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I've got an Analogman BiComprossor - it's a clone of a Ross Compressor and an Orange Squeeze - it sounds great
There aren't that many really original designs out there.... so it's really about the build quality for me
Big Muffs comes in loads of different iterations, i.e. Ram's Head, Triangle etc. Then there are clones that have additional features like mid-cut/boost amongst others too.
Most of the other clones are of pedals that aren't made any more. Why people spunk hundreds on fancy Tubescreamers I'll never know.
"Nobody is really researching robot jokes"
Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21)
A lot of are obviously because of cost e.g. Soul Food, Mooer etc.
As mentioned above, size is an issue as well. I had a Fulldrive that I really liked the tone of, but it was too big and I never used the boost side so I built myself a TS/Fulldrive type pedal . After experimenting a little bit I ended up with the assymetrical clipping of the Fulldrive although some of the other circuit values I used are more TS than Fulldrive. It works for me.
No longer available is another reason - again covered above. I might have a go at a Bluesbreaker Mk1. It's the one pedal I've sold and look back and regret selling it.
The other reason that I'm not sure has been mentioned so much is when there is some shortcoming in the original. The first clone I built was of an MXR Microamp which I did because the original sucked tone. (I don't know if MXR have fixed the bypass on newer ones).
In my case, 1) Sound 2) Availability 3) Price 4) Size
Here's some examples - Big Muff's often sound subtly different - it is well documented that in the early days, no two sounded alike due to the variation in component values. The clones are generally a bit more consistent. Some (not all) builders will take a bit more time sourcing and matching component values to get (in their opinion) the best possible tone from the circuit. I've got four different big muffs - they all sound slightly different with different noise floors but they are all basically big muffs in character. Variety is good. Each of the four I own are smaller than the originals on which they're based, which suits a smaller pedalboard. I didn't pay top dollar for any of them and each we're cheaper than the now out of production originals on which they're based.
Fuzz faces are another one - sure, some of the prices being charged for such a simple circuit are eye-watering but again, the variation is huge. I have three BC108 based silicon fuzzes, some with additional controls but they all sound different - some are sharper/ spikier, some are darker/ smoother. I don't have the unlimited resources of someone like Eric Johnson who can compare umpteen originals to get the one that is "just right" A boutique clone is likely to be more consistent.
If you take a builder like Skreddy, he will discontinue a pedal once he runs out of the correct spec components and that's when the prices soar - much like the original pedals on which they're based. Supply and demand.
The grass isn't always greener. It just is sometimes.
There's a lot of it about.
As for booteek clones of booteek pedals - well, good pedal builders gotta start somewhere, recreating the masters to begin with perhaps.
If you look at the situation from the point of view of the maker, rather than the buyer - it makes more sense.