Choice overload and stompboxes : How do you do ?

[eh là bas ma]

Hello,

I was thinking about a question that is often related with social networks, movies and series websites, etc. I guess it also occurs to diy builders after a few years...

Internet being a tool that might be too powerful, we have so much choice that things get turned upside down : too much choice kills the choice.

When there is one person in the room, it will take some time, a few minutes to decide what movie to watch, what article to read, what news channel to choose, etc.
If there is 2 or 3 people it will take even more time to make a choice. 4 people and everybody go in a different room, close the door and do the choice alone.

This "new" internet problem and its impact on our lives led to many behavioral studies.

"Over the past few decades, a large body of research has repeatedly shown that when people experience choice overload—when they face more options than they desire—they can experience a wide range of negative outcomes, from frustration and confusion to regret, dissatisfaction, and even choice paralysis."

Is Having Too Many Choices (Versus Too Few) Really the Greater Problem for Consumers? - Behavioral Scientist

A new study featuring more than 7,000 participants from six countries found that choice deprivation—a feeling of not having enough to choose from—not choice overload is the most common consumer experience.

behavioralscientist.org

Doesn't the experience of "choice overload" also applies with stompboxes, with all the "negative outcomes" quoted above ?

According to your experience, do you think a large number of options is a good thing ?

On internet we can sometimes let the algorythms do the choice for us. Is there a way to go around the choice overload issues with stompboxes ?

Personally, i'm still trying to figure it out, but when i learned that some studies are showing that beyond 12 options, most human beings are starting to have some trouble to make a satisfying decision, i admit it felt like something i had experienced.

I've been building stompboxes for years, there are near 200 different circuits in my room, all are amazing, i am starting to struggle with all the possibilities.

I mean... there are always at least 15 circuits powered and connected in my setup, and yet i can't stop myself from trying some other thing here and there, it's crazy...

I wonder what the members of this forum think about the "choice overload" effect with stompboxes, and i'll be glad to know your opinions on this matter.

Every comments, observations, experiences and behavioral analysis are welcome !

 

[finebyfine]

I've thought about this topic wrt to stompboxes as my collection of builds and other pedals has ballooned over the past years. While I definitely do find myself experiencing choice paralysis sometimes, there's a few things that make it not feel like choice overload per se to me:

• there's a (in the grand scheme of things) small number of topographies for most types of guitar pedals - 200 pedals quickly becomes a a smaller number of circuit variations
• each pedal I plugin makes me play differently than I would be playing without it - it almost reminds me of Pantone color books. there's a ton of actual colors in there, but one benefit they provide is being a source of inspiration that affects other design decisions.

But, that is of course only how I think about choices within my own collection already.

I definitely feel choice overload when looking at say, Guitar Center, just to get an idea of what any new pedal releases are. I definitely also feel it when looking at PPCB offerings, especially because I usually have to look up the original.

 

[eh là bas ma]

there's a (in the grand scheme of things) small number of topographies for most types of guitar pedals - 200 pedals quickly becomes a a smaller number of circuit variations

Circuit variations can make a huge difference. In my experience, as long as two circuits don't sound the same at all, and both sound great to me, they will be worth keeping and i won't necessarily see them as mere variants.

Of course if we are talking about two TubeScreamers with one or two cap values and a buffer changing somewhere, it won't be overwhelming. But a good variant often turns a circuit into something completely different. Once you get 15 good variants, doesn't it get difficult to choose ?

I have a recent exemple with GCI NEW Bass OD : I asked on GCI forum how to dial something close to the original ODB-3, the designer kindly answered : it's not possible. "Unlikely you will find settings that easily match the original. I did not have the intention of matching the original design (...)".

If we consider let's say 50 overdrives you decided to keep, among 150 overdrives built in 5 years. Let's say you sold or gave the redundant circuits and kept the good ones. What difference does it make that these 50 overdrives are based on 20 or 30 or 5 original designs ? As long as they all have their own character ?
Knowing that some of them are variants won't really help to make a decision, in my opinion.

it almost reminds me of Pantone color books. there's a ton of actual colors in there, but one benefit they provide is being a source of inspiration that affects other design decisions.

I'm not sure if i understand what you mean. I guess you are saying that a large number of possibilities is inspiring, and can help someone to make the best decision ?
I'd agree, but when there aren't any bad options, what is the point ? Wouldn't it be easier, more practical and effective, on a musical standpoint, to have 2 or 3 good options instead of 80 amazing options ?

 

[HamishR]

Well despite having about 300 overdrives to choose from I end up using about three most of the time, with one being a clear favourite. I always come back to one favourite and the other two change from time to time.

I have dozens of fuzz pedals but rarely use fuzz. I have a few delays and reverbs but just use one of each regularly, neither of which I built.

And still I keep trying new ODs - all built, none bought. What else am I gonna do with my time??

 

[ICTRock]

I suppose it matters how you're approaching the subject. If you're out to solve a particular problem, there's not a lot of choice overload because most everything out there will fix the problem at any price point. If you needed mids and some gain/overdrive for your Fender amp, then literally any YATS at any price point will do. If you're trend chasing, collecting, or tone chasing then there's quite a bit of choice overload whether you're shopping new or used, Chinesium or Unobtanium.

 

[chris.knudson]

Over the past few decades, a large body of research has repeatedly shown that when people experience choice overload—when they face more options than they desire—they can experience a wide range of negative outcomes, from frustration and confusion to regret, dissatisfaction, and even choice paralysis

This is commonly know as Option Paralysis (also the name of a band that I played with). It is real phenomenon that occurs when we are faced with too many choices -- thousands of fonts, millions of colors, too many choices for our brains to process. In these cases, it's best to rely on what I call first response to a stimulus. If we let ourselves go with our first impulse -- it is often the best choice -- if for no other reason than to let our minds focus on the more fundamental issues that may have fewer choices, but may have a larger impact on the outcome.