Which King of Tone variation?

[CapoFirstFret]

I just got my email that my turn had come for a King of Tone and I'm torn on the exact specs I want. I have heard good and bad about the high gain version but I'd love for this to serve as an overdrive on one side and Marshall-esque tone on the other. Suggestions?


Sent from my SCH-R970X using Tapatalk 2

 

[jimijames]

Re: Which King of Tone variation?

You can always stack the overdrives but if you're looking for a marshall-esque tone I guess you'd have to go with the high gain. Then again allegedly the KOT is based off of the bluesbreaker circuit so the sound won't be all mid-hump-y like a tubescreamer is. Aren't there trim pots to shape the voicing of either side? You could have one side be more neutral and the other have a dip in the midrange and boost in the bass so when they're stacked you get the marshall sound.

FWIW I think you'll be happy no matter what you decide on. It's a hell of a pedal from what I'm told.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Which King of Tone variation?

There is not point in NOT getting the higher gain version.

When I got mine there was no HG version but when it came out I had mine modded or higher gain on both sides.

There is no difference in tone and unless you run the gain control(s) VERY low (like 9 o'clock or below) there is just no point.

That said there are no Marshall type tones in a KoT to me.

Great OD/Boost and even a distortion pedal in some situations but none of them sound like a Marshall to my ears.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Which King of Tone variation?

I've found something really interesting with high end hand made pedals. The first version is always dwarfed by the later revisions. The natural thing is to assume the newest version is best. This version was usually changed based on input from other players who may or may not know real tone.

There's a lot of instances where the original design was the good one.....usually the most open sounding version.
For some reason, this is usually the case. The revisions have more compression and/or lows. I'm basing this on the many boutique pedals I've checked out where the design changes slightly over time. The newest isn't always best.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Which King of Tone variation?

I wouldnt get the yellow side high gain, but I would get the red side high gain, and I did. Red side will do everything the noimal pedal will do, and more. Yellow side isn't what most people do..its overkill IMO.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Which King of Tone variation?

There is not point in NOT getting the higher gain version.

When I got mine there was no HG version but when it came out I had mine modded or higher gain on both sides.

There is no difference in tone and unless you run the gain control(s) VERY low (like 9 o'clock or below) there is just no point.

That said there are no Marshall type tones in a KoT to me.

Great OD/Boost and even a distortion pedal in some situations but none of them sound like a Marshall to my ears.

i pretty much agree with this. great box but no marshall tones. id get the high gain on the red side at least.

 

[FretFire]

Re: Which King of Tone variation?

Agreed, I'd go high gain on the red side. Just understand that even then it's not teh br00talz high gain. It just takes it from boost to OD, in my opinion. You can get pretty saturated with both sides stacked, though.

 

[CapoFirstFret]

Re: Which King of Tone variation?

I'm not really looking for brutal metal or anything. I just need something to get me into the 80's pop/rock territory. Joan Jett/Pat Benatar/GNR/Bon Jovi area. I've been using the Plexitone and while I love the Plexitone I'd love to get something in a smaller footprint that could run on a regular feed from my Pedal Power.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Which King of Tone variation?

I'm not really looking for brutal metal or anything. I just need something to get me into the 80's pop/rock territory. Joan Jett/Pat Benatar/GNR/Bon Jovi area. I've been using the Plexitone and while I love the Plexitone I'd love to get something in a smaller footprint that could run on a regular feed from my Pedal Power.

If you're looking for something to replace your Plexitone, the King of Tone is NOT what you're looking for. What you want is this:



Or even this:



The KoT won't get those tones at all.

FWIW, both sides of the KOT are the same, Jerry.

 

[FretFire]

Re: Which King of Tone variation?

If you're looking for something to replace your Plexitone, the King of Tone is NOT what you're looking for.

I'm afraid I have to agree. The KoT isn't a Marshall-in-a-box really. It will just give you *more* of your amp, which if memory serves are Fenders yes?

 

[CapoFirstFret]

Re: Which King of Tone variation?

I'm afraid I have to agree. The KoT isn't a Marshall-in-a-box really. It will just give you *more* of your amp, which if memory serves are Fenders yes?

Actually I'm playing a Mesa Boogie Electra Dyne lately mostly because of this band I'm in now. I needed to cover more of that Marshall territory.

 

[James Rock]

Re: Which King of Tone variation?

Plenty of Marshall flavoured pedals out there such as Wamplers stuff, BOR and heaps of smaller boutique companies. Maybe get the High Gain version and have one side OD and one side DIST and then maybe get a different Marshall flavoured pedal if you need it.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Which King of Tone variation?

The two sides will sound different only if you change chips from stock....I did this and they do sound a little different. With regard to the high gain side.....well it all depends on how you like to run pedals. Most want the 'both on' mode to be a volume boost for lead breaks. In this case you'd have the higher gain side first. For mine I always like to add saturation with both on....hence the high gain is the last, and usually on all the time when this pedal is selected.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Which King of Tone variation?

the kot has three modes (clean boost, od, dist) and two channels. each channel can be set to any of the three modes. lots of options depending on what you want and its a great pedal but not very marshally.

the catalinbred dls is a great marshall sounding pedal

 

[zain]

Re: Which King of Tone variation?

AS the kot has two channels and these channels can be easily set using the modes (clean boost, od, dist)

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Which King of Tone variation?

It may not be popular opinion (since there have been so many requests to expand on it), but the KOT's red channel (IMHO) sucks. It's smooth, really compressed and small sounding. No balls, no cut, no anything useful in a band scenario. The yellow channel was genius though, adding just a bit more of what your amp naturally does. It did color the tone a little bit (highs were a hair smoother, lows were cut a bit), but all in all a good sound. Still, neither one will do the Marshall-in-a-box thing as the circuit is a modded Bluesbreaker.