Is the golden age over?

[Timko]

I've been building now for about 4 years and I've definitely seen a shift in the DYI community.  I came in at the very end of the through-hole transistor era.  That said, I think there's a lot of great companies out there releasing crazy pedal PCBs for people in the DYI community.  I would say there's been a little slow-down in fellow DYI people on this forum releasing boards (some of my favorite builds I've completed are from forum members diablochris, alanp, and drolo). 

Building for me is a winter hobby - I spend the warmer months playing disc golf.  I was fortunate (well, lucky) that nearly the first 20 builds I tried worked.  After starting with simple builds, I moved on to building the most complicated, complex, crazy builds I could find.  While I do spend quite a bit of time conquering complex build for personal satisfaction (hello Mutron BiPhase - Thanks DeadEndFX), I have spent more time getting a better understanding from a schematic / electric side what a particular circuit actually does.  I've tried to get farther away from the "color by numbers" approach to building and move more into understanding the affect of a component on the circuit.  Yeah, it's more math than most people want to get involved with, but you start understanding how to mash various topologies together into unique sounding pedals. 

Take that and add the fact that I've started building on a very (very) small scale for people (like 2 or 3 builds per winter) and it's been quite an enjoyable hobby.  One of the things I've taken pride in is trying to get a sound in a musician's head to translate to something they turn on with their foot.  Often what people think is a fuzz isn't a fuzz, or an analog delay with modulation is really a light flange.  I love the challenge of designing and etching pedal enclosures too which offers an entirely different outlet.

So is the golden age over?  Maybe.  Not for me though.   I think I'm just starting to get my head wrapped around it.

[midwayfair]

Millennials aren't interested in DIY for the most part, they're a pretty disposable generation.

lol, what? You think it's all old farts who have been doing all the building in the last 10 years?

Or is this going to be one of those days where someone learns that millennials are almost 40 years old now? Birth years are 1980-1995, which I would guess accounts for a very large percentage of the people here.

[chromesphere]

Millennials aren't interested in DIY for the most part, they're a pretty disposable generation.

lol, what? You think it's all old farts who have been doing all the building in the last 10 years?

Or is this going to be one of those days where someone learns that millennials are almost 40 years old now? Birth years are 1980-1995, which I would guess accounts for a very large percentage of the people here.

I would agree with Jon on this one, if we are talking "millenials" by definition.  If we are referring to generation Z, well thats a whole different story and with a different theory. See extract from youtube analytics.  Sure, its youtube, but it still gives you an insight into what age group is searching for DIY pedal info

Note: 65+ and under 18 don't even register on the graph (0.2% and 0% respectively)

[jimilee]

Millennials aren't interested in DIY for the most part, they're a pretty disposable generation.

lol, what? You think it's all old farts who have been doing all the building in the last 10 years?

Or is this going to be one of those days where someone learns that millennials are almost 40 years old now? Birth years are 1980-1995, which I would guess accounts for a very large percentage of the people here.

I would agree with Jon on this one, if we are talking "millenials" by definition.  If we are referring to generation Z, well thats a whole different story and with a different theory. See extract from youtube analytics.  Sure, its youtube, but it still gives you an insight into what age group is searching for DIY pedal info

Note: 65+ and under 18 don't even register on the graph (0.2% and 0% respectively)

Valid, Point taken.


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[flanagan0718]

I'm a millennial, born in 1983. I don't consider my self one but...I am. I heavily rely on DIY. Weather it's car repair, home repair, or other projects.


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[nzCdog]

It ain't over for me!  Just got no time! 
I have a Total Recall, a bunch of LectricFX, and half  a dozen overdrive pcbs sitting in the drawer

[jubal81]

I'm on board with the idea that the golden age of DIY pedal forums has passed.


We're not seeing a lot of new builders posting, but sounds like more people are building than ever. A forum like this is great for sharing and learning technical information and it persists, so often someone can search old threads to learn what they need without starting a new discussion.


For build reports, it's probably a lot more rewarding to share them on other social media.

[chromesphere]

Do you think we need a "Lets make pedals great again" thread?

[nzCdog]

 

[alanp]

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/

Apparently I'm a millenial, which doesn't really ring true to me. I have never, ever liked social media, prefer email and forums, and think that advanced cellphones (iPhones or android) are also a waste of time.

[nzCdog]

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/
Apparently I'm a millenial, which doesn't really ring true to me. I have never, ever liked social media, prefer email and forums, and think that advanced cellphones (iPhones or android) are also a waste of time.

Ohhh.... stop being so Gen X!  Looks like I just about qualify as an old timer then 

[Aleph Null]

For build reports, it's probably a lot more rewarding to share them on other social media.

Having posted builds here and on "social media", my experience is that it was more rewarding here. I do agree that, with time, forums can reach a critical mass where the answer to most questions is probably already in a searchable thread.

[juansolo]

For build reports, it's probably a lot more rewarding to share them on other social media.

Having posted builds here and on "social media", my experience is that it was more rewarding here. I do agree that, with time, forums can reach a critical mass where the answer to most questions is probably already in a searchable thread.

Yeah, I shutdown the Juansolo Pedals FB page because it was getting like TGP. I ain't got no time for that!

[benny_profane]

I do agree that, with time, forums can reach a critical mass where the answer to most questions is probably already in a searchable thread.

I'm not sure if this is regarding a comment I made earlier or not. I think that the critical mass aspect is certainly true and may account for the lack of engagement with anything but specific questions. However, The basic questions—even if in the archives—are valuable to have asked since it starts dialogues. People can find new ways of doing things, beginners feel involved, and teaching is a great way to hone skills. If people are simply searching for answers instead of asking questions, there's no new dialogue, and others don't get the benefit of teaching. There is, of course, the risk of having the same few common questions come up over and over again—that would get tiring and I'm sure would result in ignoring things—but, new folks should definitely ask their questions. It's pretty vital to a community.

If everything's already been traced, there are no new ODs/distortions/fuzzes, everyone has built everything already, there's a boutique industry of building even more boutique versions of boutique versions of classic circuits—is that the end of enjoyment? Sure, a lot of mystery is gone, components are going extinct, and things aren't super cheap: it's not the wild west anymore. Though, look at the wave of 'retirements'—the consensus seems to be around the community. So, maybe some aspects have changed and a 'golden age' might be gone. But that doesn't diminish the other good things that have come from that age. As long as there are curious people that like discovering how things work and gain satisfaction from making something with their own hands, building will be around.

[midwayfair]

FFS it's a demographic, not a description of your personality, people.

How screwed up is the world that people have to disclaim their birth year range? Stop feed that nonsense!

It's an arbitrary line drawn in a statistician's ledger so they can draw some less complicated charts.