🌚 Triple Kill

I can't believe I just spent 10 minutes thinking of an apt post title. LOL. But as promised in the last post, this post will be even crazier!!! Because today, I have 3 new pedals entering my arsenal!!! Well, if it seems like I have been a big spender again, it was not the case this time.

Here's my showcase of 3 of the cheapest pedals in the world. They are in order, a Joyo Vintage Overdrive (Tubescreamer) for $48.53, the cheapest passive volume in the world, a Sonicake Vexpress for $38.84 and a Caline Pure Sky (Timmy) for $32.61.

First up, the reason why I "splurged". I had to get a passive volume pedal small enough for the Ultimate Flyrig pedalboard (v4.5). The previous one I owned was the Hotone Vow Press, but it was an active pedal that required 9V power. Hence, it wasn't a suitable fit for a board aiming at portable power.

This Vexpress fits the bill perfectly, albeit in a shitty colour, literally. Tested it out with pedalboard version 4.5 and wow, it works just as I had intended! The next post will be dedicated to pedalboard version 4.5 and how I can use it to diversify my options in life tremendously.

Then since I'm already ordering something from AliExpress, might as well add in one more pedal that I've always seen but didn't dare to try. I have always stayed away from cheap made in China pedals because I'm afraid it'd be "one time use" only.

I somehow convinced myself that even if it spoils after a few rounds of usage, it still makes for a pretty great background art. However, I was pleasantly surprised at its build quality. It feels just like a legit pedal and sounds just like a Tubescreamer. Unbelievable!!

As if I have a lot of spare cash lying around, I got myself a Timmy clone too! I have been hunting a legit Timmy for quite a while now, before I even got the Jackson Audio Prism! But those things are so rare in Singapore...

Alas, I didn't even have space for a legit Timmy on my main board now. And since there are rave reviews online about the Pure Sky sounding crazy similar to the real Timmy, I took my chance with one. And yes, to my ears, it just does what a Timmy does! And it's like 20% of a used Timmy's price!

Meanwhile, I was pleasantly surprised with the boxes that these pedals came in. The Vexpress one looks legit like something I would get from a decent shop. The box with just "PEDAL" on it fits the description of lazy design. At least the Pure Sky came in a decent designed box, which also included an external 9V battery cable, which was rather surprising.

With the total cost of all 3 pedals just under $120, I have a feeling that I may never sell these pedals away. There comes a point where the having pedals around as art greatly surpasses the monetary value I can recoup from selling them. These prices, have reached that point.

I never thought I would encounter a day where I look to pedals so cheap when I have already gone through the likes of Line 6 Helix and custom shop gear! Never ever judge a book by its cover. Never.

Edwin Ang