Which Klone to Buy?

[MarkF786]

I previously had a Klon and though I liked it, I wasn't blown away by it (I think primarily because I wasn't using it for its best purpose, playing at loud volumes). I ultimately sold the pedal because it wasn't worth keeping due to it's market value.

Lately I've thought of buying an cheaper clone (unless Klon quickly releases their new model). The options seem to be:

Tone Monk Phoenix @ $259 - I like the looks of this one the best and they seem to have a good rep. I'd like to try their SOL pedal too, but that's another story.

Soulsonic Illuminated OD @ $200 - This one looks interesting because of the mod, making the pedal more flexible.

Stigtronics Tone Vitamin @ $189 - This one is definitely a great bargain but I haven't found many reviews.

Dan Zink Minotaur @ $199 - I haven't been able to find much info on this one. The enclosure looks nice.

JHS Klone @ $255 - They seem to be well reviewed but appear somewhat generic.

Ham_Fist Fancy Lad @ $210 shipped - I don't know know many solid details on these yet.

I'm leaning mostly towards the Phoenix, with the Tone Vitamin and Illuminated OD as runners up.

Has anyone had the opportunity to compare any of these pedals? Or if you own only one, how would you rate it?

Thanks for the feedback!

Mark

 

[XS Chop]

Been thinking along the same lines myself. Was amlost ready to give the soulsonic a try but the Paypal button seems to be gone across his whole site along with the prices. I believe that was $199 last I checked.

 

[lando014]

JHS Klone

 

[DJ_61]

I have never owned a klon. I have a Tone Monk Phoenix and absolutely love it.

 

[Bobby D]

Way Huge Pork Loin will get you very close to KLON territory for not much $$$....so will Maxon OD820.....and you will be buying an original, not a klone

 

[jamiefbolton]

You can build one for less that $100. Madbean.

 

[MarkF786]

Thanks for the tip on building one. I had seen the Madbean board last night in my research. I've built a fair number of pedals over the years, first starting back in late 80s with Craig Anderton's old book (and when Radio Shack still carried a decent selection of components), and more recently with building several kits. The one area where I'm lacking in skills though is the enclosure; part of it is because until recently I was living in a small townhouse and didn't have a place to do painting work properly, so all my pedals are just bare aluminum.

When I take into account the time of sourcing the parts, soldering all the components, and then finishing the enclosure, it sometimes seems more economical to buy a pedal. Though on the other hand, when looking at the build process as a hobby, then there's the "fun" value.

Mark

 

[MarkF786]

I confirmed and updated the price on the Soulsonic Illuminated OD; at $200, it's definitely seems like a great value considering the versatility. The Tone Monk still interests me though due to the mojo/hype.

I was at the last Philly Guitar Show and Tone Monk was there. I was really hoping to check out their stuff, but the booth was kinda busy each time I stopped by. I think they're definitely an up-and-coming builder.

 

[MBT74]

I have the JHS. Never played a real Klon, but the JHS is a good pedal.

 

[Frank1959]

Soulsonic, switchable on/off buffer and three stages of clipping make it more versatile than any of the others

 

[fritferret]

Way Huge Pork Loin will get you very close to KLON territory for not much $$$....so will Maxon OD820.....and you will be buying an original, not a klone

bobby d speaks the truth! and if more people discovered this, the pork loin would be FAR more popular. it's a great od pedal, too, but using it the same way you would a klon it REALLY shines...so much so that i prefer it to a klon.

anyway, if you must have one of the pedals you listed, the stigtronics tone vitamin is the most klon of the bunch.

 

[XS Chop]

Soulsonic, switchable on/off buffer and three stages of clipping make it more versatile than any of the others

The buffer is switchable? I hadn't heard that, it's one of the things that has delayed my decision. I've heard that the buffer is an integral part of it's sound but seems most people also keep it as a boost at the end of the line of dirt pedals, an odd place to have a buffer I thought. Is the switch internal? This has probably clinched it for me, may order one tonight.

Edit: Never mind the question about the buffer, just saw that he added it to the description on his site.

 

[tibbon]

Why? Just wait a few months for the new one to come out which will be built far better than any of these. Paying up to $350 for a clone of a pedal that was never that much new seems just silly.

 

[MarkF786]

Why? Just wait a few months for the new one to come out which will be built far better than any of these. Paying up to $350 for a clone of a pedal that was never that much new seems just silly.

I would agree with you except for a couple of things:
- Who knows when the new one will come out; people have been speculating for a year or more. If there was public information that the pedal would definitely be available in the next X days, I might wait.
- I thought the list price of the Klon was previously around $350 while the "Klones" are around $200-$250, so they are still cheaper.

 

[ckalinec]

If your any handy with a soldering iron you could build a Madbean Klon for under $100

 

[curmudgeon]

I have the Dan Zink klone, good stuff. And yes, the box is pretty sweet.

 

[ruby7829]

The Tone Vitamin is unbelievable. That being said, haven't compared it to an actual Klon or any other Klone. I just know for what a Klon is supposed to do, the Stigtronics was stellar. At stage volume, notes just jumped out. So alive and full of presence.

 

[Ham_fist]

HamFist Fancy Lad @ $350 - I don't know if these are still available, the price is high, and the enclosure looked very DIY.


Mark

HOLY $&#%!!!! They were $350?!?!

I never knew that! I got screwed!!!

Also, the enclosure was the same powder-coated 125B from www.PedalPartsPlus.com that just about every "real" company uses. I've got 4 more of these to get done, get paid for (not $350...) and shipped out. They should be completed sometime in 2010.

Anyway, Stigtronics. He's faster than humanly possible, knows more about electronics than anyone I've ever met, and one of the nicest people you'll ever encounter.

 

[MarkF786]

HOLY $&#%!!!! They were $350?!?!

I never knew that! I got screwed!!!

Also, the enclosure was the same powder-coated 125B from www.PedalPartsPlus.com that just about every "real" company uses. I've got 4 more of these to get done, get paid for (not $350...) and shipped out. They should be completed sometime in 2010.

Anyway, Stigtronics. He's faster than humanly possible, knows more about electronics than anyone I've ever met, and one of the nicest people you'll ever encounter.

Sorry bro, that was the price I saw mentioned in another post so that's what I was going on. I'll update my post if you let me know the actual price

 

[chillytc]

I've got the Stigtronics Tone Vitamin and I love it. I have 4 guitars and 4 amps with different pickups and power tubes and in every combination it works great at creating a bigger sound that cuts through. It's a "works every time" box for me. Have never compared to a real Klon or another clone, though.