Fake components plaguing Analog Man guitar pedals

The founder and owner of Analog Man, which makes, repairs and restores guitar effects pedals, has said that his business is being undermined by counterfeit components being sold in the market.

Mike Piera has taken to Instagram to complain about the problem, saying: "I hate fake parts! It's bad enough with all the fake NKT275 transistors on eBay, now I'm getting fake capacitors from a large distributor!"

Piera, who has built the business over the years to become one of the most desirable producers of guitar pedals, said the problem has become so bad that he is now looking forward to retirement.

His pedals – sold under the King of Tone brand and used by top musicians including Oasis' Noel Gallagher and Brad Whitford of Aerosmith – are so popular that would-be customers face a wait of up to four years before delivery.

He said the date code on the Rubycon capacitors should have given them away as fake, as the manufacturer did not make any during 2021. "I've got to pull them out of about 100 King of Tone boards now," he added.

Piera also said that he had tested a batch of capacitors on eBay that tested at one-fifth of their actual rating. Last year, he also posted on Instagram about counterfeit NKT275 components, saying: "if you are going to sell fake transistors, at least get the size and lead length correct."