# If you want a Klon KTR...



## KoskineN (Apr 19, 2007)

Now it's the time!

Klon KTR Overdrive | Axe... And You Shall Receive

(not affiliated in any way...)


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

I got pretty excited when I saw the price -------- and then I saw the "Switch to CDN" button.


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## KoskineN (Apr 19, 2007)

High/Deaf said:


> I got pretty excited when I saw the price -------- and then I saw the "Switch to CDN" button.


Same here 

(but bought one anyways)


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## DaddyDog (Apr 21, 2017)

Actually that page is a few months or more old. Hope they're still in stock. I picked one up too just to see what the fuss was about. Wow what an eye opener! Here's my experience:

As a lead player who had the role thrust upon me, my method of cutting through the mix was to switch to the bridge pickup, and hit a boost. But I found there's no need to do either with the Klon KTR. The mid range focus takes care of cutting through the mix. The volume knob takes care of whatever boost you want. It has become a terrific new tool in my toolkit of sound. Can't imagine giving it up.


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

I think it’s that the page usually says out of stock and it doesn’t currently say that.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

Refractor (125B) - Klon Centaur PCB - Aion Electronics

I have built this and it is great. Beats my bud's Soul Food easily.

They also have a full kit (all parts, painted enclosure) for US$84: Refractor Full Kit - Based on the Klon Centaur - Aion Electronics


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## Morkolo (Dec 9, 2010)

KoskineN said:


> Same here
> 
> (but bought one anyways)


Same here, ended up getting dinged $32.85 for "shipping" on the return that never shipped in the first place....

Call me crazy but with all the colorful shit on the sides of the page a small icon with change to CAD isn't that noticeable. My mistake for not noticing it obviously, first and last I guess.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

The owner of axeandyoushallreceive.com is a member here at GC. Just can't remember his name. He used to post here more frequently.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

Scott.

https://guitarscanada.com/index.php?threads/boutique-and-used-gear-dealer-guitars-amps-effects.956/


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Does anyone know how close these come to the originals? I'm thinking if they get even 3/4 of the way there why would anyone spend 2k or more on one of the originals? That much money could buy a really nice amp.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Well according to this review I guess they found the KTR and original Centaur were identical in tone. The KTR being much more pedal board friendly and offering true by pass makes it more useable for gigging. 

Legendary Tones - Klon Centaur vs. Klon KTR


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## sh333 (Apr 6, 2006)

Chito said:


> The owner of axeandyoushallreceive.com is a member here at GC. Just can't remember his name. He used to post here more frequently.


Indeed, i did get to post here a bit more often but then my children got old enough to start playing rep. basketball and that has chewed up my "fun" time a bit for the last few years. Thanmks for remembering me


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## sh333 (Apr 6, 2006)

guitarman2 said:


> Well according to this review I guess they found the KTR and original Centaur were identical in tone. The KTR being much more pedal board friendly and offering true by pass makes it more useable for gigging.
> 
> Legendary Tones - Klon Centaur vs. Klon KTR


Bill is likely the best judge of the tone and if any one knows Bill, there is no chance he would release anything that was not perfect to his ears. The only real difference ot my ears is that you can turn the Treble control up a little higher on the KTR than the Centaur (say 10-15% more). It actually makes the pedal a bit more versatile for my own uses since you can put it in front of a non-master marshall and completely obliterate the input with a bit more treble laden boost.


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## sh333 (Apr 6, 2006)

RBlakeney said:


> I think it’s that the page usually says out of stock and it doesn’t currently say that.


We are back out of stock on them for now, but should have another bunch within the next month of so with any luck. Quite a few other dealers across Canada may still have stock, so hit me up if any one is needing one in a hurry. I can likely put you in touch with whomever still has stock.


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## Tresise (Apr 26, 2021)

Anyone watch the Klon Bill Finnegan update on YT last night? Only thing it left me wondering was where would we actually get one of these new Klon KTR's up here in Canada? Anyone know? It looks like Axeandyoushall receive no longer have Klon listed as a brand they sell... I definitely want one someday but I wont be paying inflated Reverb prices for one.. any idea where to look?


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

I can't believe the price of the KTR on Reverb. I should've kept the second one I had. LOL


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## Tresise (Apr 26, 2021)

Chito said:


> I can't believe the price of the KTR on Reverb. I should've kept the second one I had. LOL


Hindsight is 20/20 as they say.. Complete insanity though, I was thinking that people could put whatever price they want on it but I doubt anyone would actually pay that.. then a couple weeks ago I saw a KTR popup on Calgary Kijiji for $800 and the ad was gone in hours, I guess that could be considered a good deal somehow lol


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

The link says I have no permission to access the page. There is no Klon or KTR anywhere on the site that I could find.


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

player99 said:


> The link says I have no permission to access the page. There is no Klon or KTR anywhere on the site that I could find.


It's a 3 year old thread/link.


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

Chito said:


> I can't believe the price of the KTR on Reverb. I should've kept the second one I had. LOL


In general, or did you check it out today?


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

Tresise said:


> Hindsight is 20/20 as they say.. Complete insanity though, I was thinking that people could put whatever price they want on it but I doubt anyone would actually pay that.. then a couple weeks ago I saw a KTR popup on Calgary Kijiji for $800 and the ad was gone in hours, I guess that could be considered a good deal somehow lol


One got listed on here for $850 a couple weeks ago and was gone in hours.


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## numb41 (Jul 13, 2009)




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## spacebard (Aug 1, 2009)

I've watched the Klon Bill Finnegan update on YT yesterday. There was 20 klon Ktr on reverb yesterday and now there is 15. All of them are now more than 1000$. I still have mine and it still brand new lol. Now people will say "klon ktr version 2 don't sound as good as the first version" just like they did with the centaur


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

He should just crank out a few thousand more and make some money for himself, again.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

He's going to have to scrub that dumb saying off the KTR.


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## numb41 (Jul 13, 2009)

sulphur said:


> He's going to have to scrub that dumb saying off the KTR.


Right? That grates on my nerves


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

What a joke. I have 3 klones and I am well over my klone phase.


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

Bill Finnegan announces future Klon KTRs to be made with new components after NOS diode supply diminishes


The remaining NOS diodes, which have been used in every Klon pedal since the beginning of production, will be used solely for the creation of future Centaur pedals




www.google.com





Looks like he is doing more...


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

tomee2 said:


> Bill Finnegan announces future Klon KTRs to be made with new components after NOS diode supply diminishes
> 
> 
> The remaining NOS diodes, which have been used in every Klon pedal since the beginning of production, will be used solely for the creation of future Centaur pedals
> ...


But without the NOS diodes.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

zztomato said:


> But without the NOS diodes.


Bill has indicated that he tweaked a few things to make the units with the "new" diodes sound the same as those with the original diodes. He made a 3-way signal switcher and put up a Youtube video comparing units with "old" and "new" diodes. I only listen through the tiny (and tinny) speakers on my computer monitor, so I can't offer any opinion.

Personally, I'm not one of those who hear special qualities of these or those diodes. They have a forward voltage, and show changes in conduction dependent on current, and that's it. All of that can be compensated for by adjusting gain and signal current. For me, it's a bit like salt. A recipe will state a particular amount of salt in order to achieve a given flavour. If you use the stated amount of salt, but cut all the other ingredients in half, the result will taste "salty". But it's because of the mismatch between quantity of salt and what is needed for THAT recipe, not because of the _qualitative_ aspects of the salt.

Yes, they have different turn-on characteristics, but those occur at the sorts of speeds that have nothing to do with rock and roll. Such differences are really only pertinent to high-frequency switching in communication circuits. If you can hear the difference between a 100 nanosecond and 80 nanosecond turn-on time, that's wonderful, but it has nothing to do with rock guitar that has an 8khz bandwidth on a good day with the wind at your back. Keep in mind that diodes were not created for guitar effects.


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

mhammer said:


> Bill has indicated that he tweaked a few things to make the units with the "new" diodes sound the same as those with the original diodes. He made a 3-way signal switcher and put up a Youtube video comparing units with "old" and "new" diodes. I only listen through the tiny (and tinny) speakers on my computer monitor, so I can't offer any opinion.
> 
> Personally, I'm not one of those who hear special qualities of these or those diodes. They have a forward voltage, and show changes in conduction dependent on current, and that's it. All of that can be compensated for by adjusting gain and signal current. For me, it's a bit like salt. A recipe will state a particular amount of salt in order to achieve a given flavour. If you use the stated amount of salt, but cut all the other ingredients in half, the result will taste "salty". But it's because of the mismatch between quantity of salt and what is needed for THAT recipe, not because of the _qualitative_ aspects of the salt.
> 
> Yes, they have different turn-on characteristics, but those occur at the sorts of speeds that have nothing to do with rock and roll. Such differences are really only pertinent to high-frequency switching in communication circuits. If you can hear the difference between a 100 nanosecond and 80 nanosecond turn-on time, that's wonderful, but it has nothing to do with rock guitar that has an 8khz bandwidth on a good day with the wind at your back. Keep in mind that diodes were not created for guitar effects.


Yup. Honestly though, there are so many options out there that I like better.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

zztomato said:


> Yup. Honestly though, there are so many options out there that I like better.


Agreed. I tip my hat to Bill for kickstarting the idea of a pedal that shapes the the boosted tone in a way intended to get best amp breakup. It was a great contribution in the history of pedals and deserving of respect. But as well-made a product as it was and is, it's not unique in pursuing that goal anymore. "Best" is a matter of personal taste, playing style, and what makes your amp smile.


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## David Graves (Apr 5, 2017)

Weren't the KTR's made for him by JRAD? And from what I recall (And I may be wrong here) Isn't an Archer Ikon closer to the original Centaur in terms of diodes and circuit than an actual KTR?
I do find it funny that people are trying to force the idea that KTR's are somehow more valuable than anything else by jacking the prices up. It's like trying to get 59 Les Paul prices for a 59 reissue.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Bill is, for want of a better word, picky. So I doubt he's arranging for someone else to crank out fully assembled KTRs in the thousands. Of course, at this time in pedal history, and indeed manufacturing history, "made" is a term that requires qualification. He's clearly using Hammond enclosures rather than sandcasting the original style of Klon boxes, and hopefuly he's not wasting his time silk-screening the disclaimer on the top of the box. To the best of my knowledge, he's not using surface-mount anything (although more and more components are no longer available in thru-hole form, only surface-mount) so that likely implies he's making them himself rather than outsourcing wave-soldering (although who makes their own PCBs these days, when high-quality silkscreened boards can be ordered inexpensively?). And if he's assembling them himself, then that results in backlogs, wait times, and ultimately inflated resale prices for those lacking patience.


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## David Graves (Apr 5, 2017)

He does farm the building of them out. He's not sitting there himself with a soldering iron. The people who make the JRAD pedals built the first 1400. It seems to be a mystery after that though.lol
So hopefully folks enjoy their $1200 JRAD pedal.lol


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## Sunny1433 (Nov 23, 2018)

I've had my KTR for like 4 years. I absolutely love it and use it as an always on (brings some of the initial attack back that gets lost since I don't use a pic). 

However, the hype around klons is banaaaaaanas.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Between ivermectin, housing prices, conspiracy theories, and pedal hype, the internet has not been our best ally.

Once upon a time, you could flip through a copy of _Guitar Player_ or _Guitar World_ at the newsstand (just try finding one of those, now), read a review of a pedal (until someone angrily declared "This isn't a library! If you wanna read it, buy it."), maybe try one out in a music store (when they arrived 4 months later), and if you liked it, pay MSRP or less.

Now, a builder will send out pedals for review to a dozen infuencers, ask them not to post anything until such and such a date, and at the appointed time, we become inundated with demo videos praising the product, creating the sort of hype that makes us feel like our lives would be a waste without it; all before it ever shows up in stores or gets reviewed in a magazine.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

mhammer said:


> Between ivermectin, housing prices, conspiracy theories, and pedal hype, the internet has not been our best ally.
> 
> Once upon a time, you could flip through a copy of _Guitar Player_ or _Guitar World_ at the newsstand (just try finding one of those, now), read a review of a pedal (until someone angrily declared "This isn't a library! If you wanna read it, buy it."), maybe try one out in a music store (when they arrived 4 months later), and if you liked it, pay MSRP or less.
> 
> Now, a builder will send out pedals for review to a dozen infuencers, ask them not to post anything until such and such a date, and at the appointed time, we become inundated with demo videos praising the product, creating the sort of hype that makes us feel like our lives would be a waste without it; all before it ever shows up in stores or gets reviewed in a magazine.


The Rattler pedal is one of those. Suddenly I think I need one.


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

mhammer said:


> Between ivermectin, housing prices, conspiracy theories, and pedal hype, the internet has not been our best ally.
> 
> Once upon a time, you could flip through a copy of _Guitar Player_ or _Guitar World_ at the newsstand (just try finding one of those, now), read a review of a pedal (until someone angrily declared "This isn't a library! If you wanna read it, buy it."), maybe try one out in a music store (when they arrived 4 months later), and if you liked it, pay MSRP or less.
> 
> Now, a builder will send out pedals for review to a dozen infuencers, ask them not to post anything until such and such a date, and at the appointed time, we become inundated with demo videos praising the product, creating the sort of hype that makes us feel like our lives would be a waste without it; all before it ever shows up in stores or gets reviewed in a magazine.


It's almost part of a daily ritual now with my wife....complaining how the internet has made so many things worse not better. Our boys response is "ok boomer", which we're not, but so much anxiety comes from FOMO etc. and we've been dealing with it a lot especially with our kids constantly bombarded with unattainable images of 'the good life' 

As for the KTR, I thought it was surface mount stuff? Hence it was quick and cheaper to build.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

tomee2 said:


> As for the KTR, I thought it was surface mount stuff? Hence it was quick and cheaper to build.


I just finished writing a post where I doubted you, based on my conversations with Bill, but thought I'd do an image search just for the hell of it, and damn if you weren't right. I had to delete my note before posting. Note that the diodes are thru-hole.

As for the prices, it would seem that a lot of people are inspired by Martin Shkreli


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

mhammer said:


> I just finished writing a post where I doubted you, based on my conversations with Bill, but thought I'd do an image search just for the hell of it, and damn if you weren't right. I had to delete my note before posting. Note that the diodes are thru-hole.
> 
> As for the prices, it would seem that a lot of people are inspired by Martin Shkreli


I think I saw an article, maybe guitar player?, or a YouTube video showing the insides...and possibly quoting Bill on why it was.


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