The Myth Behind the Klon Centaur – is it that unique?

Diving into the mythology around the Klon Centaur. Why are they so expensive, and is it even possible to clone them? Comparing the original Centaur against the Nordvang Custom No.1 to see if it's possible to get the infamous tone without busting the bank!

NB! The Klon has two op-amps, not 4. And the volt input voltage is converted to -9 and +18 volt, so it's actually 27 volt.

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[popeye]

So I am on the gear page and read your post about why channels were loosing views. I wanted to respond but just didn't. I think the loss of views is because the Tube is now over saturated with demo vids and they just come across as commercials. With shows like TPS or Wamplers & JHS, players like more informative videos and stories and dialogue, like you did in this video. Nice vid and a good step in the right direction. Kudos bro and good luck with your channel

[Avalon]

You really need to keep the cables off the floor to get the best from the Klon. I have mine running along eight three-inch oak blocks with tinfoil inserts so that the cable sheath doesn't touch the carpet.

I also keep the amp facing north so that the core in the output transformer doesn't become distorted due to the earth's polar magnetism.

Doing this gives me a MUCH purer midrange from my 59 Std.

[tunaXonXtoast]

No drunk in the bar will tell the difference. lol

[zeejonesy]

As the gain gets higher, the Nordvang sounds essentially identical. I think what sets the Klon apart is its slight (and I mean slight) increase in treble presence in the lower gain settings, giving it that "sparkle" that people claim it has. Making it a phenomenal clean boost.

[ThePedalBored]

Always been a fan of your A/B videos, and this is a great one.

[mikes]

When you have a Klon it tells other people that you’re better than them.

[droliver]

The Klon thing has gotten as absurd as the 1959 Les Paul fetishism. It sounds ok, but it’s literally indistinguishable from dozens of similar OD pedals or software patches in a blind listening test.

[sacredgeometry]

It's not really hard to understand.

Collectors are generally not great or even good musicians. If they are musicians at all. And as such are not really an authority on anything by hype and capitalising on trends. They just invest in the culture and the mythos surrounding music history.

Thats literally it.

They invest an already inordinate amount of money for something. Pretend like its really special to justify their investment. Other people invest at a now higher price and are forced to do the same thing this process continues ad-infinitum until we get amps that cost as much as a super overdrive or guitars as much as a 59 les paul.

There is nothing really that special about these guitars when compared to modern guitars. Really nothing at all. There may be a specific characteristic about them but nothing that cant and hasn't been replicated a thousand times over for much much less money.

It's just what it is. Snake oil and bolstered by people that have already made an over inflated capital investment and want to see a return on that.

So tldr; No, this is not and has never been about sound. It's all about money.

[elvyfoster]

How long before the corksniffers claim that the only way to get a great tone is by running a Klon into a Dumble amp?

[ramonaHQ]

But if your song sucks who cares what pedal you use? 😂

Great video. Very well researched. 👍🏼

[atarirob]

Christ, I'm never a Les Paul guy, but that soft orange burst is utterly gorgeous

[ironlife]

Spend 80 bucks on a soul food and get the same tone and side by side them the soul food accually has more clarity..

[captainsnarky]

He’s lucky the Klon didn’t give up and die when he played the Friends theme through it.

And the Klon won the battle.

[robertmakins]

Rich people uy klons. Regular working musicians know there are many afordable options out there. In my opinion the Wampler Tumnus is the best Klon clone.

[soulrebelno]

Great video and there's no doubt that the Klon Centaur a great sounding pedal, but in the end all of these gear comparison reviews and the extremely irritating tone debate are simply subjective. Most guitarist in a blind test wouldn't know what they are listening to, and the vast majority of people in a venue certainly wouldn't have a clue, and quite frankly, don't give a damn in my experience. I used to use a valve amps and multi-FXs units but I sold them years ago and bought the rack version of the Kemper Profiling Amp, and I have no regrets whatsoever. I wouldn't go back to my old setup these days, the KPA does every thing I want, and it just gets better and better with every free OS release. I also have profiles that use the Klon Centaur and a Timmy overdrive pedal, but they're not my favourites. There are plenty of other classic overdrives, distortions, fuzz, boost and shaper effects that I prefer, and there are so many ways to alter and shape the tone on a KPA. The amp section is very powerful, then there's the EQ and Cab sections, and that's all without even touching the effects section! That means I can replicate a Klon Centaur pedal tone, even without a specific Klon Centaur profile.


Pedals sound great through a clean amp with plenty of headroom, one of my favourites is a profile of one of Dave Gilmour's Hiwatt Custom 100 head from The Wall tour. Classic VOX and Fenders are ideal and always sound great. Matchless, Two Rock, Ceriatone, Chandler, Cornell, Friedman, Fuchs, Evil Robot and Divided by 13 amps sound good, as well. I've even got profiles of a Dumble Overdrive Special - an amp I could only previously dream about!


There's a reason why Bill Finnegan screen printed the words "kindly remember that the ridiculous hype that offends so many is not of my making", on the front of the KTR. Use your ears and ignore what people say, if you like something then go for it, it doesn't have to be mega expensive to sound good.

[nitemunky]

Short answer is yes, you can replicate them. There are plenty of good examples kicking around, J Rockett, RYRA, etc I've A-Bed a real silver Klon again a Wampler Tumnus and my own hand-made klone and could barely tell the difference, certainly no difference that mattered.

[danedgar]

Ive heard on in person through a very nice and powerfull marshall, it was nice but didnt hold up as well in higher volumes.
I then heard the guy play 3 other boutique pedals that completely left it for dead!
I didnt think it was special at all

[fkhanusa]

i dont know if its my ears or nostalgia but i find a difference in tone between nordvang and centaur which is more roundish and smoother i dont know its just me but the best part was you playing friends theme on these now that i would have never expected LOL good fun and nice review quite honest

[Chrosa]

I like that Led Zeppelin Riff you kept ;)

[washaconte]

At th beginning, to me its feels the nordwang got a different mid, dont know i think the centaur was more scooped, but still close enough. Then i could not tell them apart, just amaizingly close to each other.