Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results...

[echobaseone]

I've noticed flipping thru my Reverb history that my last few pedal purchases have been for pedals I've already owned.
Is this normal? Or early signs of dementia?
Looking back, I'm pretty sure I sold most of these pedals because I wanted to try something else, or they were funding another musical equipment purchase. Still, pretty weird.
I've bought the EQD Ghost Echo 3 times.
The ZVEX Box Of Metal twice (same USA Vexter version).
Boss DSD-2 twice.
Boss RV-2 twice.
EQD Hoof twice.
EQD Fuzz Master General twice.
I'm sure there are plenty more. Is it just me? Or is this a more common occurrence?

[Embenny]

I have come back around to multiple pieces of gear I once wrote off.

Our taste changes over time, but more importantly, the rest of our gear does too. When I was 12, I plugged my friend's RAT into my Fender Automatic GT amp, cranked the gain, and went "oh my god why is this pedal famous, this sounds like a tin can of bees!"

For more years than I'd like to admit, I just had this memory that RATs were thin, buzzy shitboxes. But my signal chain changed (a bit ) and lo and behold, when I plugged a RAT into my tube Traynor head running two nice 1x12" cabs years later, I found multiple great tones out of it. Then I sold it because I switched amps and it once again wasn't giving me the tones I wanted at the time. I've now gone digital and have all the drive tones I want including RAT-like ones, but for all I know I'll buy some more tube amps some day and want to run an analog pedal board into them again.

You could argue that it's cheaper in the long run to hoard old gear for years until you rediscover it, but it also ties up space, money, and a certain amount of brainpower (if, like me, you feel guilty for owning stuff you haven't used in years).

Our needs, gear, and taste evolve over time and I don't see anything wrong with rebuying something you used to own.

[marqueemoon]

Rats are my biggest on again/off again, but I don’t sell them.

[peterherman]

I have bought and sold the Akai Headrush (v1 and v2 both) multiple times. I have a v2 that's hanging around not getting used right now.
Rat has been in and out as well.

[blunderbuss]

I rarely sell pedals but I swap around often. Always swapping out reverbs.

[Shadoweclipse13]

Totally get where you guys are coming from. My amps don't change very often (I generally only add to my amp stable), so having gain or other pedals that only works with one amp vs another isn't really an issue I have. Fuzz pedals are the quickest in and out for me, as I love the sound of fuzz, but it's hard to find a flavor that really does it for me.

I've definitely had a few pedals come and go, and then come back again. Most notably my Catalinbread Echorec. I LOVE the classic Binson Echorec sound, but when I first had the CB Echorec, I didn't like the rotary knob. I sold it to fund a Dawner Prince Boonar, but it sounded lifeless to me, so I bought another CB Echorec.

Usually, when a pedal doesnt work for me, I don't look back, but occasionally there's something, possibly indescribable, about a pedal that makes me second guess my decision. I usually figure that I didn't find a setting that I liked, or that I didn't tweak knobs as far as I should've. I think knowledge of how to use a circuit is a big part of them for me. I wish I knew things I know now when I had my Analogman Sunface. It was a damn good fuzz.

[ManFromMars]

I've done the same thing a few times. Sometimes its with pedals I really want to like (Big Muffs), sometimes its because I end up missing certain sounds.

[Embenny]

Rats are my biggest on again/off again, but I don’t sell them.

So you're saying you have a recurrent rat problem?

I'll see myself out...

[blunderbuss]

I've done the same thing a few times. Sometimes its with pedals I really want to like (Big Muffs), sometimes its because I end up missing certain sounds.

Considering just getting a muffuletta so I stop buying muffs.

[stevejamsecono]

I tend to notice that I'm more gear picky when I'm not busy. The most stable my rigs have been is when I've been in bands that are practicing/gigging a lot and I didn't have a lot of time to fuss with sounds because I was busy writing/recording/playing out. Obviously now that's totally out the window so my pedal pile has grown significantly in the interim.

[Whiny Minotaur]

I used to constantly switch between Turbo Rats and Rat 2s, until I recently found out that it doesn't really fit in my rig, or the music I play anymore.

I kind of want to sell it, but knowing myself I'll probably be yearning for that sound again sooner or later

Other than that, it's been pretty easy for me to make my mind about the sounds I like and dislike so far. But then again, I tried less than 6 pedals in my entire life, until this year I went on a buying spree. Now I have 14, lol

[zhivago]

There's been a handful of pedals that I've bought over and over.

The worst one is probably the Fuzz Factory...I am on my fourth, but this one I have now isn't going anywhere.

Other multiple purchases are :
Maxon AD900 (3)
Lofi Loop Junky (3)
Super Duper (3)
Machine (3)
Octane (3)
Seek Trem (2)
Klon Centaur (2)
Echoczar + Angelbaby (2)

[s_mcsleazy]

Well over the years, ive owned at least 12 variations on the rat circuit..... Probably more

[Embenny]

The worst one is probably the Fuzz Factory...I am on my fourth, but this one I have now isn't going anywhere.

In fairness, aren't certain fuzz pedals super sensitive to variations in components (even within their normal tolerance range)?

I don't know about the fuzz factory circuit, but my recollection is that it's got a germanium transistor, and those things even change their behaviour depending on climate conditions.

I wouldn't be surprised if you could buy 4 at the same time and find that one stands out as the best sounding.

[zhivago]

The worst one is probably the Fuzz Factory...I am on my fourth, but this one I have now isn't going anywhere.

In fairness, aren't certain fuzz pedals super sensitive to variations in components (even within their normal tolerance range)?

I don't know about the fuzz factory circuit, but my recollection is that it's got a germanium transistor, and those things even change their behaviour depending on climate conditions.

I wouldn't be surprised if you could buy 4 at the same time and find that one stands out as the best sounding.

You are very right...in fact I was talking to a couple of friends of mine on Skype last Friday talking about the differences in Fuzz Factories, as all three of us have Fuzz Factories from the year 2000. Two of the three sound almost identical, but mine is a bit different.

Oddly enough, I have seen Vexter video demos of Fuzz Factories, and sometimes the settings they used sounded totally different when I applied them to my pedal.

Thankfully the one I have now just slays, so I am a happy bunny.