Brettski]

I can see it now: TAG got hisself a Klon

[WVBLUESMAN]

Has no one seen the one on eBay he is letting a friend sell to help her out financially? He gave her a new (old stock) with full warranty to sell. You must check it out. It's gold with the horse logo. He said he still has about 60 enclosures for this pedal. If what the post says is true he sounds like a real cool guy. Using his product he knows will bring big money not to make a profit but to help someone. Sounds pretty stand up to me.

[PaulC]

Originally Posted by WVBLUESMAN

Has no one seen the one on eBay he is letting a friend sell to help her out financially? He gave her a new (old stock) with full warranty to sell. You must check it out. It's gold with the horse logo. He said he still has about 60 enclosures for this pedal. If what the post says is true he sounds like a real cool guy. Using his product he knows will bring big money not to make a profit but to help someone. Sounds pretty stand up to me.

Bill is a great guy. One thing people need to remember about the wait for the new one is when he stopped taking orders at the end of last year he still had a bunch to finish up. He closed the books so he could fill all the orders, and then have the time to focus on the reworked design. Filling all the orders took time.

Now he's working on the new version, and he's spending a lot of time trying to get it just right with parts he knows he'll be able to use for years to come. It seems like every other day a part is being discontinued. Myself I’ve gone through 4 different brands of caps this past year. A brand I was using was discontinued. Found a new one, and 3 months later that one was discontinued. Same thing happened about 7 months later. It’s the state of the industry right now. Bill is spending a lot of time finding the right parts, and making sure they’ll be around for years so he doesn’t have to redesign the circuit/pc board in the near future. He doesn’t want there to be a bunch of different versions of it, and then see the silly talk about which one sounds best. He wants it right from the start, and then have the ability to keep it the same way for years.

This isn’t just an opinion or speculation. We talk about this stuff every other week. He’s not trying to manipulate the market, or pull one over on people. He’s just taking his time to get it right.

PaulC
Tim/Timmy pedals
Myspace.com/paulcaudio

[the 5cientist]

i don't see why there should be any personal attack on the builder,

let's not forget that he is not profiting in any way from the inflated market price for his pedal.

sure, it does build up the hype around the new one, and i hope it comes out soon, so i might get a chance to buy/try!!

i have always been impressed by the fact that there are a HUGE amount of players, on the world stage and locally who rave about this pedal, and consider it a big part of their tone in which ever way they use it.