Danalectro Cool Cat Transparent Overdrive = Klon Clone?

[sevenisthenumber]

Has anyone heard that this is a Klon clone? I grabbed one and was blown away (as I was with the vibe) and then a friend told me that Dano took it from the Klon. It is gold! ha! 
It has an incredible range of tone, and drive. Im really impressed with these new dano's. I may re house this for some mods like i did the vive!!
Let me know if anyone has heard or can confirm this or if you know what circuit it is.
Thanks.

[DWBH]

Hummm... I don't think it is.
I remember reading somewhere that despite that 'gold color' connection between both pedals, they aren't the same design.
But hey!, if they are, I'm getting one!!

[earthtonesaudio]

It has an incredible range of tone, and drive.

Based on that alone, it's not a Klon.  The Klon is supposed to be a great clean boost, and a moderately good overdrive with the drive at "10" but pretty "blah" in between.  A two-trick pony... er, Centaur.

[sevenisthenumber]

check this out.

http://cgi.ebay.com/KLON-Centaur-Copy-No-box_W0QQitemZ330298716820QQihZ014QQcategoryZ41416QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[theehman]

check this out.

http://cgi.ebay.com/KLON-Centaur-Copy-No-box_W0QQitemZ330298716820QQihZ014QQcategoryZ41416QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

For that price I'd expect a better footswitch.

[DougH]

Has anyone heard that this is a Klon clone?

I wondered the same thing when they first came out, given the gold color and the way they are marketed. The clips I've heard so far sound fairly bright. Unfortunately they don't have one at our local Sam Ash so I can't try it out. Would love to hear some good clips if you have 'em.

[wampcat1]

you should be able to tell very quickly if it's even remotely similar to the klon by opening it up. Schematic can be found via google.

[DougH]

Given the bass/treble control I doubt it's that similar. Still wonder about the intention of the marketing though. As in, what are they trying to imply it sounds like?

EDIT: Here's a clip I found via HC reviews- http://www.tindeck.com/audio/fileshack/l/lujs-Teaser%20TransOD%20Clip.mp3

Supposedly there are no guitar or pedal knob twists, it's all done with pick pressure and changing pickups. Sounds pretty nice to me.

[MikeH]

Check the voltages on the ICs; if it's a klon klone there should be +18v as well as -9v on the Vcc and Vee pins of one of the ICs.

[Ben N]

I've never played a Klon (or a Klone), but that clip doesn't sound like the Klon clips I have heard. This sounds much flatter, eq-wise. It actually sounds a bit like the clips of the LTD at the Barber website, or like a BD-2 with one of the boutique mods to reduce excess treble and fill the sound out a bit. It sounds really good to me.

[DougH]

I agree, it doesn't sound like what I "expect" a Klon to sound like (based on descriptions and youtube clips, where it has a pronounced mid boost). It does sound nice though and I've never been a big fan of "light" overdrives but I think I'm starting to get it. Esp if they have dynamics like this appears to have.

[Mark Hammer]

IF, and I repeat...IF, this pedal is intended to be a Klon clone, be advised that the entire purpose of the Klon is to push an amp at the edge of breakup over that edge in a predetermined way.  It is NOT intended to be used in low-volume applications and is not intended to provide a distortion sound on its own, the way that most folks here are familiar with.  So, even IF it was uncomfortably close - as a circuit - to the "real thing", the real thing ends up having no real sound of its own, but rather is essentially reliant on the sound of the amp itself.  As such, you'd really need to have samples from a bunch of amps, with and without Klon boost to have some sense of what it does.

Now, is it almost inevitable that someone somewhere would say "You know, that's a pretty good concept.  We oughta try whipping up something that aims for the same territory."?  I think so.  When I whipped up "The Crank" (which I know is NOT the same as the Klon), I was aiming for something like that too: just a bit of additional lower harmonic content and trimming back of the upper treble to make for a nicer-sounding breakup when the amp is boosted.  But there are lots of ways you can do that, and I would imagine that some would work better for amp X than amp Y....just because.  In the case of the Klon, it does so in a more complex and nuanced way than something like my pitiful dual op-amp booster ever could hope to.  In between highly-complex-and-nuanced and bonehead simple, there is plenty of terrain for mining.

Just as an addendum, Bill Finnegan usually engages in VERY long conversations with folks interested in buying a Klon from him, and even discourages people from buying it if he feels that it is a poor match to their playing circumstance.  Unfortunately, because of his production techniques (hand-soldered through-hole), he does not crank them out like sausages, and folks who want one right away tend to find them on e-bay (usually at inflated prices because that's what people are willing to pay when they want something right away).  Of course, when purchased in that way, some people buy it who probably shouldn't, many people use it in ways it shouldn't be used, and because of that they can feel hard done by and disappointed, especially if they have paid $400-600 for something used that normally sells for much less when bought from the maker himself.  As a result, even though Bill takes great pains to consult with professional customers, big name musicians, and such, in order to make the product as good as it can be and deliver up the kind of tones we all crave, (and it has been through some fine tuning here and there over the years in response to feedback from the higher-end customers), you will find a lot of extremely grumpy reviews on-line from people who did not buy directly from Bill and simply did not know what they were getting into or how to use it.  It is a very specific tool for a very specific use, and should not be confused with a fuzzbox or overdrive that you can easily plug into a soundcard and get a nice distortion from, bing-bada-boom.  And, while i am in no position to confirm it, it is entirely possible that the Transparent Overdive has a similar intent.

[reverbie]

Two facts:

1) Klon doesn't list the price of their Centaur on their website and makes a note that they are hard to reach

2) Exclusion as a manipulation tool is an axiom of human psychology.

....

Salesman (well aware of the hype surrounding his product): "I apologize but after careful thoughtful consideration, this sought after product just isn't for you".

Buyer (feeling rejected, denied, and excluded): "Whatever it takes, I WANT that product!..Please make an exception for me"

Salesman (empowered and in somewhat inaccesible tone): "Email me, and I'll get back to you...when I can"

Anyone want to pick apart the psychology behind this one???

[Mark Hammer]

What I say is the product of some 8-10hrs of conversation with Bill Finnegan last year.  I may not agree with his business strategy, but I understand it, and respect him for the way in which he has stood up for it.  He has one product, that was arrived at meticulously and empirically, with more trial and error than most folks here would care to imagine.  He is devoted to it, and will not yield to other fabrication methods, like shipping stuff off to China for wave soldering.  He would love to be able to produce more of them, but there are only so many hours in the day and days in the week, and he makes every single pedal himself with good quality parts and a strong desire to adhere to a standard of quality and reliability.  He is well-aware that perhaps by having a more beefed up web-site, he could probably forego some of the dozens of hours he spends on the phone each week with prospective customers, (much of it re-explaining what has been mis-conveyed in "reviews" by disgruntled or confused buyers of used Klons) and actually build more pedals to satisfy the demand....but then updating the website to his satisfaction also takes time away from building pedals and keeping up with demand.  It's the usual tug of war that happens when a one-man business becomes too successful but not necessarily successful enough to support salaried employees.

While he may understand the way in which limited production has boxed him in, created myths, and created this challenge of disgruntled 2nd-hand buyers, I can say with confidence that there is little I found in speaking with him that would suggest he was exploiting the situation as reverbie suggests.  I'm certainly not slagging reverbie, since I'd be the first to agree that the circumstances look absolutely ripe for the sort of manipulation he suggests.  In this case, though, that's all they are: ripe...but unplucked.  Having said that, Bill is also aware that limited supply makes his limited product line NOT get taken for granted, by a market whose attention can be easily captured by $20 FAB pedals, or distracted by amps that try to possibly build in what he attempts to do with a pedal.  So, he's not milking it, but he also doesn't mind it, and doesn't feel quite enough pressure yet to change his business strategy.

And that's all I'm going to say on the matter.  Now, back to the Danelectro pedal...already in progress.

[The Tone God]

Two facts:

1) Klon doesn't list the price of their Centaur on their website and makes a note that they are hard to reach

2) Exclusion as a manipulation tool is an axiom of human psychology.

While I understand the place from which such a theory would come from it does not make sense here. Such a tactic only works to increase the demand for a product so surplus supply is reduced or demand surpasses supply causing a price increase. I do not think there is a surplus of supply as it seems there is a waiting list so its not that. AFAIK the price has not changed either. In the face of this there seems to be no reason for such a strategy to be employed. Sorry but this theory has no legs.

Now lets not have this turn into some silly bash-fest. Its not helpful to anyone here.

Andrew

[DougH]

You mean I can't use a Klon to do death-metal with the practice amp that came with my guitar starter pack? Then what good is it?

The more I read about the Dano pedal, the less I believe it's any kind of Klone attempt. I'd guess there may be some intended association with the gold color and "transparent" hyperbole to place the idea in your mind that this is better than the avg overdrive, more of an upper-crust product, whatever... Getting back to the Dano pedal (and away from the Klon, which I could honestly care less about) it seems like the emphasis is on dynamics, which is a cool idea IMO. At least from what I've heard in the clips and read in the hyperbole, it seems like its main appeal is it doesn't EQ the signal strongly and it has a wide threshold that allows you to control clipping transistions dynamically. Neat...

[Caferacernoc]

I agree, it doesn't sound like what I "expect" a Klon to sound like (based on descriptions and youtube clips, where it has a pronounced mid boost). It does sound nice though and I've never been a big fan of "light" overdrives but I think I'm starting to get it. Esp if they have dynamics like this appears to have.

I think light, dynamic overdrives are useful when you play gigs at different places, with different volume needs. But your sound is based on a non master volume tube amp at a certain setting. You occasionally get in a situation where a 18 watt Marshall on 8 is being frowned on and you have to turn down a bit. The lightest, tonally transparent, and most dynamic overdrive you can find is your best bet at this point.

[Mark Hammer]

...and that's one of the things that accounts for the vast spectrum of boosters/overdrives.  How much of your "grit" do you want to come from the amp, and how much do you want to come from the pedal, when you turn up?

[DougH]

I think light, dynamic overdrives are useful when you play gigs at different places, with different volume needs. But your sound is based on a non master volume tube amp at a certain setting. You occasionally get in a situation where a 18 watt Marshall on 8 is being frowned on and you have to turn down a bit. The lightest, tonally transparent, and most dynamic overdrive you can find is your best bet at this point.

Good point. With my 10W and less low power amps, if I need "edge of breakup" where it only clips if you hit the strings hard, I can just turn it up a little, no worries. But if my only amp was a twin reverb, that would be an issue...

I'm starting to see that at least part of the reason for the seemingly endless variety of drive pedals is due to covering different applications and contexts, moreso than the actual sounds they produce.

[reverbie]

google "baja sagittarian"