Gold anniversary EHX Ram's Head Big Muff

cowie86

Was launched at 5pm our time, 550 units only, $250 each (plus postage, plus customs fees, plus VAT when it arrives here),  sold out in about an hour I think. 

I ordered one but then instantly regretted it and cancelled my order. I'll be careful how I phrase this next bit because a few people bit my head off on TGP earlier....

From what we know so far, other than this version having through hole components, the circuit is the same as the standard reissue ram's head that you can buy anywhere. There doesn't seem to be anything there (NOS components, circuit design, etc) that makes it *sound* different. What makes it special edition is that it's a big box enclosure, it's gold, it comes in a velvet bag inside a wooden box, and it was overseen by Mike Matthews' son. 

I appreciate some people buy limited edition pedals purely for the collectible element, but personally I like there to be something that sonically distinguishes it from the standard version. 

Thoughts?

(In classic TGP style, someone accused me of "wimping out" for cancelling my order)

NelsonP

Yeah you goddamn wimp! Gee. Woop woop. Trump for president etc

Musicman20

Nah I get it. Plus the gold doesn’t work. You did the right thing. The nano will sound the same.

stickyfiddle

Meh. Not really a muff guy anyway, but I don't really see the appeal. The gold is naff and it comes in the original massive case and wooden box. At least half will be flipped on Reverb the moment they ship. 

Buy a Fallout Cloud instead and be happy...

pt22

Pedals are not investment securities. 

Wazmeister

pt22 said:

Pedals are not investment securities. 

There’s quick profit in some limiteds though

pt22

Wazmeister said:

pt22 said:

Pedals are not investment securities. 

There’s quick profit in some limiteds though

Maybe I shouldn't talk. I made £40 on a limited edition JHS Oil Can delay recently, but that wasn't my original intent and I was lucky enough to be travelling from overseas at the time. Plus, it is only £40!

I still see it as scalping though, which is detestable, and these manufacturers don't care and are in fact taking advantage of the situation. 

theatreanchor

You deffo could’ve sold it on, but why take the risk when it’s something you’re not even sure you want. 

punchesjudy

Shouldn’t have wimped out mate. Wimpy behaviour that. It’s gloriously ugly and gold and huge and OoOF YeA!  

euan

You’ve made a right burger of yourself cancelling. 

cowie86

punchesjudy said:

Shouldn’t have wimped out mate. Wimpy behaviour that. It’s gloriously ugly and gold and huge and OoOF YeA!  

I thought about replying to say that I had previously bought the EHX Lizard Queen and the Boss TB-2W, which presumably makes me really brave (?!?) but then I remembered it was TGP, where logic and humour have no place. So I just came here, where I knew most people would say "It looks shit, mate. Well done for cancelling."

Secret_Sam

The thing with pedals as investments ... these magic boxes only have cultural relevance to geezers of a certain age.  When we snuff it, the actual pedals played by the greats - and I mean the actual pedals and not pedals just like them - may retain value.  The price of all the others will crash.

It is clearly stupid that folks will pay more for a simple circuit board in a cheap metal box than it costs for a very functional and well set up guitar.  This is a bubble, so enjoy it while it lasts. 

cowie86

Secret_Sam said:

The thing with pedals as investments ... these magic boxes only have cultural relevance to geezers of a certain age.  When we snuff it, the actual pedals played by the greats - and I mean the actual pedals and not pedals just like them - may retain value.  The price of all the others will crash.

It is clearly stupid that folks will pay more for a simple circuit board in a cheap metal box than it costs for a very functional and well set up guitar.  This is a bubble, so enjoy it while it lasts. 

I've actually been thinking about this a lot recently. A lot of the 20-somethings these days aren't interested in germanium resistors or historic reproductions (a) because they don't have the money for that kind of thing and (b) because their generation have come up in an age of modellers and plug-ins.

It's possible that most of the pedal trading population could eventually "age out" and when people my around my age (37) finally want to unload their pedal collection, there might not be anyone younger who is interested in buying it.

I like to think I'll always be able to find a buyer for my more rare and interesting pedals, but I wouldn't want to try and sell a £300 gold Big Muff in a velvet bag to a generation of people who are perfectly happy the muff preset on their modeller/DAW!

euan

Youngsters always rediscover what was old. 

Cols

stickyfiddle said:

Meh. Not really a muff guy anyway, but I don't really see the appeal. The gold is naff and it comes in the original massive case and wooden box. At least half will be flipped on Reverb the moment they ship. 

Buy a Fallout Cloud instead and be happy...

They’re already sold out, so most likely you could have bought one, flipped it with a markup and bought the Fallout Cloud with the profit ;P

DoctorX

The gold really is shit. 

Supportact

pt22 said:

Pedals are not investment securities. 

Did you not read the title? This one's made of gold! 

stickyfiddle

Cols said:

stickyfiddle said:

Meh. Not really a muff guy anyway, but I don't really see the appeal. The gold is naff and it comes in the original massive case and wooden box. At least half will be flipped on Reverb the moment they ship. 

Buy a Fallout Cloud instead and be happy...

They’re already sold out, so most likely you could have bought one, flipped it with a markup and bought the Fallout Cloud with the profit ;P

True. But you can't buy a BC108 FC any more and that's better because it's limited  

GavRichList

I’ll swim against the tide here, and venture a few things. 

Firstly, it’s only a shade over £200. All pedals are £200 these days at a bare minimum. 

The rams head muff to be fair, sounds amazing. From the originals to the stock reissue, it’s an incredible pedal worthy of celebration given its importance in the pantheon of pedals used on hit records over the years. Add to that the charm of the big box EHX pedals with their ludicrous wooden boxes, I can totally see the appeal. The gold is so garish and silly that I rather like it, fwiw. It’d be a cool thing to own even if you didn’t play it, and if you did, then great - it’s a superb pedal and yes there’s a markup for the limited release given that the internals are the same, but when isn’t there? - the Mascis is also more expensive for even less justification. 

AND whether you like it or not, they’ll be changing hands for significant money in no time at all, and I suspect in the medium to longterm too. 

Now stop all your whinging and move along. For a start, it’s only the same price as all the boutique alternatives mentioned above. You people. This country. Etc etc. 

stickyfiddle

Have we done "I'm not giving Mike Matthews any of my money ever again" yet, or is that tomorrow?  

GavRichList

stickyfiddle said:

Have we done "I'm not giving Mike Matthews any of my money ever again" yet, or is that tomorrow?  

Everybody is awful, wherever you spend your money. Fuck it, let’s all just strap in for the ride. Don’t you live in the UAE?!