I think this is exactly why this channel is so successful. The "By Busting the bank" videos are the only ones that are like "Okay, let's see if we can sell things at crazy high prices", but everything else seems completely on the straight and narrow
That's because this kind of videos are useful and informative for any type of costumer. The one who wants to expend few money for the best performance and the one who is willing to spend a lot more for the gear of his/her dreams.
@Parker Kenney - I know. Plus, i love the jams he , Nick, and Addison come up with. Just great vibes over at JHS and here as well. Pete and Lee work well together i think.
If you pay £5000 for a guitar pedal then I GUARANTEE that you WILL hear a difference in sound quality. Just don't expect anyone else to hear what you hear.
@Paul Mina Storm Thank God we have you here to set the record straight. You’re definitely not just adding one more random man’s useless opinion, since you’re “a professional” in my mind Danish Pete now knows less than you and I’ll dismiss the fact he just demonstrated all of these to help players decide for themselves.
Get a magnetic board with some of those number magnets that children use to learn counting so you can easily swap around numbers and keep a visual onscreen.
They used to do that with the guitar blindfold challenge with Chappers I swear. No idea why they stopped as it’s bloody confusing now 😂 feel sorry for the editor of the video
Absolutely accurate! With effects pedals it's all about what your ears hear and your soul feels! The price is an afterthought. That being said I'm not spending $5k on any pedal, period...
Feeling bad from getting rinsed when buying a knock-off substitute in a rushed decision (i.e. foolishness) is a life-lesson, but moping about what you can't afford - when there has never been more options, for much lower cost than ever before in all of history - is just self-defeating. It's not the same across all gear (fancy guitar is still expensive) but true for electronics in general: _Top guitar players in the 1950s thru '90s contracted with 5-figure annual gear budgets would be jealous of what's available to anyone with just a $1,000/yr budget today._
That would probably be infringing upon Bill F's IP. Just like EHX goes after folks who try make direct reference to "Muff" (see Thorpy's forced Muffroom Cloud name change)
oh man... that would have been perfect,,, it surprises me that way huge didn't at least draw a goofy centaur... I personally own the conspiracy theory... but I just don't like the aesthetics... will paint over it... Klonspiracy Theory is brilliant
Josh from JHS mentioned it in his video but with all pedal demonstrations I feel it needs mentioned. There's a 20% tolerance in most potentiometers used for pedals. Some will use 10% but there is still a tolerance to account for. Having the knobs in the same position doesn't necessarily mean that the resistance is at the same reading. You could probably dial all of these pedals to sound nearly the same with some tweaking.
Yeah. This. I’m just amazed how willing guitarists are to form opinions about gear/brands and shell out money... once you actually open up pedals and look at the guts, all the mojo marketing and hype is shown for what it is... The centaur is a great little circuit. The components don’t care who put them together and into what box. But oh well, let’s just debate the dumb minutiae, the “slightly less top end” between two pedals using analog tone controls... yikes.
@@Nabotics - Agree. I know this isn't apples to apples, but i've heard lots of Mexican Fenders that i thought sounded or played "better" than U.S.A. Fenders. Keep in mind the "better" has lots to do with $500 versus $3,500. Plus, on a gig in a club with a full PA and a mosh pit and beer flying everywhere am i gonna have a $2,000 pedal sitting on the board? F*** no. I'm gonna have a $40 pedal that i don't give a shit what happens and the tone quality difference wouldn't be heard anyway.
20% seemed high. I pulled some (mostly 16mm Alpha) pots out and they all measured within a couple percent except for one that was out 15. Small sample size! I'd expect greater discrepancies positionally with pots with a taper (not Klon).
As someone whose first ever pedal purchase was a MXR Sugar Drive. I can say, this video made my choice feel even better. The amount of difference between all 10 of these pedals is so small that any one you want for your board (based on size or aesthetic) is an immensely valid choice
Pete did incredibly well! I was so impressed with his ears getting the real Klon so high relatively without being able to write anything down. Great job man!
The thing with the EHX Soul Food is it sounds great with the gain all the way down and just used as a boost pedal. When you turn up the gain, it gets too thin and brittle. It's all about using each pedal to do what it's best at.
The fact that Pete picked up the slight ground difference after a couple notes on the real one is a testament to the validity of this channel. Highly trained ears rather than just a bunch of clowns like so many other RUclips channels.
The fact that he put the little Tumnus ahead of the Klon undoes that somewhat, though … it’s like George from Seinfeld, when he’s spotting dimes on the floor … lol Sometimes Pete seems dead on to me … then other times, I wonder wtf he is hearing/thinking … lol … but we all have blind spots/perceive things differently, don’t we …
By the way, I believe that what Josh from JHS mentioned is that in the Klon's gain stage the mythical diodes are more at the end of the knob's sweep, so you need to have the gain knob on a Klon turned up past about 70% before you begin to really hear them. When using the Klon as a clean-ish boost as conventional wisdom dictates you would not hear them according to him.
yes! and also wondering how many of these clones use double gang pots for the gain to truly mimic the Klon circuit! that's most likely where that 'Klon Magic' comes in, when you have the gain 70% and above and it's blending the 2 signals from the gain stage (as far as I understand it blends a clean signal and one that passes through the op amp.
I’m willing to bet 99.99% of people can’t tell the difference between germanium and silicon blindfolded. At least, not at a rate that’s statistically significant. I know there are dudes who will swear up and down that they can “totally hear the difference”, but they’re full of it.
@@pfylim ngl i don't think i'm gonna trust someone's judgment on the base element that a transistor is made of if he doesn't know the difference between silicon and silicone lol
This just tells me that if I really want a Klon clone, I should pretty much just pick whichever of these looks the coolest and suits my budget, because they all sound great and are plenty close to the original 😜
Ironically it is Andertons that turned me onto the Tumnus, in a blindfold shoot out from years ago no less, lol. I never even consider removing or selling it, it stays put regardless of guitar, amp, or pedal combinations.
Likewise. Anderson's got me into Klons when they first reviewed the Tumnus. Ended up with a velvet Minotaur but I still reckon the Tumnus is the best Klon you can get, real Klon inclusive.
You guys sold me on the Wampler Tumnus. Got it yesterday! I love the low gain tone. I run a Keeley Compressor with it. Finally dialed-in my "signature tone." Love the video! Informative content!
I'll be honest; I have no idea what a Klon pedal actually is, but already 8 minutes in I think I want one :) I think the Way Huge Conspiracy Theory sounds like every Cream record too, love it.
I am not getting the love pedals get when you purchase just a few and end up costing more than a multi effects pedal that does what they do and more but ends up costing the same or less. Why?
@@generalawareness101 A few reasons: first, MultiFX are digital, whereas many pedals are analog (OD pedals are analog). In addition to digital mimicry not being 100% sorted, digital pedals can also create hum or issues with a power supply. Finally, there's menu diving. Pedals usually have all their parameters adjustable by dedicated knobs, whereas MultiFX require screens and menu diving, which many find frustrating and time consuming. The higher end MultiFX units try to address these concerns, but they tend to be very, very expensive, and they aren't modular like a collection of 10 pedals is.
@@rezrov21 I understand all of that, and disagree with some of it. When 250 quid pedal + 10 others costs more than grand and there is a multi-effects there for the same price I will grab the multi. I am a computer guy though and not all musicians want anything to do with computers (left vs right side of the brain driven individuals) so I get that part. One thing I will give the Analogue pedals is if I only need one it fits in my shirt pocket whereas the Multi-efx takes a backpack to carry.
@@generalawareness101 Usually digital sounds bad when it comes to distortion and overdrive, there's no way around it. Unless you count expensive modeling stuff or good plugins, but the processing power is much higher in those
I just purchased the Tumnus Deluxe last week because of this video. Such a great sounding pedal and you guys are doing a fantastic job for us consumers.
I'll buy my Tumnus from you guys this time. Had to sell mine awhile back and rebuilding my rig. I've had many years of enjoyment from your videos. It's sort of comfort food at this point.
One thing I picked up on immediately, when Pete mentioned the noise thing with the actual Klon, he just simply started playing it more than the others, and pulled tastier licks out for that specific pedal. Just an observation. Cheers!
Haha I fried mine in a blink of an eye accidentally after hooking it to 18v. No second chances, no let offs, just dead. RIP Soul Food and I really loved that pedal. Been toying with getting another but have discovered others along the journey. May still do a “take 2” on the soul food.
@@Daveymallon It should only be the single zener diode which fried. You can either replace the zener diode or clip the legs and remove it and your pedal will work again.
@@alandunn4459 in my naievity I chucked it. I am talking 2015 and back then I didn’t know shit about pedals. You don’t even wanna know what I did with an OG version of the big muff with the Russian tank metal which I also fried in an 18v mix up.😩😩😩🤫🤣Fuck my life.
31:10 "I'm wondering if thats the real one" wow! Even though Pete said many times "I've got no clue" and even though it will likely change before the video is over, his ear did figure out which one was the real Klon. A minute later he moved it up to #1! Way to go Pete!
Watched the video over and over again. There are very subtle differences. In my opinion the highs harshness and the volume hump immediately after playing a note make the difference. And it goes as a matter of taste. The cheaper the pedals, the more audible is the harshness, I would include the Ryra and exclude the Tumnus with them. The volume hump is really present in Centura and Mjolnir (try listening to them again). The real deal is the most balanced, but is it worth the extra money? No! Would someone be disappointed with any of the other? Neither. Try yourselves the ones available in your town and get the one that fits your sound the most.
They all sound good - a little tweak here and there. A good example of how us "tone chasers" hear with our eyes. I believe it's all in the player's hands. Go watch the RUclips video of Eddie Van Halen playing through an iPad - it sounds like pure EVH tone.
Holding all those numbers in your head; playing like a beast; listening critically; making it entertaining AND doing it in another language. Pete is a GOD.
Well, I have a Tumnus, and I am glad that was the choice I made prior to this video. But now I’m even more confident with my purchase. But if I could play as good as Pete, nothing else would matter.
I’ve had the EHX Soul Food since it came out and it’s the one pedal that’s never left my board. I’m sure there are cleaner clones but it’s never been worth the money to me to get anything different.
it's odd.. I used to kind of like the Soul Food (via other YT tests) before, but next to the Bad Horse, it's clearly deserved it's #9 spot.. it's sounded very thin and shrill compared to the rest.. that being said EHX makes some killer pedals and I'm still baffled at how little love the East River Drive gets in comparison to a Tube Screamer..(I have the EHX ERD and would never think of replacing it w a screamer)..
These guys are great. I enjoy their lighthearted approach to serious review “products”. They make it fun whilst giving a detailed examination of the products which for a collector and eternal searcher of great tone, is super useful.. Thanks guys..
good point. i have literally been on the fence about which klone to get for close to 2 years now. and still havnt even bought one!! lol. i was close once to pulling the trigger on the Way Huge.
@@Olegstuff21986 yes, I have many Mosky pedals including the Silver Horse, great basses with Moskys! the SilverMM is great basic strat enhancer...the Crazy Tone gives you thick jazz with a strat neck pup...
the amp/reverb circuit is reacting to the impedance changes from pedal to pedal. so when it sits, its nice and airy, the when switching quickly, it loses the air. this makes the pedal sound thicker... my opinion of what you are hearing. they all sound great!
I just bought the MXR Fat Sugar from Anderton’s this week. I don’t like the mini Sugar Drive as it’s too small, exactly the same circuit though. The Fat Sugar was USA Guitar Centre only so I couldn’t get one anywhere else as cheap. The Way Huge and the Sugar Drive are almost identical! Both Jim Dunlop products.
at this point I feel like we're hearing slight differences in part tolerances more than anything else! A couple pedals do have a little bit of a different spin on the original I think, but ultimately I think it's worth pointing out that when all these really smart designers and builders set about to replicate a sound, they're gonna do a really good job.
more important than part tolerances in any circuit is a) how many liberties and variables in TOPOLOGY have been taken b) how it's built. this makes a lot bigger difference than most people realize, as any DIY-er understands after a while.
If it works well in your rig and you enjoy it thats all that matters, unless your going for a very specific tone, but with variances in component tolerances yours might sound different anyway. Also unless your directly comparing them side by side you probably wouldnt tell the difference between them and even then if you had the winner from here it might not suit your setup.
I got the Soul Food recently and was a little disappointed it didn't sound as Klon-y as I was hoping. However! After playing it a bunch I just fell in love with the sound. So if you want a Klone, don't get the Soul Food, if you want a phenomenal overdrive pedal, DO get the Soul Food!
I felt the same about the Soul Food and then just last week I saw a random video that mentioned the internal switch in the Soul Food to switch from True Bypass to Buffer model. It ships in true bypass and after switching to buffer mode it sounds to my ears a lot nicer and more like a classic Klon - try it out! I love it even more now!
First comment? Yeaaaahh buddy! Hello from central Ohio, USA! I purchased a Soul Food just recently and am loving it. Great video guys! Love your content :)
The Soul Food is a great pedal for the money! We've fallen in love with EHX pedals after these challenge videos and definitely adding some to the video room board.
I've loved the Tumnus for ages so it's nice to see it come out on top, but I also adored the sound of The Klone despite it's lower ranking in this list. When all the sounds are this close it really does just come down to personal preference I suppose.
love this blind tests, but why don't you just get a magent board with some magnet numbers you can move around to show the order of best to worst, maybe write comments next to each - BlindBoard
Great video as usual! I have the Soul Food and the Tumnus (Deluxe), so I have both ends of the spectrum covered! 😂 They definitely sound a bit different. To me, the Tumnus is a little fuller and the Soul Food has more less low end and more mids. I generally use the Tumnus for drive tones and the Soul Food as a clean-ish boost.
The best blind shootout I have ever seen. I got the “jackpot” in 2nd place too. Wanted to switch it around but it was already revealed 😅 1st place was the Way Huge ❤️ Take care
there are 2 things on youtube that get clicks relating to guitars one of them is John Mayer, the other is the Klon Centaur and I happily click every single time
@@andertons Imagine John Mayer blindfold Klon challenge and blindfold custom shop strat vs silversky challenge!!!!!! Come on John, make it happen haha!
This video single-handedly sold me on the Wampler Tumnus. A year later after having it, it's still my favourite pedal in my collection. It's the first overdrive pedal I've ever bought, and it'll likely be the only one I'll ever need
I was at a way huge promo night recently in Guitar Guitar Glasgow, Jeorge Tripps was there promoting new pedals, The conspiracy theory was demoed, I had to buy it the instant I heard. Jeorge was kind enough to sign it for me. Absolutely fantastic pedal. You don't need to spend thousands to get a great klon pedal
The straight shootout between the bad horse and the Klon at the end is mental - tone city really is unbelievable value. Wouldn’t have picked tumnus - I would have gone for the way huge, but so close!
There is so little difference when setting the knobs similarly. One more question is whether they can all be tweaked to sound identical to the real Klon. Thank you guys!!
@@ronbennett3893 Yeah the conspiracy theory is an awesome Klone. I almost bought that one but at the time I wanted something that was as close to the real Klon as possible.
Pete thought it was noisy which took it out of the running. I think it got short shrift. I just ordered one anyway. I favor small builders. And I have the Way Huge to compare it to.
The Tumnus seriously does kick ass, though. Honestly. It's the only pedal I ever bought, sold, immediately regretted selling, and purchased again. It's SUCH a great color to have.
It’s like splitting hairs. I would buy the Way Huge because it’s priced right and looks cool. And the Ryra is the best looking one. So yeah. It comes down to looks.
I've been looking to get myself the "ultimate klon" and just yesterday i watched your Ryra video from a few years ago (there are some great guitar playing in that video) After watching and listening carefully to many videos, i'm down to two choices between Tumnus and Ryra. Now let's see if Anderton's is making my choice easier or even more complicated 😀
@@jeffdubuque5622 Archer germanium and Way Huge really surprised me, even more suprised that the Archer came in after Mjolnir and MXR. Centura sounds amazing however you can buy The Way Huge and The Tumnus together for that price 🙂 Wampler, Way Huge and Archer wins for me 🙂 i might go with the wampler it has more bass and gain
Giving stars to the pedals will make this easier to compare at the end. Your trying to do order and "price" at the same time. IMHO. thanks for this! Fun video.
Great video, friends. I had an Archer but when I got the Centura I preferred it in every way so I don't have the Archer any longer. I was considering the Tumnus in any case because of it's smaller size. Lee has done a nice video here and Pete has done well as well, even detecting the battery without being at very high volume.
The high-end digital units did very well on the previous tests. Because of that it would have been interesting to see the Boss OD-200 included here, with its Klon emulation setting.
I had the Conspiracy Theory in first, Sugar Drive in second, and JRAD in third. I really like these blind test videos! They are hard to follow blindly with all the numbers, so maybe it would be easier if the pedals were ordered with a letter? Pedal A, B, C, etc?
Here's what we want you to do: click like to show you liked the video. We know you haven't watched it yet, but do it now. That way it won't have anything to do with whether you like the content or not. It will just relate to the algorithm and therefore will function as intended. It's a bit like how on an airline flight, they tell you to buckle your seatbelt, walk up and down the aisle to check whether you've buckled your seatbelt, and then and only then after all that, demonstrate how to buckle your seatbelt. We know it's nonsense but we do it every time the same way so . . . yeah. Anyway good show guys! I liked it very much. Not saying when but I did like it.
Honestly, this channel doesn't feel like a music store trying to sell gear via videos but rather a small group of friends sponsored by a music store!
I think this is exactly why this channel is so successful. The "By Busting the bank" videos are the only ones that are like "Okay, let's see if we can sell things at crazy high prices", but everything else seems completely on the straight and narrow
That's because this kind of videos are useful and informative for any type of costumer. The one who wants to expend few money for the best performance and the one who is willing to spend a lot more for the gear of his/her dreams.
Because they probably are...
The OldSchoolGamer - The JHS Pedals channel is the same. Josh hardly features the products he himself manufactures.
@Parker Kenney - I know. Plus, i love the jams he , Nick, and Addison come up with. Just great vibes over at JHS and here as well. Pete and Lee work well together i think.
If you pay £5000 for a guitar pedal then I GUARANTEE that you WILL hear a difference in sound quality.
Just don't expect anyone else to hear what you hear.
Ah yes, the placebo effect lol
Honestly the best way to explain this tbh
@@freetime2freeminds Tinnitus effect for me 🤣
@@robcobi lol 😂
Never a truer statement haha
This just shows how formidable of a pedal builder and tone chaser Brian Wampler is.
@Paul Mina Storm good for you 👍
@Paul Mina Storm "a little too ambitious" mate you're not a professional you're just a pretentious wanker.
@Paul Mina Storm Thank God we have you here to set the record straight. You’re definitely not just adding one more random man’s useless opinion, since you’re “a professional” in my mind Danish Pete now knows less than you and I’ll dismiss the fact he just demonstrated all of these to help players decide for themselves.
@Paul Mina Storm How can a sound coming from a pedal be too ambitious? Like how can you possibly explain what that means?
@Paul Mina Storm wha ...?
Shout out to Lee for never slipping up on these things and saying the name of the pedal rather than the number. I'm impressed over here.
I guess we haven't seen the bloopers. ;)
I wish I could be this easily impressed
@@L.C.Sweeney Impressive...
Get a magnetic board with some of those number magnets that children use to learn counting so you can easily swap around numbers and keep a visual onscreen.
Great idea!!
But the tone man! They will suck the tone!
They used to do that with the guitar blindfold challenge with Chappers I swear. No idea why they stopped as it’s bloody confusing now 😂 feel sorry for the editor of the video
@@WM-sz5mn Correct. For Pete too...
Like the Top Gear lap times board
I love that you do these videos. If anything, it really drives home the fact that you do not need to feel bad about having a $40 pedal.
Absolutely accurate! With effects pedals it's all about what your ears hear and your soul feels! The price is an afterthought. That being said I'm not spending $5k on any pedal, period...
Feeling bad from getting rinsed when buying a knock-off substitute in a rushed decision (i.e. foolishness) is a life-lesson, but moping about what you can't afford - when there has never been more options, for much lower cost than ever before in all of history - is just self-defeating.
It's not the same across all gear (fancy guitar is still expensive) but true for electronics in general:
_Top guitar players in the 1950s thru '90s contracted with 5-figure annual gear budgets would be jealous of what's available to anyone with just a $1,000/yr budget today._
They really missed out on calling it the Klonspiracy Theory, best one of the lot!
That would probably be infringing upon Bill F's IP. Just like EHX goes after folks who try make direct reference to "Muff" (see Thorpy's forced Muffroom Cloud name change)
oh man... that would have been perfect,,, it surprises me that way huge didn't at least draw a goofy centaur... I personally own the conspiracy theory... but I just don't like the aesthetics... will paint over it... Klonspiracy Theory is brilliant
Ur definitely british
Did they miss out? Or.. is THAT the conspiracy theory?
or even Klon-sparency Theory
Josh from JHS mentioned it in his video but with all pedal demonstrations I feel it needs mentioned. There's a 20% tolerance in most potentiometers used for pedals. Some will use 10% but there is still a tolerance to account for. Having the knobs in the same position doesn't necessarily mean that the resistance is at the same reading. You could probably dial all of these pedals to sound nearly the same with some tweaking.
The cheaper components have up to 20%, high end components can get as close to 5%
Yeah. This. I’m just amazed how willing guitarists are to form opinions about gear/brands and shell out money... once you actually open up pedals and look at the guts, all the mojo marketing and hype is shown for what it is... The centaur is a great little circuit. The components don’t care who put them together and into what box. But oh well, let’s just debate the dumb minutiae, the “slightly less top end” between two pedals using analog tone controls... yikes.
@@Nabotics - Agree. I know this isn't apples to apples, but i've heard lots of Mexican Fenders that i thought sounded or played "better" than U.S.A. Fenders. Keep in mind the "better" has lots to do with $500 versus $3,500. Plus, on a gig in a club with a full PA and a mosh pit and beer flying everywhere am i gonna have a $2,000 pedal sitting on the board? F*** no. I'm gonna have a $40 pedal that i don't give a shit what happens and the tone quality difference wouldn't be heard anyway.
20% seemed high. I pulled some (mostly 16mm Alpha) pots out and they all measured within a couple percent except for one that was out 15. Small sample size! I'd expect greater discrepancies positionally with pots with a taper (not Klon).
@@christopherweise438 You could find a great Squier to beat Masterbuilt.
Problem is that would not be consistent for all Squiers and Masterbuilts
Klon is the bitcoin of guitar pedals
Or maybe the GameStop stock of pedals 🤣😂
Biblical
In that case buy Klon now. Were goin to the moon.
absolutely
As someone whose first ever pedal purchase was a MXR Sugar Drive. I can say, this video made my choice feel even better. The amount of difference between all 10 of these pedals is so small that any one you want for your board (based on size or aesthetic) is an immensely valid choice
They all sound great with Pete playing them
That you , Pete?
The Way Huge was actually my favorite. I'm pleased to see it was affordable. Going to get one.
The blindfold challenge with Pete has become my favorite series. We need more of these videos.
Pete did incredibly well! I was so impressed with his ears getting the real Klon so high relatively without being able to write anything down. Great job man!
Haven’t watched the whole thing but I swear if the electro harmonics winds up top they need to sponsor Pete
Lmao😂 just starting the vid rn. I had one a while back but I felt like it always sounded brittle compared to my friend’s archer
Would probably work out better than partnering with mesa and trying to represent the cab-clone 😂
I had one and loved it, sold if for my mythos mjulnir if destroys all the klones imo
🤣😂👍
I have a Soul Food and it’s nowhere near as good as people online make out. This video has convinced me I need to sell it lol
A great prank would be having 9 of the 10 being one just one pedal that you keep turning on and off, and the last one being the real thing.
JHS Bonsai with Rob - that was funny :-)
@@damasterkarej thanks dude I hadn't seen that one! Can't believe they did that to Rob. Laughed all the way
@@damasterkarejthere funniest blindfold test
and honestly the best legit review of a single pedal and what it can do Ive ever seen
That just messes with people and has them questioning themselves. It isn't a prank. It's basically abuse. Pranks are abuse
Me playing with Pete, each pedal, "yup, sounds like a strat." All I got.
The thing with the EHX Soul Food is it sounds great with the gain all the way down and just used as a boost pedal. When you turn up the gain, it gets too thin and brittle. It's all about using each pedal to do what it's best at.
NEVER STOP DOING THESE BLINDFOLD VIDEOS PLS
The fact that Pete picked up the slight ground difference after a couple notes on the real one is a testament to the validity of this channel. Highly trained ears rather than just a bunch of clowns like so many other RUclips channels.
The fact that he put the little Tumnus ahead of the Klon undoes that somewhat, though … it’s like George from Seinfeld, when he’s spotting dimes on the floor … lol
Sometimes Pete seems dead on to me … then other times, I wonder wtf he is hearing/thinking … lol … but we all have blind spots/perceive things differently, don’t we …
Petes right, good Klons have that harmonic feedback thing when you turn the gain up. The ones that don't do that miss out for me.
By the way, I believe that what Josh from JHS mentioned is that in the Klon's gain stage the mythical diodes are more at the end of the knob's sweep, so you need to have the gain knob on a Klon turned up past about 70% before you begin to really hear them. When using the Klon as a clean-ish boost as conventional wisdom dictates you would not hear them according to him.
yes! and also wondering how many of these clones use double gang pots for the gain to truly mimic the Klon circuit! that's most likely where that 'Klon Magic' comes in, when you have the gain 70% and above and it's blending the 2 signals from the gain stage (as far as I understand it blends a clean signal and one that passes through the op amp.
I bought a Tumnus because of reviews like this and I think Brian from Wampler and Josh from JHS are the most fun to watch. Nice shoot-out!
Only problem the Tumnus uses silicone transistors. Way huge has better transistors.
@@pfylim ears > periodic table
I’m willing to bet 99.99% of people can’t tell the difference between germanium and silicon blindfolded. At least, not at a rate that’s statistically significant. I know there are dudes who will swear up and down that they can “totally hear the difference”, but they’re full of it.
@@pfylim
I thought the Way Huge would be the one with the "silicone transistors".
@@pfylim ngl i don't think i'm gonna trust someone's judgment on the base element that a transistor is made of if he doesn't know the difference between silicon and silicone lol
This just tells me that if I really want a Klon clone, I should pretty much just pick whichever of these looks the coolest and suits my budget, because they all sound great and are plenty close to the original 😜
Ironically it is Andertons that turned me onto the Tumnus, in a blindfold shoot out from years ago no less, lol. I never even consider removing or selling it, it stays put regardless of guitar, amp, or pedal combinations.
Indeed
Have one on the way
@@kevinborchers3522 That makes two us
I did the same thing. It was Chappers on that video.
Likewise. Anderson's got me into Klons when they first reviewed the Tumnus. Ended up with a velvet Minotaur but I still reckon the Tumnus is the best Klon you can get, real Klon inclusive.
You guys sold me on the Wampler Tumnus. Got it yesterday! I love the low gain tone. I run a Keeley Compressor with it. Finally dialed-in my "signature tone." Love the video! Informative content!
That was the idea of this video … 😊
I have the full size Tumnus. I love the sound of this pedal.
I have the Tumnus Deluxe and I love the sound. It’s an awesome pedal.
I like the Tumnus & the Rockett Archer against the original. And the MXR sugar box was surprisingly juicy.
How great are these two together?! So much fun, so humble, so absolutely useful in hat they show us. Pete! Pete! Pete!
I'll be honest; I have no idea what a Klon pedal actually is, but already 8 minutes in I think I want one :)
I think the Way Huge Conspiracy Theory sounds like every Cream record too, love it.
The Way Huge was one of my favorites even when the big hitters came in. The real klon showed its worth, though. I agree with Pete's top two.
I am not getting the love pedals get when you purchase just a few and end up costing more than a multi effects pedal that does what they do and more but ends up costing the same or less. Why?
@@generalawareness101 A few reasons: first, MultiFX are digital, whereas many pedals are analog (OD pedals are analog). In addition to digital mimicry not being 100% sorted, digital pedals can also create hum or issues with a power supply. Finally, there's menu diving. Pedals usually have all their parameters adjustable by dedicated knobs, whereas MultiFX require screens and menu diving, which many find frustrating and time consuming.
The higher end MultiFX units try to address these concerns, but they tend to be very, very expensive, and they aren't modular like a collection of 10 pedals is.
@@rezrov21 I understand all of that, and disagree with some of it. When 250 quid pedal + 10 others costs more than grand and there is a multi-effects there for the same price I will grab the multi. I am a computer guy though and not all musicians want anything to do with computers (left vs right side of the brain driven individuals) so I get that part.
One thing I will give the Analogue pedals is if I only need one it fits in my shirt pocket whereas the Multi-efx takes a backpack to carry.
@@generalawareness101 Usually digital sounds bad when it comes to distortion and overdrive, there's no way around it. Unless you count expensive modeling stuff or good plugins, but the processing power is much higher in those
I just purchased the Tumnus Deluxe last week because of this video. Such a great sounding pedal and you guys are doing a fantastic job for us consumers.
I'll buy my Tumnus from you guys this time. Had to sell mine awhile back and rebuilding my rig. I've had many years of enjoyment from your videos. It's sort of comfort food at this point.
I love the screen window of Pete playing while looking at the pedals! Great thinking!
One thing I picked up on immediately, when Pete mentioned the noise thing with the actual Klon, he just simply started playing it more than the others, and pulled tastier licks out for that specific pedal. Just an observation. Cheers!
I thought exactly the same thing. The playing just ramped up a notch.
Yep.
actually just mentioned the same thing. it "inspired" him most.
Wow! Hats off to Pete....I don't think I would have gotten that close! That was some expert level tone challenge skills right there.
Soul Foods are fun to mod. Swap the clipping diodes out for NOS germanium and/or add a bass trim pot.
Haha I fried mine in a blink of an eye accidentally after hooking it to 18v. No second chances, no let offs, just dead. RIP Soul Food and I really loved that pedal. Been toying with getting another but have discovered others along the journey. May still do a “take 2” on the soul food.
@@Daveymallon It should only be the single zener diode which fried. You can either replace the zener diode or clip the legs and remove it and your pedal will work again.
@@alandunn4459 in my naievity I chucked it. I am talking 2015 and back then I didn’t know shit about pedals. You don’t even wanna know what I did with an OG version of the big muff with the Russian tank metal which I also fried in an 18v mix up.😩😩😩🤫🤣Fuck my life.
31:10 "I'm wondering if thats the real one" wow! Even though Pete said many times "I've got no clue" and even though it will likely change before the video is over, his ear did figure out which one was the real Klon. A minute later he moved it up to #1! Way to go Pete!
Great video guys! Thanks so much! The take-home point is we should work on our playing. Pete makes them all sound great!
Psyched to see the Ceriatone Centura there. Great stuff and Nik is awesome :D
The Klon. Where guitar pedals meet the commodities market...
Great video. Well done Pete, Lee and the "resident video backing band".
Watched the video over and over again. There are very subtle differences. In my opinion the highs harshness and the volume hump immediately after playing a note make the difference. And it goes as a matter of taste. The cheaper the pedals, the more audible is the harshness, I would include the Ryra and exclude the Tumnus with them. The volume hump is really present in Centura and Mjolnir (try listening to them again). The real deal is the most balanced, but is it worth the extra money? No! Would someone be disappointed with any of the other? Neither. Try yourselves the ones available in your town and get the one that fits your sound the most.
Really professional editing. Thank you guys! Lately I’ve been interested in adding a Klone to my equipment
They all sound good - a little tweak here and there. A good example of how us "tone chasers" hear with our eyes. I believe it's all in the player's hands. Go watch the RUclips video of Eddie Van Halen playing through an iPad - it sounds like pure EVH tone.
Man, this is almost like the voting procedure of the Eurovision Song Clontest
Holding all those numbers in your head; playing like a beast; listening critically; making it entertaining AND doing it in another language. Pete is a GOD.
Well, I have a Tumnus, and I am glad that was the choice I made prior to this video. But now I’m even more confident with my purchase. But if I could play as good as Pete, nothing else would matter.
I’ve had the EHX Soul Food since it came out and it’s the one pedal that’s never left my board. I’m sure there are cleaner clones but it’s never been worth the money to me to get anything different.
it's odd.. I used to kind of like the Soul Food (via other YT tests) before, but next to the Bad Horse, it's clearly deserved it's #9 spot.. it's sounded very thin and shrill compared to the rest.. that being said EHX makes some killer pedals and I'm still baffled at how little love the East River Drive gets in comparison to a Tube Screamer..(I have the EHX ERD and would never think of replacing it w a screamer)..
I have a J.H.S modded one and the way they're going up in price I might retire it.
Saw a band live with a terrific guitar sound with a semi acústic, he was using a SF
The Soul Food is even better with mods.
I’ve had the mini Tumnus for a short time and I have been very satisfied with it! This video reassured my purchase
These guys are great. I enjoy their lighthearted approach to serious review “products”. They make it fun whilst giving a detailed examination of the products which for a collector and eternal searcher of great tone, is super useful.. Thanks guys..
Moral of the story:
Pick one. Buy it. Get on with your life, and quit sniffing corks!
good point. i have literally been on the fence about which klone to get for close to 2 years now. and still havnt even bought one!! lol. i was close once to pulling the trigger on the Way Huge.
YES!
I rather prefer corks, since any of them will do the trick.
@@allstopblue5717 Just get the Golden Horse, it's like 30 bucks :). And it sounds good.
@@Olegstuff21986 yes, I have many Mosky pedals including the Silver Horse, great basses with Moskys! the SilverMM is great basic strat enhancer...the Crazy Tone gives you thick jazz with a strat neck pup...
the amp/reverb circuit is reacting to the impedance changes from pedal to pedal. so when it sits, its nice and airy, the when switching quickly, it loses the air. this makes the pedal sound thicker... my opinion of what you are hearing. they all sound great!
Really good series... Bluesbreaker type pedals next!
We will stick that one in the bank. Keep the suggestions coming in!
@@andertons Yes, bluesbreakers. And may I also suggest Delay type pedals? From old expensive to new and boutique.
@@andertons MXR Phase 90 clones please
@@andertons Snouse blackbox2 needs to be in for that! 😁
@@andertons Fuzz in general, and then maybe a sub category of fuzzes with that velcro rip/gated effect like the Cuvave and the EHX just released.
I just bought the MXR Fat Sugar from Anderton’s this week. I don’t like the mini Sugar Drive as it’s too small, exactly the same circuit though.
The Fat Sugar was USA Guitar Centre only so I couldn’t get one anywhere else as cheap. The Way Huge and the Sugar Drive are almost identical! Both Jim Dunlop products.
This would be even more fun if you included a modeled version like a hx effects
yes indeed
Good idea
Or the Boss OD-200
Digital drive always = less fun
The 25 seconds of Klon vs Tone City at 47:46 was sublime!.......... That said, I'll take a Tumnus :)
Have you guys ever considered using A through Z for the pedals and numbers for the ranking? LOL :) Awesome shootout!
One can never go wrong with a Soul Food ... it's just great!
Great tone pedal for the price. Mine's a tad noisey.
Tried it. Sold it.
@@walterbarkhuysen-tacke548 So did I! Really kind of harsh/annoying upper midrange. Replaced it with the Ryra which I love.
At least you borrowed it and didn't do a Tyler Larson😅
We never mentioned giving it back... 😉
@@andertons 😂😂
Chris Buck too....
at this point I feel like we're hearing slight differences in part tolerances more than anything else! A couple pedals do have a little bit of a different spin on the original I think, but ultimately I think it's worth pointing out that when all these really smart designers and builders set about to replicate a sound, they're gonna do a really good job.
more important than part tolerances in any circuit is
a) how many liberties and variables in TOPOLOGY have been taken
b) how it's built. this makes a lot bigger difference than most people realize, as any DIY-er understands after a while.
Pretty happy with my RYRA! :D
If it works well in your rig and you enjoy it thats all that matters, unless your going for a very specific tone, but with variances in component tolerances yours might sound different anyway.
Also unless your directly comparing them side by side you probably wouldnt tell the difference between them and even then if you had the winner from here it might not suit your setup.
Same here.... love mine!
RYRA is the bomb!
I thought it was one of the best sounding ones of the bunch, looking into one now lol
I looked at ALL of the Klone comparisons and for me this had the most pleasing sound. You won't be disappointed. : D
I actually liked the Ryra a lot. It has a smooth throaty tone to it.
I got the Soul Food recently and was a little disappointed it didn't sound as Klon-y as I was hoping. However! After playing it a bunch I just fell in love with the sound. So if you want a Klone, don't get the Soul Food, if you want a phenomenal overdrive pedal, DO get the Soul Food!
I felt the same about the Soul Food and then just last week I saw a random video that mentioned the internal switch in the Soul Food to switch from True Bypass to Buffer model. It ships in true bypass and after switching to buffer mode it sounds to my ears a lot nicer and more like a classic Klon - try it out! I love it even more now!
@@Tony-qx7yn wow I never knew about that! I'll have to try.
Shoutout to the editor (still Rory?) does a brilliant job. Only 2 mins in to this video but thought he deserved a mention.
First comment? Yeaaaahh buddy! Hello from central Ohio, USA!
I purchased a Soul Food just recently and am loving it. Great video guys! Love your content :)
The Soul Food is a great pedal for the money! We've fallen in love with EHX pedals after these challenge videos and definitely adding some to the video room board.
I've loved the Tumnus for ages so it's nice to see it come out on top, but I also adored the sound of The Klone despite it's lower ranking in this list. When all the sounds are this close it really does just come down to personal preference I suppose.
love this blind tests, but why don't you just get a magent board with some magnet numbers you can move around to show the order of best to worst, maybe write comments next to each - BlindBoard
Great video as usual! I have the Soul Food and the Tumnus (Deluxe), so I have both ends of the spectrum covered! 😂 They definitely sound a bit different. To me, the Tumnus is a little fuller and the Soul Food has more less low end and more mids. I generally use the Tumnus for drive tones and the Soul Food as a clean-ish boost.
I'm liking these blindfold challenges alot
The best blind shootout I have ever seen. I got the “jackpot” in 2nd place too. Wanted to switch it around but it was already revealed 😅 1st place was the Way Huge ❤️ Take care
Hey, i've got the Tumnus. Well pleased lol!
I guess the good (or bad) thing: If you can't make a sweet guitar sound with that pedal, then you have no excuses left? Is that mean to say?
@@GEfromNJ Yes, some might find that mean...I don't though, I don't give a shit.
@@GEfromNJ -It's not mean. It's a brute fact.
EXCELLENT demonstration ! One of the the BEST demo's I have ever seen or heard. VERY informative !!! BRAVO GUYS ! GREAT JOB HERE !
there are 2 things on youtube that get clicks relating to guitars one of them is John Mayer, the other is the Klon Centaur and I happily click every single time
Imagine if we had both in one video...
@@andertons don't do that, don't give me hope
@@andertons Imagine John Mayer blindfold Klon challenge and blindfold custom shop strat vs silversky challenge!!!!!! Come on John, make it happen haha!
How about a blindfold challenge with John Mayer playing next to 9 other guitarists.
@@mechmat12345 haha I like your style!!!
This video single-handedly sold me on the Wampler Tumnus. A year later after having it, it's still my favourite pedal in my collection. It's the first overdrive pedal I've ever bought, and it'll likely be the only one I'll ever need
Been waiting for this for a while as I was told weeks ago wohoooo
The day has finally come... Let's see if Pete can find the REAL Klon!
So funny to see how nervous and quiet the Captain gets when Pete gets to the Centaur. Pete says move it to #1 and the Captain is like “moving on!”
I was at a way huge promo night recently in Guitar Guitar Glasgow, Jeorge Tripps was there promoting new pedals, The conspiracy theory was demoed, I had to buy it the instant I heard. Jeorge was kind enough to sign it for me. Absolutely fantastic pedal. You don't need to spend thousands to get a great klon pedal
The straight shootout between the bad horse and the Klon at the end is mental - tone city really is unbelievable value. Wouldn’t have picked tumnus - I would have gone for the way huge, but so close!
There is so little difference when setting the knobs similarly. One more question is whether they can all be tweaked to sound identical to the real Klon. Thank you guys!!
Just ordered the Wampler Tumnus Deluxe. Same day delivery thanks to Amazon. Can't wait to try it out. Tough call over the Way Huge...
With all these pedals so close now, it's amazing that OG Klons still keep going up in price.
Here in Canada, even the KTRs are pushing a grand.
People will pay any amount for bragging rights. See: diamond jewelry
I have a Tumnus Deluxe and love it. The EQ really sets it apart. Great for single coils.
I hope Andertons can make a pedal that will make the buyer play as good as Pete...
I would buy it.
Thanks for making these videos because I know you guys put a ton of work into them ! It's fun to hear all the pedals directly compared to each other.
That freaking jam Pete had when he first played the real Klon… the fact that it inspired him to play like that should have been a dead giveaway 😂😂😂
Pete’s noodling rarely gets old and this is by far the most entertaining pedal show out there
RYRA sounded the closest to me so I went with that one. Part for part as close as you can get to the real Klon and made in USA. Really happy with it.
That.. I like the Rimrock MO. Another for me was the Way Huge.
@@ronbennett3893 Yeah the conspiracy theory is an awesome Klone. I almost bought that one but at the time I wanted something that was as close to the real Klon as possible.
Pete thought it was noisy which took it out of the running. I think it got short shrift. I just ordered one anyway. I favor small builders. And I have the Way Huge to compare it to.
@@BopKitBill My RYRA is dead quiet I wouldn’t worry, the guy who makes them uses quality components. Hope you enjoy it.
The Tumnus seriously does kick ass, though. Honestly. It's the only pedal I ever bought, sold, immediately regretted selling, and purchased again. It's SUCH a great color to have.
It’s like splitting hairs. I would buy the Way Huge because it’s priced right and looks cool. And the Ryra is the best looking one. So yeah. It comes down to looks.
if u pick your women like that then u in for a whole lot of heartbreak
Just bought a RYRA after watching this video. It was the one that appealed to me the most. Couldn't be happier.
Same, and the real one. I'm surprised he chose the tumnus as #1
I've been looking to get myself the "ultimate klon" and just yesterday i watched your Ryra video from a few years ago (there are some great guitar playing in that video) After watching and listening carefully to many videos, i'm down to two choices between Tumnus and Ryra. Now let's see if Anderton's is making my choice easier or even more complicated 😀
imo and many others the centura the closest the real deal.
@@jeffdubuque5622 Archer germanium and Way Huge really surprised me, even more suprised that the Archer came in after Mjolnir and MXR. Centura sounds amazing however you can buy The Way Huge and The Tumnus together for that price 🙂 Wampler, Way Huge and Archer wins for me 🙂 i might go with the wampler it has more bass and gain
@@jeffdubuque5622 morning
I went through the same thing and wound up with a RYRA and I’m happy.
Giving stars to the pedals will make this easier to compare at the end. Your trying to do order and "price" at the same time. IMHO. thanks for this! Fun video.
Great video, friends. I had an Archer but when I got the Centura I preferred it in every way so I don't have the Archer any longer. I was considering the Tumnus in any case because of it's smaller size. Lee has done a nice video here and Pete has done well as well, even detecting the battery without being at very high volume.
I just got my Sugar Drive 3 days ago and it's always on!
As with all these comparison videos, they all sound fine. It's not gonna sound anything but mighty fine when Pete is playing!
The Conspiracy Theory sounds so freaking good man. Might be because I love Way Huge but it’s a sick pedal.
The high-end digital units did very well on the previous tests. Because of that it would have been interesting to see the Boss OD-200 included here, with its Klon emulation setting.
The soul food isn’t as defined as some of the others but the value makes it a winner in my book.
I love that gold Strat! Thanks for the killer demo, it helped me to make a decision on a new overdrive pedal
I had the Conspiracy Theory in first, Sugar Drive in second, and JRAD in third. I really like these blind test videos! They are hard to follow blindly with all the numbers, so maybe it would be easier if the pedals were ordered with a letter? Pedal A, B, C, etc?
Here's what we want you to do: click like to show you liked the video. We know you haven't watched it yet, but do it now. That way it won't have anything to do with whether you like the content or not. It will just relate to the algorithm and therefore will function as intended. It's a bit like how on an airline flight, they tell you to buckle your seatbelt, walk up and down the aisle to check whether you've buckled your seatbelt, and then and only then after all that, demonstrate how to buckle your seatbelt. We know it's nonsense but we do it every time the same way so . . . yeah. Anyway good show guys! I liked it very much. Not saying when but I did like it.
Congratulations to Brian Wampler. My Tumnus Deluxe is on the way