Dan Deleon
Ruffian Pedals
Fountain Valley, CA
http://www.ruffianpedals.com/
How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place?
I started playing guitar in High School because I wanted to get girls. 10 years later, still no girls.
Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present?
Past – Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, John Mayer
Present – The Story So Far, Tommy Boys, Into It. Over It.
What led to the start of Ruffian Pedals? How long have you been in business?
I always wanted to start a business since college. I ended up not using my college degree so I figured, in late 2015, I should start Ruffian Pedals. It’s just me, but I hire and contract a lot of people to help me with graphic design, circuit design and pretty much anything I know I suck at. My main focus is my podcast, The Ruffian Show, where I talk with other fellow builders and the people behind our gear.
Did you have formal schooling, or are you self-taught? Take us through that story:
I started getting into making DIY kits about two years ago. It’s all a blur. I just remember building an Octave Fuzz and it didn’t work, and then I was hooked. I started frequenting DIY Stompboxes Facebook group and that’s where I met a ton of people who helped me. I started the Instagram account and put up a website and it took off from there.
What drives you as far as new pedal creation is concerned? How long does it typically take for an idea to come full circle and become a demo pedal? What’s the process behind new gear, and the eventual release of it to the public?
The process is simple: Surveys. Lots of Survey. I’m a firm believe of giving people what they want. I basically built an email list, set up a giveaway and made people enter the giveaway via filling out the survey. With the information from the survey, I’m able to 1.) Put out a pedal/product that I know my followers will enjoy. 2). Get to know my followers; who they are, their struggles/complaints and how to better their lives with guitar pedals. As far as demoing a pedal and releasing it to public, I’ve only released one pedal, The Feels. I’ll get back to you once I release another pedal.
What are some of the biggest concerns facing your profession today?
My biggest concern is people buying pedals and then not being inspired by it. My goal is make something that people will turn on and create a sound that’s their own. Sounds cheesy, but that’s our promise. “We set the tone, for a sound that’s your own!”
Where do you see pedal building going in the future?
I see businesses like Pedal Genie really making progress and leaping in the right direction. One of the biggest struggles of a musician is not being able to try out pedals. Pedal Genie and companies that offer something similar will be a big part of the future.
Who are some of your favorite builders in the industry right now?
Earthquaker Devices. Andy from Cameltone. BYOC.
Name the last 5 records you listened to:
JANK – Awkward Pop Songs
The Sidekicks – Runners in the Nerved World
Kanye West – The Life of Pablo
Counterparts – Tragedy Will Find Us
Into It. Over It. – Standards
Klon hype: Love it or Hate it?
Love the pedal, hate the hype.
Any last comments, or anything you’d like to talk about?
Check out The Ruffian Show on iTunes.
Thanks so much to Dan for taking the time to answer some questions!
Make sure to go check out ruffianpedals.com, cheers!
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