A little advice please...

[fullerplast]

OK, I'm admittedly a total rube, I mean a real flippin' hick, when it comes to pedals and effects. So I come to those more knowledgeable than myself to help out...

A few years ago my son owed me some money, so he gave me some old crap he didn't use anymore. At the time, he said they weren't worth much. I didn't care about the value, I only accepted them to teach him to pay his bills... I wasn't looking for an equal value. These things have been sitting around in the closet in my music room, taking up space. Now I want to turn them into whatever cash I can get for them on the bay. I'm really wondering what they're worth, if anything.

The first is a Jim Dunlop Crybaby pedal that looks to be a million years old. It's actually made in the USA, which surprised me. It's in obviously used condition, but he said it worked when he gave it to me. I remember him buying it used in a small shop about 6 -7 years ago and being thrilled at the time, (1) on finding it.. and (2) on getting it for like $50. I just noticed the pedal doesn't spring back up, but it looks like you would bring it back up with your heel. Is that normal? Also, if you push all the way down on it, it activates a switch. See? I told you I know zip about these. Any help regarding how it works, what it does, or how much it's worth would be helpful.

The other one is a blue box. It's made by DOD and says CHORUS 690 on it, along with two switches and four knobs. It has three inputs on the side. Any idea what this does and what it's worth? I guess it just makes some kind of effect and the speed and depth of the effect can be blended and controlled.

Admittedly, I haven't searched the bay or teh netz yet to find anything out. I'm counting on my offset friends here for a little info or advice. I'm not expecting these to be worth a fortune, just looking for an idea.

Here's some pics:

[i love sharin foo]

The first is a Jim Dunlop Crybaby pedal that looks to be a million years old. It's actually made in the USA, which surprised me. It's in obviously used condition, but he said it worked when he gave it to me. I remember him buying it used in a small shop about 6 -7 years ago and being thrilled at the time, (1) on finding it.. and (2) on getting it for like $50. I just noticed the pedal doesn't spring back up, but it looks like you would bring it back up with your heel. Is that normal? Also, if you push all the way down on it, it activates a switch. See? I told you I know zip about these. Any help regarding how it works, what it does, or how much it's worth would be helpful.

You're correct that you use your heel to bring the treadle back up. After it is plugged in, you press pretty hard in the toe down position to click the switch to engage the wah. It is in ncie shape and I believe it is a reissue, which was probably made around the mid '90s. I'm not real sure what they sell for. They aren't too much new, but I'd check eBay just for a general idea.

That DOD Chorus is an earlier one, as evidenced by the larger enclosure and the onboard transformer with AC cord. I don't have any idea about it's worth, but it looks super cool. I wouldn't mind picking one up myself.

Justin

[fullerplast]

Thanks Justin.

Just to be clear... I'm not trying to sell outside the proper place... but was just curious for info and advice. I appreciate the help. As for the CryBaby.. I assume a reissue is worth much less? When were the originals made, are they RARE! (L@@K!) and how can you tell?

I'll look these up on the bay now. I'm glad to know that the Chorus is at least something that someone might actually want.

[mezcalhead]

I just noticed the pedal doesn't spring back up, but it looks like you would bring it back up with your heel. Is that normal? Also, if you push all the way down on it, it activates a switch. See? I told you I know zip about these.

Thanks, man .. that's the best laugh I've had all day!



I don't know exactly what these are worth, but not a huge amount .. maybe $80 for the Crybaby and $50 for the chorus .. perhaps more since it's earlier? The 80s Japanese stompboxes have their own group of fans, so if it's clean and early you may be surprised. I can tell you what they do though ..

.. the Crybaby is a wah pedal, and the pedal is meant to stay where you put it. The switch is on/off .. push the rocker pedal all the way forward to turn the wah effect on or off, as Justin says.

.. the chorus gives a lush spacey effect (it's a single very short delay moved out of phase to the original signal).

You know, I reckon you should find a couple of leads and a 9V battery and then try these out. The best way to understand an effect is to hear it. You might dig them!

[fullerplast]

hehe... I'm glad I provided some comic relief for you.   ;D

I thought about trying them out! Maybe I will...

I just thought I'd mention them here since I was sitting here with my Bud Light and had my camera handy. I've been listing stuff on the bay all day today.

[Tweez]

I would say the chorus is worth a fair bit because it's an early one. There aren't any artist associations so you're not going to get loads (like the DOD 440 Envelope Filter from the same era) but it should still be worth a bit.

[fullerplast]

Thanks Tweez! But I have to ask... how much of a bit might we be talking here? I'm not holding anybody to anything, just looking for a general ballpark. I can't find any on the bay, not even in the closed auctions.

[daydreamdelay]

yeah you should do alright on the chorus.. I got excited when I first seen it as I thought it might be the delay, I've always wanted to grab one. they sound fantastic and can go for a nice price, I'm sure the chorus is just as good and desired 

[Jay]

My guess is the chorus should fetch over $100 but the Crybaby probably won't get much over $50.  There are simply too many better sounding wah pedals available these days for around $100.  I would also suspect that chorus pedal should sound really nice if it's working properly.

[fullerplast]

Thanks for the replies everybody!

No DOD chorus' on the bay, but there's a ton of dunlop crybabies and they seem to go from $35 - $65. I was comparing like part numbers, GCB-95. So your estimate of +/- $50 is right on.

[mezcalhead]

For some reason the chorus pics didn't load for me the first time around .. I was expecting one of those little plastic things. So yeah, over $100 ..

[fullerplast]

I googled up some interesting articles on the Chrous 690.  I had no idea it was that old:

http://www.vintageguitar.com/brands/details.asp?ID=155

http://www.effectsdatabase.com/reviews/528/

[mezcalhead]

I can never make good use of chorus these days .. I just seem to prefer my guitars straight, for a clean sound.

[idiotbear]

I can never make good use of chorus these days .. I just seem to prefer my guitars straight, for a clean sound.

+1

I used to have a Guyatone MC-2 chorus, and...well... I don't have it any more. It was a lush, spacey chorus, that did exactly everything you'd want from such a pedal (apart from it hissed a bit), but I just had no use for it. Chorus tends to sound like a bad grunge clean sound to my ears. Seems like after Nirvana used one on "Come As You Are", every half-arsed grunger on the planet slapped one on their board and used it ALL the time.

(That said, there's a lot of chorus on Pixies records, and it sounds dead cool. But certainly of an era.)

So, long story short, I've never been able to make use of them, although I quite like chorus on a bass...

[zhivago]

the particular chorus pedal is VERY cool....you'd definitely make over $100 for it....I'd think more....

I heard years ago on another FX messageboard that they do a really cool leslie effect.....so yeah, you're onto a winner with the old DOD...they are actually quite rare