Re: Klon and Banzai Cold Fusion.........
..if you want a real head to head comparsion of the CF and a Klon, ask Gearjonser...he owned both at the same time once.
The only way to truly A/B two pedals is to have them both on the floor in front of you, plugged into the same amp......and I can tell you that they don't sound the same, but are a similar kind of pedal. I've had the CF I and II, and also a Fireball. The Fireball is more versatile, but it's not as rich and natural sounding as the Cold Fusion. I could hardly tell any difference between the CF I and II, but I liked the big box better because the knobs are recessed. And the Klon still sounds just a bit more tubey than the CF.
The main differences between the Banzai Cold Fusion and the Klon is this....
CF - a little harder sounding and more wide open, crunchier and more aggressive as the gain is turned up...toothier than the Klon. The Volume is ridiculous on the CF. It's the loudest OD ever, and could punch out your speakers if you accidentally knocked the volume up to 10.
Klon - a bit bouncier feel under the fingers with a tad more compression which makes the notes sustain longer than the CF. It's less crunchy and more smooth in tone. The sweep is more natural on the Klons knobs. On the CF, every increment is more dramatic.
Overall, I really like both pedals and would be happy owning either. Ultimately, I decided that the pedals were too similar to justify keeping both, and the Klon won. There's more to Klon than hype. He hit the nail on the head with that design. My only complaint is that he cheapened the look of them, compared to the gold/centaur originals. Banzai actually improved the look of the CF over time.
