Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Klon Centaur


EVOL!

Recommended Posts

Anyone here ever played through a Klon Centaur? Was it up to the hype: one of the greatest OD pedals ever made? Just curious because I found this -

 

http://www.jhspedals.com/products/guitar-pedals/klon-replica/

 

A company called JHS Pedals is making a Klon replica with the caveat that they will stop production when Bill Finnegan starts making them again and that could be soon if you believe -

 

http://www.klon-siberia.com/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never played an actual Klon, and I've never met someone who was willing to drop that kind of coin on an overdrive pedal. Have you built/played a Klone or actual Klon Dub? I can't help but think a lot of it is the usual HC and TGP bandwagon hype. For those fragile upper harmonics, yo.

 

Also, JHS are dickweeds and one of the few builders I wouldn't mind seeing file chapter 11 (next to Freekish Blues).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've owned a Klon. I bought it straight from Bill for $300. It was great and IMO worth the price, but not remotely worth the prices they are going for on Ebay these days. I sold it a while back and built a "Klone" that I still use pretty often. I've A/B'd it with a real Klon, and the only difference was that the Klon had a little more output(which was easily matched by turning up the volume knob a smidge).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A local guy used a Charvel surfcaster into a 2x12 Fender of some sort, Frontman, something like that, at the time a 200-250 SS amp. Nothing wrong with that, I've used some pretty nice ss amps here and there, and I'd use one tomorrow if all the tubes exploded.

 

So anyway, on the way into the amp he had not one but two Klons, right at the heighth of not only Klon time but usenet guitar and amp newsgroups, so there was a whole mess of yakking about these Klons and how great they were.

 

This guy kept his up on a podium of sorts because he didn't want to step on them. Nos hit. He turned them on and off with is picking hand. He changed batteries in both every set, he was obsessed with having fresh new batteries in them things, at all times.

 

I was a younger man then, and maybe wasn't as I am today, so I politely listened to him about his Klons whenever I ran into him or our bands were in the same place at the same time, which happened a lot back then. He was a genuinely nice guy, a really really great guitar player, sang like a bird, all that stuff.

 

Today, older, wiser, grumpier, I wouldn't blink before just calling FREAK on him.

 

Oh yeah, sounded likea ss. Plain and simple, a$$. Couldn't get a decent sound out of that stuff if he had to. Same wall of mid mush for every song.

 

I tried a Klon here and there, they were ok, to me just another overdrive pedal, which I don't use unless I absolutely have to, and I wouldn't give you the money they wanted for one for all of them.

 

rct

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry, should have specified one thing: I wanted to steer the conversation away from the obscene price Klons go for and just talk about the sounds the pedal makes. No pedal warrants going for that much. None.

 

For years I have had a strong interest in the Klon because two of my favorite players use them, Nels Cline and Lee Ranaldo, and I love overdrive pedals. My board currently sports two and would entertain rotating my OD808 with a Klon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry, should have specified one thing: I wanted to steer the conversation away from the obscene price Klons go for and just talk about the sounds the pedal makes. No pedal warrants going for that much. None.

 

For years I have had a strong interest in the Klon because two of my favorite players use them, Nels Cline and Lee Ranaldo, and I love overdrive pedals. My board currently sports two and would entertain rotating my OD808 with a Klon.

 

Yer right of course, the price thing was beat to death way back then.

 

Softer is a good word. More delicate than the unspoken at the time standard of whatever mid range cardboard device Vaughn used. Much more refined. I thought the couple I ever used, mostly at Sam Ash, only a couple times rehearsing with a band, were more much more "nice" sounding than the average stuff. More EJ-y even then EJ! But I never got to decent volumes like we used out and about, so that would be more the test for me personally. I'm sure it would have done well though.

 

Some folks are really into overdrive pedals and I think you would not be disappointed by it no matter what it costs.

 

rct

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Using an original Klon pedal is like smoking cigarettes; Not good for your tone or health.......Addictive due to the hype.........

 

............Talent and a good tube amp along with any number of stomp boxes, if desired, should negate any need for a Klon pedal...........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...