This week, we sit down with Tim from Master effects!:
Q: What was your first encounter with guitar or pedals?
A: I first picked up the guitar when I was in grade 7 or 8. I had a cheap nylon string classical guitar. a year later I saved up enough money to buy an Aria Pro II ZZ Deluxe explorer which probably weighed about 12 or more pounds. After I had walked to/from school carrying it along with its hardshell case I traded it in for a washburn superstrat lol. I still have that guitar (the body at least - replaced the neck with a Warmoth in the early 90s). It's my #1.
My first pedal was a chorus. I didn't really know what i was doing and just put it in front of the amp and turned the gain up to 10 and made some noise. The guy at the music store said that it would "make my guitar sound thicker."
Q: When did you start getting into building?
A: I've been working with electronics for a long time. The first pedal that I ever messed with was my old crybaby wah. I converted it to true bypass and then did a bunch of other mods to it. This was probably in the mid 2000's. I then started making clones of pedals for myself to play with but never had any intention of selling them. Things grew organically and then I officially started Master Effects in 2013.
Q: When did you design your first pedal?
A: I had a couple of "original" designs in the early 2010s that were essentially heavily modded clones. in 2019 I started messing with converting some classic solid state amps into pedals and in 2020 the Martyr (Marshall Valvestate 8100), the Marauder (Peavey Bandit Bluestripe), and a few others were born.
Q: What do you do for a living?
A: I wear a lot of different hats in my day job. I am an R&D Physicist with specialization in semiconductor physics and material science. My focus is on fundamental research and development, product development, calibration and ISO 17025, EMC and regulatory compliance, and product management.
Q: Any long term goals?
A: To keep making pedals that inspire others to play and create music!
Q: Any other hobbies besides music?
A: I used to practice martial arts and do a lot of mountain biking but had to pause due to injuries and to let my body catch up. I'm trying to get back into it again. Love cooking but hate doing the dishes afterwards.
Q: Pets?
A: No pets at the moment but want to get another dog in the future. I love animals.
Check out his site: https://www.mastereffectspedals.com/