King of Tone - I was expecting more...

[Mike J.]

Okay, I've heard so much about the KOT, but never had the chance to play one. Last week then I had the chance to borrow a KOT and to check it out for some days.
No matter how you set it, it always sounds very good - but I'll be honest - I was expecting a little more. My Vemuram Jan Ray - although coming from another tonal direction - sounds softer, more organic and...I hate so utter it that way...more amp-like.

The KOT had something "hard" to the tone that I couldn't dial out - let me say it this way: The tone under my fingers definitely didn't have that soft and musical touch, I was wishing for.
Please let me underline that this is criticism on the highest possible level - the pedal is a classic and I can see why it's so popular.

I am not quite sure if I would accept a 4 year wait to get that pedal. I've found another cheaper pedal in my treasue chest that I could tweak to sound....but that's another story and video.

Here's my sound with the Strat:

 

[Brek]

I have a K.O.T. I know little about pedals, only been learning this stuff in last 6 months, I like it, not that means much, I have bought a few variations of the OP amps, like old burr brown and others, and installed them, tbh my ears are not even close to understanding the subtleties of these pedals. I just bought a hand made klon clone, using same diodes and a few other rarities, compared it to a £20 clone, their is a difference, it’s subtle, but who is to say which is better, the expensive one is cleaner, but the sound of the other one is also good, the mid range has an interesting thing going on in the cheap one. I used an ab/y to switch their outputs, they were fed from the two outs of my mxr 10 band, indentical cables used to connect both pedals. Will have a look at your vid when I get a chance to listen with ‘phones on.

Methodology:

 

[ARandall]

Well, I guess file this under
'not every pedal suits everybody, and should never ever be expected or required to'

'its quite ok to dislike something that everybody else might like'

 

[Hogie34]

Well, I guess file this under
'not every pedal suits everybody, and should never ever be expected or required to'

'its quite ok to dislike something that everybody else might like'

Thank you for saying this . I try to tell this to folks that tell you, “oh you’re just not using it right”. No, I just don’t like some tones. I fall into the minority that doesn’t get the whole Klon Centaur thing. I think the MXR 10 band EQ sounds better as a boost and you can tailor the eq coming into the amp as well.

 

[JWH]

you waited 4 years to receive this pedal and it's not what you were expecting to hear? Man that's a bummer. I hope it sounds better with time. sorry to hear that.

 

[JWH]

I got a few paper weights of pedals myself. go's with the territory.

 

[dmac in SC]

Thank you for saying this . I try to tell this to folks that tell you, “oh you’re just not using it right”. No, I just don’t like some tones. I fall into the minority that doesn’t get the whole Klon Centaur thing. I think the MXR 10 band EQ sounds better as a boost and you can tailor the eq coming into the amp as well.

I just got my MXR 10 today, and immediately my Klon Clone is off the board. Amazingly good pedal the MXR 10 is..

It all depends on the guitars you are playing, the amps you are plugging in to, the volume levels you want, and the sounds you want to make. I've never had a KOT solely because of the wait time..(I'd love to try one) but I have or have owned a shit ton of overdrives over the years, and there is really not that much difference between most of them. Between the guitar, the pedals and the amps, there are so many knobs to turn that I scratch my head when folks say can't get the tone they want.

The one pedal that does more for me in my studio setting, going into Fender amps, is the mighty Sib Cuda. In band mix situations, a tube screamer, OCD ( or pretty much anything else from Fulltone) is better, but I seldom play out any more.

 

[ARandall]

Thank you for saying this . I try to tell this to folks that tell you, “oh you’re just not using it right”. No, I just don’t like some tones. I fall into the minority that doesn’t get the whole Klon Centaur thing. I think the MXR 10 band EQ sounds better as a boost and you can tailor the eq coming into the amp as well.

Personally I like both the KOT and klones (don't have the real thing), but quite frankly I know that what I want out of them is either not what others want, irrelevant to their journey.....or they have a different rig/ears/.....whatever.

Many people seem.....almost offended........that something they have bought doesn't suit them. As if a product is required to come with a guarantee of perfect fit......or there's some giant conspiracy out there aimed specifically at making them waste money on a pedal that guaranteed won't do what they want.

Its just stuff....if it works, great........if not just move it on - no harm done. Everyone plays the game, trying to find the gear that allows them to just cut loose and think no more about the rig and just express. Sometimes its a short journey, other times its long and torturous. Often its the seeking thats the main thing.

 

[Mike J.]

you waited 4 years to receive this pedal and it's not what you were expecting to hear? Man that's a bummer. I hope it sounds better with time. sorry to hear that.

No!!! It’s not my pedal! I haven’t ordered it nor waited 4 years. The current waiting period is 4 years.

 

[Brek]

the wait time is due to people scalping, they limit orders to four, really it should be one. but i guess the wait adds to the demand. I paid about £100 more for mine compared to the imported price of a new one. which will recoup if demand still there when i get my turn in Q and sell this one.

 

[Marshall & Moonshine]

i've never played one, but all the demo's sound cool. i've never been into the minutia of things. just about any OD pedal would work for me, if i was running a clean amp. i'm sure it's a great pedal; that many people can't all be wrong.
honestly, i still get everything i need out of my fulldrive 2/mosfet. it has a mid hump for the strat, flat mids for the LP and compcut for beasting up the 2204. add the little boost and it does whatever i need in a mix.
i'd probably be fine with the KoT. all i really need from a drive pedal is control over the mid content.
everything else, i can live with, since my amps give me most of my dirt and pedals don't mess too much with that.

as for the wait and used prices, i dunno. he can make them as fast as he likes, and supply and demand control used prices. i like how he runs the wait list, though. when your name comes up, you don't have to buy it yet; you just hang out at the top of the list. no deposit, either. i imagine someone with enterprise could get on the list, make it to the top, buy the pedal, and flip it that day for a profit.

 

[Gtarzan81]

The Klon KTR is only a 3 month wait and reasonably priced.

My KTR into a Belle Epoch into an amp add some special sauce.

 

[JWH]

I have a K.O.T. I know little about pedals, only been learning this stuff in last 6 months, I like it, not that means much, I have bought a few variations of the OP amps, like old burr brown and others, and installed them, tbh my ears are not even close to understanding the subtleties of these pedals. I just bought a hand made klon clone, using same diodes and a few other rarities, compared it to a £20 clone, their is a difference, it’s subtle, but who is to say which is better, the expensive one is cleaner, but the sound of the other one is also good, the mid range has an interesting thing going on in the cheap one. I used an ab/y to switch their outputs, they were fed from the two outs of my mxr 10 band, indentical cables used to connect both pedals. Will have a look at your vid when I get a chance to listen with ‘phones on.

Methodology:
View attachment 502757

Your MXR 10 band EQ compared to a Boss 7 band EQ I would guess 10 band is better than a 7 band. I need an EQ was considering the Boss. Looking at your MXR 10 band mayby I need to re consider what I want.

 

[Brek]

I was going to get the Boss initially after learning that it’s a ‘trade secret’ clean boost, then did a bit more reading, and saw a few references to its noise floor not being particularly good. Although the earlier mxr 10 band had a similar issue. It’s a more of a general correction tool I feel as it’s 10 bands cover upto 16k, the small donner is more guitar tone specific as tops out at 4k. I have two of those donners as they are quiet and cheap, I use one to mimic a kind of out of phase tone, and the other to dial in the mids.

 

[JWH]

Thank you Mr Brek. It's fellow members like you that help out members like me that need a little Real world experience review. You said the MXR is a correction tool. In a nut shell that what Graphic EQ's do. I have an Ibenez Tube screamer that the users manual says is kind of a correction tool if add after your distortion Pedal. Paying $129 for the MXR 10 band is worth the extra money over the boss. You mention boss uses the "Trade Secret" term to protect there sound. I know i laugh when i hear trade secret.

 

[Brek]

Well to be fair, that ‘trade secret’ was my wording, after watching a YouTube vid on it, it wasn’t Boss’s content, just one of the many channels on the tube. There a lot of of options and ways of doing things anyone new to playing will be unaware of. Most people will go and grab and OD pedal, because ‘that’s what you do right’, but if a EQ pedal has a gain and a volume, it can to it too. In fact I haven’t really explored that side of the eq pedal. Will have a play at some point just using that between guitar and amp. I bought it with the intention of using it in the fx loop, but have not done so yet as still trying to figure out if the effects loops on my amps are ‘line level’ or ‘pedal level’ for want of a better term. If line level signal might not be ideal for pedals expecting a guitar level signal. I am noob also, so don’t assume everything I say is correct, although I do where available, further research to validate info I come across. I try to avoid repeating ‘lore’. Stuff like, thicker strings = Better tone. I have been guilty of that however before I learnt how to research.

 

[VoodooBlues]

I suggest adjusting the internal trim pot. It removes some of the compression and makes it sound more open and transparent.

Okay, I've heard so much about the KOT, but never had the chance to play one. Last week then I had the chance to borrow a KOT and to check it out for some days.
No matter how you set it, it always sounds very good - but I'll be honest - I was expecting a little more. My Vemuram Jan Ray - although coming from another tonal direction - sounds softer, more organic and...I hate so utter it that way...more amp-like.

The KOT had something "hard" to the tone that I couldn't dial out - let me say it this way: The tone under my fingers definitely didn't have that soft and musical touch, I was wishing for.
Please let me underline that this is criticism on the highest possible level - the pedal is a classic and I can see why it's so popular.

I am not quite sure if I would accept a 4 year wait to get that pedal. I've found another cheaper pedal in my treasue chest that I could tweak to sound....but that's another story and video.

Here's my sound with the Strat:

 

[rpark]

I've played on KoTs for years. It's a great pedal if it's a sound you're looking for but, like any other, it's not for literally everyone. Like amps, not everyone is into the sound of every one of them. It doesn't matter that an AC30TB is beloved by legions and been on a million hits if you are looking for a Dual Rectifier sound, or vice versa. It's about what you're looking for, and your liking it or not has nothing to do with the pedal being awesome or not... it's just not awesome to you. And that is just fine.

What is awesome, however, and something you will rarely find in other things is that you can get more than you paid for it any time you're willing to sell. I wish I could say that about all the other gear I've bought over the years!

The KoT is a spectacular sounding pedal. If it's not for you, move it along. Someone else is waiting for that tone that doesn't turn your key. Get something you like!

 

[X–Ray]

(my mostly "gain" board - a tandem board is modulations, a Box of Rock gain pedal, eq, delays, Zuul noise gate and Secret Pre-amp)

At first, I thought the KOT was good but I wasn't knocked out given all the hoopla.

After spending time with it, I realized the KOT takes whatever the guitar and amp sound like and just makes more of it - with a not over-the-top level of gain to play around with.

One day I'll experiment with the internal treble trim pot and dip switches - who knows, maybe that's where the Crown Jewels are hidden?

YMMV

 

[BigJim]

The "other guy" in one of my bands had one, he loved it. I tried it out for a week, meh....

I also thought the Klon(e) was nothing special.

I also think the wait list is ridiculous.