By 
High end pedals vs low end Pedals! – Does the price point actually matter with pedals?
Introduction
This is the question that most pedal companies will have you believe is true! Are high pedals better than low pedals? Or does it not actually matter? Well, I have played loads of pedals that cover both those categories, so I thought I would voice my opinion on this matter. I want to talk about both high-end pedals and low-end pedals and the good, bad, and the ugly of each type.
I am going to talk about the reason why sometimes it is the case that high pedals are better and why also sometimes it is better that you buy low-end pedals! I will go over both options and let you know my thoughts and why I think maybe it isn’t as simple as you might think! There are a lot of things that you need to think about before you can say that one is better than the other. However, at the end, I will pick one! Which one I believe is better than the other!
Why High end pedals are better
There are a few reasons you might want to go for a high-end guitar pedal. The main reason you might want to go for the high-end pedals is the build quality! Most of the time, the build quality will get better as the price increases! This will also lean into hand-built and point-to-point pedals. Once you go into the high-end boutique pedals, then you will start to see one-man-one-pedal hand-made builds.
Most high-end pedals will have a very good warranty! Some boutique pedal builders won’t even have a warranty; if the pedal goes wrong, you let them know, and it gets fixed! Most cheap pedals will have a very basic warranty, and the mid-tier pedals will have a slightly better warranty.
One of the reasons most people go for a high-end pedal is because of the resale value! If you are buying a top-of-the-range pedal, then the likelihood is that if you want to sell it or move it on, then it will be fairly simple, and you will get most of your money back! Meaning you can get in and out of these pedals without losing much money at all!
Why Low End pedals are better
I mentioned this on my review of the Behringer EQ700 (Review Here), but cheap and affordable pedals are a fantastic way to try out a pedal without having to spend too much money! You could buy something like the Behringer CL9 (Review Here), have a go at using a compressor and see if you like it. If you don’t like it, then you haven’t spent too much money!
They are also useful if you only need a certain effect for a handful of songs! No point buying a £200 chorus if you only need it for two songs in your set list. So you could buy a super affordable one and it would most likely sound perfectly fine!
Another huge reason that I believe some people prefer low-end pedals is that they are available in most shops! Brands like Behringer, DemonFX and Tone City are available to purchase from various shops! They aren’t “fussy” about who sells their pedals. What this allows is most people to not only be able to afford them, but also be able to get them easily and quickly!
Point of entry!
This leads me onto my next point, the low point of entry! If you are a beginner or just a hobbyist then you might not want to drop too much money on a pedal or a few pedals. So having the affordable and cheap pedals is a great option! You can build a very affordable pedalboard for not a lot of money and have great-sounding tones!
Final Thoughts
For me, I love a mixture! I appreciate high-end pedals and the effort that goes into the design and building; however, there is also something about getting great tones from super cheap pedals that makes me smile! So for me, I always end up having a mixture of brands and quality on my pedalboard. As long as I trust the pedal and believe it will hold up to some abuse, then I would be happy to put it on my board! If it sounds good, then it is good!
Saying that, I do love supporting my friends that build pedals. Most of these high-end pedal builders are building by hand and in very small numbers, so this leads to high prices! For me, having a pedal that was built for you by someone you can just message on Instagram for questions and support is amazing! I will always support my friends!
I think for most people, you need to focus on the sound and also the price! Buy within budget and buy what you need! If that £20 Amazon pedal gets the sound you are after, then that is the right pedal for you! I do have a whole article coming out soon about how to try out pedals and make sure you are testing it so that you buy what you need!
Conclusion
What are your thoughts on this subject? Do you agree with what I said above? Please let me know! I know some people will live firmly in either the low-end pedals camp or the high-end pedal camp. It does matter on what you plan to do, how you see the hobby, and also your financial situation! As I said above, if you are making money playing guitar, then it won’t seem so much as a big expense.
I do have a few more articles like this coming out over the next few weeks. I will be doing the same thing for guitars and amps. The guitar one is really interesting, and I have some thoughts on that. So give me a follow on Instagram if you want to know when they will be released! If you have any thoughts on anything above, then you can give us an email (Contact Page) and let me know.
If you want to support the site then please give us a follow on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube.
Gigs & Guitars Affiliate Links:
Check out our other Articles here
2 thoughts on “High end pedals vs low end Pedals! – Does the price point actually matter with pedals?”
Comments are closed.