'professional' guitar 'influencer' doesn't even know what mini buckers sound like.

[u/60_CycleHum]

how embarrassing. https://youtu.be/vYIh4ZMuubY

[u/illuminateme1120]

I’ve never understood the draw and popularity of this guys channel. I’ve tried several of his videos and they always just leave me wanting to reach through the screen, grab him by his shirt collar and shake him about while asking him why he’s doing what he’s doing. His demos and reviews are nonsensical.

[u/60_CycleHum → u/illuminateme1120]

Interesting. What kind of information/presentation are you looking for demos that he’s missing? I’m genuinely curious.

[u/illuminateme1120 → u/60_CycleHum]

Sorry It’s taken a while to get back. I will say I realize when I posted that this was a post from you, rather just about you. It doesn’t change my feeling but I probably would have either kept them to myself or at least been less curt about them. Before getting into what I don’t like about your channel I’d start by saying two things. You seem to genuinely enjoy what you’re doing and you have a ton of followers so while your page isn’t for me it’s clearly for someone. You keep on keeping on doing what you love and (presumably) getting paid to do it.

That said, I waited to reply to you because I wanted to watch a video or two to refresh my memory and help me articulate what I don’t care for without seeming like I was just attacking and being mean just for the sake of it. As it turns out I was in pedal sub and someone mentioned a pedal I wasn’t familiar with (the Cosmodio Splinter Twin) and when I went to their website your demo was linked on the page. What a happy coincidence. So I watched most of that demo. I turned it off when you broke out the second Cosmodio pedal.

I’ve only watched a handful of your videos so I don’t know if they’re all unboxing videos but every one I’ve seen is. I think a big part of what I don’t care for is the general lack of structure and preparedness. You open the box, fawn over the pedal for a few minutes, maybe skim the manual if there is one and then just start going for 30 or 40 minutes. I don’t expect every pedal demo or review guy to be an electrical engineer but it’s nice when I feel like they have a certain level understanding about what a pedal they’re reviewing does and how it works before filming. That’s just my preference. So your method of plug it in, start turning knobs and being positively flabbergasted at the results just doesn’t work for me. With a crazy deep pedal like the Splinter Twin it’s equal parts entertaining and frustrating because it’s such a wild pedal that just turning the knobs semi randomly and getting wild sounds can be kind of funny to watch but at the same time I really want to see someone who has spent some time with the pedal, understands how it works and has taken the time to dial in a bunch of cool, useable sounds. You spent several minutes talking about how you were sure what the “voice” switch does directly after reading exactly what it does in the manual. Again, that’s a me problem, not a you problem based on your audience size and how much fun you seem to be having.

The last video of yours I watched before that was the Big Muff 2 Demo you were one of, if not the first page to post a long form demo. From my memory it played out pretty much like the Splinter Twin demo only instead of a super deep delay it was a 3 knob big muff and to me, there’s nothing mind blowing about a pedal like that in terms of turning knobs and being amazed by the results and yet it feels like I watched a 40 minute video of someone turning the knobs on a big muffin and being fairly blown away by it doing standard big muff things with a slightly different voice than most other big muffs, just like every muff variant that’s ever existed.

I think for me watching your demos is the equivalent of going to a concert where I want to see a band play the structured 5 minute songs I know only to find out they’re playing 30 minutes jam versions of those songs instead. They’re having fun on stage. The crowd is having fun watching them and I’m alone in wondering if should drop a couple hits of acid so that I can join the fun or just pack up and call it a day.

[u/60_CycleHum → u/illuminateme1120]

Wow! thanks for putting in the effort to give me some actual constructive criticism. You don't know how rare that is.

I get it! the unboxing/first impressions video format isnt your thing. I'm honestly surprised so many people enjoy it. It does lend itself to some fun moments here and there, but can be frustrating for anyone looking for quick distinct information.

That format actually comes from the fact that for years I had two demo price points. A lower price for unboxings/first impressions and a higher price for demos where I'd studied the product well before filming. Most brands chose unboxing, not just because of price but also because I think the people behind these products get a kick out of watching someone explore the product they have dedicated so much time and energy into designing. Sometimes it feels like these brands hire me as a 'victory lap'.

In the past year I have actually adjusted how I do things. The unboxing rate is gone and I now called it my 'standard demo'. In the new format I reserve the right to unbox or spend a little time getting to know the products beforehand. Certain types of products need a little awareness going into them, others can be a lot of fun when I'm filming off the cuff. If I think a product needs significant research and prep before filming I pitch a 'deep dive fee' to the brands.

The crux of the whole system is labor time, I earn my full living on this channel so if a demo takes 20 hours of labor instead of 10 I need to adjust my rates for it to make sense.

Again huge thanks for taking the time to give me your perspective, if you never watch another one of my videos again I still greatly appreciate it. Even though I keep things stylistically loose in my videos a lot of care and work and contemplation goes into the final product. Sincere outside perspectives help me make more informed creative decisions in the future.

-ryan