Stacking With Klons (Before, After, etc.) What/Why?

[mikoo69]

The Klon Centaur is by far my most used OD/Boost pedal. I am planning on getting a Gig Rig Autopot to use with it later this year, which will allow me to have various Klon presets/gain stages...i.e. Preset 1, would be a total clean boost (gain all the way off), preset 2 would be gain at about 8:30-9, preset 3 gain 11-1, preset 4, 1-3, preset 5 3-Max (Volume and Tone Knobs set to balance the various gain stages).

In light of that, I'm planning out any other OD/Boost/Compressor pedals to use in conjunction with the Klon and was just wondering what everyone's favorite combinations were; what pedals you use, before or after the Klon and how do you set them/use them?

Anyone else ever use a Klon with the gain on max? How do you like that vs lower gain and stacking with another pedal?

 

[Onemileguy]

My klone's gain and treble is set quite higher than unity, I like how it sounds at higher gain levels. I always stack into an EP circuit (always on at end of my dirt chain), as far as other pedals that I stack with the klone and EP, I have a germanium fuzz face that is first that sounds great, I also will use a BB pre circuit after the klone and before the EP for some really high gain stuff.

 

[mikoo69]

My klone's gain and treble is set quite higher than unity, I like how it sounds at higher gain levels. I always stack into an EP circuit (always on at end of my dirt chain)

What does the EP circuit give you on top of the Klon sound? Interested in this, heard about the Chase Tone Secret Preamp.

 

[Onemileguy]

What does the EP circuit give you on top of the Klon sound? Interested in this, heard about the Chase Tone Secret Preamp.

Fattens the low-middle of the EQ spectrum. I play a PRS custom 22 through a vox, helps warm and fatten the overall tone, and everything just sounds better stacked into the EP. I love the gain and treble the klone adds. My EP was built by Resuggan Audio and has additional/accessible controls for gain and volume as well as some mild EQ control. It's also run at 18v via internal charge pump

 

[Haunting Mids]

I usually prefer it after my OD's, with level and treble slightly above unity and chimey breakup gain. Last in my dirt chain, almost always on.
Then it really depends on the overdrives I use.
With a Lovepedal Kalamazoo, I prefer it post. With my OD11, I prefer it before.
It is always after my Harlow boost/comp, though.

My Klone is a JRAD Archer silver which I really like.

 

[mikoo69]

Anyone use the Klon at max gain? Or do you prefer keeping it at lower gain and stacking a second pedal with it for higher gain?

 

[Smashies]

Re Klon and stacking: put a treble booster before a Klon at low-to-medium gain (Klon gain at 11 o'clock, I'd say) and have fun.

 

[snow and steel]

For use as a tone enhancer, last in chain for dirt [still put your reverbs, delays, etc after it]

for use AS dirt, it can go either way, although I still preferred it last when stacking.

Also works really well as a solo boost, believe it or not.

 

[Clark GriswoId]

For use as a tone enhancer, last in chain for dirt [still put your reverbs, delays, etc after it]

for use AS dirt, it can go either way, although I still preferred it last when stacking.

Also works really well as a solo boost, believe it or not.

So you would put A TS and an OCD before the klone/klon?

 

[guitarslinger21]

Humbucker - >klone - >muff = awesome.

 

[Smashies]

Anyone use the Klon at max gain? Or do you prefer keeping it at lower gain and stacking a second pedal with it for higher gain?

I prefer it either as a boost with the gain dialed almost all the way back, by itself with the gain between 9:00 - 11:00, or in that latter range to stack with other pedals.

The highest I've heard any mainstream player running their klon is Jeff Beck, who has the gain somewhere, IIRC, between 1:00 and 3:00. Not saying he's the only one, of course, just the only one I've heard.

 

[Smashies]

So you would put A TS and an OCD before the klone/klon?

I think this is a call that comes down to personal preference (well...all tonal calls come down to that I suppose). You could ask 100 people the same question on a "choose only one" basis and you'd likely get a 50/50 split verdict. Try both, and see what you like best!

 

[snow and steel]

So you would put A TS and an OCD before the klone/klon?

possibly.... if I was using the TS/ocd as a solo boost - no. If I was using my TS/ocd as dirt - yes.

 

[Smashies]

possibly.... if I was using the TS/ocd as a solo boost - no. If I was using my TS/ocd as dirt - yes.

I agree with this approach. Solo boosts are better after pedals being used for dirt as they do more to boost volume than the other way around, which would bump up gain without bumping volume as much.

 

[mikoo69]

It seems the gain sounds great up till about 3pm, and I can get about 4-5 variations between there. Off completely, 8:30-9pm, 11-12, 1-2, 3. Those 5 give fairly distinct sounds.

My favorite stack yet is a Chandler Germanium Drive into the Klon (which is basically a very versatile treble booster with various voicings and EQ curves). Also really like a compressor with the Klon (both before and after though I'm going to use it after in my rig for very subtle output level control)

 

[Smashies]

It seems the gain sounds great up till about 3pm, and I can get about 4-5 variations between there. Off completely, 8:30-9pm, 11-12, 1-2, 3. Those 5 give fairly distinct sounds.

My favorite stack yet is a Chandler Germanium Drive into the Klon (which is basically a very versatile treble booster with various voicings and EQ curves). Also really like a compressor with the Klon (both before and after though I'm going to use it after in my rig for very subtle output level control)

This guy knows what I'm talkin' about! TB > Klone, FTW.

 

[snow and steel]

A favorite combo of mine is the Barber 1/2 gainer into my klon, and a Timmy as a solo boost.

 

[LordByron]

What does the EP circuit give you on top of the Klon sound? Interested in this, heard about the Chase Tone Secret Preamp.

I use EP Circuits as a tone thickener and warm boost. I have one in the middle of my chain right in front of one of my OD pedals (the Goodsell Overdrive II) which seems to react much better with the EP circuit driving it, and then near the end of the chain, to fatten and slightly warm the overall tone, when it's called for. I don't really use either as an "always on", but I do use them a lot, particularly with single coil guitars. My '62 Tele reissue sometimes is bright to point of harshness and use of one or both of the EP circuits I have helps tame the harshness and gives just a little more lower-mid authority to the tone. I often find that the EP circuits are overkill (for my taste) with humbuckers unless they are on the under-wound side.

The only true "always on" have is the pre-amp on my Korg SDD-3000. It is not an EP circuit, but it is an even more transparent tone thickener than any of the EP-type circuits I have used. It does not warm or cool the sound at all to my ear. It just gives a solid, clean boost and adds a touch of authority to the tone that I have trouble describing, but can definitely hear.

(Full disclosure, the EP circuits I am using are NOT actual EP units. They are EP styled circuits. One is the Xotic EP Boost, which some ballyhoo as not sounding EP-like, but which I think is at least in the ballpark. The other is the "saturation" circuit on the Strymon Deco. Again, not a true EP circuit, but it does bring a very similar tonal quality in my, admittedly limited, experience.)

 

[LordByron]

Fattens the low-middle of the EQ spectrum. I play a PRS custom 22 through a vox, helps warm and fatten the overall tone, and everything just sounds better stacked into the EP. I love the gain and treble the klone adds. My EP was built by Resuggan Audio and has additional/accessible controls for gain and volume as well as some mild EQ control. It's also run at 18v via internal charge pump

Philip makes some great pedals. I've got a BluesBreaker/PrinceofTone>Trebble Booster that he built for me and it is the bee's knees. Super flexible (6 clipping options on the PoT side and 3 frequency ranges on the Treb Boost) and sounds fantastic!

 

[LordByron]

I use my Klone out in the front of my OD chain. I kick it in if I want to drive the other ODs harder or give a little boost to the high mids (unlike a TS which tend to give you a big fat mid-boost). I then to keep the drive around 10:00 and volume around the same, with tone at about 2:00. I will also use it by itself, without any other OD (just my always-on SDD-3000 pre-amp down towards the end of the chain with my other delay and modulation effects).