Klon makes the difference

[Dr. Ellwood]

Just a observation. For years and years I've heard guys say "I love the sound of my distortion box on chords, but hate it on single notes" I think we all know the gyrations guys go through trying to hit a happy medium on this so both chords and single lead notes sound excellent. Since I started to use the Klon, I can say it is a plug and play situation, this Klon makes those kinds of trade offs a thing of the past. When a good tube amp can be used wide open, there is no trade off between great sounding crunchy chords and great powerful single lead notes, but to get this combination perfectly at reasonable levels is not always so easy.....well....untill NOW!

[rickygclef]

Have heard nothing but great things about this pedal.

Would like to try it out, but haven't seen it everywhere.

I know it's fairly pricy compared to other similar boxes.

Would you say it is worth price and that much better or more versatile than Tube Screamer?

 

Rich

[Hardtail]

Does the Klon boost the volume of an amp beyond the volume setting of your amp? In other words, if I set my amp volume at 5, will the Klon's controls keep that volume at 5?

 

 

[mdrs]

The Klon has an "Output" knob, which lets you adjust whether it will affect your amp's volume. You can make your amp louder, the same volume, or lower it's volume.

 

The OCD has a "Volume" knob that should let you do the same.

[Zuben]

OK Ellwood,

 

Give me the link. Looks like I will have to try it out. I can honestly say I haven't seen one in person which one, they are a huge secret, or two, back ordered for 10 years.

 

You and Doc swear by it so that is good enough for me.

 

Peace

[mdrs]

http://www.klon-siberia.com/swf/frameset.php?width=1024

 

I think ellwood is out rocking.

 

Andy Summers uses one. I'm sure many other pros do to.

[caprae]

Ellwood needs to be on their payroll. He is definitely a good spokesman for them.

[Zuben]

His website needs some work. Gives almost no information about the product. No specs.

 

He does give out his email and phone # to ask questions.

 

Doc, I notice effects boards in the studio as we are always comparing gear. That is why my old Trynor's get attention, because they are different and everyone notices them. (Jackson Brown just bought a YBL head. Fred Tacket asked me if I would go over it.)

 

I have never seen a Klon. No I am not saying well know players don't use them but I am going on your and Ellwood's feedback.

 

I know 10 very famous players that will not play without their original tube screamer. A couple of them own 2, one for back up. I was in the Studio last month in SD and mentioned that Screamers were going for $500. During a break, we got on Ebay and a couple of guys were shocked. We saw one at $400 going in 1 minute, a friend bid $420 and won it. That is how they feel about original tube screamers.

 

If the Klon does what you guys say, there will be a lot of screamers left at home.

 

You have to understand that most session player, guys (and gals)and road bands might read a guitar or music magazine once in a great while. A lot of gear, depending on the group, get much of the stage gear free. Guitar and bass players are the most loyal to their effect bunch you will ever meet. (THey are also a very closed tight knit community)

 

If you get a chance to see a top recording acts band, look at their effects. Pretty old stuff. The newest effect I use is 20 years old. (I take tha back, I bought an on the effects board tuner a year ago.)

 

This forum has opened up my opinion of newer gear. I have gone down to my local music store to try some things out.

 

Amps? I haven't found amp in the last 20 years that can even try to stand up to classics. Even some of the OLD SS amps put the new ones to shame.

 

Peace

 

[Dr. Ellwood]

HI all, just got in from the gig and kickin' back abit. The Klon is not like the Tube Screamer at all, I have Tube Screamers and they are great but this is a clean boost, not a stand alone distortion device, it is a device that brings out the best harmonics and drive out of your amp! It is to me like having your tube amp wide open except it's not. I don't know how to explain it any better than that but I sure have lots of recordings with me using it if anyone wants to hear it in action, that might actually be the best way to explain it? Once it is set up for your amp, you will find that you don't want to change the settings. My Klon is never off! like using a good amp it and the amp are controlled completely by the volume control on the guitar.

[Dr. Ellwood]

 

Vintage Guitar - July 1995

 

Product Review: The Centaur Professional Overdrive

 

By Ken Fischer

 

As we all know, a new distortion or overdrive box hits the market at the rate

of one every two-and-a-half hours. The Centaur Overdrive is one of the latest such

units to be introduced. This one, however, is the result of several musicians and

technical people working over four years to design and produce just one product.

The people at Klon, the makers of the Centaur, have been sending me prototypes

during that time, so the unit is not a stranger to me. They finally, after years

of tweaking, placed a production unit in my hands for evaluation.

 

Construction and Layout:

 

The Centaur is housed in a custom sand-cast solid aluminum casing. This casing

immediately sets it apart from the "project box" construction typical of most of

the low-production distortion and overdrive boxes on the market. The folks at Klon

give several reasons for going this rather expensive route. One is that it allows

them to make the box about as rugged as you can get. Another is that custom casting

lets them design for the best possible layout, including a sloping top panel that

makes it very easy to step on the footswitch while making it hard to step on the

top-mounted controls by mistake. Also, the custom casting gives a professional

appearance. The Centaur also has a very effective battery holder cast as part of

the casing. The casting is not painted, but has a gold-toned anodized finish instead,

which cannot chip, crack, or peel. The graphics are silk-screened onto the casing in

oxblood red, and oxblood red knobs complete the classic look. Inside this casting are

top-notch components, including a Carling D.P.D.T. [double-pole/double-throw] footswitch

and "real deal" controls, not the Taiwan junk that's popping up everywhere.

The circuit components reside on high-quality printed circuit boards. The boards

are epoxy-coated on both sides. The reasons Klon gives for the epoxy coatings are to

keep the circuit from being copied by hobbyists, and to seal the components from any

kind of possible damage. This means a complete circuit board exchange is the only way

to repair a unit if it has had a parts failure. Klon runs these units through extensive

tests before shipping, and reports a zero failure rate. I don't like sealed circuits

myself, as many products outlast the companies that made them, but I understand their

position on the subject.

 

Control Layout:

 

The Centaur is very straightforward in its layout. The back of the unit contains

the input and output jacks and a 9-volt input jack for a wall-wart. The top panel has

Gain, Treble, and Output controls, plus an "overdrive on" LED indicator. The top also

is home for the footswitch, of course.

 

The Centaur Under Test:

 

The Centaur is an overdrive rather than a distortion box. I've covered that ground

before, but for any new Vintage Guitar readers who want to know how I define the two -

a distortion box is a unit that is capable of providing all the distortion you require

with no help at all from your amplifier. An overdrive box, while capable of a modest

amount of distortion, is used mainly to help your amplifier create its own distortion.

For example, a Pro-Co Rat is a distortion box, and an Ibanez Tube Screamer is an over-

drive unit. The Centaur is not a massive hard-clip distortion unit, but rather an over-

drive that will help your tube amplifier create its own distortion. With the Gain way up,

the Centaur will create some MODEST amounts of distortion on its own, which is useful for

harmonic enhancement. The guys at Klon state that it has enough distortion to be used as

a distortion box on its own. In fact, I was told that it has "considerable distortion

with the Gain turned up." I don't agree. What it can do is hit the first gain stage [in

your amp] hard enough to clip it. Since in most amps a volume control follows the first

gain stage, you can clip that stage and your volume control acts as a master volume.

Used in this manner, the Centaur has a good amount of distortion, but it's part Centaur

and partly the amplifier, and not stand-alone distortion from the Centaur. The Hot Cake

Overdrive I've talked about in the past has noticeably more distortion than the Centaur.

Even with the amount of distortion in a Hot Cake, I put two Cakes in series when I want

serious amounts of stand-alone distortion.

That item out of the way, this is what a Centaur will do. First, it has a tone-neutral

clean-boost setting. That is, it can boost your guitar's signal cleanly with no change in

its tonal balance. If you like the tone of your guitar and amp just the way they are, but

wish for more of the same, pumped up and more muscular, then the Centaur rates an A+ grade.

Klon says that some jazz players are even using their box on the clean-boost setting

to beef up their signals. I could see that, with one caveat. The Centaur is not quiet. It

makes more noise than a Hot Cake, Tube Screamer, and even my NKT-275 (the original ones!)

Fuzz Face. People who use boxes with noise-reduction circuits may find it kind of a throw-

back to older days in this regard, but the folks at Klon wanted performance first, and

that's what this overdrive is all about. I don't find the noise level objectionable. The

folks at Klon rate the noise as minor. I'd rate it moderate by today's standards.

For my testing I used a variety of guitars and amps. The Centaur worked well with

Strats, Teles, Les Pauls - both the Jr. and adult versions. For amps I used Fender, Vox,

Marshall, my Kendrick 2112, and my trusty Peavey. Tjhe Centaur didn't find a combination

it didn't like, except for a 900-series Marshall. The Centaur doesn't do the '90's metal

sound, but that's another magazine's main thing - VG readers will most likely not care.

The Centaur can't beat a Boss or Marshall box in that arena.

The Centaur, used as an all-out overdrive, is big, fat, and warm. This thing has tons

of bottom, and a Strat on the neck pickup retains its full throaty sound. The distortion

it provides is part of the note, rather than a distorted buzz added over it. The Centaur

seems to become part of your amplifier's tube circuits and doesn't feel or sound like you

are using an outboard device. The Treble control reaches down into the mids and extends

up into the higher frequencies as it moves through its range. This gives many useful tones,

as opposed to just being a simple tone control. The Centaur is refined, but packs a real

wallop when called on to do so. It's a blues/fusion machine, but can really rock out too.

I know you're going to ask me how it compares to a Hot Cake. They're different. The

Centaur is smoother, more refined, while the Hot Cake has more "trash in its sound. The

Cake, and I'm talking favorite (I have three originals and one of the later versions, my

favorite being one of the originals), has a bit more note separation in chords and a more

aggressive nasty rock sound, but does have some trashiness in it that gives it a raw

quality I also like. I really like them both. The Centaur does the Texas tones better than

anything. At $239 including shipping [now $279 plus shipping] the Centaur isn't cheap, but

on the other hand, the Centaur sounds better than the less expensive overdrives I've tried.

Klon is a small limited-production company, and once the word is out on this box, production

will not be able to keep up with demand. Klon offers a 48-hour money-back trial period; if

if you don't like the Centaur after using for two days you may return it for a refund. If

you're looking for a natural-sounding overdrive unit, you've got to try this one.

 

 

 

 

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Guitar Shop - April 1996

 

Drive Those Tubes, Baby - Klon Centaur Overdrive

 

By Pete Prown

 

There are fuzzboxes, distortion boxes, and overdrives. All basically do the same job -

create some sort of square-wave crunch - but all in different ways. The Klon Centaur belongs

in the last category, and its job in life is to make the tubes in your tube amp work harder

to provide more sonic punch and create a variety of boosted tones, from clean to super-

dirty.

The unit itself is simple to operate: just plug in some cords to either jack, warm up

your tube amp, and prepare to rock. Controls include Gain (to adjust the amount of over-

drive [distortion]), Treble, and Output. Running the box into the clean channel of a tube

combo amp, the Centaur proved adept at everything from a big, loud, clean boost that retains

the tonal character of your original signal (achieved by turning the Gain all the way down,

and the Output up) to Stevie Ray Vaughan-ish Strat dirt (Gain at half to two-thirds up,

Treble down, and pump the Mid on the amp). The distortion tone varies, depending on the amp

you use - the better the tube amp, the better the crunch quality - but the box naturally

lends itself to the gnarly nature of Texas blues-rock. I tried it with both a Les Paul and

a Strat, and clearly the Fender tones prevailed. Amp-wise, you can see the owner of a

Matchless or other Class A amp using a Centaur to beef up their tone, though it works fine

with two-channel amps, too. Country and traditional blues players will also dig the unit's

clean boost, which allows for a full-toned volume boost without any dirt whatsoever. Then

again, you may want massive distortion sometimes, and for that, just use the Centaur as the

kicker in your lead channel to push the crunch tones over the top, as many Tube Screamer

fans do. The maker has even heard of people using the Centaur to record direct, although

that was never part of the unit's original [intended] function.

Construction-wise, the Centaur is built like a Sherman tank (the shell is sandcast

aluminum), and should be able to withstand all sorts of road abuse and Panzer attacks.

Battery access is simple, thanks to oversized screw-slots on the bottom - you can open

this puppy with a penny or your car keys. The components are of very high quality, too,

including a Carling footswitch, Switchcraft jacks, and custom CTS pots. The solid epoxy

potting compound on the circuit [board] serves two purposes: in surrounds the circuitry

in an impermeable material to keep dust, moisture, and vibration at bay, while also keeping

prying eyes away from Klon's top-secret electronics. Live performers will also appreciate

the unit's tipped-up top for better accessibility, as well as the off-center LED and widely-

spaced knobs that you can adjust with your foot onstage. Some users further report that the

Centaur's low output impedance makes it excellent for using long cords at live gigs, plus

it's virtually transparent when off.

AC power is also available, but you have to convert the tip of an existing 9-volter

(the Boss PSA-120T [now simply the Boss PSA-120] is recommended) to a Switchcraft #780.

A conventional AC wall-wart jack would be more convenient, but at least Klon sells the

Switchcraft [plugs] for three bucks apiece (according to the designers, they preferred

the more durable #780 to typically flimsy AC barrel plugs). In conclusion, the Centaur

is a meticulously crafted, fat-sounding box that will give any guitarist the "retro"

sound that so many players crave these days. Go stomp one today and see if it satisfies

your ears. While you won't find one at your local axe shack, there's a two-day money-back

guarantee, so feel free to do the mail-order thing with complete peace of mind.

 

 

 

 

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Guitar Player - June 1996

 

Cool Pedal Alert - Bench Tests

 

By Joe Gore

 

If any stomp box can have a soul, the Centaur Professional Overdrive does. It's a

splendid piece of design with an artful retro flavor. Its rugged, handsomely molded [cast]

metal housing and oxblood-on-bronze color scheme evoke some mythic prewar foundry. Its

tone is thoroughly naturalistic, with sweet highs, lots of low-end girth, and a bit of

midrange pointiness. Heard in isolation it may seem a bit too spiky, but it's perfect

for helping a single-note solo cut through a loud band without mutilating the guitar's

innate tone. What a contrast with all those high-gain pedals that sound huge in isolation

but disappear onstage!

The Centaur is aggressive in just the right frequencies, but it's definitely not a

high-gain, power-chord pedal. Its tones are grainy without being raspy - big-toned blues

players will probably love it. The range of the tone control is modest in a good way -

the minimum-treble sounded lovely with a stock Strat. Construction is superb throughout.

The wiring is macho, though a black epoxy "security shield" obscures much of the circuitry.

The battery holder is cleverly cast into the rugged housing. The Centaur truly feels as if

it could be dropped from a substantial altitude with little damage. Very, very impressive.

 

 

 

 

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20th Century Guitar - August 1996

 

Product Review - Klon Centaur Overdrive

 

By Ray Matuza

 

Forget your TS-9, TS-808, or any other vintage mass-produced overdrive that you might

have paid an EXORBITANTLY high price for. From the land of Klon comes the Centaur Overdrive,

ready to put the stomp on these stomp boxes and show them who's king of the overdrive

universe forever!

Slightly larger than a regulation Starfleet Tricorder [?], the unit features a pro-

prietary sandcast aluminum chassis (think Bigsby [vibrato]) finished in satin gold with

way-cool maroon graphics and matching retro-vibe control knobs. With its sculptured sides

and little [cast] fins, it kind of reminds me of a Buck Rogers toy I once saw in an antiques

magazine.

Standard fare includes input and output jacks both mounted on the back side along with

provisions [an additional jack] for using a 9-volt wall-wart. Flipping this little baby on

its belly reveals a full-size bottom plate which is held in place by two wide-slotted

countersunk screws that can be removed with a coin, for example, should you ever need to

replace the battery during a gig or anywhere else when a screwdriver is not handy. The

inside reveals a single rectangular circuit board potted with an epoxy compound obviously

[intended] to keep electronic Peeping Toms and their grubby little hands from snooping

around to see what makes this thing tick. Superior-quality components are used throughout,

including close-tolerance resistors and capacitors, Switchcraft jacks and custom-made CTS

pots. Another bit of coolness is the Carling double-pole double-throw footswitch that

bypasses the Centaur's circuit entirely when the unit is disengaged [this is absolutely

NOT so - refer to FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS], resulting in no signal loss or loading

[this IS so, and is so as a result of the other NOT being so - refer to . . .]. The 9-volt

battery also sits in its own little compartment, complete with a piece of non-compressible

foam rubber to keep it from flopping around. It seems that no mechanical or electrical

engineering detail was too small to be left [unattended to].

The sound of this little box is nothing short of incredible. With the Gain control at

minimum and the Treble control set at "unity tone" (about 11 o'clock on my unit), you can

get a "clean boost" as designer Bill Finnegan calls it, maintaining the tonal qualities of

your rig, but with a bigger, fuller sound. No distortion, totally transparent, period. It

sure made my Strat and '67 Princeton sound huge. Also, at this setting and by increasing

the output of the Centaur a little higher than the straight amp, I could get a nice full

clean solo sound with a more "up front" quality to it. The range of the Gain control

extends past the "clean boost" mode into a nice edgy sound all the way up to "Balls Out"

overdrive. The most impressive aspect of this is that it maintains an incredible amount

of musicality throughout the range and doesn't sound like an effect, but rather an integral

part of the guitar and amp. Equally impressive is how the sound cleans up when you back

off the instrument's volume and retains its full tonal spectrum. I've never had an over-

drive unit that doesn't sound like you're coming through a cheesy car radio speaker when

you've backed off the volume. Likewise, the Treble control is very sweet and musical, my

favorite spot being from about 11 o'clock through 2:30, the latter having a nice stinging

punch to it.

Being the psycho that I am with this kind of stuff, I plugged the Centaur into every

guitar and amp combination I could possibly dig up. In a nutshell, this thing sounded

great with every one. You should hear it with a 335 and a '66 Twin!

With 4 1/2 years of design time behind it, and built to withstand a nuclear blast,

this thing ain't cheap - $239 including UPS Second Day Air [now $279 plus shipping]. Klon

does, however, offer a two-day approval period and will refund your money (minus shipping)

if you're not satisfied. Anybody who exercises this option should be committed. Anybody

wanna buy my original TS-808?

 

 

 

 

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Guitar World - October 1996

 

Interstellar Overdrive - Klon Centaur

 

By Chris Gill

 

Like the half-man/half-horse creature it's named after, the Klon Centaur is not your

usual beast. By distortion pedal standards, this overdrive unit is somewhat tame, but it's

an especially useful box that's great for use on stage or in the studio.

Housed in an oversize, bronze-colored aluminum chassis and made of top-quality

components, the Centaur boasts bullet-proof construction. Features like a back panel

with two large [machine] screws that can be removed with a coin, a bright LED that

lets you know when the effect is engaged and a sturdy 9-volt adapter plug are sure

to be appreciated by gigging musicians.

Instead of force-feeding its own sound into a system, the Centaur is designed to

complement any amp and electric guitar setup and works as an almost transparent component.

The pedal can turn a purring amplifier into a roaring brute or boost a guitar's gain and

volume without changing its inherent tone. With the gain control turned fully-counter-

clockwise, the treble at 12 o'clock and the volume set anywhere above the 11 o'clock

position, the Centaur delivers clean boost that's punchy and natural sounding, making

things louder without adding distortion. With the volume turned all the way up, the

pedal significantly increases the volume without driving the amp into uncontrollable

feedback.

As you turn up the gain, you get more distortion. The Centaur can boost the signal

considerably, enabling a guitar with wimpy pickups or a weak sounding-amp to sing with

authority. You can also dial in great-sounding overdrive tones at low volumes, making

the pedal ideal for home recording applications. While the Centaur doesn't deliver

blistering distortion tones, its overdrive raunch is especially satisfying. Chords ring

with rich harmonic overtones and single-note lines sound thick and chunky while retaining

the bite of your pick attack.

The pedal's treble control provides subtle-yet-sufficient tone coloration. Turned all

the way up, it can thin the tone of humbucking pickups, making them sound almost like

single-coils. Backed down, the tone becomes sightly fatter and warmer without losing

definition. The tone control won't turn a Strat into a Les Paul or vice versa - it's

designed to preserve and enhance a guitar's sound instead of drastically altering it.

The Centaur is an excellent, no-nonsense pedal that works with your existing rig

instead of against it. Warm and natural-sounding, it sounds and performs as classy as

it looks.

 

 

 

 

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Blues Review - June/July 1997

 

Blues Tools: The Klon Centaur Professional Overdrive

 

By Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin

 

So, how do you get a guitar player to turn down? Put sheet music in front of him.

Touche. But when Muddy (Fender Super Reverb amplifier on nine) Waters hired me to play

guitar in his band in '73, he never asked me to read music. He did tell me to turn down

a few times, though.

The problem is the "heavy" sound that makes an electric guitar sing or crunch comes

from turning up the amplifier until it distorts. If the amp is powerful, the sound can

get too loud for the circumstances and even hurt your ears. But if you turn down the

volume, you lose the desired distortion and the clean sound is like the guitar on a

Beach Boys record.

To blues guitar players, their victims, and anyone who's interested: there's a new

solution that allows guitarists to sound as they want, at an appropriate volume. (From

here I'm going to presume you know some guitar stuff.)

Two years ago, in my only other equipment review, I went nuts over an amp from a

then-new company, Victoria. This brand's success since then [has] justified my enthusiasm.

I use a Victoria myself, but I play all kinds of gigs, from tiny to huge, and sometimes

my Fender Bassman-sized Victoria is too loud at 10 1/2 (out of 12), where I find the

Tone God blesses my amp.

I asked Mark Baier, creator of Victoria Amplifiers, if there was a way that I could

keep the supreme tone of his amp at a lower volume, and control it instantly and flexibly,

and he turned me on to the Klon Centaur Overdrive pedal. It's been getting recent raves

in guitar magazines, but I didn't read the reviews of outboard gadgets, presuming I wouldn't

be interested.

Mark told me the Klon Centaur is designed to do just what I was asking for, and that it

works spectacularly well with his amps and old guitars like mine. He told me to buy one, and

if I didn't like it, he'd buy it from me. Mark's friends covet his, but they're selling faster

than they can be handmade by the designer, Bill Finnegan. If you want one, order soon.

The Klon Centaur Overdrive ($239 [now $279] plus shipping) is a sturdy foot pedal with gain,

treble and output controls. With minimum gain and output boosted, it hits the first tube of my

preamp harder, keeping my sound with all its subtleties and dynamics, but bigger. With some gain

kicked in, it works with my rig, sounding like the ultimate way to get distortion - crank the amp -

but with more volume control. I certainly haven't tried every competing device, but I can tell you

the Klon Centaur in my rig sounds right to me, even compared directly to just a great guitar with a

great amp, cranked.

I didn't dare hope for this: with lots of gain dialed in and some treble backed off, the Klon

Centaur gives me the creamy, voice-like distortion of a cranked tiny vintage amp, like a Fender

Champ (I played one on the Muddy Waters Tribute Band Album), but at any volume my 50-watt

Victoria can produce. If I back off on the guitar volume, I get a funky, expressive and distinctive

cleaner sound. It's a thrill to use these cool sounds on a gig, not just in the studio.

 

 

 

 

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The ToneQuest Report - June 2000

 

Klon Centaur - ToneQuest Review

 

[Presumably by David Wilson]

 

The Klon Centaur Professional Overdrive has been on our list of must-reviews for one reason -

it delivers what you want from an overdrive without adding any of the telltale " stompbox tone"

that plagues many other units. The extent to which the Centaur succeeds in leaving the tone of

your guitar, pickups, speakers and amp unaltered throughout the considerable range of its three

simple controls is unique in our experience. In fact, it can be used very effectively by players

who prefer comparatively clean, undistoreted tone with a fuller, rounder feel at moderate volumes.

This "clean-boost" setting simply pumps up the sound of the guitar, adding nothing in the way of

gain or distortion, and we've observed that with the right settings, the Klon Centaur often succeeds

in compensating for shortcomings that are otherwise inherently evident in some amplifiers that need

a little help.

Since there are more "overdrive" pedals on the market than most of us will ever be able to

thoroughly audition, we thought it would be valuable to point you straight to one of the most

transparent and versatile stompboxes we've ever heard. The bottom line is this: if you're happy

with the sound of your guitar-and-amp combinations, the Klon Centaur will respectfully preserve

the results of the work you've devoted to shaping your tone, while providing a very wide range of

output and gain settings that work as an extension of your amplifier, rather than a tone-altering

effects device. The beauty of the Klon Centaur is its subtle ability to transparently take you

where you want to go on a seemingly open-ended first-class ticket, and for this reason, we give it

our highest recommendation.

Bill Finnegan builds every Klon Centaur one at a time, and you'll normally wait 6-8 weeks to

receive a new unit [now 8-9 weeks to 10-12 weeks, depending on how swamped I am], which sells

for $295 [actually $279 plus shipping]. The Centaur is ruggedly built, and it can run on 9-volt

battery power or on AC with an available adapter supplied by Klon. Controls are Gain, Treble,

and Output, and all three have a usable range that far surpasses the usually narrow "sweetspot"

of most overdrives. How does it sound? Like your guitar, your amp, your speakers, your tubes,

cranked, a little, or a lot. The Treble control effectively helps compensate for the rolloff of

high frequencies that typically occurs as more Gain is directed to the amp, and at 12 [noon],

Treble is unaltered from the levels selected for your guitar and amp [this is not always the case -

the Gain setting will determine where in the Treble control's range the setting yielding the

original high-frequency response will be]. At 10-12 [o'clock, and above], the Output control

is operating as a clean boost with the Gain control at [minimum]. Introduce more Gain, and

the tone quickly takes on an increasingly thick, harmonically rich overdriven tone. The range of

the Gain control isn't hobbled by the Centaur's circuitry and design. You'll get a very functional

and pleasing overdriven sound right up the dial, just ballsier with more sustain as you push the

Gain higher. Dynamically, we've found that a Gain setting of 9 [o'clock] with the Treble and Output

controls at about 12 [o'clock] delivers a subtle measure of BFT (Big Fat Tone) that cleans up

rather nicely with a nudge down on the volume of the guitar. The Klon Centaur is not a shred machine,

and if you need to a acquire tone at the more extreme end of the crunch meter, there are other

distortion units more suitable for delivering mondo sustain and blast, such as the reissue Tube

Screamers (or an original, but get your wallet out), one of the Fulltone distortion units, or a

Real Tube by TubeWorks (replace the original tube with a lower-gain 12AU7 for improved tone).

However, for those of you seeking natural-sounding grit from your amp without the volume required

to produce it naturally, the Klon is an excellent choice, and as we said, the clean drive setting

succeeds in beefing up the tone of your gear without adding a bit of distortion - a nice touch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Fumblyfingers]

Hey Lee, I take it you like your Klon there good buddy?

 

I would give that post a go but I have a few things to do in the coming month so I will just take your word for it....darn fine pedal.

 

You do have a bitchin' tone though....if that is mostly Klon it's a no brainer.....must have one.

 

Yeah his website sucks Zuben, I don't like how it is laid out. Same with the Zendrive site. These guys are good at building pedals but are lacking in the website design area.

 

The only thing I will say is how personal this can be at the end of the day. I always think of Mesa Boogie's. Almost every time I hear a guitar player and his tone just leaps out at me, I go take a look and he has a Mark IV or something. I play one and I absolutely hate them. I cannot get a sound I like out of a Boogie to save my life.

 

I think being able to play any stompbox is really important and that is where these Klon and other web order only pedals are tough to decide on, for the average guy, especially at over $200.

 

Also as you mentioned somewhere, you have to already have a solid relationship with your guitars and current amp setup as a pedal like this will enhance. I doubt it will always work as a saviour for a bad sounding amp.

[MILLO]

I would give that post a go but I have a few things to do in the coming month

hilarious

[Dr. Ellwood]

"Also as you mentioned somewhere, you have to already have a solid relationship with your guitars and current amp setup as a pedal like this will enhance. I doubt it will always work as a saviour for a bad sounding amp"

 

100% right Fumbles! In fact it's the first thing they will ask you at Klon, you have to like the sound of your tube amp because the Klon is so transparent and does not color your tone.

[MILLO]

Warren Haynes sure can get some great sounds out of his Soldano/Klon setup

[Zuben]

Ellwood,

 

Thanks for the info. I am in a position that it wouldn't kill me to get one. I play a lot of rental gear so it could very easily find a place in my effects.

 

It sounds like recouping your investment would be pretty easy too.

 

Peace

[Hardtail]

Here's someone who doesn't like the Klon:

 

http://www.zacharyguitars.com/Klon.htm

[caprae]

Oh, yea. The guy who hawks his own line of strings because every company out there makes them allllllll wrong.

Then he hawks his own $400 peddle. Gotta love this guy.

[Hardtail]

Oh, yea. The guy who hawks his own line of strings because every company out there makes them allllllll wrong.

Then he hawks his own $400 peddle. Gotta love this guy.

 

LOL! I noticed that too after reading it more.

 

Kind of like that Ed Roman guy who bashes PRS models after some specific date and happens to have a stock of the PRS models before that date.

 

Coincidence, right? LOL!

 

[Dr. Ellwood]

Warren Haynes sure can get some great sounds out of his Soldano/Klon setup

 

and Joe Perry and Joe Witford

[MILLO]

That Zachary pedal layout looks suspiciously close to Custom Audio Electronics' boost/OD.

[Dr. Ellwood]

Here's someone who doesn't like the Klon:

 

http://www.zacharyguitars.com/Klon.htm

 

Yeah I saw that LOL! If you talk to Bill, he will not degrade or put down other effects makers, he just asks about your amp and what kind of music you play and what you are looking for, classy Bill!!

[Dr. Ellwood]

I think this writer pretty much hit the essence of the Klon.

 

 

"The Klon Centaur, used as an all-out overdrive, is big, fat, and warm. This thing has tons

of bottom, and a Strat on the neck pickup retains its full throaty sound. The distortion

it provides is part of the note, rather than a distorted buzz added over it. The Centaur

seems to become part of your amplifier's tube circuits and doesn't feel or sound like you

are using an outboard device. The Treble control reaches down into the mids and extends

up into the higher frequencies as it moves through its range. This gives many useful tones,

as opposed to just being a simple tone control. The Centaur is refined, but packs a real

wallop when called on to do so. It's a blues/fusion machine, but can really rock out too."

 

[MILLO]

man, I'm really considering one

[Dr. Ellwood]

man, I'm really considering one

 

If you are thinking about it seriously, call Bill and have a conversation about it, let him ask you some questions about what you want out of your tone quest. But caution! once your get one...you just might not have anything to say about tone quests anymore and only have guitars to talk about, you will be done with the amp stuff!

[mdrs]

I'm getting to know my Klon better.....

 

I leave a couple of small amps in the family room so I can play in the evenings, without having to go to the basement studio. I put the Klon in front of the tweed Tremolux and the blackface Champ tonight (using an old LP Jr). Normally, both amps have to be turned up a bit before they break up.

 

The Klon makes both COME ALIVE!! The Tremolux was honking and growling like a Marshall Stack....yea, I HAD TO TURN IT UP LOUD... It became NECESSARY!!

 

Then I hit the Champ with the Klon.....and, my goodness, that little amp just growled like a BIG BOY with the Klon pushing it.

 

So far, the Klon seems to really bring the best out of every amp I've used it on.

 

I set the amp and the Klon up so that they are roaring. Then I totally control the overdrive with the volume knob on my guitar. With the LP Jr., I also use the tone knob a lot.

 

The Klon is a dream. If I was playing out, it would most definately be WITH A KLON in my signal chain.

[Dr. Ellwood]

I'm getting to know my Klon better.....

 

I leave a couple of small amps in the family room so I can play in the evenings, without having to go to the basement studio. I put the Klon in front of the tweed Tremolux and the blackface Champ tonight (using an old LP Jr). Normally, both amps have to be turned up a bit before they break up.

 

The Klon makes both COME ALIVE!! The Tremolux was honking and growling like a Marshall Stack....yea, I HAD TO TURN IT UP LOUD... It became NECESSARY!!

 

Then I hit the Champ with the Klon.....and, my goodness, that little amp just growled like a BIG BOY with the Klon pushing it.

 

So far, the Klon seems to really bring the best out of every amp I've used it on.

 

I set the amp and the Klon up so that they are roaring. Then I totally control the overdrive with the volume knob on my guitar. With the LP Jr., I also use the tone knob a lot.

 

The Klon is a dream. If I was playing out, it would most definately be WITH A KLON in my signal chain.

 

Ahhhh Yes oh YES!!

[Dr. Ellwood]

Ellwood,

 

Thanks for the info. I am in a position that it wouldn't kill me to get one. I play a lot of rental gear so it could very easily find a place in my effects.

 

It sounds like recouping your investment would be pretty easy too.

 

Peace

 

Do it and do it soon Zub, you will never be sorry! ...Right Doc!

[Caevan O’Shite]

The endorsement of both Bob Margolin and Mark Baier (of Victoria Amplifiers) says a lot, and the Steady-Rollin' one's observations are very enticing. That was the best of those articles, besides Ken Fischer's (past maker of Trainwreck amps).

 

Warren Haynes sure can get some great sounds out of his Soldano/Klon setup

 

Well, how couldn't he?? I mean, I'm a big proponent of the "tone is in the players hands" angle, but, with that rig- that'd be like futzing-up making ice-cubes in Antarctica! (I have very fond memories of my all-too-brief relationship with a borrowed SLO-60 years ago, what an amp!)

 

Almost every time I hear a guitar player and his tone just leaps out at me, I go take a look and he has a Mark IV or something. I play one and I absolutely hate them. I cannot get a sound I like out of a Boogie to save my life.

 

Hahh, too cool! I've had very, very similar experiences, I don't like playing through Mesa Boogies, but they can sound great when used by other players! Same goes for Roland Jazz Chorus amps; I HATE playing through 'em, but many folks sound fine through 'em.

 

Also as you mentioned somewhere, you have to already have a solid relationship with your guitars and current amp setup as a pedal like this will enhance. I doubt it will always work as a saviour for a bad sounding amp.

 

Here, here! Troo dat! I most heartily concur, Bro' Fumbly'.

 

Oh, yea. The guy who hawks his own line of strings because every company out there makes them allllllll wrong.

Then he hawks his own $400 peddle. Gotta love this guy.

 

LOL! I noticed that too after reading it more.

 

Kind of like that Ed Roman guy who bashes PRS models after some specific date and happens to have a stock of the PRS models before that date.

 

Coincidence, right? LOL!

 

I immediately thought of Ed Roman, too! Gotta admit, though, there's a lot of funny stuff on this guy's 'site- both what's intended to be, and what's not...

 

I'm getting to know my Klon better.....

 

I put the Klon in front of the tweed Tremolux and the blackface Champ tonight (using an old LP Jr). Normally, both amps have to be turned up a bit before they break up.

 

The Klon makes both COME ALIVE!! The Tremolux was honking and growling like a Marshall Stack....yea, I HAD TO TURN IT UP LOUD... It became NECESSARY!!

 

Then I hit the Champ with the Klon.....and, my goodness, that little amp just growled like a BIG BOY with the Klon pushing it.

 

So far, the Klon seems to really bring the best out of every amp I've used it on.

 

I set the amp and the Klon up so that they are roaring. Then I totally control the overdrive with the volume knob on my guitar. With the LP Jr., I also use the tone knob a lot.

 

The Klon is a dream. If I was playing out, it would most definately be WITH A KLON in my signal chain.

 

Sounds like what I like... 'course, who wouldn't? What's not to like?

[Dr. Ellwood]

.

[Caevan O’Shite]

I'll check those when I can- dial-up's so s l o o o w for clips- cool,thanks!

 

(I'll have to look into that PM-deal, too. I even deleted a few PM-threads earlier today!)

 

You've got a Fender Pro Amp? How'd ya come by that?