Fulltone To Close After 30 Years!
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 24. 08. 2022
- Fulltone To Close It's Doors After 30 Years In Business đ
Statement from Michael Fuller of Fulltone:
âItâs with a heavy heart that I announce that Fulltone will be closing its doors in CA after 30 years. The building, which I own, is up for sale.
Myself and my crew want to thank you for your support all these years and for putting up with my eccentricities as well. Do not feel sorry for me, I have made many mistakes and learned a lot in the past 30n years. The heavy heart is for my 10, 15, 20, and 26 year employees who are like family...I would have closed Fulltone years ago were it not for them.
I've done well financially thanks in part to you, and to the many large years in the roaring 2000s and beyond plus real estate and some good investments, so it's time to enjoy the fruits of all that labor. I'm closing the Fulltone CA Shop because I will not start pumping my person money into a business that no longer turns a profit...this 4 year climate makes 100% made in the USA impossible.
Fulltone will remain a valid Corporation, I'll continue to vigorously defend my $3M worth of worldwide Trademarks & Patent, and will build a few pedals here and there as I am vividly aware of what it takes to keep my brand from being stolen.
My plans? My wife and I bought a well-known artist's 17 acre property and world-class recording studio outside of Nashville last year, so I'm going back to what I'm good at, playing guitar and recording my mediocre 70's rock. And I'll do the occasional outside project, particularly for unknown talent who could never otherwise afford to record through tape machines and great digital, let alone have 99 finely-tuned vintage guitar, 65 vintage amps, and a tone of the finest vintage microphones at their disposal.
It's time for the old guy to move out of the way and make room for the geniuses of the next, more digital, generation. Thank you again, and feel free to reach out!
Michael Fuller/Fulltone"
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CREDITS:
Host/Co-Production: Mason Marangella
Video: Mason Marangella
Video Editing: Mason Marangella
Co-Production: Mason Mejia
#Fulltone #MikeFuller #FulltonePedals - Hudba
Statement from Michael Fuller of Fulltone:
âItâs with a heavy heart that I announce that Fulltone will be closing its doors in CA after 30 years. The building, which I own, is up for sale.
Myself and my crew want to thank you for your support all these years and for putting up with my eccentricities as well. Do not feel sorry for me, I have made many mistakes and learned a lot in the past 30n years. The heavy heart is for my 10, 15, 20, and 26 year employees who are like family...I would have closed Fulltone years ago were it not for them.
I've done well financially thanks in part to you, and to the many large years in the roaring 2000s and beyond plus real estate and some good investments, so it's time to enjoy the fruits of all that labor. I'm closing the Fulltone CA Shop because I will not start pumping my person money into a business that no longer turns a profit...this 4 year climate makes 100% made in the USA impossible.
Fulltone will remain a valid Corporation, I'll continue to vigorously defend my $3M worth of worldwide Trademarks & Patent, and will build a few pedals here and there as I am vividly aware of what it takes to keep my brand from being stolen.
My plans? My wife and I bought a well-known artist's 17 acre property and world-class recording studio outside of Nashville last year, so I'm going back to what I'm good at, playing guitar and recording my mediocre 70's rock. And I'll do the occasional outside project, particularly for unknown talent who could never otherwise afford to record through tape machines and great digital, let alone have 99 finely-tuned vintage guitar, 65 vintage amps, and a tone of the finest vintage microphones at their disposal.
It's time for the old guy to move out of the way and make room for the geniuses of the next, more digital, generation. Thank you again, and feel free to reach out!
Michael Fuller/Fulltone"
The statement kind of reads like that âi think you should leaveâ diner sketch with bob odinkirk.
@@Tony-Jabroni Wrong comedian but yeah. basically.
@@loganhall7776 Tim Tobinson and Bob Odenkirk were in the sketch.
TLDR; "I have tons of money/assets and I killed my own brand through racist social media posts, but make no mistake, I'm still the victim here, and it's Biden's fault."
His surprised employees will be comforted by the detailed accounting of his acreage and toys. Tone deaf through the end.
Great video Mason! Just a note about 23:56, Wampler (and most of those under the Boutique Amps Dist umbrella) were *not* absorbed by them. I work with them because it allows me to focus on the creative rather than worry about figuring out how to fix the CNC machine, or deal with where to find and out of stock part needed immediately. I still 100% own Wampler, and I detail exactly where and how I want them built. Everything is to my specification.
I am so bummed in so many ways. I own Goodrich Sound, we have been making volume pedals and electronics for 50 years, all made in the USA and it's killing us. We are a small company and struggle every month. I''ve talked with Mike a few times through the years and am happy for him but I am quietly freaking out. Love your descriptions of the difficulty of sourcing and manufacturing, huge issues and so much time involved. Great video!!
I do my best to by from small shops and as much made in the USA gear as possible. I donât need boutique gearâŠbut I really hate the Donner/Mooer type pedals. It was always inevitable that small companies would be crushed under the weight of Amazon and Chinese clones. Good luck and Godspeed to you!
Very sad times to see this happen to people like you guys who all Love and care for and cherish the music products you make. Yet itâs no longer feeâs able to create. Thatâs heartbreaking. Wishing you guys all the best and will be keeping you all in my prayers. Thank you for all you do. Cheers Mate.
I'm in your corner too. Let's keep the conversation going, music is one of the foundations as our society, critical to our ability to express ourselves. Unite with others and create a co-operative, under a united pursuit of tone perhaps. A USA-Mexico-Canada tone alliance. We could make Tone an official religion, tax free status! ...i kid. as if it's not already. Keep on rocking, anchor down. MaxLove!
Wow legendary volume pedal company!!! I had no idea yall were still a made in USA company. People need to learn. Quick to appreciate (with their wallets) the few companies that have the integrity & ethics to make that substantial sacrifice it's quite frankly at this point 1 of the most patriotic things that any person or company can do). I wish you all the luck, and anyone asks me who makes the best volume pedal ill send them your way
Best volume pedal out there! My best wishes
Thanks for this clarification regarding Fulltone. You were very diplomatic while addressing your interaction with him. Respect begets respect. I've been watching your videos for a while now, and it took me a minute to realize that you are Vertex Effects. The company and the person. I appreciate that you never promoted your own products while talking about various effects. You have a new fan.
Great tribute to a giant of a pedal making talent, Mason.
In the 90s, when my only pedal, an Ibanez TS died, our mutual friend, an amp guy at a store on Gardner next to Guitar Center, told me about this thing called a Fulldrive and how it would solve my problems like never before. This was before the website. I went and got one in North Hollywood and it was true.. it was so much more than I ever expected and I relied on it. I still have it. One of his former employees replaced a tired switch, but it's still like new in many ways. That opened the flood gates. I got the Distortion PRO, traded that for the Plimsoul v1 and still have that. Next the Fat Boost 1. I use that most of the time for my British Amps... still works perfectly. Next I got an OCD. Still great. Next I got a Clyde as a gift for a friend and borrowed it a lot... still do. I had a Supa-Trem... I regret selling that. I almost bought the Choralflange... I regret not doing that. And that Ultimate Octave was the best fuzz I ever toured with. It wasn't mine, I borrowed it for the tour.. and man, that was awesome. I played a TTE on a session.. and was blown away. His ABY is way under appreciated... way overbuilt and quiet. Yeah.. no other pedal company got as much love from my bank account as Mike's did over 30 years. He's one of the reasons I feel like buying anything from Line 6 would be surrender. Never Surrender. ... did you know that Don Felder (writer, guitar solos for "Hotel California") refuses to do any shows without his OCD? There are a ton of players who absolutely rely on Fulltone. Things are about to change, and probably not for the better. Fingers crossed. I called him once about a mutual friend of ours... as soon as you are not talking pedals, Mike is a sweet guy. Very loyal to his friends and he is a great guitar player... seriously great. - He deserves to hear our thanks loud and often.
Never Surrender ~ Cory Heart ...and Churchill đ
Michael had the reputation of being âcurtâ, however, WAY back in the day, he had the patience to answer all of my stupid wah wah questions.
Props brotha!
đšđŠâ€ïžđđ»
Likewise! I talked to him via phone back in the 1990's about the Fulldrive 2 I had just ordered (blue, push- pull comp cut). I was wet behind the ears and asked some stupid questions. He was friendly, patient ,and very helpful to me. Still have that pedal, It's a favorite!
That was a great tribute Mason. I was totally bummed when I read this on another page this morning. I've owned a lot of Mike's pedals over the years and still have a Plimsoul and Clyde Deluxe wah . Even though I never use them because I went to playing solo guitar I'm glad now that I didn't sell them. His Coral/Flange was probably the best modulation pedal I ever heard. I had a T.C. Electronics one and I thought the Fulltone was much warmer. I've talked to Mike a few times over the phone and he was always very nice to me. This was in the very beginning before you could buy them in stores or online. It kind of reminded me of when I bought my first Mesa Boogie and they were only selling direct and each one was custom made and you filled out this sheet of all the stuff you wanted on them. Back then even the GEQ and reverb were options. So sad to see another great company go under. I wish Mike the best and thanks for all the great tones over the years.
I have an OCD and Fat Boost on my main board. The OCD is the one pedal thatâs been consistent on my rig for almost 10 years. Thankful to Fulltone for the great products!
You're a good man, Mason! Thank you for this!
What a fine tribute... rock on, bud!
This is a huge bummer. I really love his pedals!!! Very nice tribute to a true pedal visionary.
I met Mike Fuller back in 2004, and interviewed with him to work in his shop assembling the Tube Tape Echo. He seemed nice, but, he only wanted to pay $9 an hour for the job. Living in Los Angeles, it just wasn't going to work out. I would later purchase my own TTE, and LOVED it!!! I can say that the "100% made in USA" isn't true when it comes to the TTE. He had the circuit boards made elsewhere (overseas, I believe he told me), then the assembly happened in his shop. Not dissing Mike, because those units were VERY expensive to make. I really wish I still had my TTE, but, it was stolen, along with my band's entire trailer in 2007 in Austin, Tx.
Yea but he probably paid himself a nice handsome salary. Figures. A lot of companies and owners of companies are like that. They just use people. Sad! Not saying he is or was, but kind of sounds that way for the area. That's not even a livable wage back then.
Hey young Fella, let me just tell you that this was an OUTSTANDING commentary! You pointed out in great pedal detail the quality of his work in the pedal world. I also appreciate you accentuating the positive. Much respect Dogg. House-Out...
He probably just decided to call it a day given the current world climate. I recently did the same after 21 years and 40000 pedals, most of which I made completely myself. The quality and availability of parts is totally different than when I started in 2000.
your stuff was great. Loved the Kollmanation
i have a fair amount of pedals (50+) but I don't' know who you are. What was your company's name?
@@frankfrank7921 T. Jauernig Electronics. I did the Luxury Drive, DGTM, Gristle King, Triple Gristle, Kollmanation, F-Bomb, F-Up and a bunch more. I had licensed sever designs to different companies as well. (T Rex, Rockett, Wampler, SD)
@@djpgreek thanks , much appreciated
@@TJauernigElectronics Hi never glad to hear of someone in this field closing up shop .There are so many that could follow ,and I wouldn't want any of them to .I was wondering if you could ,would you elaborate on what pedals have your designs in them ? That part of this business fascinates me ,and I'm some what thinking of trying the licensing rout .Best of luck in your future endeavors .Hope it all works out.
I am lucky-enough to have purchased a 2009 Clyde Deluxe and a 2014 OCD - They will "Go to the Grave with me" - Congratulations. Enjoy your next chapter brother. Great, classy & articulate Tribute to a Legend Mason. Awesome job. oNe LovE from NYC
It's really nice to see and hear you talk so highly of a "competitor" in the pedal world, and you've gone way up in my estimation - (I always thought highly of you Mason!) - and I'm happy to have a couple of "custom" Fulltone pedals alongside my Vertex pedals. Keep up the great work you do.
Great commentary on Mikeâs catalog of work! If anyone has ever owned a business and had a hands-on role, then that should provide ample empathy on the stresses at play. That guy stayed on top and chose his own exit point. Nuts!
Thanks for the video Mason. Class move. As I look at my pedal board the Plim Soul is the anchor I have relied on for years. Good luck for whatever comes next Mr Fuller.
The dude made some really great tools and I've purchased many of his units over the years and have never once experienced failure or complications due to use. My main board is populated with (amongst Wamplers/JHS's/Lovepedal's) a Clyde Deluxe, Fulldrive 2, OCD, Deja-Vibe Mini and Supa-Trem 2...scooping a few more units tomorrow morning. Cheers to you for the tribute video and thanks to Mike for making such tough, industry standard equipment that will likely live on because they're tough as nails...man...those finishes and build quality! Top notch $#!Ă·...
All the best to MIke the team at Fulltone. A nice studio on a large piece of land is a great way to ride off into the sunset.
Have loved my OCD and Deja Vibe. Both are simply "off-white" but colorful pedals. Thank you for my toys Michael. Vertex...beautifully done.
This is one of the greatest tributes. Very well done!
I have some of its pedals. Love it. For years its been my top # 1 pedal. You will be missed Fulltone.
Thanks for this Mason, cool tribute/hats off vid to Mike. Got a couple of Fulltone pedals and besides the obvious of how great they sound, they really are bulletproof!! Excellent channel you got going and will definitely check out your stuffđ
Hearing your reverence for M. Fuller and Fulltone makes me want to check everything Vertex. Game on.
I have Fulldrive 2 Mosfet front and centre on one of my boards, an incredible pedal. I also have a Soul Bender and loved the warning in the manual not to use crap power supplies. A pretty unique company who set the bar high.
I have bought 4 Fulltone pedals. All which are over 20 years old and still use them today. My hats off to Mike Fuller.
Yes I have had quite a few fulltone pedals and they are really great. So refreshing to hear youâre complimentary words despite being given a dressing down from Mike. Way to go!!
They have had so many cool devices as you have said. I thought the fulltone secret freq overdrive was unique when it came out. Cheers Mike!
This is a great loss to us. As a Black Man I believe his comments were taken out of context and the actions of all the music vanguards was wrong. I am the proud owner of the 70's silicon fuzz that'll never leave my board. Before this news I was considering the 60's germ fuzz. He will be missed.
I have two 70âs. A 2006 blue and 1999 purple. They are both great. And up until a year and a half ago they could be bought for around $100. The big box version. Like everything else they doubled recently.
ThisâŠ
Also as a Black Man, I feel the same way.
I even sent him a message of support back then.
People whoâve never built and owned a business will never understand what it means to watch someone literally destroy a lifeâs work.
Peaceful protest is fine, but trashing someoneâs place of business (or disturbing diners in a restaurant) is not.
End of storyâŠ
@@drippinglass Congrats on acquiring the 70's purple, I didn't know they existed, Rock on.
@@gotguitar I don't. Won't be sad to see him go. Human life takes precedence over material stuff, can't bring someone back from the dead, you can however, recoup your losses through insurance (which all businessowners have anyway, if not you're an idiot.) Sometimes radical measures will have to be taken into effect to get the desired results, that's coming from a black man who's parents were freedom fighters against apartheid. If you're not willing to kill for your freedom, you don't deserve it at all.
@RockyboyH - Where did I say or imply much less say that material things are more valuable than human life?
And as for fighting or bleeding for my rights, Iâm a former member of the a well established British anti-fascist group. I have literally had to defend my life against neo-nazi skinheads.
You know nothing of my life experience, or my âblack experience.
But hey, you keep on looking for things to be offended by around everyone corner.
Me? Although, I am definitely not âoppressedâ on a daily basis, but I will continue my personal quest for equality for everyone.
You want to be an ally? A real one? Try having an open, nuanced, balanced mindset, so you can learn something new every now and then. âđœđ€Ł
I own a few Fulltone pedals currently and have owned several over the years. Some favorites are Fulll-Drive 2, Full-Drive 3, 2B, OCD (owned several versions), Ranger, Clyde Wah, and Mini Deja Vibe 2. I couldnât try them all obviously, but the ones I had consistently sounded great and were built like tanks. He was always coming up with some great designs. If this is the end, then thanks for all of your contributions Mr Fuller!
I will wait as web searches suggest this as of yet rumors. This video could very well be jumping the gun as Mr Fuller has not commented publicly himself other than this leaked letter. But as the letter suggests, 29 years is a long time in a business. Who wouldnât want to just go play music after a successful run like this?
I worked at a vintage guitar shop here in Seattle in the mid-90s into the 2000s and we were one of the first Full Tone dealers in the state.
Which meant that we got a couple of prototype pedals from Mike that were just amazing, one of which was the first Full Tone Full Drive 2 in a brushed aluminum enclosure!
The thing sounded unreal and as soon as they were available to us I bought one of the first orange Full Drive's that came to town and have had that box since around 1996 or so!
Sorry to see and hear that Mike is closing the doors but his contributions to this part of the industry are legendary and monumental. He changed the whole soundscape of the so-called Boutique pedals at an affordable price.
Thanks for the memories Mike and best wishes to you! And Mason, to you, what a wonderful tribute to Mike that you've done here. Very heartfelt and very appreciated by all of us! You're a class act dude!
Mason, appreciate the heart-felt message. Being a manufacturer, I can relate.
This statement makes me happy for Mr. Fuller. Sounds awesome.
Thanks for the video to honor Mike's contributions. I've loved his pedals and the original 90s FullDrive 2 was my first serious overdrive. I feel it was an industry changing device
Yes. I still have mine!
Very nice tribute. I have a Clyde Wha from way back, the best wha i've tried, great quality and sound. Also an OCD and Deja Vibe as well, all great products. Sadly 1 by 1 America is out of the manufacturing business that keeps a lot of families alive and together. Fulltone will be missed.
Thanks for sharing. Sad to see but happy for Michael. All the best to him and his family.
Fuller will go down in history like Roger Mayer and others
I LOVE my Fulltone pedals. God bless and enjoy your next adventure Michael Fuller.....
As much as what he said may cloud some things for me personally and the latter for some. But you can not deny this is undoubtedly a monumental loss to the industry as much as Iâve liked his stuff and the contributions to music heâs made. Iâm glad heâs continuing to assist in the business outside of it all.
Bittersweet news for sure. Fulltone has always been my go to, to the point my entire board was nothing but full tone. Great video.
Love both my Fulltone Wah and Deja Vibe. Still had a Full Drive, and most likely will not be getting rid of it, ever though it's not on my pedalboard currently.
The Fulltone Tube Echo isn't just the best effect I've ever heard. It's the best musical sound I've ever heard. Yes Michael Fuller was a bit crazy, but for some reason a lot of times it takes someone like that to make something special.
Agreed. Best tape echo ever made. There are a bunch of their pedals that are actually incredible.
I had almost saved enough to get the ss version and am completely bummed, that was going to be my 2022 Christmas present.
U recon the price will go up or down?
@@smoochie3331 this is such a stupid question
why was he crazy?
Got to say, your videos are really informative and down to earth.
WOW !!! Michael Fuller is a pioneer and visionary in the world of special effects for guitarists and other instrumentalists. I have always been impressed by Michael's dedication to quality,innovation, and customer service. We will miss him and his company, and on a personal level will miss the incoming emails ! Wishing you all the Best, Always in the next chapter of your life and career Michael ! Best regards, Mike Solomon
The Supatrem is the best sounding mod pedal Iâve ever played. Just pure quality all the way through. Optics (literal optics) are sensational.
Nashville will eventually give him âthe reasonâ to successfully open up againâŠ
Amazing how no income tax will do that.
I have an OCD and a Plimsol, a Fulldrive 2, that get almost daily use. The OCD and Plimsol are on my big main board, first and second position respectively. The Fulldrive 2 is on my secondary board in the first position. A lot of pedals have been taken off those boards in the years past but not the Fulltone pedals at all. Wish I had a Univibe or a Deja Vibe, an Octafuzz or a Clyde Wah or some of the other pedals on my wish list. Thank You, sad news but informative as usual. đžđ€đžâźïžđ„
I saw Mason's Vertex Effects video yesterday around 6:00 p.m. EST (8/25/22) announcing that Mike Fuller was pulling the plug on Fulltone and retiring. There were over 520 Fulltone pedals for sale on Reverb at 6 p.m. last night. Woke up this morning 8/26/22 and around 6:00 a.m., there are 241 Fulltone pedals on Reverb and going FAST.
Thankfully, I was able to get four Fulltone pedals I had been wanting for some time but never pulled the trigger: the MDV-3 univibe, the Clyde Deluxe Wah, the Supa-Trem Jr. and the Octafuzz! Fulltone just went collector status folks!
I just got a hand made and signed Fulltone Full drive 2 comp-cut made Jan 24 2002 it is crazy good. the resale values are going to fly high now.
I am just a crappy hobby guitarist, but I love all the gear- it has brought me much joy over the years and pedalwise, none more so than Fulltone. I have several and even chopping and changing pedalboards there has always been a Fulltone pedal on it. For me, my favourite drive pedal of all time is the OCD. When I bought it, I tried it out against several other highly rated drive and distortion pedals and most of them were more expensive. I even brought my own amp from home to truly see what would work best. And the OCD was the one that made me smile. And that goes for all the Fulltone pedals I own. Thank you Mike Fuller. Your designs are exactly the sounds I want to hear, the only impediment being my lack of talent. And thank you Mason for such a generous commentary.
Just bought the Fulltone MDV-3 UniVibe, the Clyde Deluxe Wah, the Supa-Trem Jr. (#00079 signed by MF!), AND the Octafuzz pedals, based on this news! I have wanted the univibe and wah for some time now. The other two I bought specifically because Fulltone is closing up shop. They were flying off of Reverb within three hours of this video. Get 'em while the gettin' is still good!
damn, well played sir
Well this is really the pits! I'll never let my Fulldrive 2 go. I love that thing.
What a great tribute to an amazing engineer. Your story was a REAL encounter with a genius in his own right. Appreciate it Mason đ€đŒ
Sad to hear regardless of whether he made mistakes. I own some of these pedals and they are excellent.
đ©Tip of the hat to the awesome Supa-Trem as well, gang; that and the Fulldrive 2 have survived years of pedalboard rebuilds just because they're the bestđđœ
Owned the TERC and a number of their pedals, liked and respected their products but... I always wondered why they had about zero social media presence over the last 10 years. If they had hired someone to do some marketing, PR and not let the owner be the face of this business... but I guess it worked out, as he said he has his 17 acre estate, studio and 99 guitars. Tripping!
I hope he can do something in TN again... it must be very expensive to operate in california..
The first pedal I bought when I decided to build my first board was a '69 fuzz then a T.S.808, oh the joy !
Man what I would give for the OCD pictured, it was made on my birthday .4/26/ and yes for me '69 like a Hemi ha.
Iâve been looking for the ârightâ Overdrive. Iâve tried a half dozen, or so including a Morning Glory, RAT, Tube Screamer, Soul Food + Mod, Catalinbread DLS. Some were really good, but not exactly what was looking for? I just picked up a used OCD 1.7. Iâm really, really liking it!
Still interested in checking out the Clyde Wah, Soul Bender, Fuzz Pedals, and Deja Vibe?
My 20 year old white Clyde wah from 2002 is only just now starting to show its age. Either the switch or a jack is failing and sometimes cuts off when engaging but it's still better constructed than any other way and has a greater sweep. End of an era!
It may just be dirty, have you tried contact cleaner? That and blowing it out with air, even with your mouth, can work wonders. If the cleaner doesn't help, then you know it's a part.
I was really hoping to get a tape echo when I could afford it. Full time was the main builder of those effects.
Thanks for sharing, I had no idea.
Unfortunately, Mike's retirement was inevitable, 30 years is a long run and it's time for him to enjoy retirement.
Mike has lots of expensive toys to play with before the time comes when he can no longer play anymore.đ
I met Mike in the early years a few times at his home/factory in the late 80's and early 90's to purchase a few of his pedals. He even did some upgrades to my older Fulltone pedals.
He shared valuable insightful knowledge of Guitar and Vintage effects, High End Audio, Vinyl LP records, Vintage Tubes etc.
I remember having conversations about our mutual love of Hi Fi gear and he showed me his Vintage McIntosh Tube hifi amps and turntable setup.
Decades before the vinyl comeback Mike inspired me to get back into Vinyl LPs again, Mike said "You have to listen to Hendrix on an original vintage 'Track Record' British Vinyl LP pressing!"
In a time (80's-90's) when the world was evolving to all things "Digital" Mike was a connoisseur of analog gear and sound.
I could see that he was a very special person with the drive to be the best at his craft and business.
He lived and breathed his passion and dedication to excellence in everything he did as a hobby and work, Mike never did anything "half ass".
Mike is responsible for reawakening the growth and popularity of pedal effects that occurred in the 80's & 90's when "Rack Gear" type effects units were still the industry standard.
IMO, the pedal board implementation and acquisition of today has to give credit to Mike Fuller for its popularity.
Kudos to Michael Fuller for all his achievements and future endeavors!! đđđ
Congratulations on a successful career Michael Fuller.
The fulldrive was my first boutique pedal that got me hooked on them. I also had a Clyde at some point. When I first got the fulldrive and the store I got it from closed, I was so excited about it I took it to another local store to show them and they started carrying fulltone. They basically sell themselves!
I went away from pedals for a while and now I'm back with a Fulldrive 2 and gt-500. I didn't realized what happened until now as this video was suggested by CZcams. Such sad news. Glad to hear that Mike will be just fine though.
So sad. My OCD is actually on its way to going back on my enlarged board. Well stated tribute Mason. You are always extremely articulate and methodical in only the best way.
Sad to hear the news, The Fulltone Mosfet Overdrive was the first overdrive pedal I bought when I started my pedalboard
I bought my first boutique pedal a used big box Octafuzz many years ago. Like a dummy I let it go to buy other pedals that I also got rid of. That Octafuzz was such a magical device.
Thanks for all the coolness!!!
Thanks for that,Unc.Great that you put this out,despite his troubles,you are correct about his contributions to the industry,and it needed to be emphasized,that the quality is almost unmatched.It was nice that he could keep his prices so low and I'm always amazed at the low used prices for his pedals.Ill be hanging on to mine,and probably picking up a few more,soon.Good on ya,Unc.
Man that's sad somehow. I've had several fulltone pedals over the years they were all incredible and so reliable, still have a 69 MKII Fuzz that is amazing...
M. Fuller made awesome pedals (I have a few and count myself lucky). I'm a fuzz aficionado and one of my personal favorites is the Fulltone Custom Shop Queen Bee.
Fulltone builds great pedals and not to mention the price! â€
i have your orange full drive 3 and it is amazing. good luck to you!!
push pull is the one I just got it is the compressor cut when pulled out (Comp-Cut)
Dammit. This breaks my heart.
Damn, the Ultimate Octave going to cost even more now, not that he made them any more.
I've owned two Clyde Deluxe's, on my second now and I use and love his supra-trem 2 stereo tremolo pedal. That shit rips in my rocker 32.
The OCD is the second most popular overdrive used by artists after the tubescreamer. A lot of fulltone's other pedals are really popular too. Kind of sad that a lot of music gear makers seem to be closing these days and not being sold to someone else to carry them on. I guess there's no one to sell to or the economics just don't work.
I hope the spirit and talent of Fulltone can morph into other projects with current and/or ex employees, much like G&L, Music Man, Gibson employees, etc., etc...successfully did
Very happy with my OCD- Ge. Nice work Mike Fuller
Thank you
I've got an OCD, Plimsoul, Fulldrive 2 and big clunky Deja Vibe - pedal style. Looks like I'll be holding onto them as collectors items.
I started buying his stuff in the mid 90's. Fulltone and Prescription Electronics were the first "boutique" builders that were sold here in New Orleans. I have had one of almost everything over the years some I kept, most I sold or gave to friends over the years. The early stuff was amazing and his customer service was outstanding. As he got bigger the quality was compromised a little, but the service was compromised a lot. Hardly recognizable from when he started, but when you are selling as many pedals as he is now it wouldn't be possible to keep it at the same level. I knew way more guys that gave up on them because of the owner than because the pedals were bad. The truth is that eventually there were a number of other places that came along that made similar, sometimes better, products and they didn't make you feel like an a**hole when something broke and you needed a part. Again, understandable to a degree given what they became, but the big lesson I took from it was that you could lose as many customers by being a poor communicator as you could by building inferior stuff.
Hope is employees land on their feet. I don't know what to say about that press release other than it sounds exactly like I would have expected from Mike.
Just ran and got the last of three Supa Wah's on Amazon. Don't wanna chance it.
Cool video Manson.
The OCD is mounted via the pots. I have a few of his pedals including a â69 Slight Return. I paid a lot for it, and the current ones have the same transistors. đđ
I'm glad I grabbed a Supa-Wah when I did! I also own the CS Deja Vibe & OC-75 Ranger. I will treasure all of them.
Right., all the prices have already shot through the roof
@@mrmatthew2443 Yeah, I see $100 OCD pedals for $400. Shameful. And this video is still the only one I've found that even recognizes Fulltone closing. The world shrugs its shoulders as a pioneer closes down shop. Ok.
I'm so sorry to hear this. I've got a bunch of Fulltones -- original 69 and 70s pedals, an old Soulbender, a V1 OCD, a Distortion Pro -- all just tremendous pedals. But in the past year or two I've bought maybe a dozen of these $30 - $40 mini-pedals, right off Amazon. Order dog food, pick up another pedal, order cleaning supplies, add a pedal... the thing is, most of these tiny made-in-China things sound fantastic. As good as a Fulltone? Maybe not. Quite. But can you hear the difference in a band context? I don't know how anybody who makes $200 pedals is going to survive, with functional equivalents so cheap.
But who is going to design the next generation of pedals? Not the guys making the $40 knock off. There is an OCD knock off pedal on amazon for $50 and I'm sure a lot of people buy it. Too bad it puts this guy out of business, the very guy that designed it.
@@Khyron9 It's the way of the world; creators create, then somebody comes along who can build the same (or similar) thing cheaper, by outsourcing components or labor, whatever, to bring down production costs. They sell more of the cheaper pedals, take over the market. If you do something innovative, you have to strike while the iron's hot.
The sound/tone may be there for the MIC pedals but the usual questions arise. Quality, reliability, noise.
@@kemnavarro212 Yep. But I've got plenty of broken, noisy, non-functional vintage pedals, too. I don't know if the mini-pedals will stand the test of time, but I know if they crap out I'll be able to replace them cheaply and easily. Which is more than you can say for an op amp Big Muff, or a Deluxe Memory Man (anybody wanna buy a busted DMM?)
And there it is.
I have a Mas Malo & Full Drive 3 on my board. The Full Drive is cool. The Mas Malo is a freaking GREAT pedal!
The Mas sounds like nothing else! Keepers!
Thanks for doing Fulltone justice with this.
@@grayman7914 thanks man!
R.I.P Dejavibe I love so much :(
I owned a fulldrive 2, OCD, and a Clyde wah for about 15 years. The FD2 mightâve been my very first pedal purchased. He will be missed in the pedal world.
Sad to see this. Love my Fulltone pedals. Hope the economy doesn't force some of our other favorite boutique pedals makers out of buisness.
Dream on. California has seemingly turned into a Marxist state. This is the sign of the end of USA made products. It's part of the planned distruction of the west, courtesy of the World Econmic Forum, the World Health Organisation and its willing criminal bureaucrats in govenment. It's all over team.
Good luck Mike, enjoy retirement.
Ugh, this is heartbreaking. Fulltone has made such great equipment.
Good morning. I hope you read this and can give me some advice. I bought the vertex clean boost about 4 months from sweetwater and love what it does. It just stopped working out of the blue and need to know if there something I can check on it. I am basically a retired person who just enjoys playing guitar at home and only plays at bedroom volume. Hope you can give me some advice. Thanks
Jimmy
I've dealt with Mike Fuller three times over the last 18 years. I loved a lot of this effects. The man himself? He was a world-class asshole all three times. There's a good argument to be made that if Mike worked on his attitude, or at least had someone else deal with the public, he might not be in the situation he's in. Having guitar center decide to go longer carry your products certainly can't be good for the bottom line.
To be fair, I've been a luthier for twenty years, and have been building and servicing amps for over fifteen. In the guitar gear manufacturing and servicing world, they mostly come down to being either some of the nicest people you'll ever meet, or some of the biggest pricks. There aren't a lot of them that I've known where "you're not sure where you, and they stand." Though i have seen some of the latter make an honest effort to move to the former. I'm thinking of a particular luthier who used to have a pretty high profile CZcams channel that had porn stars in his openings. His assholery was on such a level that he lost his channel. He's since come back with a much lower profile channel, and it's pretty clear that put in a herculean effort to chill out a bit. His channel is VASTLY different from what it was, in a positive way. It didn't help that one of his most toxic video was a 45 minute long one to "debunk" that long scale necks sound brighter than short ones. Unfortunately there were a few people who watched it that pointed out that his entire presentation was all about pitch, when the long vs short thing is referring timber (far fewer people than should have picked up on it). There's a good lesson in there: if you're going to start calling people "fcking idiots,"in a CZcams video, you should probably make sure your argument is actually true.
They are all goneâŠI saw this video, and the Reverb prices are already through the roof. Iâve had OCDs on and off my board for years. I ordered an OCD for $170 from Gear Tree, weâll see if it shows up. If it does, this will be the nostalgia purchase that I wonât let go.
Wow love full tone sadâŠfeel for the working people who will lose a great jobâŠgood luck to them god bless ..The OCDâŠgreat pedalâŠđ
Love the metaphor of Mercedes Benz leather from the 80sâŠđđ»đđŒ
I love these guys, have owned many OCDs, a few Fat-Boosts and still use the amazing Plim Soul on my board
I'm simple , a TS and Wah
And now , A Vertex SSCB
Thanx Man
Nice tribute. As expected, Fulltone pedals are selling out on most distributor sites. There's the rant controversy and alleged customer issues. I have a Clyde, Clyde Deluxe, and Mini DejaVibe. Never had an issue with Mike because I've never had a problem with the pedals. They're toneful and built to last. Good luck to Mike and the Fulltone employees.