What Is A Boutique Guitar Pedal?

You've heard the term "boutique" but can't work out what on earth it means...surely a guitar pedal is a guitar pedal, right?

To some it is, yes. But if you're reading this article then chances are you have some appreciation that not all pedals are equal - and that's where boutique guitar pedals come in.

What are the defining characteristics of a boutique guitar pedal?

• Boutique guitar pedals are made in small batches - almost always by hand - by an independent builder, rather than on a large scale by an international company.
  
  
• The highest quality components are often sourced for tone and reliability.
  
  
• Boutique guitar pedals can afford to be experimental and pretty crazy as the market is much smaller and more niche.
  
  
• Boutique pedals are known for their eye-catching artwork - although just as many utilise a plain, industrial look.

Independent builders

Boutique guitar pedals by definition are very exclusive, as only small numbers are made. They are often handbuilt in small batches (or even built to order) by an independent builder - often just one or two people.

As Josh Scott from JHS explains in one of his excellent videos, his company WAS boutique but has grown so much that it can't be described as boutique anymore.

Small-batch production by hand has several implications. Firstly, attention to detail is incredibly high, as the pedals are built in small numbers and are therefore able to be thoroughly tested. Build quality is also very high, with builders opting to choose high quality footswitches, pots and jacks. Their reputations rely on their pedals working well for a long time and sounding great, so they put a huge amount of research and development time into ensuring everything works as it should, and some go as far as offering a lifetime guarantee for their pedals.

High quality components

Boutique pedal builders invest time and money searching for the best components. If the pedal is based on a vintage circuit, this might involve tracking down the exact same diodes, transistors and resistors. If the design is completely new, it may involve tirelessly matching pairs of diodes for optimum tonal characteristics.

FREDRIC EFFECTS Regent 150 Preamp

The Fredric Effects Regent 150 is a replica of the preamp section of a rare East-German amplifier. In order to faithfully replicate the characteristics of this amp, not only did Tim track down vintage-correct NOS transistors, he also took the additional step of using an internal charge-pump to convert 9V into the 15V DC that the original amp ran on!

 

Tonal options

Mainstream guitar pedals rarely step outside of "safe" territory. In order to sell high volumes they need to appeal to the widest audience possible. In contrast, boutique guitar pedals often feature additional options – as weird and wonderful as they may be – because builders know the pedals will find the audience they are designed for.

RED NOISE Butterfly Harmonic Tremolo

At the heart of the Butterfly is a harmonic tremolo, loaded with enough dials, toggles and inputs to give endless tonal versatility, taking you from subtle pulses to huge, choppy square waves. It's pretty straightforward to dial in a classic Vox-like tremolo or chewy Hendrix/Trower sound, but the Red Noise Butterfly really comes into its own with more complex instruments such as synths or drum machines, allowing you to create some wild sounds!

 

Artwork

Many boutique guitar pedals not only feature top-end components and great build quality - they complete the package with unique artwork that really stands out on a pedalboard. Screen printing, UV printing, hand painting and acid etching are the most common methods used for finishing pedal enclosures.

KINK GUITAR PEDALS Russian Plague

The Russian Plague has a killer circuit to match the killer artwork! It's a modified Turbo Rat stacked Into A 1992 "Civil War" Muff (or vice-versa) and sounds as hard as nails.

 

The feel

For many guitarists, it's the feel that counts. Whether or not all the individual components in a rig are speaking to each other can make or break a performance, from the right strings on the guitar to tone suck due to a high impedance signal.

Of course, this extends to guitar pedals too, and it's the feel and response of boutique guitar pedals that really make them worthwhile upgrades.

Are boutique guitar pedals worth the money?

You're not going to get a boutique guitar pedal on an AmazonBasics budget. Listen, if you need to populate your pedalboard with several effects without breaking the bank then the budget route is a worthy option.

But equally, you'll find that many boutique pedals not only sound great – especially with a valve amp – but also offer tons of functionality. Components are top notch and it's the sum of these parts that makes the difference, especially when paired with a decent amp and guitar.

Boost & overdrive pedals in particular will interact brilliantly with the preamp section of your amp, helping to take your sound to a new level. Modulation and time-based effects can sound great in front of an amp, but really shine in the effects loop.

If you prefer to invest in the best of tone, build quality, exclusivity and graphics, then boutique guitar pedals may be for you. If you have an ear that's tuned to every nuance of your sound, and understand that feel is also a big factor, then it's worth considering a boutique pedal.

If you can tell the difference between germanium and silicon diodes, or feel the difference with high-headroom 18V pedals, then we have some bad news: there's no escape from the rabbit hole that is boutique guitar pedals!

You may find that the extensive tonal options offered by many boutique pedals allow for more flexibility during the creative process; or that you can only get the sound in your head from a left-field pedal design.

RAYGUN FX Soda Drive+

Not all boutique guitar pedals have to be expensive: take the Raygun FX Soda Drive+, for example. This handwired overdrive/distortion pedal sounds absolutely huge given its tiny proportions, and it does a great job of achieving everything from light overdrive in Booster Mode to heavy distortion in Standard Mode - and even fuzz in Germanium Diode Mode.