When you were just going through each knob, the clear winner for me was the Ikon. It's Germanium Diodes have it that fuller, warmer tone that just sounds so delicious with single coils. Then when you went through the presets trying to showcase specific tone styles, it became obvious that you really need both pedals as some sounded better with the brighter, more harsh silver/silicone version while others sounded better with the weather gold/Germanium version. Excellent comparison!
@@simonconnell7256the very early silver ones with the JRAD logo at the bottom have germanium… but currently the silver have some sort of solid blue silicon diode, I’m not sure of the type. You can find pictures of it with a simple google search though.
I think the Ikon darkens the sound a little too much IMO, I like the clear signal the Silver Archer gives you. Of course whenever someone uses John Mayer as an example it's an immediate NO! but he did Give Jeff Beck as an reference so I will let it go!
Gold warmer, silver brighter, silver goes well with high distortion amp as it cuts through and sizzles and gold eq'd correctly is fat and open. Both are f'ing great, f'it just get both! Update: After playing with both pedals for a week solid if I had to get 1 only, I'd get the silver, works well with single coil and humbuckers and has a little more clarity and richness especially into higher gain amp.
Old video, but I now have a gold and silver Archer, and a Klon Centaur, and a KTR. In person testing side by side is much better than hearing it on YT. However the observations made here by the OP are pretty accurate. Archers, both, are really good pedals, and the closest thing I have heard yet to a Klon. The diff's are, somehow the Klon sound a bit more open and round, a bit more full, a bit more organic. But they would all work great on a board, live or in studio. Darn close pple. I prefer the old Klon, but I'd feel just find about putting either Archer on my board also. They certainly have the flavor, and are very close, to each other and the Klon. At higher outputs and gain levels the silver and gold differ, as noted. But who uses them that way? They're not designed to be high gain pedals. All great, buy according to budget.
The Ikon is a reissue of the original Archer. My Archer original has the same components as the Ikon, which I also have. Popped the bottom off and yup same parts, and if not the same exact p/n, the same values.
The Ikon seems to have more low mids and oomph, I can even feel it through my crappy iPad speaker…sounds closer to an actual Klon I think. Great shootout!
Excellent, excellent shoot-out here. I am thinking of making a second pedalboard and wanted to compare the Silver and Gold - for me, the Silver won out, as I hear great tone and clearer definition, whereas the Gold sounds muddy to my ears. I was gratified, as the Archer I already have is the Silver, so I'm likely getting another.
Excellent video thanks you! Please use different coloring for the letters at the end when you defined the artist whose sound you felt the preset represented because it was hard to read otherwise an excellent video!
I’ve had the Ikon for about a year and a half. For the way I play and the sound that I want it’s the perfect choice for me. Having said that I can see why some people would prefer the silver version. Well done comparison video!
Sounds like the Ikon might work better with single coils while the Silver could work better with humbuckers. The Ikon is fuller and has better low end to fatten up the sound of a clean amp/channel where as the Silver is brighter and would help add clarity and make a dirty amp a bit less muddy. They both sound great and definitely serve their purpose.
![Does The J Rockett 'The Jeff' Archer Sound Like Mick's Klon Centaur? [Or The Regular Archer?]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ufm6rlQ_7kE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Does The J Rockett 'The Jeff' Archer Sound Like Mick's Klon Centaur? [Or The Regular Archer?]](/img/tr.png)
UA-cam should require anyone wanting to post a product review to watch THIS video. Textbook perfection.
When you were just going through each knob, the clear winner for me was the Ikon. It's Germanium Diodes have it that fuller, warmer tone that just sounds so delicious with single coils. Then when you went through the presets trying to showcase specific tone styles, it became obvious that you really need both pedals as some sounded better with the brighter, more harsh silver/silicone version while others sounded better with the weather gold/Germanium version. Excellent comparison!
Both pedals have germanium diodes, just different ones.
@@simonconnell7256the very early silver ones with the JRAD logo at the bottom have germanium… but currently the silver have some sort of solid blue silicon diode, I’m not sure of the type. You can find pictures of it with a simple google search though.
Wow!! This is the absolutely best pedal comparison on UA-cam.👏👏
I really like the cool things going on with the film editing especially the slow-motion to fast-motion shots
Nice thanks. Your comparrison vid is one of the best ones. So many others only play the same power chords over and over.
Thank you so much for the kind words!
This is a perfect comparison video. Thank you so much.
I think the Ikon darkens the sound a little too much IMO, I like the clear signal the Silver Archer gives you. Of course whenever someone uses John Mayer as an example it's an immediate NO! but he did Give Jeff Beck as an reference so I will let it go!
Gold warmer, silver brighter, silver goes well with high distortion amp as it cuts through and sizzles and gold eq'd correctly is fat and open. Both are f'ing great, f'it just get both! Update: After playing with both pedals for a week solid if I had to get 1 only, I'd get the silver, works well with single coil and humbuckers and has a little more clarity and richness especially into higher gain amp.
Agreed, I’ve never tried one but I did I’d want the brightness. if not I’d just roll back the guitar tone knob
Old video, but I now have a gold and silver Archer, and a Klon Centaur, and a KTR. In person testing side by side is much better than hearing it on YT. However the observations made here by the OP are pretty accurate. Archers, both, are really good pedals, and the closest thing I have heard yet to a Klon. The diff's are, somehow the Klon sound a bit more open and round, a bit more full, a bit more organic. But they would all work great on a board, live or in studio. Darn close pple. I prefer the old Klon, but I'd feel just find about putting either Archer on my board also. They certainly have the flavor, and are very close, to each other and the Klon. At higher outputs and gain levels the silver and gold differ, as noted. But who uses them that way? They're not designed to be high gain pedals. All great, buy according to budget.
Great video! Great comparison! Thanks for the updated shootout
The Ikon is a reissue of the original Archer. My Archer original has the same components as the Ikon, which I also have. Popped the bottom off and yup same parts, and if not the same exact p/n, the same values.
I've got the IKON, one of my favorite OD pedals ever.
Great review. Clearly demonstrates the differences and the low midrange boost of the Ikon.
The Ikon seems to have more low mids and oomph, I can even feel it through my crappy iPad speaker…sounds closer to an actual Klon I think. Great shootout!
Excellent, excellent shoot-out here. I am thinking of making a second pedalboard and wanted to compare the Silver and Gold - for me, the Silver won out, as I hear great tone and clearer definition, whereas the Gold sounds muddy to my ears. I was gratified, as the Archer I already have is the Silver, so I'm likely getting another.
I like them both.
Silver. That’s the one I bought. Love it.
Excellent video thanks you! Please use different coloring for the letters at the end when you defined the artist whose sound you felt the preset represented because it was hard to read otherwise an excellent video!
I’ve had the Ikon for about a year and a half. For the way I play and the sound that I want it’s the perfect choice for me. Having said that I can see why some people would prefer the silver version. Well done comparison video!
Loved the intro and subscribed. Great quality video! Although, I still don’t know which is actually my favorite.
I ended up getting the Silver. It’s a great overdrive and boost!
As for the single coil pickup, the Archer Icon definitely produces a good sound.
Ikon for sure
A tube or pickup is microphonic and constantly "ringing" @ between 1030-1040 Hz , a bit flat of the C# above high C#
100% Ikon !!
Sounds like the Ikon might work better with single coils while the Silver could work better with humbuckers. The Ikon is fuller and has better low end to fatten up the sound of a clean amp/channel where as the Silver is brighter and would help add clarity and make a dirty amp a bit less muddy. They both sound great and definitely serve their purpose.
Ikon sounds warmer
Why don't they just put a voicing switch on one so you can have both?
Because the sound change is due to different diodes
I believe that's what the Archer Clean does.