Putting your money where your mouth is.

Mark Wein

Grand Poobah
Staff member
Hot damn: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=1477017

9-6-2014

AN OPEN LETTER FROM MICHAEL LANDAU.

This letter is in response to the recent events surrounding Mason Marangella and Vertex Effects. I first became aware of the drama concerning the Vertex Wah Wahs through Clif Jones on August 16th. I was late hearing the news because I had been on tour and I’m not a regular on the gear forums. The news was not good, this was exactly the type of drama that has kept me far away from guitar pedal endorsements for most of my life up until recently.

Since I’ve never actually owned a production model Vertex Axis Wah, I anonymously purchased one 12 days ago so I could have it compared to the BBE Ben Wah by a reliable source whom I’ve known for many years,
I wanted to have a first hand account of the results. The results show that the Vertex Axis Wah I recently purchased was identical to the BBE Ben Wah.

Obviously I can’t be involved with a company or associated with a person who runs his company like this,
so officially as of 9-6-2014, I no longer formally endorse any Vertex products.

I would like to state the following facts for clarity:

- I am not an electrical engineer, the only time I open up a pedal is to change the battery.
- I have never used, nor have I ever endorsed any of the production model Vertex Wah Wahs.
- The Wah Wah that has been on my pedalboard since January 2013 is an old Dunlop Cry Baby that was modified by Mason, I don’t know the specifics of the mods, it sounds good to me, it does have a Vertex sticker on it from when Mason worked on it a couple of years ago.
- I do not use, nor have I ever endorsed the Vertex cables.
- I use the Vertex Landau Boost because I love the EXP volume control function.
- I use the Vertex Volume pedal only as an EXP pedal for the Landau Boost.

As of 9-3-2014 , I have instructed Mason to give all of the dealers and distributers a 30 day notice
stating that the Vertex Landau Boost and the Vertex Landau Chorus will be discontinued.

Out of respect to the entire guitar community:
If anyone wants to return their Vertex Landau Boost or Vertex Landau Chorus and is having a problem doing so through Vertex or the dealer they purchased it from, please contact Clif @ L.A. Vintage Gear and I will personally provide a full refund.

Michael Landau

__________________________________________________ _____________________



I need to find out what this is all about....brb
 
I'll sum up.

Vertex has been charging Cornish-level boutique prices for rebranded and gooped mass production pedals. This came to fruition with the BBE wah, referenced above. It's been going down on TGP for the past month and the Vertex guy just made a long post last night trying to come clean and move forward. Honestly, it's been a shitshow, and is also why I continue to only buy from national or friend owned companies.
 
I'll sum up.

Vertex has been charging Cornish-level boutique prices for rebranded and gooped mass production pedals. This came to fruition with the BBE wah, referenced above. It's been going down on TGP for the past month and the Vertex guy just made a long post last night trying to come clean and move forward. Honestly, it's been a shitshow, and is also why I continue to only buy from national or friend owned companies.
This seems to happen once a year over there though. Remember the Freekish Blues guy?
 
Given that confession, he might want to mod his signature too:


VERTEX EFFECTS, INC.
Custom Effects Pedals | Handcrafted in California
 
Amazing...that guy has been building pedalboards and gear for a lot of top players here in the LA area. Who'd a thought that he do something stupid like this?

So apparently a lot of the top LA players can be fooled by aural placebos just like us mortals. Hype makes stuff sound better.
 
I absolutely love James Santiago:

Screen Shot 2014-09-06 at 2.26.40 PM.png

Screen Shot 2014-09-06 at 2.26.53 PM.png

Screen Shot 2014-09-06 at 2.27.07 PM.png
 
I must be a total bastard because stuff like this just makes me giggle.

I'm waiting for the first time we find out somebody's hand scatter-wound unobtanium magnet pickups are GFS or something.
 
I must be a total bastard because stuff like this just makes me giggle.

I'm waiting for the first time we find out somebody's hand scatter-wound unobtanium magnet pickups are GFS or something.

There are some names out there I trust now. Lollar, Bare Knuckles, TV Jones. But most of the one man operations are right out. I'm sure someone will tell me I'm missing out, but that's just how I feel about it.
 
There are some names out there I trust now. Lollar, Bare Knuckles, TV Jones. But most of the one man operations are right out. I'm sure someone will tell me I'm missing out, but that's just how I feel about it.

The link you had to JustNick's post spells it out pretty well. There are principles of electricity that simply don't change just because the price and marketing hyperbole went up.

My opinion is the better pickup makers invest in design, prototyping, and some better materials. Some just have good ears and an understanding of how the different elements create certain sounds. Honestly, I'm ok with paying for some of that.

But there's also a lot of pure BS.
 
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