misterwhizzy
Well-known member
I recently built this kit with my daughter, and it's a whole new world to me now. First of all, I can get non-hard-rock tones with my Les Paul that actually inspire me to play. The other thing is that I'm actually using it as a drive rather than a boost. I'm so used to just going with the gain all the way down and the drive all the way up that I forgot there are other ways to do it. But with my TS-style ODs, that's still the way I'll run them.
Anyways, I don't do the clean amp with pedals thing. I love amp breakup, and a boosted amp breaking up is a glorious thing, as I'm sure we all know. But the sound here is too good to pass up. I'm really digging it so far.
A couple of build notes before I finish with the moral of my story. I had put together a BYOC flanger kit that I have yet to get working, so I really wanted this one to be spot on from the word go. It wasn't. I took care with everything (or so I thought), finally finished everything with the build looking pretty clean, and I took it up to my pedalboard. Plugged it in, turned on the amp, stomped on the pedal, bright blue light, and... no sound.
I was just depressed at the time. I didn't want to look at it. It was just dejection. So I went to try if I could see what was going on the day after, and I opened it up, and I felt something hot. I had put one of the ICs in backwards. I reversed it, but still no luck. I figured I'd order a new one from Mouser and give it a go in a couple of days when I got the new one.
I ordered a pair of replacement ICs--the cost of the parts is minimal in comparison to the shipping, so why not two?--and got them a few days later. I figured I had to have burned it out, but after replacing it, I still had nothing. Bypassed tone was the same as always, but press that button, and nada.
So I start scouring the internet for troubleshooting tips, and one of the first posts I happen across says something to the effect of, "Everyone sucks at soldering. Touch up every single joint again, then try to find more help." Sure enough, that nailed it down. It's tedious, but it fixed it, and that's what I needed. For what it's worth, I really had to tune with my ears rather than my eyes, because the kit came without knobs. I'll have to get Centaur-style knobs just because, but I don't have any yet.
I never have, and I probably never will, play through an actual Klon Centaur, but this overdrive is a classic, and it really works with my setup.
P.S. Pics or it didn't happen. I know. It's late, and there are people in that room trying to sleep. Plus, it's just a plain, aluminum box. I'll get there.
Anyways, I don't do the clean amp with pedals thing. I love amp breakup, and a boosted amp breaking up is a glorious thing, as I'm sure we all know. But the sound here is too good to pass up. I'm really digging it so far.
A couple of build notes before I finish with the moral of my story. I had put together a BYOC flanger kit that I have yet to get working, so I really wanted this one to be spot on from the word go. It wasn't. I took care with everything (or so I thought), finally finished everything with the build looking pretty clean, and I took it up to my pedalboard. Plugged it in, turned on the amp, stomped on the pedal, bright blue light, and... no sound.
I was just depressed at the time. I didn't want to look at it. It was just dejection. So I went to try if I could see what was going on the day after, and I opened it up, and I felt something hot. I had put one of the ICs in backwards. I reversed it, but still no luck. I figured I'd order a new one from Mouser and give it a go in a couple of days when I got the new one.
I ordered a pair of replacement ICs--the cost of the parts is minimal in comparison to the shipping, so why not two?--and got them a few days later. I figured I had to have burned it out, but after replacing it, I still had nothing. Bypassed tone was the same as always, but press that button, and nada.
So I start scouring the internet for troubleshooting tips, and one of the first posts I happen across says something to the effect of, "Everyone sucks at soldering. Touch up every single joint again, then try to find more help." Sure enough, that nailed it down. It's tedious, but it fixed it, and that's what I needed. For what it's worth, I really had to tune with my ears rather than my eyes, because the kit came without knobs. I'll have to get Centaur-style knobs just because, but I don't have any yet.
I never have, and I probably never will, play through an actual Klon Centaur, but this overdrive is a classic, and it really works with my setup.
P.S. Pics or it didn't happen. I know. It's late, and there are people in that room trying to sleep. Plus, it's just a plain, aluminum box. I'll get there.
