For all those lusting for a Klon...they're baaacck

OddManOut

Inspired
I don't particularly care one way or the other since I've never had the opportunity to play through a Klon Centaur but over the years of being a denizen of this forum, I've seen a metric shit-ton of posts waxing poetic about the Klon Centaur. Now it appears that the original builder is getting back into the market and selling them again. Here's the link: https://www.guitarplayer.com/gear/the-klon-centaur-is-on-sale-once-again
Enjoy!
 
From the article:

The starting bid for the first of his new run was $100, but some 27 bids later, Centaur #3888 sold for an even $2,026
 
I think the phrase is "Rippin the ass out of it" ... I wouldn't pay 2K for an actual real Centaur which is proper 'mythical' ... and a bit dangerous when trying to house train I expect
 
Wow.
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He’s putting them out there and letting the market set the price, and the market is apparently good. Maybe the old ones will get cheaper. Lol... no, they won’t. Crazy stuff.
 
Pure genius! I really would not pay more than $300 for something like this, but props for the guy who created this hype. I bet he could sell donuts at that price too.
 
If something I made and sold for a few hundred bucks was selling for thousands on the used market, with many a seller having bought one cheaper and then selling for a huge windfall, I know I’d surely offer some new ones to get a bit of that market.

It essentially cuts out the middleman, who is selling for high prices and keeping all the profit.

With a new supply it may drive down prices a bit, and the money goes to the builder, not a flipper, so I view it as a good around thing for both end users and builder

Just sucks for those who like to flip pedals for profit as a business, but can’t say I really care too much if those folks can’t flip for the same profit

That all said, I think there are plenty of great alternatives from Ceratone, Wampler, Rimrock etc for $200 or less so I can’t see paying so much more for what is essentially a brand name
 
I've owned literally thousands of pedals... more as a collector than ever using them

I had a real gold one... along with every clone out there.

It really lived up to the hype...it's not a distortion or overdrive it just does so much and everything, and sounds great and nothing else sounds like it.

(EHX Soul Food and JHS Soul Food sound good, they're good sounding pedals not at all Klon related to me)

I sold it for $2600, I couldn't really justify keeping a pedal that valuable just to use.

My other biggest regret was I had a mint 1967 Clyde McCoy Wah, I sold it for $1250- because I couldn't justify keeping and using a $1000 wah pedal that just using it would eventually destroy it. It sounded like nothing else I've ever heard.

Nothing comes close- any 'clyde' copy or fulltone or anything- not even ballpark.

However, a guy in his garage puts a few parts together and sells it for $2000 he's stupid not to- idk why he waited this long- it might drive down the value in the long run but he probably shouldn't care.
 
I think the phrase is "Rippin the ass out of it" ... I wouldn't pay 2K for an actual real Centaur which is proper 'mythical' ... and a bit dangerous when trying to house train I expect

Pure genius! I really would not pay more than $300 for something like this, but props for the guy who created this hype. I bet he could sell donuts at that price too.

I wouldn't even pay €100 for it. The Klon circuit has been thoroughly traced. There's nothing magical about warranting that price for $25 in parts. The enclosure alone is probably most of the cost. The only thing magical about it is the diodes. Some special pair of magic unobtainium diodes that Finnegan claimed he cornered the world supply of. Without them they won't sound like a real Klon. So, basically $2500 for a pair of magical diodes. A 1N34A germanium diode variant. Buildyourownclone measured them and says the Russian made D9E germanium diode will get you in the exact ballpark for a few bucks.

Klon kits so you can build your own are a dime a dozen. Basically EVERY PCB seller sells Klon PCB's. Aion sells good kits at his site. https://aionelectronics.com/project/refractor-klon-centaur-ktr-kit/ Buildyourownclone even has an improved dual channel version. https://buildyourownclone.com/collections/overdrive/products/silver-pony-2

I reckon the only people crazy enough to lay down $2500 for a handbuilt Finnegan Klon has just got to be the TGP crowd. They come from a silly place after all.
 
New business model: make the f-ing Magical Diodes AND the pedals. Trickle the diodes out, diversify them across a series of Holy Grail pedals, targeted to various disposable-income-day-job musician player segments, and pushed out at 1,000+% profit to eBay resellers who can make 500% profit.

Everyone wins: the cork sniffers get bragging rights, supply and demand are highly controlled, the sellers win, and the Diode/Pedal maker retires in 10 years or less. I'd sign up for that.
 
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