You canít throw a stick without hitting a new boutique pedal company these days. Texas Blues Alley is very much a boutique site, but with surprising reach considering the focus. I've interacted with a few boutique pedal companies who mostly seemed interested in associating with big name players. But not everyone in this industry is like that.
Before It Mattered
On September 11, 2010 (before StevieSnacks was even 3 years old) Brian Wampler sent me a short email letting me know that he liked what I was doing. He described his business in 4 words: ìwe build guitar effectsî.
He didnít mention Brad Paisley, Brent Mason, or any other famous Wampler artists. He didnít try and sell me anything, and didnít temper his praise with words like ìsmallî, or ìnicheî. He just said: ìyou and I share a similar businessî. He treated me as a peer before I even realized how ridiculous a notion that was.
Donít forget that StevieSnacks had only been around for 3 years. Wampler pedals was already quite successful. Thatís quite a large difference in terms of visibility and reputation. I had nothing to offer him that he didnít already have.
So What?
I use Wampler pedals in many of my videos. I recommend them every chance I get. The pedals are wonderful (of course) but other companies make great pedals too. So why do I recommend them so highly?
Hereís why.
When other ìindustryî people wouldnít give me the time of day, Brian treated me as an equal. At shows, his employees have treated me with respect, even when they had no idea who I was. When I had very little to offer in return, they treated me as if I was worth their time and attention.
So now that I have a bit more visibility and influence, I proudly recommend their stuff every chance I get.
Chasing Tone
The purpose of that backstory is establish what kind of people work at Wampler Pedals. What kind of pedal company tells a beginner not to waste $200 on their first pedal? They do.
Chasing Tone is a podcast about tone. Itís 50% education, 25% relatable discussion, and 25% entertaining stories. It is truly educational, produced by people who know what theyíre talking about, and refreshingly honest about "sacred cowî topics like vintage instruments.
It is recorded very well, very listenable, and each episode is about 30 minutes long. Thereís no fluff, no pretense, just 3 people who work for my favorite pedal company teaching people about tone.
Theyíve already put out 7 episodesÖ. you should catch up.