Thanks for posting all these comments - I've been thinking about how best to respond for the last 24 hours. To give some background to my thought process, here goes... I'd never heard of Vertex pedals prior to 2018 - I don't spend any time on forums, so I had no idea about any of Masons history or the accusations against him. Vertex contacted me earlier in the year & asked if I'd have a listen to some of the new pedals they had coming in 2018. I responded in the same way I do to the numerous pedal companies that contact me every month. I asked them to send me some samples to try. I received the pedals & I liked them. I saw they were already available from other reputable music stores in Europe & I placed our opening order. Nothing seemed untoward, there were no irregularities in placing or paying for the order & the 1st delivery arrived in March 2018. The pedals have sold OK (we've sold about 40 units so far) and nothing came up on our social media feeds to suggest that stocking Vertex was a problem. At summer Namm I met Mason for the 1st time. He had a booth at the show, there seemed to be plenty of people checking out his stuff, and he was very pleasant. We shot some footage for his Game of Tones videos (which I think are cool videos) & we agreed that he'd come over in the autumn & shoot some video at Andertons. All this is just normal day to day stuff for Andertons. I enjoyed making the video with Mason - what you see is pretty much the whole interview - I'm not avoiding any awkward subjects because I didn't know there were any awkward subjects to avoid! So now we move on to the video comments & how I feel about the accusations made against Mason/Vertex, and more importantly how I feel about the way in which I've been accused of being complicit in Masons past discretion by having him on the show. I've read the basics of the complaints against him, including the letter from Michael Landau, the letter from Robben Ford & a post by Joe Bonamassa (which I assume are all genuine). Assuming all these are true then clearly Mason has made some poor decisions in then past and I can totally understand why some people have boycotted his products & are upset at my decision to make a video with him. My personal views on the situation are very much along the lines of Robben Fords letter - essentially, OK, the guy messed up - he misled people in to thinking that all his pedal designs were his own, when in fact one or two of them were just re housed versions of other companies designs. Is he the 1st guy to do this? No. Will he be the last guy to do this? I doubt it. Is it the worlds worst crime? No - its poor form, but nobody died. He says he was in a bad place when these decisions were made, he's apologised & is trying to make amends & get on with his life. Since I started dealing with Mason he seems like a nice guy, & like I said I think the pedals sound good. I'd like to give him a second chance. Honestly its not about the money - trust me - selling 40 Vertex pedals is a minuscule % of our total turnover. I do respect every ones decision to boycott Vertex & if you really feel that strongly about it, boycott Andertons too, but I'm going on what I know of Mason from the time that I started dealing with him. And in the spirit of giving people a 2nd chance, I'm leaving the video up. If he steps out of line again, or betrays me (or my customers) trust in any way, I will drop Vertex immediately & offer everyone that ever bought one from me a full refund. BTW - I don't really have time to get into drawn out arguments on this one, so apologies in advance for not replying or responding anymore on this one. Thanks & all the best, Lee.
That's a fair response, and the one I'd expect from a sensible business. Let's hope he doesn't screw it up again, and maybe it can go back to being the tiny footnote in history that it was...
What's this nonsense about "second chances" that keeps getting spouted - the guy has MULTIPLE infractions against any sort of professional ethics. Is he the world's worst criminal? No. But this is not just about a few re-labelled pedals. That would be bad enough. Cables. Pedal boards. The guy was screwing over his customers and other gear producers - more than willingly - but that's alright because he was "in a bad place"? Na. Business is business though, I guess.
@@Steve_9292 - Not nonsense. What Lee's done is perfectly sensible: he's had a business relationship with the guy for six months or so, and his experience has been OK so far. He's had a lot of feedback on social media now that this video's out, so he's decided that "proceed with extreme caution" is the best option rather than let the Internet Hate Machine decide how he runs his business (which, let's face it, would be an _extremely_ bad precedent to set). On top of that, he's made a commitment to offer a refund to anyone should Mason get up to his old tricks again. Seems reasonable to me.
Disappointing. I’ll wait until Anderson’s drops Vertex publicly before shopping here again. You should put your customers, and not your suppliers, first.
Less we forget the words of Michael Landau AN OPEN LETTER FROM MICHAEL LANDAU. This letter is in response to the recent events surrounding Mason Marangella and Vertex Effects. I first became aware of the drama concerning the Vertex Wah Wahs through Clif Jones on August 16th. I was late hearing the news because I had been on tour and I’m not a regular on the gear forums. The news was not good, this was exactly the type of drama that has kept me far away from guitar pedal endorsements for most of my life up until recently. Since I’ve never actually owned a production model Vertex Axis Wah, I anonymously purchased one 12 days ago so I could have it compared to the BBE Ben Wah by a reliable source whom I’ve known for many years, I wanted to have a first hand account of the results. The results show that the Vertex Axis Wah I recently purchased was identical to the BBE Ben Wah. Obviously I can’t be involved with a company or associated with a person who runs his company like this, so officially as of 9-6-2014, I no longer formally endorse any Vertex products. I would like to state the following facts for clarity: - I am not an electrical engineer, the only time I open up a pedal is to change the battery. - I have never used, nor have I ever endorsed any of the production model Vertex Wah Wahs. - The Wah Wah that has been on my pedalboard since January 2013 is an old Dunlop Cry Baby that was modified by Mason, I don’t know the specifics of the mods, it sounds good to me, it does have a Vertex sticker on it from when Mason worked on it a couple of years ago. - I do not use, nor have I ever endorsed the Vertex cables. - I use the Vertex Landau Boost because I love the EXP volume control function. - I use the Vertex Volume pedal only as an EXP pedal for the Landau Boost. As of 9-3-2014, I have instructed Mason to give all of the dealers and distributers a 30 day notice stating that the Vertex Landau Boost and the Vertex Landau Chorus will be discontinued. Out of respect to the entire guitar community: If anyone wants to return their Vertex Landau Boost or Vertex Landau Chorus and is having a problem doing so through Vertex or the dealer they purchased it from, please contact Clif @ L.A. Vintage Gear and I will personally provide a full refund. Michael Landau
What an absolute legend. Gotta love Landau. OPEN LETTER FROM ROBBEN FORD: "After some time and a lot of thought, I've decided to publicly endorse a boost pedal designed by Mason Marangella for his company, Vertex Effects. Many of you reading this know that Mason was exposed last year for having put his label on some cheap, Chinese-built, Wah-Wah pedals and sold them as his own design. This act came back to bite him severely, and most turned and distanced themselves as far as possible. Especially those of us who had endorsed him personally. Understandable. I myself kept a distance. He called to apologize to me and posted an open letter online to apologize to everyone who might have been injured from his deceit. And, since then, he has been making good on his promise to refund, rebate, credit and/or exchange anyone who had purchased one of his fake pedals(not a small feat). Perhaps more importantly, he is addressing what turns out to be a problem akin to alcoholism in the same way an alcoholic might, with a twelve step program, as well as ongoing therapy and giving back to his community. Many might just choose to hide after such a public humiliation, but I see Mason making every effort a man can make to clean up the past and make a new life for himself. I use Mason's Boost pedal. It's the most important pedal on my board and it would feel a little hypocritical to me to use his pedal and, otherwise, put him down. Besides, as said, the guy is seriously trying. Mason has of course offered me a royalty for my endorsement of the pedal. I will have that royalty paid directly to a charity and will profit not one dime from sales. Everyone has told me not to do this. Why stick my neck out? It's a good question. I'm counting on human decency." -Robben Ford It's all fine and yeah I suppose he can try to make a fresh start and all but, at the end of the day, it's my hard earned money and I have a plethora of other companies to choose from. I'd think twice before buying any of his pedals. Props to him though if he really has done what Mr. Ford says.
Open letter from Joe Bonamassa: Hey Guys, I'm sorry to be chiming in so late but I must warn all you fellow gear nerds to stay away from Vertex effects and pedalboard services. Mason is not truthful nor is his work good or in most cases his own. He had me on his site without permission as a user and happy customer. I am/was neither happy nor do I use any of his products. My pedalboard sounded awful, took tons of gain away, and added a huge ground hum. It also cost $1400 and that was after I pitched a fit when the $2000 bill came to my tour manager all the while seeing unauthorized You Tube videos of my " new rig" a rig I never tried nor signed off on. Fortunately Dave Friedman at Rack Systems came in and saved the day for $400. All I wanted and asked for was to have some cables cut to size. I didn't want to waste Dave's time so I gave it to Mason. BIG MISTAKE.... I am very disturbed by his actions and have heard recently that he has been called out on some Wah Wah pedal stuff. Bad News Bear that cat is unfortunately. So... In closing... Just trying to keep my fellow guitar nerds from getting ripped off like I was. Caveat Emptor Joe Bonamassa.
So much BS. This guy previously claimed he had a EE degree from UC Berkeley. Now he’s claiming the long-standing, top-rated EE program at UC Berkeley was discontinued while he was in college?!?! This is just too much.
that's not what he said, he said the program there was more geared towards Computer Science. The name of the program (when I was there, in 2001) was EECS.
Mason only ripped off products that actually sounded good in the first place. I hear that they aren’t even bothering to fake Chapman guitars over in the Far East.....
@@jeffjinno932 Of course they don't. Why would they fake a small brand that doesn't have a ton of value to undercut. That doesn't mean Chapman's are bad, but it just wouldn't make sense. I bet they don't fake Solar guitars either, or probably many cheaper models from most brands. They copy something like a Les Paul because people want that "expensive guitar" for way less. Not many people are going "Man, this $600 Chapman is wayyyyy too expensive. Maybe I can find a Chinese copy for $500" lol. You're also implying that any guitar that isn't copied in the East doesn't sound good, which is absolutely absurd.... There aren't that many really bad guitars nowadays, and they certainly don't copy most guitars.
@@roymontero4066 First KOT came out in 2003 and he had other original pedals out before that (compressors in 2001). I'd hardly call what Mike was doing "Faux boutique" in the mid-2000s
One of my fav. pedal company...I use vertex boost pedal and for me definitely one of the best pedal..... and all the video that Mason makes about building pedal board is worth watching....Thank you Andertons👍
Oh, that's where I know the name Vertex pedals from! Wasn't he the guy that put his own sticker on BBE wah pedals and resold them as 'boutique' pedals? I can't believe he's still in the pedal business. There are lots of reputable pedal makers - Boss, BBE, T-Rex, JHS, Wampler, Keeley Line 6, etc. No need to buy from this guy.
Didn't he nibble off the corner of the circuit board where the BBE logo was to hide what it really was? As if a ragged missing chunk of circuit board wasn't going to make people question the quality of the product...
Oh, come on, Lee. This is really, really bad. I've been a happy customer of your store but this is seriously making me reconsider. The guy is a known rip off merchant.
I'm sorry, I've followed Vertex since the very beginning. The man is NOT an honest man, not a pedal designer (he hires or steals the design). Sad that you guys are giving him a pulpit...
@@Blackkey034 It's not a misunderstanding. Please read the many threads over at the Gear Page. Mason is dishonest and has lied to his customers continuously since starting his business. He apologized some years ago, then walked it back as "bad marketing" but has continued to lie since then. Giving him an interview means that Anderton's either decided to ignore his bad behavior, or chose not to do the most superficial Google search.
@PickJar Do you guys think the handful of this guy's pedals they sell is even noticeable to Anderton's bottom line? lmao. Andertons sells MILLIONS of pounds of gear per year... They probably sell like a thousand dollars of this guy's pedals per year at best. Seriously, guys. I know it's a business that wants to make money, but they don't care about every tiny penny from some small pedal maker that hardly anyone has heard of.
Mason just put out a video claiming to show a "tone improving" mod for fender amps but got called out by Steven Fryette and John Suhr that it does sweet f@ck all but endanger the amp. Lee, you really, really chose the wrong hill to die on.
Did you not see him ruin Joe Bonnamassa's pedalboard?And he tried charging him thousands of dollars when Joe had only asked to repair some cables.Then after changing it all around and not even working,he posted a video "Joe Bonnamasa's new pedalboard by Vertex",without Joe even knowing.Joe had to bring it over to Dave to restore it back and get it working again. You can't make this stuff up it's so bizzare.
I knew the comments would be good when I saw the thumbs down were more than the thumbs up. I didn't know anything about this story. It was more satisfying than the actual video.
Lee, I've been watching your videos for a long time and I must say, those lessons you've been doing with Justin Guitar are paying off like crazy. These pedals sound great, I'm definitely going to buy one, but the confidence in your playing is the most inspiring thing in this video.
I was wondering how long I would have to scroll down the comments until I read about someone saying this guy was a fraud and it was the first comment. I fully agree this guy is a design stealing shmuck
i must be missing something, because everybody is saying this, yet ive never heard of him. totally surprised by the like to dislike ratio. whats the backstory?
iamrichlol There’s too much to list here but google “Vertex wah” and look at the threads on the Gear Page. He rebranded BBE wahs without doing any mods to the circuit and sold them for a huge upcharge. When he was called out for it he claimed he designed the wah for BBE (which was a lie). He also used to claim he had an engineering degree.
Not knowing the history of this man doesn't affect my opinion of the video just makes me slightly wary But Lee still did a good job presenting this as openly as he could and his solos are so much more creative
After reading all the comments below (198 at the moment), my impression is that this video is backfiring at full speed. Vertex's brand is being exposed for the worse, and Andertons might be taking a needless hit in its reputation (and Lee's). Is this perhaps a lesson learned?
I don't know. People have been calling him out for a while and he's still here. Being known for doing wrong still gives you better publicity than not being known at all, and it certainly doesn't hurt that when you remove a negative bias from the equation, the pedals sound really good. I think this will help them actually.
Please stop supporting Vertex. His relabeling of pedals and cords is very different from what other companies do when they copy circuits. He is a compulsive liar and does not deserve to be carried in your store.
Shame on you guys for granting Mason a forum to shuck his wares. After all his lies and BS, being called out by guys like Landau and Bonamassa. This is disgusting.
@@Blackkey034 or maybe educate yourself a bit before you open your mouth. The levels of lies, fraud and deceit from Mason, across nearly every one of his products is indefensible.
Regardless of what this man may have done in the past or what you've read in forums these pedals are great. I recently got back into playing and purchased a strat/deluxe reverb as well as a steel string. The tone and fat sweet sound I can achieve with this combo is amazing. I didn't know anything about his past before making my purchase and after learning from what I've read about him doesn't make it sound any worse. Awesome pedals.
Around 5 minutes Lee is asking all the right questions, too bad he didn't prep enough. Wasn't gonna buy Vertex before, that didn't change, so no problem there. I also like to watch liars lie, it becomes easier to spot them later :D
Should have asked him what brand is he rehousing and selling for double the price. Lost some respect for you Lee thought you had more integrity but instead you sold out for more profit.
@@rickcar94 It is one thing to sell the product in the store and another to give him a platform that presents him in a glorying light without ever discussing his history. Anderton's and Capt. Lee are very well respected by the gear community this video just showed that he is basically another sales man trying to push more product out the door. I and most gear people are not made at the Lee just disappointed. Turns out Capt. Lee does not really give a crap about the guitar community as long as he can make another pound or dollar.
Really sad to see andertons giving mason any time of day. How the industry has just chosen to forgive and forget what this guy did and let good names like andertons be linked with bad ones like vertex is beyond me. Sorry, but any shop that stocks this brand will not see any of my extremely hard earned money. Sorry Lee, my love affair with andertons goes back to my first proper guitar purchase in 1996 (a black paisley mij sambora strat) and I've bought regularly over the years. I love the shop, had great service from your staff, but jeez, vertex? Seriously iffy judgement there, even if you forgive him, I don't.
Jesus the guy apologized. He makes a great product. I am sorry but your opinion isn't going to stop great products from reaching the market and being sold to actual players who could care less about behind the scenes soap operas. If you enjoy that kind of drama tune in to one life to live and sell your rig.
I am torn now as I was watching this video and genuinely loving the vibe and Mason comes across like a great enthusiastic guy......then I read the comments and felt a wave of guilt lol Don’t know what to believe anymore! 😶
@@ontheroad579 perhaps to you it's not. I wasn't directing my comment to you. Axeman14 seems to be on the fence about the product because of people's comments here. If he is "loving the vibe" he should go listen to the pedal and make up his own mind. Not listen to a bunch of RUclips trolls. Or do you think the pack mentality here should direct people's opinions of the product?
@@oldguysguitarvlog183 What I meant is that the quality of the products is not even discussed in the comments. There are some objective facts about bad practices at Vertex. As a buyer you can give those facts the importance you want but if their products are good or bad won't change the facts themselves.
@@ontheroad579 you are not even allowing for an accurate evaluation of the product itself. Bad company, excellent product? You won't know until you hear it for yourself, right? I know exactly what you meant. You are attempting to cloud any attempt by someone to test the product out because of your misgivings about the company. Believe me, I get it.
A man who threatened to sue customers who told the truth about "his" wah pedal. Who only "admitted it all" when he absolutely had too. A man disowned by his old endorsers. Just the type of character we need still in the "faux boutique" business !
I'm really surprised by this as Andertons got caught up in the "Freekish Blues" thing too a few years back, stocking their Dumble-alike Alpha Drive pedal and raving about it at the time (a poorly disguised Joyo OD with minor mods and a repaint) that suddenly disappeared along with the rest of the line when this was exposed! Other well known high quality UK guitar stores have got wise and pulled the plug some time ago on this individual and his products.
Pitiful on your part Andertons. Seriously, do a little homework, and be careful who you associate your business with. This is a bad look for Andertons in the worst of ways. Either you don't mind frauds/liars, or you couldn't bother to do a google search before agreeing to sell his pedals. Poor form, Lee.
Sold mine today. Gave it a month. The volume knob was way way to sensitive on mine. It actually made my amps tone ( lack of a better term) worse. But you may like what my ears don’t. Maybe is just didn’t like a ODS style boutique amp as its trying to emulate that tone anyhow. Long story short. A Screw it. I lost my train of thought. Good day!!!
So disappointing!!! Giving a microphone and platform for a known scam artist. Not funny, and a sign of how little you actually care about your customers. :-( Going to have to send my business elsewhere moving forward. I can’t reward this kind of behavior with my cash, when so many other retailers aren’t aligned with known con artists.
To see this video on the Anderton's channel is disheartening. The depth of crook that this man is goes far beyond tweaking a tube screamer circuit and calling it the best new thing, and that is not an opinion, that is a known and widely discussed fact. I am beyond disappointed in Anderton's for their involvement with this man and his company, but more disappointed with your response, Lee. Over the years I have formed many opinions of you, mostly, if not all, very positive. But one opinion of you I have never even neared is ignorant. For you to plead ignorant to the man's transgressions and then back him because he smiled when y'all shook hands has fundamentally changed my views of you as a man, and with your musical empire as a whole. Pulling these products from your shelves would have no affect on your bottom line, but would have made a strong statement for the protection of your customers and viewers... the very people responsible for the empire you now have. Leaving this video up, and these products in your catalogue knowingly puts those customers and viewers in direct contact with a known crook and con man. To plea ignorance and turn your head just seems arrogant and irresponsible. You are better than that. At least, I have thought until this day, that you are. I hope you do the right thing. 40 pedals means nothing to your bottom line. Holding the gate open for a wolf to walk proudly into your sheep pen will have a far greater affect on your reputation and good name than you are imagining. I don't want that for you. You are inviting it with your actions though. Sad day.
How could you not know? It is your job to know these things. Any one who has been on a guitar forum in the last 2 years knows. I would have thought you would have learned your lesson after the Ultimate Drive debacle.
Open letter from Robben Ford regarding Vertex Effects After some time and a lot of thought, I've decided to publicly endorse a boost pedal designed by Mason Marangella for his company, Vertex Effects. Many of you reading this know that Mason was exposed last year for having put his label on some cheap, Chinese-built, Wah-Wah pedals and sold them as his own design. This act came back to bite him severely, and most turned and distanced themselves as far as possible. Especially those of us who had endorsed him personally. Understandable. I myself kept a distance. He called to apologize to me and posted an open letter online to apologize to everyone who might have been injured from his deceit. And, since then, he has been making good on his promise to refund, rebate, credit and/or exchange anyone who had purchased one of his fake pedals(not a small feat). Perhaps more importantly, he is addressing what turns out to be a problem akin to alcoholism in the same way an alcoholic might, with a twelve step program, as well as ongoing therapy and giving back to his community. Many might just choose to hide after such a public humiliation, but I see Mason making every effort a man can make to clean up the past and make a new life for himself. I use Mason's Boost pedal. It's the most important pedal on my board and it would feel a little hypocritical to me to use his pedal and, otherwise, put him down. Besides, as said, the guy is seriously trying. Mason has of course offered me a royalty for my endorsement of the pedal. I will have that royalty paid directly to a charity and will profit not one dime from sales. Everyone has told me not to do this. Why stick my neck out? It's a good question. I'm counting on human decency. -Robben Ford
@@MatthewIvaliotes Someone posted an opposite letter from Michael Landau. I was posting the counter point. I'm not going to argue with you. Have you personally been effected by this man?
@@MatthewIvaliotes LOL, are you? Or only when it's convenient. Mob mentality much? Wonder if you buy anything from anyone who ever scammed anyone. Hmmmm...
@@cosmictrailblazer LOL, OH NOES!! Some internet troll just insulted me!!! What ever am I going to do??!! I just can't go on thinking you think I'm lame. Jeez...soooooo is the pedal legit or not?
Peach Guitars have been selling off their Vertex stock for charity for a while after wanting nothing more to do with the company. That seems like a nice example. Trying to publicly shame Andertons into pulling out of a business deal doesn't sit well with me but it shows a real lack of awareness by Lee and and everyone in his organisation in apparently not knowing anything about the Vertex history. Just a poor decision by Andertons, maybe five minutes on Google next time before going this far.
Wow, I know you guys run a business but you've lost my respect on this one. This scammer must be throwing money all over the place to get on these higher profile youtube placements. :/
Pedal sounds killer, tried to give Vertex a second chance and they lied multiple times about shipping times to those who pre-ordered the UltraPhonix. I kept getting false information and finally requested a refund. Twice burned is too much for me personally; however, to each his/her own.
I've never lost a penny to Mason so maybe my opinion doesn't carry much weight and if I did, maybe I would feel differently. He's owned up to his past and apologized as well as offered refunds to anyone that feels like they were ripped off. I have no problem giving someone that screwed up a second chance as long as they own up to it and make good on those they harmed, within reason of course. Just one man's opinion. Even if you don't forgive Mason, there is no reason to give Lee a hard time, he is a legit businessman that offers a good product and service to the public.
Why would you guys have this tool on your channel, let alone sell his products? No thanks to purchasing from you. I'll continue to buy from "Vertex free" establishments.
How low could Andertons go? Hard to believe Lee doesn't know the story behind the brand and the "EE", so it's really painful to see him going into the boat. Shame on you Mr. Lee!
Every time a Vertex pedal gets reviewed, TGP throws up its peanut gallery into the comments section. Apparently, they're so unaware that they don't realize that their reputation for beings salty arses that argue over nothing has spread far and wide. 10 years ago, people were clowning on what a joke they are. The guy fucked up, he tried to double down, and then got strung up and had to apologize. Shit happens. It doesn't mean this pedal isn't legit. Give me another pedal that does what this one does just as well, and I'll buy it. I'm going to go troll them with a thread about how I've sold my 4th Timmy on Reverb with an $80 mark up and ruin some morons' day.
We live in a world were we hold people to a higher standard then even we can live by. We all make errors in our lives and regret those decisions and if everyone prevented you from moving forward after a mistake where would any of us be? Now if you become a habitual liar or manipulator than yes you lose the trust and credibility and that is the price you pay but to say he is a man that can no longer rise above previous mistakes well that is just unfair. I for one hope that Mason can get on with his life and use his past poor judgement to make a better product and to assist new comers with wisdom on what not to do. That is how we all learn and become better people. I applaud you Lee for not caving to the pressures of keyboard justice warriors. Sorry Im 4 years late to this
The fact he still name drops Michael Landau shows a breathtaking arrogance, and to my mind he hasn’t changed a damned thing. Wrong decision to leave this video up and give this fraudster the oxygen of publicity.
he was asked who that artist was. it was landau. the other time he mentioned it was a landau model amp by fender. comprehension is in short supply here.
Thanks for posting all these comments - I've been thinking about how best to respond for the last 24 hours.
To give some background to my thought process, here goes...
I'd never heard of Vertex pedals prior to 2018 - I don't spend any time on forums, so I had no idea about any of Masons history or the accusations against him.
Vertex contacted me earlier in the year & asked if I'd have a listen to some of the new pedals they had coming in 2018. I responded in the same way I do to the numerous pedal companies that contact me every month. I asked them to send me some samples to try. I received the pedals & I liked them. I saw they were already available from other reputable music stores in Europe & I placed our opening order. Nothing seemed untoward, there were no irregularities in placing or paying for the order & the 1st delivery arrived in March 2018. The pedals have sold OK (we've sold about 40 units so far) and nothing came up on our social media feeds to suggest that stocking Vertex was a problem. At summer Namm I met Mason for the 1st time. He had a booth at the show, there seemed to be plenty of people checking out his stuff, and he was very pleasant. We shot some footage for his Game of Tones videos (which I think are cool videos) & we agreed that he'd come over in the autumn & shoot some video at Andertons. All this is just normal day to day stuff for Andertons. I enjoyed making the video with Mason - what you see is pretty much the whole interview - I'm not avoiding any awkward subjects because I didn't know there were any awkward subjects to avoid!
So now we move on to the video comments & how I feel about the accusations made against Mason/Vertex, and more importantly how I feel about the way in which I've been accused of being complicit in Masons past discretion by having him on the show. I've read the basics of the complaints against him, including the letter from Michael Landau, the letter from Robben Ford & a post by Joe Bonamassa (which I assume are all genuine). Assuming all these are true then clearly Mason has made some poor decisions in then past and I can totally understand why some people have boycotted his products & are upset at my decision to make a video with him. My personal views on the situation are very much along the lines of Robben Fords letter - essentially, OK, the guy messed up - he misled people in to thinking that all his pedal designs were his own, when in fact one or two of them were just re housed versions of other companies designs. Is he the 1st guy to do this? No. Will he be the last guy to do this? I doubt it. Is it the worlds worst crime? No - its poor form, but nobody died. He says he was in a bad place when these decisions were made, he's apologised & is trying to make amends & get on with his life. Since I started dealing with Mason he seems like a nice guy, & like I said I think the pedals sound good. I'd like to give him a second chance. Honestly its not about the money - trust me - selling 40 Vertex pedals is a minuscule % of our total turnover. I do respect every ones decision to boycott Vertex & if you really feel that strongly about it, boycott Andertons too, but I'm going on what I know of Mason from the time that I started dealing with him. And in the spirit of giving people a 2nd chance, I'm leaving the video up. If he steps out of line again, or betrays me (or my customers) trust in any way, I will drop Vertex immediately & offer everyone that ever bought one from me a full refund. BTW - I don't really have time to get into drawn out arguments on this one, so apologies in advance for not replying or responding anymore on this one. Thanks & all the best, Lee.
That's a fair response, and the one I'd expect from a sensible business. Let's hope he doesn't screw it up again, and maybe it can go back to being the tiny footnote in history that it was...
What's this nonsense about "second chances" that keeps getting spouted - the guy has MULTIPLE infractions against any sort of professional ethics.
Is he the world's worst criminal? No. But this is not just about a few re-labelled pedals. That would be bad enough. Cables. Pedal boards. The guy was screwing over his customers and other gear producers - more than willingly - but that's alright because he was "in a bad place"? Na.
Business is business though, I guess.
@@Steve_9292 - Not nonsense. What Lee's done is perfectly sensible: he's had a business relationship with the guy for six months or so, and his experience has been OK so far. He's had a lot of feedback on social media now that this video's out, so he's decided that "proceed with extreme caution" is the best option rather than let the Internet Hate Machine decide how he runs his business (which, let's face it, would be an _extremely_ bad precedent to set). On top of that, he's made a commitment to offer a refund to anyone should Mason get up to his old tricks again. Seems reasonable to me.
Sorry, but this statement launches with a bullshit fueled rocket.
Disappointing. I’ll wait until Anderson’s drops Vertex publicly before shopping here again. You should put your customers, and not your suppliers, first.
Nice BBE pedal demo guys
I'm just here for the comments...
Joe Jenkins me too; I’m not watching the video.
Less we forget the words of Michael Landau
AN OPEN LETTER FROM MICHAEL LANDAU.
This letter is in response to the recent events surrounding Mason Marangella and Vertex Effects. I first became aware of the drama concerning the Vertex Wah Wahs through Clif Jones on August 16th. I was late hearing the news because I had been on tour and I’m not a regular on the gear forums. The news was not good, this was exactly the type of drama that has kept me far away from guitar pedal endorsements for most of my life up until recently.
Since I’ve never actually owned a production model Vertex Axis Wah, I anonymously purchased one 12 days ago so I could have it compared to the BBE Ben Wah by a reliable source whom I’ve known for many years,
I wanted to have a first hand account of the results. The results show that the Vertex Axis Wah I recently purchased was identical to the BBE Ben Wah.
Obviously I can’t be involved with a company or associated with a person who runs his company like this,
so officially as of 9-6-2014, I no longer formally endorse any Vertex products.
I would like to state the following facts for clarity:
- I am not an electrical engineer, the only time I open up a pedal is to change the battery.
- I have never used, nor have I ever endorsed any of the production model Vertex Wah Wahs.
- The Wah Wah that has been on my pedalboard since January 2013 is an old Dunlop Cry Baby that was modified by Mason, I don’t know the specifics of the mods, it sounds good to me, it does have a Vertex sticker on it from when Mason worked on it a couple of years ago.
- I do not use, nor have I ever endorsed the Vertex cables.
- I use the Vertex Landau Boost because I love the EXP volume control function.
- I use the Vertex Volume pedal only as an EXP pedal for the Landau Boost.
As of 9-3-2014, I have instructed Mason to give all of the dealers and distributers a 30 day notice
stating that the Vertex Landau Boost and the Vertex Landau Chorus will be discontinued.
Out of respect to the entire guitar community:
If anyone wants to return their Vertex Landau Boost or Vertex Landau Chorus and is having a problem doing so through Vertex or the dealer they purchased it from, please contact Clif @ L.A. Vintage Gear and I will personally provide a full refund.
Michael Landau
What an absolute legend. Gotta love Landau.
OPEN LETTER FROM ROBBEN FORD:
"After some time and a lot of thought, I've decided to publicly endorse a boost pedal designed by Mason Marangella for his company, Vertex Effects.
Many of you reading this know that Mason was exposed last year for having put his label on some cheap, Chinese-built, Wah-Wah pedals and sold them as his own design. This act came back to bite him severely, and most turned and distanced themselves as far as possible. Especially those of us who had endorsed him personally. Understandable.
I myself kept a distance. He called to apologize to me and posted an open letter online to apologize to everyone who might have been injured from his deceit. And, since then, he has been making good on his promise to refund, rebate, credit and/or exchange anyone who had purchased one of his fake pedals(not a small feat). Perhaps more importantly, he is addressing what turns out to be a problem akin to alcoholism in the same way an alcoholic might, with a twelve step program, as well as ongoing therapy and giving back to his community.
Many might just choose to hide after such a public humiliation, but I see Mason making every effort a man can make to clean up the past and make a new life for himself.
I use Mason's Boost pedal. It's the most important pedal on my board and it would feel a little hypocritical to me to use his pedal and, otherwise, put him down. Besides, as said, the guy is seriously trying.
Mason has of course offered me a royalty for my endorsement of the pedal. I will have that royalty paid directly to a charity and will profit not one dime from sales.
Everyone has told me not to do this. Why stick my neck out? It's a good question. I'm counting on human decency."
-Robben Ford
It's all fine and yeah I suppose he can try to make a fresh start and all but, at the end of the day, it's my hard earned money and I have a plethora of other companies to choose from. I'd think twice before buying any of his pedals. Props to him though if he really has done what Mr. Ford says.
This comment should be pinned at the top.
Open letter from Joe Bonamassa:
Hey Guys,
I'm sorry to be chiming in so late but I must warn all you fellow gear nerds to stay away from Vertex effects and pedalboard services. Mason is not truthful nor is his work good or in most cases his own. He had me on his site without permission as a user and happy customer. I am/was neither happy nor do I use any of his products. My pedalboard sounded awful, took tons of gain away, and added a huge ground hum. It also cost $1400 and that was after I pitched a fit when the $2000 bill came to my tour manager all the while seeing unauthorized You Tube videos of my " new rig" a rig I never tried nor signed off on. Fortunately Dave Friedman at Rack Systems came in and saved the day for $400. All I wanted and asked for was to have some cables cut to size. I didn't want to waste Dave's time so I gave it to Mason. BIG MISTAKE.... I am very disturbed by his actions and have heard recently that he has been called out on some Wah Wah pedal stuff. Bad News Bear that cat is unfortunately.
So... In closing...
Just trying to keep my fellow guitar nerds from getting ripped off like I was.
Caveat Emptor
Joe Bonamassa.
Constantine Jajas That rings hollow, in light of MM lying in this very video.
So much BS. This guy previously claimed he had a EE degree from UC Berkeley. Now he’s claiming the long-standing, top-rated EE program at UC Berkeley was discontinued while he was in college?!?! This is just too much.
My buddy doing postdoctoral research at the UCB EE/CS department is gonna be pretty bummed when he hears about this!
that's not what he said, he said the program there was more geared towards Computer Science. The name of the program (when I was there, in 2001) was EECS.
Too much bs with this guy
I wonder if he tried to stick Vertex labels on any Chapman guitars while he was there lol
"We call this one the "Vertex ML3 BEA" but the L is backwards. The idea came to me organically."
Mason only ripped off products that actually sounded good in the first place. I hear that they aren’t even bothering to fake Chapman guitars over in the Far East.....
@@jeffjinno932 Of course they don't. Why would they fake a small brand that doesn't have a ton of value to undercut. That doesn't mean Chapman's are bad, but it just wouldn't make sense. I bet they don't fake Solar guitars either, or probably many cheaper models from most brands. They copy something like a Les Paul because people want that "expensive guitar" for way less. Not many people are going "Man, this $600 Chapman is wayyyyy too expensive. Maybe I can find a Chinese copy for $500" lol. You're also implying that any guitar that isn't copied in the East doesn't sound good, which is absolutely absurd.... There aren't that many really bad guitars nowadays, and they certainly don't copy most guitars.
@@niclastname Bravo. Well said.
"When the first wave of faux-boutique pedals started coming out, like Analogman"
Aaaaaand stop. Close tab.
I know, what a douchy thing to say.
Well he wasn’t wrong, Mike Analogman started modifying Boss pedals in the beginning as well, hence “faux” boutique.
@@roymontero4066 First KOT came out in 2003 and he had other original pedals out before that (compressors in 2001). I'd hardly call what Mike was doing "Faux boutique" in the mid-2000s
Disappointing that he was given a platform this big. I hope he’s read up on before purchases are made.
One of my fav. pedal company...I use vertex boost pedal and for me definitely one of the best pedal..... and all the video that Mason makes about building pedal board is worth watching....Thank you Andertons👍
Oh, that's where I know the name Vertex pedals from! Wasn't he the guy that put his own sticker on BBE wah pedals and resold them as 'boutique' pedals? I can't believe he's still in the pedal business. There are lots of reputable pedal makers - Boss, BBE, T-Rex, JHS, Wampler, Keeley Line 6, etc. No need to buy from this guy.
Oh so thats why there's all the hate, I get it now.
Didn't he nibble off the corner of the circuit board where the BBE logo was to hide what it really was? As if a ragged missing chunk of circuit board wasn't going to make people question the quality of the product...
he gooped them
@@tomscioscia9869
@@flinto2002, that, too. I dunno if this will let me post a link, but I'll try in a second reply so this one doesn't get lost.
@@flinto2002 img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/CodeMonk/Electronics/Debug/Vertex_Degoop_006_zps269d5efb.gif
Oh, come on, Lee. This is really, really bad. I've been a happy customer of your store but this is seriously making me reconsider. The guy is a known rip off merchant.
Was so disappointed to learn that the dude from trigger happy TV started ripping off people's pedals ;-(
Was not expecting this comment section! Had no idea of the history. Steel String sounds sick though
I'm sorry, I've followed Vertex since the very beginning. The man is NOT an honest man, not a pedal designer (he hires or steals the design). Sad that you guys are giving him a pulpit...
Dr. Bob's Office calm down give andertons a chance to address the concerns... quit acting all offended over some misunderstanding
@@Blackkey034 It's not a misunderstanding. Please read the many threads over at the Gear Page. Mason is dishonest and has lied to his customers continuously since starting his business. He apologized some years ago, then walked it back as "bad marketing" but has continued to lie since then. Giving him an interview means that Anderton's either decided to ignore his bad behavior, or chose not to do the most superficial Google search.
MatchesMalone Blatant fraud and continued bald-faced lies are pretty hard to “misunderstand.”
@@Blackkey034 sit down and shuuuut up.
LOL - I can't see anything but negative comments either. It probably wouldn't be a terrible idea to just remove this and move on.
That dude is a chronic and habitual scammer. You guys at Anderton’s should know better.
Scamdertons?
@PickJar Do you guys think the handful of this guy's pedals they sell is even noticeable to Anderton's bottom line? lmao. Andertons sells MILLIONS of pounds of gear per year... They probably sell like a thousand dollars of this guy's pedals per year at best. Seriously, guys. I know it's a business that wants to make money, but they don't care about every tiny penny from some small pedal maker that hardly anyone has heard of.
Mason just put out a video claiming to show a "tone improving" mod for fender amps but got called out by Steven Fryette and John Suhr that it does sweet f@ck all but endanger the amp.
Lee, you really, really chose the wrong hill to die on.
Did you not see him ruin Joe Bonnamassa's pedalboard?And he tried charging him thousands of dollars when Joe had only asked to repair some cables.Then after changing it all around and not even working,he posted a video "Joe Bonnamasa's new pedalboard by Vertex",without Joe even knowing.Joe had to bring it over to Dave to restore it back and get it working again. You can't make this stuff up it's so bizzare.
I knew the comments would be good when I saw the thumbs down were more than the thumbs up.
I didn't know anything about this story. It was more satisfying than the actual video.
Lee, I've been watching your videos for a long time and I must say, those lessons you've been doing with Justin Guitar are paying off like crazy. These pedals sound great, I'm definitely going to buy one, but the confidence in your playing is the most inspiring thing in this video.
Oh well, I guess we won't be seeing the much anticipated Andersons Michael Landau interview after all
I was wondering how long I would have to scroll down the comments until I read about someone saying this guy was a fraud and it was the first comment. I fully agree this guy is a design stealing shmuck
i must be missing something, because everybody is saying this, yet ive never heard of him. totally surprised by the like to dislike ratio. whats the backstory?
iamrichlol There’s too much to list here but google “Vertex wah” and look at the threads on the Gear Page. He rebranded BBE wahs without doing any mods to the circuit and sold them for a huge upcharge. When he was called out for it he claimed he designed the wah for BBE (which was a lie). He also used to claim he had an engineering degree.
Please don't support scammers.
the steel string clean drive is the best overdrive pedal I have ever owned! this guy is a genius.
He was caught trying to stick Vertex labels on ThorpyFX pedals while he was there.
🤣😂🤣😂🤣
I'm just here to appreciate your name and photo. Weeeoooeeeoooeee.
Funny that he decided to play the guitar that's just one thing disguised as another thing...
🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Haha Not sure I'd really consider that playing, if you know what I mean :)
Exactly. Give it a break. You're embarrassing yourself.
And the bad thing is that dose prs pickups are better than many fender strats. MANY
I feel like the capt meets should be reserved for industry leaders, and guitar idols. Not frauds, and liars, but thats just me.
Bad move Andertons...
Master confidence man. Lee’s right though, everyone deserves a second fifth chance.
I would just delete this video
No way, keep it up so we can see which music stores are happy to take their customers for suckers.
@@kesamek8537 All music retailers operate on the (mostly correct) assumption that their customers are fools.
Not knowing the history of this man doesn't affect my opinion of the video just makes me slightly wary
But Lee still did a good job presenting this as openly as he could and his solos are so much more creative
After reading all the comments below (198 at the moment), my impression is that this video is backfiring at full speed. Vertex's brand is being exposed for the worse, and Andertons might be taking a needless hit in its reputation (and Lee's). Is this perhaps a lesson learned?
I don't know. People have been calling him out for a while and he's still here. Being known for doing wrong still gives you better publicity than not being known at all, and it certainly doesn't hurt that when you remove a negative bias from the equation, the pedals sound really good. I think this will help them actually.
Needless? I wouldn’t say that.
Just buy a ThorpyFX Dane. Better product. No historical issues and you support Danish Pete.
Please stop supporting Vertex. His relabeling of pedals and cords is very different from what other companies do when they copy circuits. He is a compulsive liar and does not deserve to be carried in your store.
Peckham Spring comes to mind!
Shame on you guys for granting Mason a forum to shuck his wares. After all his lies and BS, being called out by guys like Landau and Bonamassa. This is disgusting.
flinto2002 calm down crybaby. Give andertons a chance to address the complaints.
@@Blackkey034 or maybe educate yourself a bit before you open your mouth. The levels of lies, fraud and deceit from Mason, across nearly every one of his products is indefensible.
Please don’t buy from the piece of shit scam artist vertex has such awful customer service and they treat you like dirt
View of Andertons co. seriously taken down a huge notch giving voice to this Crook.
nylonsteel Quit bitching Give andertons a chance to address the complaints.
MatchesMalone Your initials aren’t a coincidence, are they?
Captain has some nice vibrato happening.
Regardless of what this man may have done in the past or what you've read in forums these pedals are great. I recently got back into playing and purchased a strat/deluxe reverb as well as a steel string. The tone and fat sweet sound I can achieve with this combo is amazing. I didn't know anything about his past before making my purchase and after learning from what I've read about him doesn't make it sound any worse. Awesome pedals.
Around 5 minutes Lee is asking all the right questions, too bad he didn't prep enough. Wasn't gonna buy Vertex before, that didn't change, so no problem there. I also like to watch liars lie, it becomes easier to spot them later :D
When you going to invite Tony Emanuel on ? He's an exceptional guitarist ..
colintraveller He any relation to Tommy Emmanuel?
Agree with the "just here for the comments" comment. I see Vertex and ask the question "who would still buy these things??".
** The sound of a music store's credibility going up in smoke **
Love uncle Mason and Vertex pedals! Steel String in my near future!
Now if Music Ground did RUclips videos, Mason would be perfect interview material for the Harrison boys...
How about Andertons support and stock some small UK pedal maker's wares instead?
dan from that pedal show is that you
I'd like to go ice fishing with Mason and MatchesMalone. They seem like awesome dudes.
I Hope the check mason wrote you soothes your conscious on advertising for a well documented scam artist.
Should have asked him what brand is he rehousing and selling for double the price. Lost some respect for you Lee thought you had more integrity but instead you sold out for more profit.
Stop being dramatic
At the end of the day, he's still a seller who runs a music store and money runs the world.
@@rickcar94 It is one thing to sell the product in the store and another to give him a platform that presents him in a glorying light without ever discussing his history. Anderton's and Capt. Lee are very well respected by the gear community this video just showed that he is basically another sales man trying to push more product out the door. I and most gear people are not made at the Lee just disappointed. Turns out Capt. Lee does not really give a crap about the guitar community as long as he can make another pound or dollar.
Oh man, here we go...
Really sad to see andertons giving mason any time of day. How the industry has just chosen to forgive and forget what this guy did and let good names like andertons be linked with bad ones like vertex is beyond me. Sorry, but any shop that stocks this brand will not see any of my extremely hard earned money. Sorry Lee, my love affair with andertons goes back to my first proper guitar purchase in 1996 (a black paisley mij sambora strat) and I've bought regularly over the years. I love the shop, had great service from your staff, but jeez, vertex? Seriously iffy judgement there, even if you forgive him, I don't.
Lol I'm sure Andertons will suffer monetarily for it *tear* lmao
Jesus the guy apologized. He makes a great product. I am sorry but your opinion isn't going to stop great products from reaching the market and being sold to actual players who could care less about behind the scenes soap operas. If you enjoy that kind of drama tune in to one life to live and sell your rig.
@@weezer91101 what did he do?
Pls make a video on the guild jetstar!!
I am torn now as I was watching this video and genuinely loving the vibe and Mason comes across like a great enthusiastic guy......then I read the comments and felt a wave of guilt lol Don’t know what to believe anymore! 😶
Go listen to a pedal and decide for yourself.
@@oldguysguitarvlog183 If the pedal sounds good or bad is not really that relevant.
@@ontheroad579 perhaps to you it's not. I wasn't directing my comment to you. Axeman14 seems to be on the fence about the product because of people's comments here. If he is "loving the vibe" he should go listen to the pedal and make up his own mind. Not listen to a bunch of RUclips trolls. Or do you think the pack mentality here should direct people's opinions of the product?
@@oldguysguitarvlog183 What I meant is that the quality of the products is not even discussed in the comments. There are some objective facts about bad practices at Vertex. As a buyer you can give those facts the importance you want but if their products are good or bad won't change the facts themselves.
@@ontheroad579 you are not even allowing for an accurate evaluation of the product itself. Bad company, excellent product? You won't know until you hear it for yourself, right? I know exactly what you meant. You are attempting to cloud any attempt by someone to test the product out because of your misgivings about the company. Believe me, I get it.
I wonder if this od is as good as the Alpha Drive?
Boooooooooo! Why?!? What do you have to gain by featuring this snake oil salesman?
A man who threatened to sue customers who told the truth about "his" wah pedal. Who only "admitted it all" when he absolutely had too. A man disowned by his old endorsers. Just the type of character we need still in the "faux boutique" business !
That Strat looks like my coffee table from my kids opening hundreds of juice box straws over the years.
I'm really surprised by this as Andertons got caught up in the "Freekish Blues" thing too a few years back, stocking their Dumble-alike Alpha Drive pedal and raving about it at the time (a poorly disguised Joyo OD with minor mods and a repaint) that suddenly disappeared along with the rest of the line when this was exposed! Other well known high quality UK guitar stores have got wise and pulled the plug some time ago on this individual and his products.
4:52 - 5:07 penny for Mason’s thoughts at that point lol
Haha yep
The UltraPhony.
Coming in the fall... the Vertex Jafod pedal :)
I heard his name is really Dason
I'm all for second chances, but Mason's had far more than he's owed. The guy's pathological, he's said it himself.
Pitiful on your part Andertons. Seriously, do a little homework, and be careful who you associate your business with. This is a bad look for Andertons in the worst of ways. Either you don't mind frauds/liars, or you couldn't bother to do a google search before agreeing to sell his pedals. Poor form, Lee.
does "making pedals" include re-branding other maker's pedals and getting your pedal manufacturing outsourced to a factory?
What next? Joe Morgan from Morgan amps? lol
Here's a shop i'll avoid in future, thanks for the heads up.
Keep your BBE pedals locked up! Don’t want another incident.
Your guitar looks like it has the measels.
My thoughts exactly!
Amazing how many of us thought EXACTLY the same!
It caught Shill AIDS from sitting in the same room as this disaster.
That's what a fake relic looks like. Fake.
I really like the presence of the Steel String. I wouldn't unplug it either :)
Sold mine today. Gave it a month. The volume knob was way way to sensitive on mine. It actually made my amps tone ( lack of a better term) worse. But you may like what my ears don’t. Maybe is just didn’t like a ODS style boutique amp as its trying to emulate that tone anyhow. Long story short. A Screw it. I lost my train of thought. Good day!!!
So disappointing!!! Giving a microphone and platform for a known scam artist. Not funny, and a sign of how little you actually care about your customers. :-(
Going to have to send my business elsewhere moving forward. I can’t reward this kind of behavior with my cash, when so many other retailers aren’t aligned with known con artists.
To see this video on the Anderton's channel is disheartening. The depth of crook that this man is goes far beyond tweaking a tube screamer circuit and calling it the best new thing, and that is not an opinion, that is a known and widely discussed fact. I am beyond disappointed in Anderton's for their involvement with this man and his company, but more disappointed with your response, Lee. Over the years I have formed many opinions of you, mostly, if not all, very positive. But one opinion of you I have never even neared is ignorant. For you to plead ignorant to the man's transgressions and then back him because he smiled when y'all shook hands has fundamentally changed my views of you as a man, and with your musical empire as a whole. Pulling these products from your shelves would have no affect on your bottom line, but would have made a strong statement for the protection of your customers and viewers... the very people responsible for the empire you now have. Leaving this video up, and these products in your catalogue knowingly puts those customers and viewers in direct contact with a known crook and con man. To plea ignorance and turn your head just seems arrogant and irresponsible. You are better than that. At least, I have thought until this day, that you are.
I hope you do the right thing. 40 pedals means nothing to your bottom line. Holding the gate open for a wolf to walk proudly into your sheep pen will have a far greater affect on your reputation and good name than you are imagining. I don't want that for you. You are inviting it with your actions though. Sad day.
How could you not know? It is your job to know these things. Any one who has been on a guitar forum in the last 2 years knows. I would have thought you would have learned your lesson after the Ultimate Drive debacle.
That strat lokks like it was at target practice with a pellet rifle
Holy Strat Chime Batman!
Holy Srat Chime In Deed, Robin!
At least Milli Vanilli could dance
Open letter from Robben Ford
regarding Vertex Effects
After some time and a lot of thought, I've decided to publicly endorse a boost pedal designed by Mason Marangella for his company, Vertex Effects.
Many of you reading this know that Mason was exposed last year for having put his label on some cheap, Chinese-built, Wah-Wah pedals and sold them as his own design. This act came back to bite him severely, and most turned and distanced themselves as far as possible. Especially those of us who had endorsed him personally. Understandable.
I myself kept a distance. He called to apologize to me and posted an open letter online to apologize to everyone who might have been injured from his deceit. And, since then, he has been making good on his promise to refund, rebate, credit and/or exchange anyone who had purchased one of his fake pedals(not a small feat). Perhaps more importantly, he is addressing what turns out to be a problem akin to alcoholism in the same way an alcoholic might, with a twelve step program, as well as ongoing therapy and giving back to his community.
Many might just choose to hide after such a public humiliation, but I see Mason making every effort a man can make to clean up the past and make a new life for himself.
I use Mason's Boost pedal. It's the most important pedal on my board and it would feel a little hypocritical to me to use his pedal and, otherwise, put him down. Besides, as said, the guy is seriously trying.
Mason has of course offered me a royalty for my endorsement of the pedal. I will have that royalty paid directly to a charity and will profit not one dime from sales.
Everyone has told me not to do this. Why stick my neck out? It's a good question. I'm counting on human decency.
-Robben Ford
@@MatthewIvaliotes Someone posted an opposite letter from Michael Landau. I was posting the counter point. I'm not going to argue with you. Have you personally been effected by this man?
@@MatthewIvaliotes it is not irrelevant. What are you the poster boy against everyone that ever did anything wrong? You haven't answered the question.
@@MatthewIvaliotes LOL, are you? Or only when it's convenient. Mob mentality much? Wonder if you buy anything from anyone who ever scammed anyone. Hmmmm...
@@cosmictrailblazer LOL, can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen. So this pedal he is demoing is legit or what?
@@cosmictrailblazer LOL, OH NOES!! Some internet troll just insulted me!!! What ever am I going to do??!! I just can't go on thinking you think I'm lame. Jeez...soooooo is the pedal legit or not?
Peach Guitars have been selling off their Vertex stock for charity for a while after wanting nothing more to do with the company. That seems like a nice example.
Trying to publicly shame Andertons into pulling out of a business deal doesn't sit well with me but it shows a real lack of awareness by Lee and and everyone in his organisation in apparently not knowing anything about the Vertex history.
Just a poor decision by Andertons, maybe five minutes on Google next time before going this far.
Wow, I know you guys run a business but you've lost my respect on this one. This scammer must be throwing money all over the place to get on these higher profile youtube placements. :/
Pedal sounds killer, tried to give Vertex a second chance and they lied multiple times about shipping times to those who pre-ordered the UltraPhonix.
I kept getting false information and finally requested a refund.
Twice burned is too much for me personally; however, to each his/her own.
This is soooo disappointing, don't support SCAMMERS!!!
I've never lost a penny to Mason so maybe my opinion doesn't carry much weight and if I did, maybe I would feel differently. He's owned up to his past and apologized as well as offered refunds to anyone that feels like they were ripped off. I have no problem giving someone that screwed up a second chance as long as they own up to it and make good on those they harmed, within reason of course. Just one man's opinion. Even if you don't forgive Mason, there is no reason to give Lee a hard time, he is a legit businessman that offers a good product and service to the public.
Why would you guys have this tool on your channel, let alone sell his products? No thanks to purchasing from you. I'll continue to buy from "Vertex free" establishments.
Wow. How to lose credibility in an instant. Not cool.
How low could Andertons go? Hard to believe Lee doesn't know the story behind the brand and the "EE", so it's really painful to see him going into the boat. Shame on you Mr. Lee!
i love you guys i reeeeaally do!!but i think you should not help this dude make money...
me too i have an organic output almost every day,but i don't try to sell it to anyone,i'll never be a millionaire
WTF, Lee?!!?
Every time a Vertex pedal gets reviewed, TGP throws up its peanut gallery into the comments section. Apparently, they're so unaware that they don't realize that their reputation for beings salty arses that argue over nothing has spread far and wide. 10 years ago, people were clowning on what a joke they are. The guy fucked up, he tried to double down, and then got strung up and had to apologize. Shit happens. It doesn't mean this pedal isn't legit. Give me another pedal that does what this one does just as well, and I'll buy it.
I'm going to go troll them with a thread about how I've sold my 4th Timmy on Reverb with an $80 mark up and ruin some morons' day.
I've only just heard of this pedal brand and never heard of this guy. Can anyone educate me and why everyone hates him so much?.
We live in a world were we hold people to a higher standard then even we can live by. We all make errors in our lives and regret those decisions and if everyone prevented you from moving forward after a mistake where would any of us be? Now if you become a habitual liar or manipulator than yes you lose the trust and credibility and that is the price you pay but to say he is a man that can no longer rise above previous mistakes well that is just unfair. I for one hope that Mason can get on with his life and use his past poor judgement to make a better product and to assist new comers with wisdom on what not to do. That is how we all learn and become better people. I applaud you Lee for not caving to the pressures of keyboard justice warriors. Sorry Im 4 years late to this
Love ya, Lee - but Vertex is a hard pass!
Nice Silver Sky though....!
those Jams
Has Mason "made" any pedalboards lately?
Thumbs down, guys. Andertons should do its research. This guy is bad news.
Lee , brilliant video. Great insight into pedal development and usage .this is one of your best videos so far for me
The fact he still name drops Michael Landau shows a breathtaking arrogance, and to my mind he hasn’t changed a damned thing. Wrong decision to leave this video up and give this fraudster the oxygen of publicity.
he was asked who that artist was. it was landau. the other time he mentioned it was a landau model amp by fender. comprehension is in short supply here.