why i don't label my boxes most the time

[troubledtom]

well,  i was just thinking about it, hummmmmm?  i don't want to kick a hornets hive ,or the like. but, here it goes.....
     when i design/build a device i have set goals, and i'll get the mofo up and running/ make it happen my fellow pedal pals!
    i simply get well acquainted the the device['s] . most guitars don't have labels on their knobs and switches.
    i do give a cheat sheet to the buyers that dig the commonsound shit i build , but that's just to get the client started. it's the birds and the bees stuff.
   yep, it all get's down to that. how so, you say  ahhhhh........
i'm married she didn't come w/ a manual. you gotta keep her happy in hear head and in bed. i dont see any labels on her, well not latley at least
   so, i don't want to offend anyone but, it's kind of the same thang to me.
oh , by the way, my mashall control knobs have  no labels on it either.
      it's guitars, a gal , and stompboxes for me !
 ooohh don't forget the beer!!!!!!!
                 peace,
                     - tom :wink:

[mattv]

That does make sense. For me, there's a method to the knob placement anyway, so the layout is already somewhat intuitive.

I think labeling is a PITA anyway  

Thanks for bringing that up, Tom!

[donald stringer]

I think I understand  what your saying, my version is the signal always comes  in on  the right and leaves on the left , and there either off or on . its my simple take on it anyway. My way of common sencing some things out .

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Everyone is different.. I think some people would be best with all diff coloured knobs "now turn up the RED CHICKEN HEAD one".

[moosapotamus]

Oh, man... Not sure what I'm gonna say, here... But, I just had to reply to this one (nice post!). :wink:

I can't disagree with you, Tom. But, there are two sides to every coin and I love to play devil's advocate . So, here's the other side of this one... Personality, mojo, hype, self-satisfaction, "perception is reality," and... sometimes, it just don't look finished 'till it's REALLY finished.

I've made my share of unadorned boxes. But sometimes, when a circuit turns out really great, sounds way better than expected, meets or exceeds all your expectations, design/performance goals... Well, when that happens, I feel like it would be disrespectful to neglect the enclosure's appearance. I mean, why not just throw the thing into a rusty, old empty, used soup can?
(remember, you heard that idea here, first   )

Like I said, tho... I can't disagree... If the circuit/effect is truely great, then it ought to be something that the user actually uses... a lot, and ultimately gets very familiar with all the knobs, functions and sounds. So, pasting labels and graphics and stuff on the box could be viewed as being both functionally and symbolically... um... a waste of time?

But, then again, on the other hand... (see paragraph two, above).

DIY!
~ Charlie

[moosapotamus]

Damn! I forgot the beer!
~ Charlie

[Transmogrifox]

I think, in marketing terms, the key to making a musician satisfied is filling his pedalboard with colorful and attractive stompboxes that make it look like what you think it sounds like....labels or not

but I didn't notice anything mentioned in the original message about appearance, merely labels.  I figure if the knobs on you stompbox don't do enough to the sound to be able to tell what it does by turning it, then there's probably no reason to have it there...so it's function is its own label.   You turn it, or push the button, you know what it does, and the average guitar player has no idea of what "Gain", "Regen", "Thresh", "Ratio", "feedback", etc. mean anyway.

I like to add labels if they're attractive and have artistic value...but I usually name them with non-technical names, like fart, belch, stink, moo, quack, squeal, grind...or whatever else may describe the sound.

Now I say this like I sell pedals all the time, but the truth is I have never actually sold anything.  I have one effect that the guy at the music store is interested in, but won't go near it until I work out the switch pops and fix some instability problems.

Anyway, the moral of the story is....who is using the stompbox?

[Parade]

this is blasphemy!!  :lol: hahaha nah.

I would rather myself have fancy color's graphics and labels.
When I started I had no idea what some of the names on the pedals were, but I wanted to know. So I played with the effect and found out that "depth" means how much power behind the swoosh of a flanger you get or phaser etc.
Rate is the speed of the swoosh.

Without labels how could we learn what the different shapes of the effect are called? And as for colors. Alot of people our suckers for a fancy shape or color more then the effect sometimes. I have done that hahaha.

Someone said that they label their pedals with fuked names like Fart Stench and all them. I did that once hahaha I had a weird flanger that had the ressonence  all the way up so it was self modulating and made siren sounds.
I labeled it Mexican Alien. Now what the @#$% does that have to do with Flanger (giggle) I mean really
The controls were, Bar, Tequela, Puke, Hangover

(giggles)

it was funny

[troubledtom]

first, thanx all,
      remember , also that i do provivde a cheat sheet for each device.{ i say that to clear up any possible misunderstandings }
               pecae to all ,
                       - tom

[The Tone God]

Interesting point/topic.

When I'm building stuff for myself I don't label the boxes. I know what everything does and since no one else will be playing it why bother wasting the time.

On the other side when I'm selling pedals I have to label. If I show up with something with a bunch of knobs and no labels most musicians will be overwhelmed. The issue is worsen if the pedal is sitting in a store with just a sales person to try to explain it all. Some musicians will look at the thing and figure its too complicated to play with and skip over it. You just lost a sale. Even if the customer decides to give it a try they have to figure out what everything does and remember what each knob does. Thats too much for some musicians.

My feeling is the highest number of knobs you can get away with without labeling is two, maybe three. After that you NEED labeling.

Andrew