How did you get into BJF pedals?

[huckleboogie]

love Your story, cedjazz. like me and alot of us, You didnt get hooked to BJF by any kind of hype-but by Your ears!!! thats an important difference.
i didnt even like the look of the DRD i plugged into a Heritage Colonial 4 years ago in a music store sorry! but i took it home and it was the first of many BJFE pedals.....

[cajone5]

Well I can very easily tell my story as it's only just beginning...

I've been through an ungodly number of pedals in a relatively short amount of time. I have always liked the idea of a compressor but never really found one that worked for me... I started with the BBE Orange Squasher then went to a Keeley 2-knob then a Wampler 4-knob then a TC Electronics Nova Dynamics and all of them progressively got better but they never really integrated well into my "sound". Then I said screw it, compressors are NOT for me.

A few months later I decided maybe I should try one of these Mad Professor pedals everyone seems to adore. So I bit the bullet and got a good deal on a MP FGC on TGP. When it finally arrived I plugged it in and I just sat there and said "this is what a compressor is supposed to do". It integrated seemlessly into my sound. It could be dialed in for some squash but really shined in the sustain mode where it added clarity, warmth, chime and sustain to my tone. I loved it as a clean tone enhancer. Then I added some distortion behind it and it just made everything come alive and sustain for days - it just sounded incredible. That's when I realized that these Mad Professor pedals weren't just TGP hype like many other pedals I tried and cast off.

Next I decided that I should try some Mad Professor dirt and since the Sweet Honey got such great reviews from Gearmanndude I figured I should give it a shot. Got one used for a fair price and there went my other OD pedals - I said goodbye to previous favorites including my Keeley 808 Mod+ and my Analogman KOTv4. They just didn't have the feel that the SHOD had. I couldn't put my finger on it but instead of the typical pedal feel - confining my dynamics and compressing my sound - this one opened everything up. It allowed me to play emotively and allowed me to control my tone with my picking dynamics alone. So cool - so alive.

Next was the SWAW which is just funky as hell and so soulful whether in front of or behind a fuzz. This experience finally sold me on the quality of the MP line and on the genius of BJF. I've never had my playing feel so alive before.

From there I did a bit of google searching and found the forums here. I perused them and thought it was pretty cool and within a couple weeks of watching, reading and learning, pmard posted that custom-sounds had DRDs in stock. So luckily I had a few bucks in my paypal and some extra cash to spare and I went and ordered one. Apparently they sold out within an hour or so of that post so I was very fortunate to get one when I did. And as a side note, thank you pmard - you sir are the sole reason I now own a real BJFe pedal After receiving it I, like the rest of you, had that "ah ha!" moment when I realized that this is what it's supposed to feel like. This is where he got it right and so many couldn't quite figure it out. This is why those who have tried BJ's pedals, believe and spread the word. Something about the guitar and amp come alive when you play though these pedals.

Move on to the present...just about a week ago another kind soul posted a skeptical entry under the buy/sell thread about a CAF on ebay. After checking the pictures I thought it was a cloner for sure. Someone trying to cash in on the popularity and price tag that goes along with BJFe pedals but kept an eye on it anyway; afterall, I've been wrong before (only like 2 or 3 times though). Then, the man himself, BJF, chimed in on the thread and notified the boards that it was indeed a "real" BJFe CAF. So, like the impulsive person I am, I jumped on the opportunity to pick it up at a great price. Turns out it's a one off (see photo below - soo cool). Now I just have to wait a week or 2 for it to arrive from Europe - and yes the waiting might just kill me...



So here I am, waiting. And really interested in what I can get my hands on next. Between the quality of the MP BJF line and the DRD (along with clips of everything else BJF) I'm sold on these pedals. They're dynamic, responsive, quiet, well built, toneful, and alive. Now I just wish I could find out what was shipping out next so I could get on the appropriate waiting list. Anyone know if that info is available? I'm really looking at the SBEQ, PGC, and HBOD but don't know which will be available next or even soon(ish). I am also a little worried about wait listing myself for all 3 and ending up in the poor house... :/ haha.

Anyway... I'm really looking forward to continuing on with this crazy "tone journey". I can definitely say that despite their high price tag all these MP and BJFe pedals have been well worth it. I can't tell you the number of pedals I've been through with no luck - hell I've probably paid the post office enough for them to buy a couple BJFe pedals. So I'm happy to pay the prices for these. After all, they're cheap considering the number of pedals I've gone through to get here!!!

[Donner]

thanks for sharing all the great testimonies - its always fun to see the path others have taken and the results...