The Mu-Tron / Mike Beigel / Mu-FX Thread

[Chankgeez]

Yeah, I'm gonna wait and see (and hear).

[lordgalvar]

The sad thing is that a portion of gas is not passing on the next mf104msd, klon, goalkeeper, tracer city, etc.

My cello friend is going to pick one up because he is in the market for this exact kinda thing.

Trying to talk myself out of it. They need to reissue the bi-phase or something haha

[lordgalvar]

LIMITED STOCK REMAINING!!!
Tru-Tron 3X: 83 units
Octave Divider: 55 units
We have reached the end of our production runs of the Tru-Tron 3X and Octave Divider. In light of the limited stock remaining for both of these products, Mu-FX will now only sell an individual unit of the Tru-Tron 3X or Octave Divider as a signed edition:
Tru-Tron 3X – Hand-Signed Collector’s Edition @ $379.97
Octave Divider – Hand-Signed Collector’s Edition @ $399.93
However...
The Jerry Combo, which bundles a signed Tru-Tron 3X + signed Octave Divider + Mu-FX T-Shirt, will remain at its current price of $678.99 – a major discount on both pedals if bought separately.
WHY???
Once these units are sold out, NO MORE will be made with the present designs.
The Tru-Tron 3X and Octave Divider were made as the initial product run for the newly created Mu-FX. We’ve reached the end of this initial phase and are ready to take the next step in expanding our company. We are seeking out and engaging with potential investors, mulling a crowd-funding campaign and/or a pre-order plan for what we hope will be the first of many new Mu-FX products, the “Boostron 3” – a clean boost, compressor and multi-voiced distortion all-in-one pedal and the first NEW (not reissue of a Musitronics Mu-Tron) product by Mu-FX. More on that soon...
Thus, the higher price point reflects: (1) that these pedals will have added collectibility as early models in the return of the Musitronics product line (in the form of Mu-FX) AND (2) the necessary funding needed to sustain the company through its transition into its next and greater phase.
Once we achieve the funding necessary to release the “Boostron 3,” it will likely mean that Mu-FX will then be able to reinvent and reissue the remainder of the original Musitronics Mu-TronÔ product line as well as develop other new products that build upon and go beyond that legacy. If successful, the Tru-Tron 3X and Octave Divider will be reborn, though not necessarily with the same functions, layout or design as they are currently constructed.
There will be much more information coming soon, so stay tuned! Your enthusiasm, feedback and aid will be what allows Mu-FX to keep groovin’ on into the future – keep it up! Thanks for your support of the initial Mu-FX product line. It has been gratifying and fun!
Still kicking, but a little “on in the years,”
Mike Beigel

This is the kind of stuff I worry about sometimes with gear. But I guess it is good in some ways that they want to re-imagine their other old designs.

The thing that bothers me with the new Mu-Fx stuff is their styling. The old ones had such a nice look and size in my opinion and these new ones look like 1990s Korg or something (in the bad way). Oh well...if that sale I have every goes through, I will pick up the Tru-Tron (been waiting for payment for a while now...).

[Hyphen Nation]

The sad thing is that a portion of gas is not passing on the next mf104msd, klon, goalkeeper, tracer city, etc.

Add to this list "cloudbuster, black coffee [synth] and Spaceman Sputnik." I fucking didn't pull the trigger on last year's run of Goalkeepers and have been kicking myself since... There was one in a fucking store 10 blocks from my office............

[Chankgeez]

Meant to respond to that Mike Beigel Facebook post earlier.

Yeah, it's interesting how they're going about reviving the brand. I think part of the reason that Musitronics went under in the first place was some bad business decisions and not really being able to find their market niche. Beigel was ahead of his time (as were many other builders). Now he has a well deserved legion (who knows how large a legion it is though?) of followers. Sure, there's the nostalgia factor. (As evidenced by their marketing of collector's editions.) The pedal/effects scene is a whole lot different now. Lots more competition. Hope they're able to carve out a piece of the market. Obviously, old circuit can be upgraded with improved function and stuff. I'd definitely like to see/hear the promised Bi-Phase update. My worry is that these "potential investors" are going to expect an unreal return on their investment. Which I'm not sure is really there for the taking. Most builders (of any size) aren't getting rich from the toils of their labor.

I agree that their design aesthetic isn't what it once was. Hopefully they'll be able to improve upon that. Not something I'd wanna see come at an added price though.

[lordgalvar]

I actually think he has a fairly small following compared to EHX or even a company the size of EQD. He has been around, but just doesn't have the name recognition of Moog or even someone like Dave Smith or Robert Linn.

I think Mike Beigel has a good following to those that know him and people that have read up on the industry, but I don't think he has that "cool and current" mystic about him. Branding both of the released pedals in a "Jerry Combo" makes them niche I would think. His most well known creation is unfortunatly associated with Funk and Disco which makes it seem dated to a lot of current guitar players. They hear Mu-Tron III and think funk-a-duck or something instead of filter swells and "synth".

I think brands like EHX and Moog, even though they went through bad business descisions too (like all those old companies), kind of learned how to reinvent themselves and stay somewhat relevant. Moog released the moogerfoogers under the big briar name, which even though there is a little bit of right-time-right-place thing going on, did add a lot of CV functionality to pedals under a name with mystic. EHX just keeps pumping out weird stuff ant decent prices until something stuck and cut costs to stay in the spotlight. Both came back at the right time and ramped up slowly into the powerhouses they are now.

Looking at the Tru-Tron III and the Octave Divider, they seem kind of dated. Like the additions and changes to the octave divider where a blend and a buffer? The Tru-Tron got an redesigned preamp and filter trigger? That is great and all, but they still carry that dated vibe about them (no added CV or EXP and that kind of engineer-old-man look to them). I think that price range is just crowded too. I really like his designs more than a lot of peoples and I am sure they are built better than moogerfoogers and koma but the circuit redesigns seem like an engineer perfecting something instead of going someplace new (which is what I feel about this overdrive...plus they gave away too much information...saying things like it is a clean boost, no knob compressor, and mxr pedal probably puts off a younger consumer when they can pick up what they want at the musicians friend SDOTD).

Honestly, I think his biggest rival in the industry will be someone like FoxRox and I don't think that guy is supporting a whole company with high overhead by any means (Beigel has Bootsy, that Rand guy, a factory contract of somekind, an office manager, himself, and probably a few others + probably lawyers because of the nature of his old company being owned by someone else on payroll). I just don't know if a direct business with limited product can sustain that. But if it does, that would be awesome. I do think the overdrive will be a miss step (or maybe it is a high margin fundraiser?).

I think the investor practice seems like a holdover from an older style of business and from a want to grow to fast that doesn't match with their direct only, quality over quantity approach. I just feel like that might be set up to fail. And like you said, that profit isn't there at a margin that an investor would like.

But I really, really want these pedals, and I am rooting for them. His stuff was really ahead of its time

edit...damn typos

[Chankgeez]

Yep, totally agree with your post.

I'm a Mike Beigel fan and hope he can succeed at this venture.

I also think the overdrive they're releasing is off the mark (unless they really know more of what their customers want than we do).

Sure, everyone has to offer an overdrive, but not to base their product line upon.

There're also a lot of Dead fans around, but not enough to support a pedal company. Especially one as formerly forward looking as Mu-Tron. I certainly hope Beigel's not banking on rapidly aging monied guitarist to float his new company. That buying public will only take you so far.

[Chankgeez]

[lordgalvar]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyQdgmp10j8

Discuss.



I dunno, I don't think it is worth it in these days. There are clips on the official site too...same old stuff.

Eh...bad business move, Mike (maybe not...who knows?)

[Chankgeez]

Well, they're playing to that 70s crowd.

I also hate how short their teaser clips are.

I'm also a little unsure why they changed the distortion part of it to be Rat-based. Like there aren't already enough Rat clones around. Yeah, maybe not with a built-in Orange Squeezer and clean boost. But still…

I can see John MEH-er using one of these…


























NOT.

[Chankgeez]

Also, I just looked at their website, it's kind of hilarious that they're referring to that enclosure as "mini".

[lordgalvar]

I guess it has routing options and a nice combo of stuff if that is what you want. But yea, way too many Rats out there...

I wonder why they switched? It was distortion+/250 forever wasn't it?

I just don't know...there are cooler 1970s pedals that people would buy instead of these three (all being fairly common except the stratoblaster...but there are enough boosts out there to get close I am sure).

Shoulda Mu-ved into production a phaser...

But yea, that 1970s marketing...dang man...am I too young to know who some of those cool guys in the video are? I knew most, but a few "skanky" I thinky? Yea? I dunno.

Jerry made Ice Cream right? With "Bong-Load" Ben?

I agree the clips are too short and aren't really informational enough (like how it plays in riffs)

there is some weird youtube account (two I think) called randtronics that has a bunch of Mu-fx related stuff on youtube. Think that is that demo guy they have on payroll?

[Chankgeez]

Yeah, I agree. I think a phaser woulda been better received.

This dirt pedal was probably easier to engineer though. Just not that interesting. I think it's actually a little limiting having all those circuits in the same enclosure. I mean, it's little expensive, but not really. If I wanted one, that price wouldn't stop me. Just doesn't interest me. Not really pushing any boundaries. Mike Beigel's capable of more than putting a Rat, clean boost and compressor in the same enclosure.

I haven't been following it that closely, but, yeah, I though up until very recently the dirt part was supposed to be Distortion+/250 based. I like that circuit better, but it's probably a little less versatile than a Rat-based circuit.

[HorseyBoy]

^ That thing is real? I honestly thought it was a Photoshop joke somebody had put together when you first posted the "Coming Soon" pic, Chank.
Agree that throwing three well-known circuits into one box seems like a waste of talent. And a dirt pedal (or a boost or a compressor) doesn't scream "Mu-tron" to me at all.

[Chankgeez]

Yeah, it's totally real. I grabbed that "coming soon" image from their Facebook page or somewhere.

I don't know where Beigel's getting his business advice, but the pedal game's not what it used to be. I agree with you, the release of a vanilla dirt box (granted, w/ some icing) is more than a little misguided.

Yep, the real Mu-Tron fanboys are probably crying in their beer.