New Pedal Day

[Submarine]

Schumann PLL.  Quite a kooky pedal. Does basic fuzz really well too.

[Lumpy]

Don't they sell for like $700, or something like that?

[Submarine]

Its made in Italy and then shipped over.  Cost about $380 including shipping.

[Lumpy]

Ah, it's a clone.

[Submarine]

Yes, I think its a clone.  Not a lot of info on the web about the original or even the clones.  I was lucky enough to spot one on Reverb.com through this Italian company.

I'm quite happy with it and it can do a lot.

[Lumpy]

He (John Schumann) was based out of a shop near where I lived (Main Drag Music in Brooklyn). 15 years ago, I used to see his pedals in their store, I think the cheapest one was $180 (the Lion X, a small one) and the big one you have was like $275. This was in like 2001. I had no idea what his pedals did, or why anybody would pay that much for a pedal. This was still the early days of boutique builders. Apparently, his workshop was in the back of the store.

Then he stopped building them. Used ones started getting really expensive a few years ago. They were impossible to find. A couple people were trying to clone them, but I think he gooped the insides to conceal the components, maybe even sanded parts numbers off things ? (not sure about that though). Supposedly the wiring was like spaghetti inside, and it was hard to figure out what was going on. I think maybe the clones weren't totally successful. Used units were selling for like $700. Since then, other builders started selling their own versions of PLL pedals. Phase Locked Loop, whatever that means.

Then Schumann said he was coming out of retirement a couple years ago, but I don't know what happened after that... maybe he sold his designs to another builder, if it says Schumann on the box. Or maybe he's the builder.

I had a less complicated, less expensive PLL pedal for a while recently, it wasn't very versatile, and sounded kind of like a ring modulator (alien, robotic maybe). The Schumann ones are probably a lot better.

[Submarine]

I had no idea the guy was here in NYC.  I was not even aware of his pedals until just the last few years.  Thanks for the info.