The story of Collateral begins in mid-2008. The landscape of the string instrument and related trade was quite different from what we have today: Brazilian handmade pedals were cheap and makeshift copies of their foreign counterparts, and generally, what we had were pedals made in an improvised manner, with low-quality components and a short lifespan. It was while trying to revive one of these dubious origin pedals that I, Guilherme, had my first contact with electronics.
Driven by curiosity, I delved into numerous forums, websites, and books about electronics, and soon the repair of that first pedal paved the way for what became a hobby. For some years, I made pedals only for myself and for close friends. Before I knew it, my passion for pedal building and discovering new tones had become my main source of income, complemented by repairs of pedals from other brands—which allowed me to handle numerous rare and legendary pedals.
Over the years, Collateral has undergone several transformations—going through complete dedication of focus, various clones, and culminating in the brand’s original product line. What hasn’t changed since the early years is the format: all pedals continue to be entirely handmade, with top-quality components, original parts purchased directly from manufacturers or official distributors, heat-resistant silicone wires, long-life low force 3PDT switches, Neutrik jacks, aluminum cases with electrostatic painting and silk screen finish—and the artwork is always the result of a long creative process intrinsically linked to the sonic concept of the pedal in question.
With 15 years in the market, Collateral brings a 100% handmade product in Brazil with innovative and full-of-personality designs, and differentiated user support, with a renowned client base on a global scale.