"Retail" Clones???

Saw these pop up on the 60 Cycle Hum podcast and thought it was just a small builder giving Ryan a couple clones, then I noticed a tone of videos dropped about them all at once. Marketing budget should have went into R&D, but hey I guess it's a sure bet. On the other hand at least these are (I assume) straight clones and another clone shamelessly marketed as a fresh new and improved circuit.
 
I thought these were a little off-putting. I'm totally for clones or renditions, but if you make it your own. For example, I feel like the archer is a clone, but no one would think it's a klon if they squint, its always an archer. I feel like these, especially the zendrive since its still available, are a bit too on the nose for a production pedal, basically copying the aesthetic and the circuit is a bit much for something you can still order in my opinion.
 
I think this is a result of a certain hubris within the “bootique” pedal companies. Would not surprise me if in a decade we’re left with the big hitters (EHX, Dunlop, Boss, DOD/Digitech), and a few handfuls of the newer companies (JHS, Wampler, EQD, etc). Everyone else would have burned out…
 
Surprised to see them on the front page of Reverb with an ad-copy 'article.' But then again, maybe not. Their IP rules are inscrutable.
 
Yeah, but just let someone from here list something and mention that it is "inspired by [x]" ... They'll shut that down immediately.

It's almost as if they can be paid off or something.... :unsure:
NO! That couldn't be! Honestly, you can hardly use the word 'fuzz' anymore without them throwing a fit.
 
It's actually kind of interesting to me how Warm Audio in general seems to be mostly well-received. I don't see a lot of criticism thrown at them and they have secured some deals with major retailers to distribute their product - I just got an ad a day or two ago from Sweetwater about them selling their new Klon clone.

It looks like they also have a bunch of other non-pedal clones too, for example what appears to be their take on a Neumann U47/U67/KM84 Telefunken C12/251E, Sony C800G, LA2A compressor, Neve 1073, 1176 compressor, etc...

I don't know if it's just that these are pretty much all seen as "Vintage" designs? Perhaps they are out of patent/copyright or something? I don't know the specifics, but like I said it's just kind of interesting to me that I don't see a ton of complaints about Warm Audio while companies making obvious clones of more "modern" pedals (DemonFX, Ly-Rock, etc) seem to be pretty universally derided for it...
 
The Klon, Jet Phaser, and Foxy are one thing, but like @swyse mentioned, the Zendrive is still in production and available for purchase right this moment.


That one might be crossing the line a bit....
That's the hubris. Its the kind of decision that some business-types think is genius because its so obviously crossing a line. It's and "Emperor's New Clothes" type of situation. Each company knows they get a small window of time to release something before someone else puts something out and they loose the attention of the public. Add a bit of controversy and you've guaranteed yourself more limelight. It is NOT a good idea to directly clone another pedal that is in existence...isn't that why the cheap "foreign" mini-pedals are inferior? But if I do it confidently, and I do it intentionally, and unapologetically, then it seems super cool, and I am now the Elon Musk of the pedal world...
 
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