AFFORD-A-GONKULATOR? - Controversy! is this 'CLONE' too close for comfort? - GUT SHOTS AT THE END

I used patreon money to buy an import clone of a DOD Gonkulator and what showed up might be too close for comfort. I actually asked Tom Cram (dod/digitech guy) and he said the OEM claims they have nothing to do with it and that they suspect its the result of dumpster diving by another factory. Seems like a big mystery to me. If you want to see more independentantly funded demos on this channel please consider supporting us on patreon: / 60cyclehumcast
Ginean Gonk on aliexpress: shorturl.at/dmHOS
Ginean Gonk on Reverb: reverb.partnerlinks.io/GINEAN...
The Real Deal GONK: sweetwater.sjv.io/QyWOn3
Chapters
00:00 - Intro
04:29 - Two Princetons
05:19 - Gonking begins
17:48 - STEREO GONKS
20:09 - Bass VI GONKS
23:41 - Gut Shots
25:56 - Is this ethical?
*****************************
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[@MrGallade475]

I'm genuinely impressed by how random and meaningless that deer graphic is on the clone. It's so strange haha

[@markferguson3745]

Those very features and qualities generally impress me as well.

[@gupster24]

I think it kinda fits, just something kinda cute on it contrasting with such an ugly sounding pedal lol

[@couryswan2448]

I bet it was someone at the factory that just said, let's use the doodle that girl drew the other day, it was good...

[@claesvanoldenphatt9972]

I like the deer. It’s so Chinese.

[@claesvanoldenphatt9972]

The problem with cheap chynees knockoffs is the low quality switches and jacks that break down so much faster than quality parts on name brand pedals. I had a $40 RAT clone with a foot switch that I could not replace because its 9 pins could not be soldered with consumer tools. A quality pedal would have a normal switch that could be easily repalced. So my $40 + the $11 I spent on a new switch were wasted.

[@67goat]

I like how the blue cased Gonk has a green circuit board and the green cased clone has a blue circuit board.

[@Issicra]

I think I love the idea of a Gonkulator more than actually using it. I wouldn't pay 150 bucks for one, but for 50 I would consider it for sure.

[@guitfidle]

My thoughts exactly

[@danrunnoft6642]

Buy the cheap one, that's what DOD did.

[@TrafVal]

But they developed it too

[@Clebardman]

@@TrafVal DOD keeps dying and being resurrected to reissue some old schematics. Nobody who makes money from these pedals had anything to do with develloping the Gonkulator. The only right they have on them is that they had lots of money to begin with. That's not a strong ethical argument. At least not enough to make me defend them against "thieves" who want to sell me the exact same product at a price that is both sustainable for them, and not 300% overpriced. I'd argue the OEM has more rights to claim ownership of those pedals than some shareholders who never saw one and just dumped a ton of money on a safe business venture; but that's my latin ass speaking. The way intellectual ownership works is vastly different here, and, to sum it up briefly, slapping people with wads of cash will never make you the rightful owner of an intellectual property here. Nobody in this story designed the pedals, but at least the OEM is actually making them, unlike DOD shareholders who do nothing but count their bills.

[@TrafVal]

@@Clebardman fair!

[@makingmusiconline2309]

@@Clebardmanthe people that bought the DOD rights, paid either the original company, or the receivers who were paying off the companies owed money by Digitech. This continues each time it gets sold on. Debts are paid and the new company gets the rights to use those designs in exchange for paying off the debts. If some Chinese company just steals the designs, then the company that bought the rights are ripped off. They too could go out of business leaving debts that no-one wants to buy, or they just don’t have the money required to produce new DOD and Digitech pedals. If you buy “stolen” intellectual property, then that’s your decision.

[@crammojophilter]

Nice theory, except that the 2013 and onward designs are new. they include true bypass, LED, power filtering, new chassis, and new features. Also the "Modern" series (Carcosa, Boneshaker, Looking Glass, Gunslinger, Rubberneck, etc.) are entirely original designs. And yes, somebody in this story designed the pedals - ME. @@Clebardman

[@-jank-willson]

the color of the circuit board can have a lot to do with the slight differences in sound. The ginean sounded more blue, whereas the DOD sounded more green to me. And now we know why...

[@williamduvall2800]

Interesting find. I did a little Google and Reverb research. The Ginean Factory Fuzz, Hairy Show Fuzz, Massive Overdrive, RigMod Modulator and Phaser all appear to be Chinese grey market clones of DOD Electronics pedals, presumably from a Cor-Tek factory.

[@derek14653]

they are different,you can check out their circuit design.

[@bsnyder921]

Stealing America's intellectual innovations: the one thing that China is good at.

[@jamesb8573]

@@derek14653 No: the circuit board layout is exactly the same, and so are the visible components.

[@leonvain]

Extended princeton jingle LETS GOOOOOOOO 💥💥💥💥

[@phogue1]

Well, hell, we need DOD to make a stereo Gonkulator…the Redonkulator!

[@barnshart9662]

DOD / Digitech was bought by Cor-Tek (Cort guitars) right? Isn't Cor-Tek basically the world's biggest OEM in the guitar world? This makes sense to me.

[@juanfichtl2011]

I thought digitech is Harman's ?

[@telekhal]

@@juanfichtl2011 was…

[@oldcrackadated]

If there were any bugs in your house before you started I’m sure they are long gone now , but this stuff is fun

[@terrorbirds9835]

2 princetons jam is a highlight of your vids. This extended version was a treat.

[@darklight4815]

i've needed a ring mod precisely zero times but that deer artwork is cute

[@ipullstuffapart]

"Third Shift" is the term you're looking for. Its basically the unoffiical manufacturing run going after hours and selling grey market. Oftentimes itll just be another line right next to the mainline using the same staff but with a different component source to keep it off the books.

[@AbeldeBetancourt]

It is legal for Asian markets, they don't need to do it _off the books._ It becomes a thing when some "Westerner" wants to make a buck by importing those products or someone finds out it is cheaper to import a product directly from Asia than to buy it from the store [ ..].

[@claesvanoldenphatt9972]

And they use crap switches that break and can’t be replaced easily.

[@raf.raf.]

Really appreciate the detective work you did!

[@robertthornton1657]

OMG, gonkulators in stereo are awesome! What a sound! 😊😊😊

[@djay6651]

The Gonkulator distortion is supposed to be the same circuit as the FX-69 Grunge. But you can dial the gain a lot lower on the Gonkulator than the Grunge.

[@adonijah139]

Btw, thank u 60-C Ryan for these clone vids. I live in Philippines, spend a lot of time browsing Ali E, Lazada and Shoppee looking at random clones and unique China made pedals. Interesting stuff! Thanks for demoing this AND the Mosky fuzz, as I had been curious about that one. If you could recommend your FAVORITE fuzz or do a fuzz shootout, that be a great vid that I think we’d all enjoy. 😊🎉

[@knappymer]

Didn't surf all the comments to check, but that's not a trim pot there on the board. It's a clip that helps secure the PCB to the case.

[@MrNeedlekiller]

Love your work mate!

[@sunn_bass]

Nice affordable version of the DOD Gonkulator. Plus any effect named after a Hogan's Heros episode is good in my books (i.e. Klink vs. the Gonculator, Season 4, Episode 2, even though the spelling is different)

[@Bob-Whiting]

genius!

[@jpm9628]

Hell yeah. Mine is coming in 12 days! I ordered before finishing the video, haha. I always wanted now and that price makes it make sense! There's a trick that Prince did where he blends Ringmod in next to his non-Ringmod tone with an expression pedal. First thing I'm gonna do when I plug it in.

[@Clebardman]

Honestly tempted to buy the whole DOD line from Ginean rn, just to send a message to US "brands" who resell asian manufactured products at 20 times the production cost. And I say this as someone who loves his Carcosa and Rubberneck, and DOD pedals in general.

[@trev_mcnaughton]

I'm suuuuper curious about this trick... you've completely piqued my interest. I'm going to look this up. Do you have any advice where to look for info on the setup? might have to order an expression pedal now for it too... I think it's what a jazz fusion keyboardist did once, the name and the song escapes me right now, but I've always tried and failed to recreate that.. and I think you've put me on to the right path!

[@jpm9628]

@@trev_mcnaughton Dude breaks it down in the video. I got mine and have been jamming on it for a few days. It's pretty rad, but it's low volume. I can work with it.

[@trev_mcnaughton]

@@jpm9628 I just got mine today and was seriously enjoying it.. especially just after my tube zipper in the signal chain.. the envelope set right lets a bit of the ring mod out more with just the right attack.. thoroughly happy having this on the pedalboard!

[@terryenglish7132]

​@@ClebardmanJan Hammer then w Mahavishnu Orchestra used a ring modulator w his Electric Piano to sort of bend notes. After he got a Mini Moog he used that for leads , where he actually could bend. I was around when they played and heard them live lots of times , once twice on the same tour. Every time I was amazed humans could play at that level. Jan, Yan, also wrote the Miami Vice theme.

[@uvulapie]

Excellent guitar choice to showcase the Gonkulator!

[@GibusGang]

im still waiting for a miku clone

[@teknomanning]

I’ve got a miku

[@troynixdorf778]

For a second I thought you might be the singer for the Spindoctors.

[@pekerhed101]

I've been a long-time fan of the geetarist SNAKEFINGER, who was a member of the obscure band "The Residents" during their early years...and he often drenched his axe in Ring-Modulation...so here I am...somebody who didn't wanna shell out for the Gonkulator...but you're goddamn right I just ordered that clone from AliExpress. LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

[@malcolmbliss777]

Third Reich and Roll, baby! Ralph Records = Buy or Die! I’ve been a fan since 1980, when I found their 7” comp in the back of Rolling Stone. MX80 is STILL one of my fave bands ever! Duck Stab!

[@malcolmbliss777]

I also bought one just now.

[@terryenglish7132]

My T shirt has its eye on you, but it does give a tip of its Top Hat. I caught the Elvis was a baby tour w the Casio Electronic Sax toys.

[@malcolmbliss777]

Ralph was a earth cracking record label. The crust broke apart. If u missed it, for the Eagles or TP and the (fake) Heartbreakers w/ no Johnny Thunders or Jerry Nolan... do I gotta spell this shit out?....

[@pierreblenderbuss9807]

I am also a fan of The Residents and Snakefinger. Managed to see The Residents twice in my life--I have to revisit some of their music soon.

[@nojuanatall3281]

I like the way the ring mod on the boss gt1b works. It goes in steps so you can set it to a 5th, 7th, or octave ect. It makes it easy to find the harmony you are looking for. You can also blend it and there are two modes. Auto and manual. I like to mix it with fuzz and an fx25. Sounds wild.

[@nunestunes]

Cheap Sunglasses had a ring mod on it, and to me that had a fantastic tone

[@pass_the_flask]

I own one - mostly just bought it for playing Incubus songs with and stacking with the Boss PH-2 (again, Incubus). Flanger is another pedal that seems to create some interesting effects when used with the Gonk. Thought it sounded pretty close to what I was expecting and to my surprise, it's exactly the same thing!.

[@cvanhetkaar96]

No ethics problem, i think, on Aliexpress it is mentioned that they cloned the 90’s version of the DOD ring modulator, which was over 20 years off the market. Only if DOD kept the patent to themselves , there would be a problem i guess, but DOD has been away completely in between ..

[@skeleton-key]

Had the OG back in the 90's. Never could use it well but loved it somehow lol

[@50Something]

Very interesting episode Ryan!

[@flickeringgreenflame8493]

Sorry if someone else mentioned this (or you did -- I'm only halfway through the video). Tommy Iommi apparently used a ring mod sometimes -- e.g. the opening to "Iron Man". Some early Devo (of course), as well. :)

[@Clebardman]

The story I heard is that Iommi came back to the studio one day to discover that his solo on Paranoid had been drenched in ring modulator, and hated it. Wether it's a fact of one of the many myths of rock n'roll, I don't know.

[@couryswan2448]

Ohh, seriously is dope in stereo with correct ring notes set!

[@crammojophilter]

It's called graymarket, and it is a big deal to us. Also the white thing isn't a trim-pot, it is a stand-off. The trim pot is on the left labeled P5 - it is the null control.

[@dboone7670]

Are you implying you work for DOD?

[@crammojophilter]

I've worked for DigiTech/DOD since 1996.

[@crammojophilter]

@@TC-wr9pk No idea what those are supposed to be, we weren’t working on a chorus.

[@codelicious6590]

Wow some of the tones you got out of the OG Gonkulator reminded me of Silversun Pickups. Id have a ball with that little gem.

[@gtmuse329A]

Who you gonna call? Gonkulator! 🎶”Gonkin makes me feel good…”😀

[@paulj0557tonehead]

Robert Oberheim invented Ring Modulation for his college thesis. It is pure math. Iirc it's PRODUCT divided by the SUM. ( I was hoping you'd run them in series) The Maestro RM1 was the first commercial unit available and the demo record did not do it justice. The RM1 has Control Voltage Input, and it opens a whole new world of production techniques! I used to plug a drum machine into to the RM1 and trigger it with the guitar through the CV-IN. Wow, Ryan get some great stuff out of this pair in stereo! Great job! I made a big mistake and loaned my Maestro RM1 to someone and never saw it again.

[@pcbullets8726]

Bizarre pedal, great video. That circuit board does look exactly the same though.

[@stuartchapman5171]

Great video for a great clone, always wanted a Gonk. I have a great diy analogue ring mod and a grunge, aparently the same distortion part of the Gonk. This is all in one tidy package though, gotta keep the board real-estate down. Ive also just found out that Ginean do a Carcosa clone, the Hairy fuzz! Damn thats a fine modern fuzz, as in, itll sit anywhere in your signal chain, not just the beginning and loves and hates(destroys) all signals at any strength, equally. Damn what other Digitech clones are they doing from that great era? Im on a pedal diet at present, seriously not reaching for my wallet, oh god I can hear the sound of the repo man coming up my garden path. Quick turn off the lights and cue the angry dogs tape.

[@tobymearing8407]

great show - great comments as well - fascinating stuff folks thanks. DOD never impressed me, i liked their digitech branch more...

[@PeterDebreceni]

Would love to have that Freq knob effect on an expression pedal

[@Rowe4900candymachine]

The strymon mobius has an effect called quadrature, you can set it up to be a ring mod with expression, you can also do an lfo and envelope.

[@UnitedEffect]

Fairfield Circuitry makes a high quality ring modulator called Randy's Revenge. The CV /frequency can be controlled by an expression pedal. And it's a superior product to the ones in this video by far. The lower oscillator frequencies create rich trem/vibe effects, excruciatingly slow or chopped up rhythmic flavours. As the frequency goes up, thick bells, tuned intervals, low-fidelity synth-like effects are only the beginning. Experimenting with the low-pass filter cutoff frequency and the dry/wet mix will yield tones as strange or subtle as desired. Featuring expanded control voltage (CV) capabilities that allow for interactions beyond the simple stacking of effects, Randy can be used to control and be controlled by other CV capable devices. The stereo CV is switch-programmable for use with an expression pedal or as a 2-channel CV port. Both the oscillator and low-pass filter frequency are voltage-controllable. The internal oscillator is also available as an output, turning Randy into a stand-alone voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO).

[@glennmichaelthompson4112]

@@UnitedEffect I have a Randy's Revenge. Although it's not an effect I use a lot... when I do need or want certain sounds it can't be beat. So many options too! You definitely want the voltage control accessed by an expression pedal. The Gonkulator's okay as a starter... but it's mostly a distortion that has a bit of ring mod built in.

[@GuitarPickReviews]

It might not be useful at all on a live setting, but this type of pedals is as useful as it gets in sound design.

[@retromacman620]

Perfect 80's synth pop tone. Perfect

[@HenrySchecker]

What a funky sound

[@johnro6659]

I actually love it! I need to get one... I always wanted an SX Liquid but with two humbuckers in that color never was much of a P90 fan. I have to see your review on this one. I need to search your reviews, I have had great luck with the options from Rondo music SX, Douglas, Hadean and of course Agile. I just scored a Douglas Corvus (Jazzmaster clone) $100.00. I was blown away how good it was and like you I think the tail piece is the weak point. The humbuckers are amazing I thought someone swapped them but they are stock. Edit: I guess I did see the review in the SX.

[@Mr.Steve-O]

Business 101 in China - There are no ethics, sales only matter. It's clearly a DOD factory that made some pedals using leftover DOD parts that they probably had left over as DOD was exiting the market. A similar thing happened in 2019 with the Kirkland 4 Pc golf ball at Costco a few years back when they used leftover Pro V-1 cores in a factory in Korea. They used a slightly different exterior and added the Kirkland branding of course, but when the balls we cut open the truth came out and the lawsuits began. The same thing apparently has happened here. Ryan's super sleuth skills are second to none 😆

[@danduntz2539]

My favorite Chinese clone story is when they reverse-engineered a bmw x5 and made their own version which was almost identical, and then bmw sued them and lost!

[@sunn_bass]

I find it ironic when US companies have a non-domestic company completely built their stuff for cheap then get mad when the actual manufacturer sells the exact same product at a lower price as an off brand. Then the US company is shocked, surprised and offended when this happens. Wake up.

[@Mr.Steve-O]

@@sunn_bass Hypocrites with a capital H

[@nneekolas]

All intellectual property in China becomes community property. I shed no tears for companies outsourcing for cheapness and then getting undercut themselves

[@keithmaryman1377]

Every time i hear "gonkulator" it reminds me of an episode of Hogan's Heros

[@AutismRocksOfficial]

I almost feel like writing a Gonk song now. Could be fun.

[@Bob-Whiting]

@60 Cycle Hum Ahhhh, it's good to be back home (with a new handle) These pedals are almost music to my ears, lmao. They take perfectly good chord tones and make them into perfectly Hideous Chord tones. Maybe you should try playing some of the "Forbidden Hideous Chords" through them, Maybe they'll sound great! I mean, I doubt it, but it's worth a try. (re-subbed today) Thanks for once again making me smile and laugh!

[@tylersmith3979]

Everyone should be able to afford to Gonk out!

[@FXJunky]

Looks like the “massive distortion” from this line is just a rebranded BoneShaker too.

[@nym053]

I love my Gonkulator, and I actually want the green one as well haha. Also getting a Ringerbringer, but that's as a send effect on my mixer 😆 Btw, I wished you'd have adjusted that trimpot to the same positions, and then compared them again.

[@SquizbarDeAlienOfficial]

Hey Ryan I just wanted to say thank you!!!! Because of this review comparison I won’t have to spend $200+ AUSD. I’m probably not going to use it on my guitar or bass but I will be putting it on ny Keytar Pedalboard 🤘👽🤘.

[@cameronwhite9959]

I need one for my Kazoo board, don't I?

[@matttttt8272]

Awesome video thanks man! Love the ginean hairy show fuzz which is a clone of the dod carcosa. Think this is going to be my next Ginean . Would love to see a review of the four ginean mini pedals, they do distortion delay overdrive and another can’t remeber, not sure if they are clones of dod also? , I think ethically grey area? But u can’t patent a small guitar pedal circuit so I have heard. And most pedals we buy from establish brands are a tweaked topology of a classic pedal with a few twists on it. So I’m thinking this is completely fine. I’m pretty sure Dunlop Dod boss etc can get by without my few quid and it appeals to my punky worldview kinda so have at it! Or this could potentially be a corruption of my moral standing due to having the budget for Ali express pedals only at the moment. lol

[@deztruct0823]

I love the shape of the afforda-guitar lol its like a star fish!

[@lazloaluisa1906]

I love these things and can think of a number of things I could use them for. Would there be any point in determining which notes/keys are present at certain points around the "frequency" knob (if I can find a way to write that small or mark it)? That way I can speed dial / go quickly to a particular key I am going to mostly drone in on a particular song? Or is that an impossible feat? Is the frequency going to be so different and random each time that the knob it is moved that it isn't going to ever go back to those exact points?

[@PaperbagmanOfficial]

Fun!!! ❤️‍🔥

[@retromacman620]

I'm... the way this makes me feel is possibly very odd... becuase wow I need this.

[@robbusch9564]

Gonked in stereo - may never be the same.

[@TerrestrialMack]

Been eyeing this one for awhile now lol

[@steverushforth7009]

I think the only 2 times a ring mod has sounded good, are the voice of the Daleks and the lead on Black Sabbaths Paranoid. On a serious note, I work in marine electronics in the UK and asked why we manufacture PC boards in-house, not in China, the answer was the B#####s will copy them, and years of R&D go down the drain.

[@johnkarlstephenson3294]

I love all things gonk…… I play bass and am proud to be in a band with two great guitar players and we all gonk!

[@2wm]

The Ginean Hairy Show Fuzz (DOD Carcosa) is pretty good, too.

[@Firemedic361]

Great way for a company to hit both markets!

[@DMStern]

Since the board has a different silkscreen, it's probably not stolen factory rejects or ghost shift parts. You'd also think DOD's production/quality engineers would notice if there's enough rejects to make a business around. Ironically, it looks like the clone has the markings sanded off the ICs, which is done to - you guessed it - prevent cloning (or in some cases, to obfuscate the origin of stolen parts.)

[@oldcrackadated]

You had me trying to reach in & plug em up to speed you up

[@ivarvanderheijden]

I have the DOD one ('90s OG and reissue). This one sounds really close. But I already have two OG Gonkulators, so, do I need another one? 🤔

[@joebodynobody764]

Yes

[@ivarvanderheijden]

@@joebodynobody764 Perhaps I will... about €58 including shipping is not a bad deal.

[@thirteenthnile3536]

Do you ever stack them?

[@Clebardman]

Man you're so close to quadriphonia gonkulating, don't stop now :o

[@teknomanning]

Y not

[@LarsonGuitarPlayer]

I have the ehx ring modulator, only use it in my home studio. With theese, I can have it on my pedal board, use it as a normal distorsion AND have access to a ring modulatior. I'd buy the clone and save the money.

[@malcolmbliss777]

7:47 this is the point in the video when I went to AliExpress and bought one. I’ve bought things from them before, they are legitimate. Kind of. The price can’t be beat.

[@compartmentofdirections]

“Private Label OEM” is the phrase u were looking for 3:38

[@cuckoobrain7999]

Ordered this without being able to find anything about it and then get this recommended haha

[@cuckoobrain7999]

Also had no idea is was a gonkulator

[@uncle_ike]

I watched an AliExpress seller's inventory of this pedal drop from 300+ just hours after this video released to sold out a day later.

[@macsarcule]

The copy gonk has been on reverb too in the last year and a half at times too.

[@bluemtoo]

That made my teeth hurt

[@SisterRose]

I've never understood why there aren't more auto-tuning Ringmods, it's not far off how some octaver pedals work IIRC. Even if the tracking is jammy it'd still be vastly better than just having to have a static drone.

[@hollywood4834]

It’s because the sum and difference of the input frequencies which is by definition what a ring mod does is naturally inharmonic… what you’re describing would not be a ring mod but just a weird pitch shifter… but I mean… yeah that could be cool

[@SisterRose]

that's exactly what ring mod does on a Synthesiser, though. if it's combining an AM wave it's still ring modulation regardless of the pitch changing@@hollywood4834

[@danduntz2539]

I’m curious if you match up the trim pot on the cheaper model, either forward or backward, if it’s identical to the DOD.

[@tobymearing8407]

that is what i was thinking

[@bradrehn1007]

This could be right at home on a Flaming Lips, Dukes of the Stratosphere, stoner doom rock, and you were only moments of away from Smoke on the Water to my ears... I'd love to hear what keyboard Bernie Worrell might have plugged it into!!

[@danmc_2783]

Just read what you wrote in the description and had to change what I'm going to say lol. If DOD knows nothing about this then either the factory that makes the pedal for them (or someone there) has produced them "under the table" or someone has got ahold of the original and simply reverse engineered it. If it was "dumpster diving" by someone from another factory in the area producing similar things, then they'd likely know already where all the parts have been sourced from and so would probably be able to produce such an exact clone relatively easily

[@Clebardman]

Is the OEM claiming someone raided their garbage bin and stole the EXACT screws of the pedals? Let's be honest. It sounds like DOD just got caught red-handed selling 40$ pedals at 4 times the price. Wich is what all these brands do, so I'm not against a little scandal to drive the prices down.

[@danmc_2783]

@@Clebardman If the bin was raided by someone local who worked in another factory producing similar things, they'd know exactly where to get the same screws, along with all the other parts. Otherwise it's just as likely that someone working at the factory that produces the DOD pedals simply built a batch to sell under the table. The Gonkulator is DOD's design, they can produce them wherever they want. If they don't know about this going on, they'd have a clear case to make over IP infringement With any brand name pedal you are paying for that name. I've built a lot of pedals, for myself and others and most come out at around that $40USD cost to make in terms of parts. And that's sourcing the highest quality components and buying in small batches. It's really only crazy high end stuff with digital aspects and lots of options that cost much more than that to make. So yeah, your paying a markup for any brand name pedal you buy. What DOD is doing is hardly the most egregious example of it

[@Clebardman]

@@danmc_2783 They'd have legit no need to get the same enclosures or screws. In fact, if it was indeed dumpster-diving, it would have been logical to CHANGE those things as to not make it more suspicious than it already is. Those are the same boards, the same pots, the same screws, the same enclosures. Those pedals 99.99% come out of the same factory. I feel I also must point out that DOD isn't a person, DOD didn't design any pedals, DOD died and came back multiple times since those pedals were designed. I can pretty confidently say that nobody who gets a share of the sales at DOD had anything to do with develloping any of those pedals, so I'm really not feeling the ethical obligation to buy 150$ from them pedals that actually cost 10$ to produce and can be sold 40$ in a sustainable way for the manufacturer. But here we're getting into a cultural clash, because the latin and anglo-saxon intellectual rights work very differently, and it's legit impossible for me to imagine anyone owning intellectual rights because they BOUGHT them. Which doesn't even matter because as I understand there is actually no intellectual property over circuits, and anyone can reproduce a pedal 1:1 and sell it without problems.

[@danmc_2783]

@@Clebardman I didn't argue that it didn't come out of the same factory, indeed I said that's probable. The Gonkulator is an original pedal. It's their design, no matter which individual created it. And the IP isn't in the circuit itself but in the layout and design of the board. Again, DOD owns that IP. I could make clones of other pedals all day but I'd have to design my own pcb etc. for it. It having the exact same PCB design and DOD not knowing about it is where the case is here

[@danmc_2783]

@@TC-wr9pk I meant DOD knowing as in approved by, not just that they know that someone is doing this

[@fernalicious]

They make a very cool, diverse Fuzz that's a clone of the Caracosa. Bought two!

[@Mr.Steve-O]

What is the name of that Fuzz ?

[@fernalicious]

@@Mr.Steve-O Hairy Show Fuzz

[@stuartchapman5171]

​@@fernaliciousthanks, the Carcisa ys a great fuzz, being a modern take on the sound it can ho anywhere in the signal path and sound good with any type of signal. I'll look at that.

[@IsabellaCatherine19XX]

I just started the video and the word that comes to mind is, as the kids say, ;sus'.

[@alanredversangel]

If you want a ring mod to compliment what key you're in you need to play a major scale. Ideally pentatonic. So tuning it to c would have made A blues licks sound better.

[@BrandonPitt]

9:55 I almost lost it

[@j.d.lawrence1222]

Stereo Bass VI is siiiick!!!!

[@VioletDeliriums]

i have a gonkulator...i got it because I wanted something that could make the sound of the guitar in paranoid by black sabbath...the gonkulator is simpler than the pedals i thought of using to make that sound: fuzz + ring mod...plus its's yet another fuzz box in my collection of fuzz boxes (and it became the third ring mod i owned too)...that's why! :) .... PS the Bass VI with reverb + gonkulator sounds like a spaghetti western gone bad...very, very bad.

[@dasgogoboot]

You could use it on your cover of Pere Ubu’s Real World.

[@obsequious_obsolescence]

The dod is out of my price range so that answers the ethics for me and everything else. That said what is the state of the afford a board. Are all of the pedals still obtainable?

[@SteveHameister]

Always Be Gonkin'

[@benmorris118]

If i was insane, would there be a way to connect the frequency control to an exp pedal and use it to manually change the ring as a crappy drone note? I know itd be impractical and probably awful, but...

[@d4r0xx0r]

@ 16.55: "They're both Gonkulatin' - they're Gonkulatin' HARD, too!" Full marks for that one, sir! Concerning practical uses for a ring modulator...when I got myself a few synths and sampler, I tried to emulate the calliope-type sound from Devo's "Jocko Homo", without success, no natter what - but when I plugged my BC Rich Ironbird through a ring modulator (first time I'd tried one at home) on the ultra-cheap ZOOM GFX707 pedal... it turns out IT WAS A GUITAR ALL ALONG! Who'da thunk it?

[@jasonchristian8362]

mark m has an eh frequency analyzer duct taped to his guitar in the video. i had one, but the adapter falls out too easily , and breaks the signal. too bad because it soumds great.

[@RookieAlert]

I have a bit crusher pedal(branded as a low fi pedal) that ive dialled in to sound like a lightsaber distortion pedal, and it sounds awesome. This pedal reminds me of it a fair bit. 22:00

[@Rowe4900candymachine]

Bit crushing is really cool that swish you get when adjusting the sample rate sounds crazy.

[@nunestunes]

Have one on your board for each key to drone over

[@watcherofthemundane]

They also have a carcosa fuzz copy

[@familiarpurrson8744]

In a world… where one pedal that makes such a sound just isn’t enough… Gonkuquest.

[@mindfield9832]

stereo mode is pretty rad.

[@SonicRave1]

Why do you do this to me Ryan?!?!? I just bought one! Thanks.

[@TheRmoroni]

paranoid black sabbath uses a ring modulator on the guitar solo

[@joesgtprima4609]

I know my friend Peter Steele from Brooklyn NY. We know each other from studio bouncing... my band was called Exit 13 a NYC based metal band..you hopped on the band wagon at the time with biohazard, anthrax, Ramones, corrosion of conformity, all NY based bands know and met each other..the glory years..... .He had one he used in the studio recording bloody kisses album. He was given this petal from another member of the circle of band friends...He used it on the bass guitar. It was a studio secret from the outside to know his gear ... Well he used it because he had a bond with the bottom end and it was very doomed sounding when you dragged the note after the measure and rest....like the song he cover "summer breeze". ....that's where you here the petal clearly ... It made his bass sound thicker and hide the fret buzzing from being detected on his bass. That's why Type O negative was never copyed to exact tone.

[@ravenslaves]

I'll wait until a more affordable clone of the $48 pedal hits the market.. ...maybe.

[@Ren-X]

I immediately tracked down their Carcosa and Boneshaker clones. On their way

[@Ren-X]

Okay, they both arrived. If anyone would like to see gut shots, just reply

[@rbrwr]

The Ginean board is dated April 2021. Is that about the time Harman gave up on DigiTech/DOD? The Cortek purchase was in April 2022, and they'd been running down stock for months, maybe a year, before that. Everything must have ground to a halt for a while. Even if the OEM management wasn't involved, it might have been a moment that somebody thought nobody would care if a copy of the CAD files went home with them.

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

It looks like a Moogoo pedal. They make counterfeits though most are not renamed. Their OCD is white with Fulltone printed across the pedal. They also did a Maxon EQ. Moogoo appear to make Mosky and DemonFX. The modulator comes in the same casing they used for the Fulltone pedal. Some of the Moogoo pedals even clone the board so if Fulltone had a name or whatever on the board so would the counterfeit. You can not sue for circuits. You never could. For a Short time you could but you would get a garage door opener guy making a circuit for switching but a pedal guy could by logic use that same circuit never having seen the product and get a law suit. The Greer Light Speed is a Timmy v.2 with 2 parts having a bit more voltage but the actual circuit is identical. Brian Wampler did a video converting a Boss SD-1 into a Tube screamer by merely taking out a couple of parts that took maybe 3 to 5 minute's. The Big Muff EQ circuit is used as an EQ in pedals that are not even a Fuzz. It came from a popular Radio circuit although guy making pedals now never touch a radio but learn from a Muff.