Don't like klon sounds

ICBM

RaymondLin said:

I think someone need to put a Klon, TS, KOT, Timmy through a switch and try and dial them the same then do a blind test to see if we can tell the difference.

Dangerous ground there. When I said that no-one could tell for sure what type of Tube Screamer or TS derivative they were playing through if it was done blind, some people took great offence...

RaymondLin

ICBM said:

RaymondLin said:

I think someone need to put a Klon, TS, KOT, Timmy through a switch and try and dial them the same then do a blind test to see if we can tell the difference.

Dangerous ground there. When I said that no-one could tell for sure what type of Tube Screamer or TS derivative they were playing through if it was done blind, some people took great offence...

That's their problem? 

If they can, great....but there is only 1 way to find out.

TINMAN82

ICBM said:

RaymondLin said:

I think someone need to put a Klon, TS, KOT, Timmy through a switch and try and dial them the same then do a blind test to see if we can tell the difference.

Dangerous ground there. When I said that no-one could tell for sure what type of Tube Screamer or TS derivative they were playing through if it was done blind, some people took great offence...

If you try a Bonsai, you’ll definitely hear a difference between most of the settings. 

It’s possibly a bit like the perfect pitch thing…in isolation as a one off you might not notice a difference, but (like relative pitch) when compared directly side by side you often can. In a loud mix, the differences might disappear again, but many of us are only playing for our own enjoyment anyway.

ICBM

I don’t say there are no differences - I had two original 1983 TS-9s side by side on the bench once and they didn’t sound quite the same when A/B’d - just that I don’t believe any of them sound different enough that you could positively identify what variant you’re playing through if you can’t see it.

Same with Klons - all the copies sound broadly the same to a close degree, unless directly A/B’d - they sound quite different from Tube Screamers though, and I think you could tell if it was a Klon or a TS. (At least if you’re using it as an actual overdrive.)

slacker

I've got a Klon King of Tone and a Fulldrive 2 which isn't a tubescreamer but sort of. They are all different. All over drives can be made to sound good in any application. However the Klon can sound horrible for solo practice at home levels and the kot  sounds great. However in a loud dense mix the Klon excels and the kot  can bland out. The fd2 is in the middle. Comp cut mode is better with the amp louder. Fm mode is better at home. I did have the mosfet version as well but the fm  version is better to my ears. I had a ts10 bluesbreaker, DoD 250 and ds1 years ago and the fd2   fm replaced them all in 2001.

I'm using vox  amps and my ears. 

impmann

I've not tried a Klon. I have tried a Soul Food - I found exactly the same as the OP... muddy and indistinct (HRD and an old VamPower amp). It also, at lower gain settings, did nothing that the Blues Driver didn't do better. Therefore, I concluded it wasn't for me.

I really don't get this clean boost bollocks though. Its *NOT* a clean boost - its a boost but not 'clean', as in a linear raising in level. And whats the point in buying an expensive overdrive just as a level boost? Genuinely there are pedals out there that can do that for sub 50 sheets that I'm sure few would be able to tell apart (when used in that way) from the 'real thing' - and if the Soul Food sounds 80-90% of the Klon (and the expensive diodes are not engaged when used in that way), genuinely there are *much* better boosts available.

But hey... follow the unicorn tears. 

andysc

I’m about to experiment with various ‘transparent’ overdrives at the moment. In my head, I can find a setup where I have a bluesbreaker or Timmy style overdrive for just a smidge of a cleanish sounding boost (where light playing will sound completely clean), into a Klon clone used with quite a high drive setting as a more overdriven sound.

I’ve seen some demos where a bluesbreaker style overdrive set to always on just makes the tone a bit more interesting and adds a slight overdriven sound when you play harder, and a klon style pedal next in the chain for more overdrive without changing the general tone.

Not sure how successful it will be, so just experimenting with cheap alternatives to the real deals. I think they will be good enough to tell me if the general idea can work for me. Not convinced but I’ll give it a go. This thread makes me even more doubtful!

TimmyO

Most of this “pedal x sounds bad” , “no pedal x sounds great” is like saying

”this torchlight looks bad” vs “this torchlight looks good” when one is being shone into an art gallery and one into a teenagers bedroom. 

Into what amp, set how? 

thebreeze

This is a fairly recent review of about 10 Klon klone pedals (+ the original).  They do all sound very similar.  The Ryra and the Tumnus seem to be closest to the original if that's what klones are meant to be doing?...

slacker

impmann said:

I really don't get this clean boost bollocks though. Its *NOT* a clean boost - its a boost but not 'clean', as in a linear raising in level. And whats the point in buying an expensive overdrive just as a level boost? Genuinely there are pedals out there that can do that for sub 50 sheets that I'm sure few would be able to tell apart (when used in that way) from the 'real thing' - and if the Soul Food sounds 80-90% of the Klon (and the expensive diodes are not engaged when used in that way), genuinely there are *much* better boosts available.

But hey... follow the unicorn tears. 

Well, actually it is sort of. The gain control is a double pot controlling two circuits. One is a boost and the other is an overdrive. With gain on min its a boost. Turn it up its an overdrive with an increasing amount of nasally mid boost. Most people try it on its own and at low volume can't make it work as an overdrive and say its OK as a clean boost.

IMHO after 14 years of owning one, the best setting is gain 9 or 10 OK with an amp at the point of breakup in a two guitar band or one with silly things like keys backing singers sax kazoo and the like. 

In that application its subjectively the best overdrive I've tried or owned. At home I use a king of tone.

With a HRD which I'm not a fan of I've found a tube screamer or full drive to sound the best. rat if you want more gain.

Also if the amp is wound up the overdrive pedal becomes less important. You've played through my matchless at high volume and it sounded great 

andysc

My first attempt at using a klon clone and a bluesbreaker clone together have been quite promising. I use the bluesbreaker first in the chain, set with the gain at about half way up, and then feeding in to a klon clone set to a higher gain (about 3 o’clock). Without the bluesbreaker clone I had been underwhelmed by the klon clone, it sounded a bit muddy, but with the bluesbreaker clone first it retains sparkle and sounds much better (to me).

Matt_McG

I've never gotten on with any Klon(e) style pedal, tubescreamers, or any of the BOSS DS type things. They all sound terrible to me. Hard edged, and unforgiving, and with a bump in the mids in a place I don't like, or a scoop in the mids, in a place I also don't like.

What I tend to like is when the pedal works into a mostly clean Fender-ish style amp—I rarely get the chance to crank an amp to the point where it sounds good and compresses enough for me—and where it adds a bit of coloration, maybe rolls off a little bass, and adds some soft clipping. 

So: the ODR-1 (with a bass control) and Timmy designs all sound really good to me, through most things and at most gain levels from just barely on all the way through to flat out. Also really like the Mad Professor Royal Blue, which has a lovely clean up when you roll the volume down (it does that fuzz face impedance thing). For the not-really-breaking up clean boost with a tiny bit of hair/compression, I also really like the Durham Sex Drive (I built a copy) and the Barber Half Gainer. 

In fact, I like a lot of things that aren't TS or Klon style pedals just fine.

I also like using a compressor in that role with the gain a bit higher than unity and the compression set somewhere between low and middling levels of squish, e.g. something like a Thorpy Fat General.

ICBM

TimmyO said:

Most of this “pedal x sounds bad” , “no pedal x sounds great” is like saying

”this torchlight looks bad” vs “this torchlight looks good” when one is being shone into an art gallery and one into a teenagers bedroom. 

Into what amp, set how? 

Except that most of the classic pedals don't require that sort of justification, they just sound good into pretty much any amp.

If a pedal only sounds great pushing a specific overdriven valve amp at gig volume, that says more about an overdriven valve amp at gig volume than it does about the pedal...

Boromedic

This thread is nuts, hahaha.

Let's face it TS9 or similar into a Plexi/800 is literally a godlike experience, and has been utilised by a million bands, same with a Rat. The Klon is/has been on multiple pro boards into loads of different amps. Every combination works for someone, some more than others for sure. TS9 into a Marshall though is the nuts for me, then a Klon to smash it over the edge, amazing. 

TimmyO

ICBM said:

TimmyO said:

Most of this “pedal x sounds bad” , “no pedal x sounds great” is like saying

”this torchlight looks bad” vs “this torchlight looks good” when one is being shone into an art gallery and one into a teenagers bedroom. 

Into what amp, set how? 

Except that most of the classic pedals don't require that sort of justification, they just sound good into pretty much any amp.

If a pedal only sounds great pushing a specific overdriven valve amp at gig volume, that says more about an overdriven valve amp at gig volume than it does about the pedal...

It sounds like you think I’m saying that to stick up for the Klon. I’m not.  

Boromedic

This is how I use mine, skip to 7:34....

rockmonster

Ryra is by far the nicest klon type I’ve owned. It certainly is fussy about what amps it likes to work with. I found it’s glorious with a well stoked Marshall but pretty meh through an EVH. But I still sold it! Lol!

slacker

The best sounding overdrive was at a harmony central pedal day in a rehearsal room with an actual plexi half stack. The best overdrive was any of them in the room.

Back to real volumes I use my favourite one to work in various applications.

TimmyO

slacker said:

The best sounding overdrive was at a harmony central pedal day in a rehearsal room with an actual plexi half stack. The best overdrive was any of them in the room.

.

Reminds me of a modded DS1 I bought on eBay. It had a 3 position switch for clipping. 

Into my ‘77 JMP it sounded great on 2 settings and glorious on the middle one.

I opened it up to look and the diode options - middle was bypassing them - basically being a clean-ish op amp boost. The best sound was ‘more amp’ !  

PopDufc

I have a fulldrive 2 and began to be put off by an " artificial " overdrive sound at all levels. Son in law has a boutique clone ( Ryra Klone) and I thought all my OD prayers would be answered. Plan was to but a TC electronic Zeus. Listening to the Ryra through my little, bedroom, setup I realised I like the Klone less than the Caline Crazy Cacti! 
I want to have a lead tone similar to changing the amp to a different channel with a footswitch. My little blackstar my-1rh has no such ability. 
I'll keep on looking for a genuine overdrive sound.