Klon, they just ride the hype

[tedmich]

apparently all the components are optional, save the 2 shown here!

[Mick Bailey]

Kindly remember:
The ridiculous hype paved the way for me to ask $850 for this pedal.
Buy two and get a lemon free - yourself.

[Mark Hammer]

The circuit blends two signal paths as the gain is increased, at the same time as adjusting the degree of clipping, AND providing some filtering of the two paths. Bill didn't purposely, or knowingly, set it out that way, but that's how it works. While many things can be compensated for, the forward voltage (and, by extension, amplitude ceiling) of the clipped path is a fixed function. So the optimal level balance between the clipped and clean paths, as gain is adjusted, depends somewhat on the forward voltage of those diodes, which in turn depends on them being germanium. There could conceivably be internal trimmers to achieve the needed compensation, but this would likely be beyond the knowledge and capability of most end-users. Bill is not that much of an engineer, so the simplest thing for him to do is use diodes with known properties, probably buying up as many as he can find and hand-selecting for the optimal Vf, so as to achieve consistency in the final product.

[Helmholtz]

I once (thoroughly) tested an original Klon Centaur for some days.
Wasn't impressed. Liked my trusted TS-9 better and returned the Klon.
I have quite a collection of overdrive pedals and tested many more.

Over here the Klon KTR is sold for 499 €. Still ridiculous.