Klon centaur?

[richard parker]

Re: Klon centaur?

A friend of mine has one and raves about it. I tried it and was not overly impressed. Way overpriced - there are better pedals available for a lot less money.

 

[slipslidinslim1185]

Re: Klon centaur?

Guys, anyone have any thoughts on the Klon Centaur? Experiences? Recently read an article on John Mayer and he said he uses it as his main overdrive. I dig his tones but just wanted to get everyone elses thoughts.

As reference, I've used a Ibanez Tubey, currently have a G2D Creamtone and Crowther Hotcake, thinking of picking up a Tim Overdrive and an MJM Phantom.

I have a klon centaur which is a great clean/overdrive pedal. If you don't have $1000 to buy one on ebay no big deal. I also own a wampler ecstasy overdrive (now known as euphoria). In the smooth position i find it very similar to the klon centaur. The klon isn't as mid rangey as the TS808 either is the wampler ecstasy pedal. They run $199 great pedal. I think it's better than the timmy and phantom. Also remember john uses the keeley katana infront of his overdrives. If you like his live sound I'd go with a boost like the katana the wampler euphoria/ecstasy and a ts808. Don't worry about the true bypass if you don't have the true bypass ts808 ts9 or ts10 it's how you play. As a gear nut I have an original ts808 keeley modded one ts9 and a ts10, as long as you got a good signal chain and cables its very hard to know hear the difference. So get a boost run it before your overdrives and your set. Check out the wampler euphoria its very transparent and versatile.

Remember Johns live sound and studio are completely different he's a tone nut and combines a lot of stuff in the studio. Good luck man. Hope this helps.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Klon centaur?

In the 5 years since this thread, Bill has reissued the Klon and just about everyone has reversed it, from boutique (Mythical OD), to budget (Soul Food) to semi official (Rocket Archer) to BYOC (Silver Pony) and many others.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Klon centaur?

One thing that hasn't changed since the original klon was issued, or in the five years since this thread got started then brought back from the grave is this:
Whatever mythical/semi mythical/standard boost or overdrive you use, it can only sound as good as whatever amp you are running it through.

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Klon centaur?

I put germanium diodes into my EH Soul Food, $80 all in? It's not a Klon but it's pretty dang close! I owned a Klon for about a year and I did spend a redonkulious amount of money for it on Reverb, it was a freakishly good O.D. pedal! It was not $900+ good though & for the most part I only was using it as a clean boost so I ended up trading it out right for a AC-30 TB to someone who thought it was worth the money? It's a subjective opinion & I'm not saying my Soul Food sounds as good or even the same but it's close, suits me just fine for what I need it to do & a AC-30 loaded with blues is worth $900+ to me??? The Klon is a $200 pedal that became iconic & I expected something magical to come out of it but it's still just a O.D. Box, but now it's a $1200 pedal? That's just how things work in guitar world, a Nocaster or a 59 L.P. doesn't sound or play any better than a new Custom Shop Tele or even a 1990 L.P. Custom but it's a little piece of history so we'll spend tens of thousands of dollars on one if we have it to spend? When Clapton auctioned off Blacky it was nearly unplayable but it still fetched $959,500.00 @ auction because a lot of people think of it as history not a guitar? To some extent the same thing has happened to the Klon, especially the original sliver ones? The guy who has my old one is more of a collector than a guitarist, he's got some amazing vintage gear in his shop! Vintage Fenders & Gibson's, & the amps he has would put any of us on the floor! They're all for sale but they are priced so high that they really aren't for sale if you get me? He has a 61, i think, TV yellow double cut L.P. jr sitting behind glass but it's got a $28,000 price tag on it! Now you & I both know its not worth half of that but that's what it's worth to him & if you want it that's what you are going to spend? Even with the price tags that he has on them he's sold a few over the years, for some reason rich people like to spend a ton of money on things they don't really need too! Why, because a $28,000 61 L.P. jr is going to sound way better than a $9,800 one???

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Klon centaur?

It is one of the more idiotic things in the world of gear....
Unbeliveable hype....

 

[GilmourD]

Re: Klon centaur?

The funny thing is that I haven't heard one demo of a Klon or Klone where I thought the tone was actually good. LOL

Sent from my VK810 4G using Tapatalk

 

[jeremy]

Re: Klon centaur?

my buddy still has his and it still sounds good but im still happier with my timmy

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Klon centaur?

Mine is still for sale. Only $2500. Original gold horsey w/box, manual, power cable. :haha:

Now it's worth too much to step on it. Time to start stepping on a vintage muscle car's gas pedal instead. :33:

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Klon centaur?

Mine is still for sale. Only $2500. Original gold horsey w/box, manual, power cable. :haha:

Will you take my right arm? I figure I can at least tap on the fretboard and have a Klon.

The Rockett Archer I've heard is a great copy of the Klon. I'd be interested in trying it.

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: Klon centaur?

Jeff Beck uses a Centaur I believe. One of the few pedals he actually bothers to use.

I'm going to be very frank about my opinion of this pedal, despite having never played one or seen it in person.

If I can go buy a brand new finely crafted mid/high level instrument or amp for the price of this "pedal" (an OVERDRIVE PEDAL nonetheless), then that is some ****ing malarkey.

I'm sure it's the greatest overdrive ever made but it's a goddamn accessory; a smaller variable in the scheme of things. Excessory is more like it.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Klon centaur?

bill never charged any where near that price, its what fools pay in the market place for used ones

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: Klon centaur?

bill never charged any where near that price, its what fools pay in the market place for used ones

Not blaming the creator at all. The same thing happened with those accursed Blackmachine guitars.

 

[GilmourD]

Re: Klon centaur?

Not blaming the creator at all. The same thing happened with those accursed Blackmachine guitars.

Oh, I forgot about those.

Sent from my VK810 4G using Tapatalk

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Klon centaur?

Not blaming the creator at all. The same thing happened with those accursed Blackmachine guitars.

I've never heard of those.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Klon centaur?

I am in the minority here but I think that the Klon is over hyped to say the least.

Hey - I'm with you on this! Got your back man.

There are solo many different dirt pedals, and flavors of it available for less than one bill you'd have to be an idiot to pay that much for it.

That said - if it is YOUR high hola kabala of tone, well, then it is. I could buy three or four hellacious boxes for the price of one though….

 

[Mr Wolf]

Re: Klon centaur?

Never been too curious to spend ridiculous amounts on an overdrive. Either I am blissfully unaware of amazing tonal goodness that I am wilfully ignoring, or maybe I am missing something. If I was looking to spend a massive amount on a rig though, I would rather put it towards a nice amp, cab or guitar.

That said, by coincidence by way of how my band is going I am curious about trying out a more 'transparent overdrive' as they are often labelled. Something with excellent dynamics. That said, I am more thinking about a soulfood, perhaps stretching to an archer or any other overdrive of the sort if I end up liking them.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Klon centaur?

If you buy an original 1959 sunburst les paul standard, a dumble and an original klon, you will become a much better guitarist.
You will be to play all the licks of all the greats, you will know all the songs. You will improvise with amazing flair, creativity and polish, but with just the right amount of originality, individuality and emotional expression in all keys, through all chord progressions and across all styles of music. Not only that but you will also become a great songwriter, composer and arranger.
That is why there are so many businessmen, lawyers and guitar collectors who are setting the world of music alight with their musical ideas.
It's all about who has the most expensive gear.

 

[LLL]

Re: Klon centaur?

I'd put a true EP3 preamp up against a Klon dude-horse any day of the week.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Klon centaur?

I'd put a true EP3 preamp up against a Klon dude-horse any day of the week.

Not surprisingly, you just listed two of the only pedals that have appreciated in price to a ridiculous degree. The Echoplex and the Klon Centaur. It's funny to think which collectibles rise faster than all others. Those are two.