Reliability

[xgsjx]

Got a question for y'all with pedals ("not another" I hear you say).

Who's pedals do you find most reliable & who's is not?

I was set on getting some EHX pedals, but after reading some reviews, it appears there's a 50/50 on good & bad reliability with them so it's left me looking elsewhere.

Should I go with the EHX? Was thinking of a Black Finger & a QTron & a flanger or phaser.

Is the MXR Phase 90 worth the money & what's the difference between versions?

G

[Dubs]

In my experience, EHX are more reliable than MXR, but the most reliable pedals I've ever used are the classic Boss ones - never had one go bad on me, ever.

[IncX]

i think the script version sounds less muddy compared to the newer non script phase 90's

i got to borrow one (non script), and if i didn't have a Moonphaser Deluxe, i would keep it!

go for MXR phase 90 because:

1.) they are easy to mod repair
2.) they arent expensive
3.) they are easy to set, and sell too! ... and you can go conservative with them too, as to not bring too much attention on the effect instead of the bass line.

[escholl]

Boss is probably the winner, just on reliability.

The EHX pedals are my personal choice, however. Highly durable and sound fantastic, I've yet to find a compressor that sounds better than the blackfinger, and isn't a rack-mount studio one.
The problem with EHX is that they're not all built right -- at least when it comes to the blackfinger. mine developed the buzzing problem you may have read about if you've read reviews of it, I managed to fix it but found a few things inside I was unimpressed by, ie dry solder joints. A few hours later of correcting their mistakes and tracing the problem, and I know I've got a pedal that is going to last.

They're well designed and, assuming you don't get one of their QC slips, they will last forever.

[Silent Fly]

[quote name='xgsjx' post='340932' date='Nov 30 2008, 09:46 AM']Who's pedals do you find most reliable & who's is not?[/quote]
I found that my pedals are the most reliable

...but they are not available on the market (yet).

[quote name='xgsjx' post='340932' date='Nov 30 2008, 09:46 AM']I was set on getting some EHX pedals, but after reading some reviews, it appears there's a 50/50 on good & bad reliability with them so it's left me looking elsewhere.

Should I go with the EHX? Was thinking of a Black Finger & a QTron & a flanger or phaser.[/quote]
I never had problems with EHX pedals and in general the build construction is ok. The only thing I would like to see are EHX pedals that are a little bit smaller, with a power supply that can be shared with other pedals and that do not run at 24V (or any other unusual voltage).

I cannot say the same thing about MXR. Their pedals have a good sound but sometimes they are a total mess (I speak about my personal experience, of course). I had so many problems with the Blow Torch that I could write a book about it.

[quote name='xgsjx' post='340932' date='Nov 30 2008, 09:46 AM']Is the MXR Phase 90 worth the money & what's the difference between versions?[/quote]
The MXR Phase 90 is a great pedal. I like the script version slightly more but I can't hear a massive difference between script and block. They both sound good.

Either way, it relatively easy convert a script to block and vice versa.

If you plan to use it with bass I strongly recommend you mod the pedal to improve the low frequency response. Send me a PM if you need any help about it.

[xgsjx]

Thanks all,

I'm still kinda in 2 minds whether to start a pedal collection or just get a decent multi fx box (the Boss GT10B & the Zoom B9.2 seem to be the best two I've found so far).

I like the idea of building a board to get "My" sound, but I like the fact that you can set patches on a multi box & control different parameters with a pedal (slowly bring in overdrive etc). I know there's more expensive multi fx that are good but I'm saving for a new bass & an ext cab for the bigger gigs & don't mind spending dribs & drabs on a pedal at a time.

[Dosi Y'Anarchy]

Well i've never had a problem with EHX pedals, and the newer built ones seem all tho be very well built, however if you were to pick up an older one (like the older, larger q-tron's ect) you may have problems, EHX are famous for having quality control issues in the past, but i think they've stepped up their game now.

As for MXR, well they can be funny, I own a MXR blue Box, a Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Classic Fuzz and an MXR Blowtorch, and both the Blue Box and the Classic Fuzz are too quiet even at max volume (I even did the C11 mod on the Blue box and i havent really noticed a difference).

The first blowtorch I owned was bought second hand and had some issues, so i returned it, the current one (also second hand) have never given me any trouble. My First Blue Box was also bought second hand and was just F****D so i had to return it and bought one new.


The Black Finger may be quite solid (ive owned two Muff'n's in the past), but the power supply doesnt seem so, so even if the pedal lasts, you may find yourself searching for a new power supply if you're not careful. Sometimes i felt with my Muff'n that if i stomped too hard, i might stomp right through the pedal.


The worst for reliability in my eyes are Ibanez's ToneLok series - the footswitches are terrible, i've owned 3 of their pedals and experienced the same each time, sometimes they switch, sometimes they dont.

Boss are extremely reliable, however i have a broken Syb-3, which is the first broken Boss pedal ive ever seen/used/owned.

[Toasted]

I've owned over 500 pedals and I've never had a failiure.

Well, I killed an MXR blue box by plugging an AC supply into it.