New Klon - Gut Shot

[jubal81]

OK, I have some more gripes I have to get out there.

1) Switching
If you're charging a premium for 'advanced engineering' why use a mechanical switch and not a relay? With two boards and the additional wiring and labor, I can't see how it could even cost less.

2) Size
C'mon, it's SMD and in a plain 'ol BB. Hell, we've got guys here putting a through-hole version in a 1590A. Talk about ego too big to fit in a standard box. If he were using a custom casting for aesthetics it might make sense, but using a plain-jane box?

3) Board-mounting jacks
Again, charging a premium price for Chinese short cuts. I understand this in bargain pedals, but when you're paying 'heirloom - my grandkids can use this' prices, it's a disgrace.

4) The art
Discounting what the text even says, it's just text. How could you get any cheaper?

All-in-all, what I see is Chinese knock-off quality (well, even worse because of size & art) for 10X the price. When you add "The hype is not of my making," what you have isn't a slap in the face, it's a kick in the nuts. He's not only playing a practical joke on his customers, he's telling them what he's doing every time they look at the product. Then, when he makes millions, it'll be a kick in the nuts to builders out there going through the expense and making an effort to build heirloom-quality pedals.

He might as well replace that text with a giant middle finger.

[jkokura]

I vote that post get's reposted on TGP.

Jacob

[Mike B.]

+1

[icecycle66]

2) Size
C'mon, it's SMD and in a plain 'ol BB. Hell, we've got guys here putting a through-hole version in a 1590A. Talk about ego too big to fit in a standard box. If he were using a custom casting for aesthetics it might make sense, but using a plain-jane box?

I had the same question.  Why bother with making things smaller, if nothing actually gets any smaller.  Unless of course it is to better utilize the automated SMD machines for financial efficiency.

[Comfort Player]

Ok , heres one on TGP for only $425, lets see how long it lasts

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=1166052

[culturejam]

I had the same question.  Why bother with making things smaller, if nothing actually gets any smaller.  Unless of course it is to better utilize the automated SMD machines for financial efficiency.

Two reasons I can think of:

1) People expect a "real" Klon to be on the bigger side. They would say it sounded bad if you made it too small.

2) Yes, it's generally cheaper to go with SMD for production purposes. He saved money on the production and the enclosure on the new design, and so now the asking price is cheaper. I think it makes sense.

[midwayfair]

OK, I have some more gripes I have to get out there.

1) Switching
If you're charging a premium for 'advanced engineering' why use a mechanical switch and not a relay? With two boards and the additional wiring and labor, I can't see how it could even cost less.

2) Size
C'mon, it's SMD and in a plain 'ol BB. Hell, we've got guys here putting a through-hole version in a 1590A. Talk about ego too big to fit in a standard box. If he were using a custom casting for aesthetics it might make sense, but using a plain-jane box?

3) Board-mounting jacks
Again, charging a premium price for Chinese short cuts. I understand this in bargain pedals, but when you're paying 'heirloom - my grandkids can use this' prices, it's a disgrace.

4) The art
Discounting what the text even says, it's just text. How could you get any cheaper?

All-in-all, what I see is Chinese knock-off quality (well, even worse because of size & art) for 10X the price. When you add "The hype is not of my making," what you have isn't a slap in the face, it's a kick in the nuts. He's not only playing a practical joke on his customers, he's telling them what he's doing every time they look at the product. Then, when he makes millions, it'll be a kick in the nuts to builders out there going through the expense and making an effort to build heirloom-quality pedals.

He might as well replace that text with a giant middle finger.

Okay, whoa.

I'm not going to defend the designer, but I will defend some of the design choices:

1) Switching: It has a switchable buffer. You can't get true bypass mechanical switching without a mechanical switch, and some people were going to insist on the true bypass option. It's a hedge against one class of clones and giving people an option. Also, the board-mounted switch system with ribbon wire is to make repairs possible and easy. Even Diamond does that (an almost identical hookup), and I don't think any of us are going to accuse Diamond of overhyping their stuff and overcharging for their engineering, are we? (Granted, Diamond pedals typically cost less!)

2) Some people prefer pedals of this size. Read some posts by David Barber. He wears size 13 shoes. An MXR pedal feels cramped for him and he worries about his feet hitting the knobs. It's also a marketting move: The pedal takes up more real estate, and convinces buyers that there must be a reason it's bigger than a lot of the clones. (We must be doing it wrong, theythinks. Heck, they already think that.) The pedal is for sale, let's not forget.

3) What precisely is wrong with board mounted pots? They are durable and contain redundancy in the form of two soldering points on either side of the jack. There are no wires to corrode, become lose, break connections, or anything else. It's the MOST solid way to construct a pedal's jacks if the circuit board is also secured (with those standoffs). I don't see us complaining about board-mounted pots around here, right? Big Mike on TGP has some pretty strong opinions on this subject, so you should read his reasoning, which is sound (basically it boils down to: pedals that have exceptional proven road worthiness use board mounted pots). There are also multiple threads on DIYStompboxes regarding board-mounted things and how it was a concern for years that all the off-board stuff should be solder lugs and not board-mounted, etc., and eventually everyone got over themselves because it wasn't actually a problem.

4) This I agree with.

Let's not toss the baby (good production pedal ideas) with the bathwater (Bill F).

[BraindeadAudio]

Board mounted jacks work as space savers, I personally dont like them, or the plastic jacks.

Board mounted pots, are easily desoldered and replaced, but personal preference on my own end lends itself to 20g solid core wiring for pots.

That said, Ive never been impressed by the Klon Centuar, but as they say, if people will pay for one, why not make one?

[gtr2]

I actually like and use those neutrik mounted jacks.  They are high quality IMO. 

[bigmufffuzzwizz]

The 2010 was one of the first things I noticed about that picture. Wonder why its taken so long to be released..
Despite the fact that the pedal does look exceptionally professional I'd be more into it if it was hand built. And then it might justify its price to me at least.

[BraindeadAudio]

Rumor mill feeding alert, supposedly he has been selling back stock on ebay for years at insane high prices feeding the fire of this pedal. 

I recently saw a band in austin with both guitar player in the band having both silver and gold Klons on their boards. I shook my head because the band did their beautiful 70s Matamp stacks 0 justice, especially with 3g worth of pedals in front of them.

Bassist was running a violet ramshead through a blue line SVT and blew everyone out of the room.

[bigmufffuzzwizz]

Rumor mill feeding alert, supposedly he has been selling back stock on ebay for years at insane high prices feeding the fire of this pedal. 

I recently saw a band in austin with both guitar player in the band having both silver and gold Klons on their boards. I shook my head because the band did their beautiful 70s Matamp stacks 0 justice, especially with 3g worth of pedals in front of them.

Bassist was running a violet ramshead through a blue line SVT and blew everyone out of the room.

Hah its funny you say that. To me the concept of buying expensive "boutique" amps is the fact that they usually have a really nice drive/gain that most of the times is unmatchable by a pedal. Especially when we're talking about heads that cost upwards of $1500. So overdrive to drive a high gain amp?!?
Come on now, power amp gain!!!
And those blue line svt's (especially the original '69) pump like crazy...If they didn't break backs when carrying and wallets when fixing.

[Scruffie]

Rumor mill feeding alert, supposedly he has been selling back stock on ebay for years at insane high prices feeding the fire of this pedal. 

I recently saw a band in austin with both guitar player in the band having both silver and gold Klons on their boards. I shook my head because the band did their beautiful 70s Matamp stacks 0 justice, especially with 3g worth of pedals in front of them.

Bassist was running a violet ramshead through a blue line SVT and blew everyone out of the room.

That rumors been going on for ages hasn't it? Think he's addressed it more than once and probably explains the 'hype is not my making' if we beleive or not well... that's a different story.

OK, I have some more gripes I have to get out there.

1) Switching
If you're charging a premium for 'advanced engineering' why use a mechanical switch and not a relay? With two boards and the additional wiring and labor, I can't see how it could even cost less.

Okay, whoa.

I'm not going to defend the designer, but I will defend some of the design choices:

1) Switching: It has a switchable buffer. You can't get true bypass mechanical switching without a mechanical switch, and some people were going to insist on the true bypass option. It's a hedge against one class of clones and giving people an option.

Digitech Hardwire manage to pull off true bypass/buffer switching with a relay on there effects with trails reverb/delay. Don't ask me how but that's the claim anyway.

[jkokura]

The hardwire stuff is legit. I've had them open on my bench. Awesome pedals.

Jacob

[Scruffie]

The hardwire stuff is legit. I've had them open on my bench. Awesome pedals.

Jacob

I could never find an alan key in my sets that fit the ones on the bottom.

It is very nice though I agree.