ilovefuzz.com

Sweeeeeet!

Heh, Klon into Pignose.

TGP Is weeping.

Interesting findings. Watch ilovefuzz go into a Klon buying craze now, elevating the prices upwards of $20,000.

Yeah, playing a Klon into a solid state amp definitely isn't using it as it was designed. It doesn't interact with the amp as much as with a tube amp, but it doesn't necessarily sound bad.

I didn't pay anywhere near what current prices are for Klons, nor would I, but whatever the price, ILFs not gonna go on a Klon frenzy. Klons are definitely prettier sounding the less effects that are used with them. That's not ILF. The more effects you use, the more you mask what a Klon can do. It's just not worth paying a lot of money for something you're just gonna cover up the sound of.

Is there any Klone that actually really sounds like a Klon?

You'd think that there would be, but I haven't heard one.

Yeah, some pedals really do come close in some aspects, but overall, I'd have to say not.

Things get even more interesting.

I just tried the Soul Food and the gold Centaur into the Pignose.

When played unaccompanied, I like the Soul Food better into a solid state amp. Possibly because it clips more on it's own, it sounds fuller. Then Centaur sounded thinner by comparison. When I switched on the Muff, things went back to me preferring the Centaur. It definitely makes the fuzz jump out more. Again, could be the fact that the Soul Food is still in true bypass mode. I still can't get the backplate off.

Then a weird thing started happening. I started clipping the input of the Soul Food. I've never measured my pickups, but they're not particularly hot. I don't know yet what's going on. I'll have to do some troubleshooting and also post a thread on TGP about it.

If anyone doesn't like this style of reviewing, let me know, I can write a summary at the very end of the thread.

This is awesome!

I just tried the Soul Food and the Centaur as the only pedals in the chain. No Soul Food clipping.

I thought of something that could be causing it. I power the Centaur with a 9V battery. Never had the power jack soldered in. I've had problems in the past when the battery in the Centaur is less than fresh. Especially with wahs. The Centaur circuit does really strange things when starved. So, I'm thinking that's what it probably is. I'll pick up some new batteries tomorrow for further testing.

Chankgeez wrote:ILFs not gonna go on a Klon frenzy. Klons are definitely prettier sounding the less effects that are used with them. That's not ILF. The more effects you use, the more you mask what a Klon can do. It's just not worth paying a lot of money for something you're just gonna cover up the sound of.

my problem with pedals like the klon [meaning low gain overdrives] is I feel that anything they do can be done better with a good amp, and when the pedal cost more [or close to] than a good amp than it seems silly, that's all Now I'm not saying I don't own…. 6 or so low gain ODs but excepting the Mellowtone DC/CC I don't think the whole "interacting thing" is better then a booster or really hot pickups

On the other hand… if you are running a really clean amp and using it to get a sound on it's own then I think I respect that more. I do that with my rig because the idea of dragging around another bass amp is silly right now so a good OD gets me by, not the exact sound I want or would use to record but on a gig it sounds good

That's a good point, Mudfuzz, except the Centaur was designed to be used when you can't crank an amp as much as you'd like.

I agree that a good amp is money better spent.

Most people don't change the size of their amp to suit the venue. Pedals like the Centaur can make an amp more versatile.

It's all a matter of degrees. I don't really use low gain overdrives as much as I do boosters. I use the Centaur as a boost.

That pedal is really meant to be used with a tube amp on the edge of breakup, which is generally how I run my amps.

Like you said, using pedals is sometimes a compromise for more complex methods of achieving a certain sound.

With that said, I was coming back to report that I was just comparing the Soul Food with the Fredric Zombie Klone through the Pignose. The Fredric and the Klon are both more open sounding than the Soul Food. In many ways the Fredric and the Soul Food behave similarly, but the Soul Food lacks clarity. It's kinda sludge sounding comparatively.

I definitely prefer the Fredric to the Soul Food, it's closer to the Klon in sound. It's brighter as well. The construction is superior to the Soul Food.

The tests go on.

This thread is getting interesting....

Let TGP weep like children deprived of Pop Tarts.

rfurtkamp wrote:Heh, Klon into Pignose.

TGP Is weeping.

Pignoses are badass amps and in every way and most likely better than anything Dumble could make

Chankgeez wrote: If anyone doesn't like this style of reviewing, let me know, I can write a summary at the very end of the thread.

I really enjoy that "real time posting impressions" style. Go on!