NYC LP player
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Well it took 50+ days to make its way from the land of the vikings to NYC but I opened my mailbox this weekend to find this puppy sitting in there.
I think he meant 2014
Pedal Projects | Klone
I believe in being open about my experience so I will say I had to file a paypal dispute to protect myself on day 44 but the builder was communicative throughout the process and it seems USPS was to blame. That said everything worked out and the builder had even offered to send another one should the original not arrive which was quite generous. He now offers tracking too and be aware US customs could snag the pedal and delay it 30-45 days.
If I am being honest I got sucked in by the Klon chatter lately with the Soul Food coming out but I like unique things. I emailed the builder at Pedal Projects one night after a few beers and seeing this demo of his Klon and he was out of stock but put me on the list.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6sP7tr9hLE]Pedal Projects Klon vs Original Klon Centaur - YouTube[/ame]
A few days later I got an email about a one off design and I went for it. The one off has the gain and output labelled but didnt have his trademark in the bottom right corner that the new ones do (I like mine better). I full acknowledge that I paid double for what the EHX Soul Food probably could do but screw it....its just paper till you spend it and this had a much better fit and finish.
Initial Thoughts (note I already use a buffer so its not signal rejuvenation I am experiencing):
- The demo is accurate and you an amazing clone of a Klon
- The drive starts very light but can get pretty driven if you want it to
- This drive is very open...not like a TS. It essentially seems to add some really interesting nuances by balancing the output and the gain but in a way that is unlike other pedals I have. Its very hard to describe but its different from a clean boost (which I have), the Fulltone FD2 in comp cut mode (sold it), or my Barber LTD SR w/ board mod (TS-ish)
- The more output the better....its just seems to add more sparkle to louder you can tolerate.
- Its loud and prefers to be that way. IMHO this is not a pedal for really low volume playing as you will miss all the cool tonal changes. Its fine at daytime bedroom volume and up. It also worked well going into Amplitube3.
- The tone knob is interesting in that is seems to highlight rather than add or scoop...I currently am running it on 75% but my neck still has thickness and the bridge isnt too shrill even using my T-Top JPPost72 from ReWind
- It likes my Barber LTD SR when stacked
- I don't think it liked my Marvel Drive whereas the Barber did. Too much high end stuff going on. I have a Marvel Drive v2 coming soon so we will see if the presence knob helps though that pedal needs no help from anything.
- You are paying for subtlety so don't expect to get slapped in the face. Listen to the demo...the players clean tone is far from sterile to begin with. Initially I was like why do people pay so much for the real thing (still do) but its only after to dialing it in a couple times it was only when I turned it off that I realized how much I liked it. I tried to replicate it with clean boost, low drive/hi output settings on my Barber, and even playing with my Badcat Unleash but this thing definitely has its own thing going. Even if I could get close there isnt a way to hit one to make all the pedal/amp/unleash adjustments but isnt that the case with a lot of good pedals...you hear your setup in a new or interesting way and you can get there quickly.
Conclusion:
Its a really great pedal with superior fit and finish. If you want the Klon experience checked off your pedal bucket list I think this is a superb option. I get the feeling that, like the Klon, this is a pedal many leave on all the time for clean to medium drive situations. This pedal will not get your closer to Jimi, Jimmy, Stevie, or Slash-ie(jk) unless the rest of your rig is already setup to do that already.
I will have to explore farther how it works with gainyer settings but my guess it the busier the sound the more the subtle flavors will get lost. It would be like pouring expensive wine into your booze loaded house party sangria mix.
So do I buy this thing?
The best way I can put this is if you would consider buying an Xotic EP Booster (or something similar) and pairing it with an EQ pedal and a buffer and have its own flavor with more versatility and a touch of mystique then this could be a great solution for you.
I'll start the bidding at $1000
Might do a demo with the Barber just to give you people an idea of how different the two are on lower gain settings.
The builders demo
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqXV2_AKjNw[/ame]
I think he meant 2014
Pedal Projects | Klone
I believe in being open about my experience so I will say I had to file a paypal dispute to protect myself on day 44 but the builder was communicative throughout the process and it seems USPS was to blame. That said everything worked out and the builder had even offered to send another one should the original not arrive which was quite generous. He now offers tracking too and be aware US customs could snag the pedal and delay it 30-45 days.
If I am being honest I got sucked in by the Klon chatter lately with the Soul Food coming out but I like unique things. I emailed the builder at Pedal Projects one night after a few beers and seeing this demo of his Klon and he was out of stock but put me on the list.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6sP7tr9hLE]Pedal Projects Klon vs Original Klon Centaur - YouTube[/ame]
A few days later I got an email about a one off design and I went for it. The one off has the gain and output labelled but didnt have his trademark in the bottom right corner that the new ones do (I like mine better). I full acknowledge that I paid double for what the EHX Soul Food probably could do but screw it....its just paper till you spend it and this had a much better fit and finish.
Initial Thoughts (note I already use a buffer so its not signal rejuvenation I am experiencing):
- The demo is accurate and you an amazing clone of a Klon
- The drive starts very light but can get pretty driven if you want it to
- This drive is very open...not like a TS. It essentially seems to add some really interesting nuances by balancing the output and the gain but in a way that is unlike other pedals I have. Its very hard to describe but its different from a clean boost (which I have), the Fulltone FD2 in comp cut mode (sold it), or my Barber LTD SR w/ board mod (TS-ish)
- The more output the better....its just seems to add more sparkle to louder you can tolerate.
- Its loud and prefers to be that way. IMHO this is not a pedal for really low volume playing as you will miss all the cool tonal changes. Its fine at daytime bedroom volume and up. It also worked well going into Amplitube3.
- The tone knob is interesting in that is seems to highlight rather than add or scoop...I currently am running it on 75% but my neck still has thickness and the bridge isnt too shrill even using my T-Top JPPost72 from ReWind
- It likes my Barber LTD SR when stacked
- I don't think it liked my Marvel Drive whereas the Barber did. Too much high end stuff going on. I have a Marvel Drive v2 coming soon so we will see if the presence knob helps though that pedal needs no help from anything.
- You are paying for subtlety so don't expect to get slapped in the face. Listen to the demo...the players clean tone is far from sterile to begin with. Initially I was like why do people pay so much for the real thing (still do) but its only after to dialing it in a couple times it was only when I turned it off that I realized how much I liked it. I tried to replicate it with clean boost, low drive/hi output settings on my Barber, and even playing with my Badcat Unleash but this thing definitely has its own thing going. Even if I could get close there isnt a way to hit one to make all the pedal/amp/unleash adjustments but isnt that the case with a lot of good pedals...you hear your setup in a new or interesting way and you can get there quickly.
Conclusion:
Its a really great pedal with superior fit and finish. If you want the Klon experience checked off your pedal bucket list I think this is a superb option. I get the feeling that, like the Klon, this is a pedal many leave on all the time for clean to medium drive situations. This pedal will not get your closer to Jimi, Jimmy, Stevie, or Slash-ie(jk) unless the rest of your rig is already setup to do that already.
I will have to explore farther how it works with gainyer settings but my guess it the busier the sound the more the subtle flavors will get lost. It would be like pouring expensive wine into your booze loaded house party sangria mix.
So do I buy this thing?
The best way I can put this is if you would consider buying an Xotic EP Booster (or something similar) and pairing it with an EQ pedal and a buffer and have its own flavor with more versatility and a touch of mystique then this could be a great solution for you.
I'll start the bidding at $1000
Might do a demo with the Barber just to give you people an idea of how different the two are on lower gain settings.
The builders demo
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqXV2_AKjNw[/ame]
