Excellent satire on the universal OCD of most guitarists. That said, I COULD tell a difference even with 62 year old ears. The Archer is tighter and the Klon is - sho' nuff - better at that mystical, elusive old school vibe. Although I AM facing north on a Saturday in Roswell. Well done.
I really hate to say it but the Klon does have a certain magic to its tone. I could definitely hear the difference on my speakers every time, although there's no way I'd ever pay that much for a pedal.
I was thinking during the last TPS vid (Tomatotone) that they need to blindfold test it against the original pedals, they should definitely include smell & feel tests 😂
The SG tones just rock! Sounds so much like Grissom. Now I know why he uses a Klon from time to time. But the base tone was fantastic - even better than the tones in the actual amp test itself. Makes me think the Victory might be a good amp choice in my future.
This is over four years old now but the Klon always has a less filtered-down high end and sounds open and sweet at every setting. The Archer seems to use filtering to tame the harshness of the diode overdrive. I suspect that the so-called magic diodes that Finnegan uses don't require filtering because maybe they have a naturally truncated high end to them so they can be run wide-open in a sense. The Klon always sounded more open to me and the Archer always sounded somewhat blanketed. Isolated like this, I definitely prefer the Klon. In a band situation, I can't imagine it being an audible difference, with cymbals, snare drums and vocals going.
They are very close and no one could tell the diference in a live situation but in this A/B setting there seems to be a difference in the attack, when the note is first palyed. The klon seems punchier and a little fuller. Would be satisfied with either.
ere is a fact, No two Klons sound completely alike, I have heard more then a dozen of them and I have seen like 4 of them in a side by side comparisons. while tones may be similar feels actually varied a lot, so I always go back to my belief, get your tone even if it's a mental thing where your telling yourself you have to have the Klon. Just be honest with yourself about your tone. While this seems like a spoof
In all of the comparisons I preferred the no pedal references. Very helpful because I finally realized I'm not an overdrive person. I liked the EP best, but I think I'll just stick with my Sugar Drive turned down as a subtle boost. Thanks guys!
The Archer was close enough that I would have it over the real thing, but Klon based pedals aren't my thing. As soon as I put away my Tele and plug in something with humbuckers, the heavy low mids of the Klon voicing mucks up the tone. It literally sounds like a half cocked wah at times. It does have nice smoothing effect on single coils though. Makes a nice clean boost or low gainer to push the dry signal or the amp overdrive.
I really think you could further exaggerate this with cheaper equivalents such as the EHX Soul Food. There are probably slight differences across the gain pots broadly, but ultimately these guys achieve equatable sounds and feels. Great video guys!
The Coriolis effect may be impacting the guitar pick depending on what hemisphere your in 🌎 . Probably should put a 17.5 degree azimuth on the pick if your in the Western Hemisphere. 🤷🏼♂️
I closed my eyes on all these tests to hear unbiased what I felt was best and i thought the archer sounded best to me. $180 compared to 2 grand. Not bad
They are quite different. I could hear the difference/pick it, every time, though the last round was certainly challenging ... for want of another/a better phrase, the Klon is more transparent ... the Archer can sound noisy/fizzy by comparison ... the Klon is just so clear/transparent, by comparison ... without any reference, the Archer would sound just as good, especially at a pub/gig etc ...
I was all set to buy the long lusted for Klon, and did extensive research. My conclusion was to buy both the gold and silver archers. The close proximity to the original just didn’t warrant the $2-3k price difference. 98%there for a few hundred dollars compared to 100% for a few thousand was a no brained for me. When you think of all the other variable associated with your tone......
Even if $$ is no object, I would go for the Archer. To me the Archer sounds more natural and balanced and a little bit warmer and sweeter compared to the Klon.
I nailed it - not tooting my own horn. Just that the Klon had a darker muddier tone. The Archer sparkled. (That being said I had to listen to this video with Beyer-Dynamic studio headphones on to hear ANY difference. Nearly identical.
But back to the pedal test, it's obviously quite subtle, especially on the high gain tones, but the Klon seems to sound a little darker and fuller. Cork sniffing though.
i dunno if it's because i got a lemon.. but my search for a klon clone has been going on for the last 4-5 years now i[ve bought-sold at least a dozen pedals..and the Rockett to me was the worse.. i was not able to get a good comfortable tone out of this.. maybe it's because of the variations of electronic components... i got a chinese that was pretty good..i have a keeley oxblood that i use for my telecaste but the one i have chosen as the final outcome is the Stewmac ghost drive kit.. perfection.. my search is over now..
Except for two, I closed my eyes and picked the Klon each time - the Archer lacks the initial pick attack response. The two that I didn't get were 1) the first (since the result popped onto the screen before I decided to participate in the blind AB), and 2) the last - perhaps because the bypass sound was inherently spongey, the difference was far less noticeable to me. I couldn't pick the difference based on the mids response - or I wasn't listening as closely for that. Not going to buy either anycase ;)
Interesting video ! But it's quite easy to recognize the smoother Klon vs the brighter Archer. Easier is to recognize the smoother sound of the switch 😜
I've just bought an Archer - the Klon sounds better here though, sightly more gnarly upper mids and a touch of transparency - I expect the Archer will be fine in about 20 years time! Am I the only one who thought the real Klon sounded more 'transistor' and the Archer more 'valve'?
Yeah, in that context, but who is the one using the pedal? You are. Outside of the stage, you're the only one who can tell the difference (Hopefully). Aren't you trying to improve yourself and your sound? You're the judge of your sound.
Always subjective & always a trade off. One can be armed with, in his belief system, the best gear he can afford, & still have people who don't like his sound. I submit the difference as demonstrated here is so subtle that most "players" can not tell in a live situation what they're listening to. And the humble fact is this: we can all be fooled, & we have been, whether we know it or not. If someone thinks the Arher can't sound like the Klon, then he's already defeated in his mind & in his approach to playing, & he won't be happy & he won't be confident; he'll doubt everything he hears thinking he's less than because it's less than. He's depending too much on his gear & not his ability to deliver.
I'm surprised (And a bit dissapointed) at how obviously different they are. In my Genelecs they sound completelly different, the mids are way pokier in the Klon...
close but no cigar. if you want a REALLY close and even harder test, try the Rimrock Effects Mythical Overdrive vs Klon video. The SMD construction of the Archer is a compromise where the through-hole clones stand a better chance against the real deal, I'd say. I would pick the Archer over the KTR Klon, though.
Chris van tassel Well you're wrong. The electrolytic capacitors in the Rockett are all clearly surface mount, as well as all the resistors. That puts a lot of SMD in the direct audio path. You got some bad information somewhere, it's just not correct.
monkey dangus Hello, I probably misunderstand you, but do you mean that there are some SMD components in the Archer ? (I am french so I probably misunderstand you ^^).
I own the Archer and it changes the sound too much. I play a strat and it's like a shift to a P90 sound instead of a single-coil. The Klon is more transparent. You can still hear the original sound.
Bitchin' Hilarious 😁 Best Comparison video on these two pedals. I however feel that placing these two pedals against one another is really comparing "Apples to Oranges". I own a J Rockett "Archer" and all I can say is- "Thank you J Rockett for this great pedal and giving me the opportunity to have a little of this awesome sound". My "Archer" paired with my "JTM45" is very impressive. (I know a strange combination to pair a tube with a solid but honestly, it works).
Oh my god it’s funny to see the guys in their pre ‘That Pedal Show’ days.
before Dan started dying his beard & waxing his knuckles
The guitar strap blind fold is killer.
Excellent satire on the universal OCD of most guitarists. That said, I COULD tell a difference even with 62 year old ears. The Archer is tighter and the Klon is - sho' nuff - better at that mystical, elusive old school vibe. Although I AM facing north on a Saturday in Roswell. Well done.
Clean, booster: Klon
Overdrive: Archer
Mick's strat sounds amazing...I'd put it up there with Mayer's "Black One" for best sounding strats
I really hate to say it but the Klon does have a certain magic to its tone. I could definitely hear the difference on my speakers every time, although there's no way I'd ever pay that much for a pedal.
I came here from the episode of That Pedal Show on 9/4/20.
I was thinking during the last TPS vid (Tomatotone) that they need to blindfold test it against the original pedals, they should definitely include smell & feel tests 😂
man..the tele and the sg sound even (specially) without the pedals sounded absolutely brilliant..great amp!
Absolutely awesome sounding amp! I would like to know of the settings for this video!
Archer doesn't have the low-mid squish and sag. Not the same charm. But damn great sounding rig/guitars even without the pedals.
Best video production of a pedal demo ever! Must have been fun making this.
Klon, $2000.00
Archer, $179.00
Happy that I could afford a sound nearly as good (sometimes better than) as the rich mans pedal. :-)
I actually prefer the archers tone
2022
Klon $5000
Archer $199
The SG tones just rock! Sounds so much like Grissom. Now I know why he uses a Klon from time to time. But the base tone was fantastic - even better than the tones in the actual amp test itself. Makes me think the Victory might be a good amp choice in my future.
This is over four years old now but the Klon always has a less filtered-down high end and sounds open and sweet at every setting. The Archer seems to use filtering to tame the harshness of the diode overdrive. I suspect that the so-called magic diodes that Finnegan uses don't require filtering because maybe they have a naturally truncated high end to them so they can be run wide-open in a sense. The Klon always sounded more open to me and the Archer always sounded somewhat blanketed. Isolated like this, I definitely prefer the Klon. In a band situation, I can't imagine it being an audible difference, with cymbals, snare drums and vocals going.
Hahahaha well done boys. Movember brothers from around the world showing some love for the Klon
Amazing guys. Accent is spot on, sounds are great. I just picked up an archer and I'm sure I'll be glad I did.
They are very close and no one could tell the diference in a live situation but in this A/B setting there seems to be a difference in the attack, when the note is first palyed. The klon seems punchier and a little fuller. Would be satisfied with either.
Love how the scores progress. A little bit exactly like somewhat different from the results I expected. But we get hard water too.
That might be the best video I have ever seen
ere is a fact, No two Klons sound completely alike, I have heard more then a dozen of them and I have seen like 4 of them in a side by side comparisons. while tones may be similar feels actually varied a lot, so I always go back to my belief, get your tone even if it's a mental thing where your telling yourself you have to have the Klon. Just be honest with yourself about your tone. While this seems like a spoof
the black shit the aliens crap on top so you cant copy them makes them different.
A bit more growl on Klon Centaur.
Smoother on J Rockett
Archer seems clearer in the details possibly from cleaning up quicker, where the Klon imparts some nice breakup between the notes.
In all of the comparisons I preferred the no pedal references. Very helpful because I finally realized I'm not an overdrive person. I liked the EP best, but I think I'll just stick with my Sugar Drive turned down as a subtle boost. Thanks guys!
Ahhhh Mick Taylor. Still got it mate.
Shit he looks good compared to Keith and mick and ronnie
I just found one of the Archers in stock and I am waiting for it to ship. Im so excited!
The Archer was close enough that I would have it over the real thing, but Klon based pedals aren't my thing. As soon as I put away my Tele and plug in something with humbuckers, the heavy low mids of the Klon voicing mucks up the tone. It literally sounds like a half cocked wah at times. It does have nice smoothing effect on single coils though. Makes a nice clean boost or low gainer to push the dry signal or the amp overdrive.
I really think you could further exaggerate this with cheaper equivalents such as the EHX Soul Food. There are probably slight differences across the gain pots broadly, but ultimately these guys achieve equatable sounds and feels. Great video guys!
The Coriolis effect may be impacting the guitar pick depending on what hemisphere your in 🌎 .
Probably should put a 17.5 degree azimuth on the pick if your in the Western Hemisphere. 🤷🏼♂️
I closed my eyes on all these tests to hear unbiased what I felt was best and i thought the archer sounded best to me. $180 compared to 2 grand. Not bad
Yes, That Pedal Game Show please!
Greatest video on youtube, no doubt..
I love the patch cables used
They are quite different. I could hear the difference/pick it, every time, though the last round was certainly challenging ... for want of another/a better phrase, the Klon is more transparent ... the Archer can sound noisy/fizzy by comparison ... the Klon is just so clear/transparent, by comparison ... without any reference, the Archer would sound just as good, especially at a pub/gig etc ...
I actually laughed out lout in the middle of a lecture when Dan came on screen wearing his glasses over the blindfold!
Superb, gents. Very professional.
Is the Amp the Victory V40?! Regardless of the pedals and how they were set up - this amp just sounds amaaaaazing! WOW!
I would love to see the actual settings of this amp!
My favorite sound of the entire video was the no pedal ref at 5:17
The SG without a pedal is killer at 6:40 too :)
I was all set to buy the long lusted for Klon, and did extensive research. My conclusion was to buy both the gold and silver archers. The close proximity to the original just didn’t warrant the $2-3k price difference. 98%there for a few hundred dollars compared to 100% for a few thousand was a no brained for me. When you think of all the other variable associated with your tone......
Even if $$ is no object, I would go for the Archer. To me the Archer sounds more natural and balanced and a little bit warmer and sweeter compared to the Klon.
I nailed it - not tooting my own horn. Just that the Klon had a darker muddier tone. The Archer sparkled. (That being said I had to listen to this video with Beyer-Dynamic studio headphones on to hear ANY difference. Nearly identical.
Amazing, Tick Maylor talks just like me! ;-)
Watching this has caused me to have retinal floaters.
But back to the pedal test, it's obviously quite subtle, especially on the high gain tones, but the Klon seems to sound a little darker and fuller. Cork sniffing though.
production one word, BRILLIANT!! :)
these pedals basically don't do anything, yet everyone likes it
i dunno if it's because i got a lemon.. but my search for a klon clone has been going on for the last 4-5 years now
i[ve bought-sold at least a dozen pedals..and the Rockett to me was the worse.. i was not able to get a good comfortable tone out of this.. maybe it's because of the variations of electronic components...
i got a chinese that was pretty good..i have a keeley oxblood that i use for my telecaste but the one i have chosen as the final outcome is the Stewmac ghost drive kit.. perfection.. my search is over now..
You guys are hilarious! Loved the idea and video!!
Everything sounded great, especially that Telecaster. I'm dying to know what amp was used.
Watch tonight's Tones For Tache John - Sunday 16th November. All will be revealed!
Yeah, that tone is really tasty man...
Guitarist Any memories about the speaker that were used also ? (it's a huge part of the sound too)
It was a victory v 40 man
Except for two, I closed my eyes and picked the Klon each time - the Archer lacks the initial pick attack response. The two that I didn't get were 1) the first (since the result popped onto the screen before I decided to participate in the blind AB), and 2) the last - perhaps because the bypass sound was inherently spongey, the difference was far less noticeable to me. I couldn't pick the difference based on the mids response - or I wasn't listening as closely for that.
Not going to buy either anycase ;)
Didn't expect it to be funny... but it was! :-D Keep these nice videos coming...
totally funny guys! the whole thing was great! I didn't care about the pedals, I just thought the comedy was brilliant!
Soooooooooooo good! Lovely video! Loved it!
Interesting video ! But it's quite easy to recognize the smoother Klon vs the brighter Archer. Easier is to recognize the smoother sound of the switch 😜
J.Rockett makes excellent pedals.Check out the lemonade it's a good one.
I got my Archer for $100. Works great.
That tele was ON FIRE
Awesome guys! Nice to see this out of the box twist. Lol. Favorite part was Dans intro video clip. ROFL
Definitely a brighter mid range on the Klon than Archer. Both sound great, though, and the Archer is easily accessible. :)
You guys are mad!!!
The Klon has more low mid girth or upper lows. The Archer sounds better at higher dirt settings. I prefer the Archer for both reasons with my amps.
I'm a Strat guy and really not a Gibson fan and especially have always disliked SG's but DAAAAAAAAANG that little SG sounded SWEET!
Dude I just got directed to this video from the Automatone video on @ThatPedalShow I AM DEAD FROM YOUR ACCENTS HAHAHAHAHA
@That Pedal Show
I've just bought an Archer - the Klon sounds better here though, sightly more gnarly upper mids and a touch of transparency - I expect the Archer will be fine in about 20 years time! Am I the only one who thought the real Klon sounded more 'transistor' and the Archer more 'valve'?
Great acting and funny stuff - thanks! Oh yeh - and good sound shootout
No question the Klon is a darker sounding pedal
also u cant a/b the klon and archer at the same settings as they have slightly different values
In the context of a band/full mix, you'll never hear the difference.
Yeah, in that context, but who is the one using the pedal? You are. Outside of the stage, you're the only one who can tell the difference (Hopefully). Aren't you trying to improve yourself and your sound? You're the judge of your sound.
Always subjective & always a trade off. One can be armed with, in his belief system, the best gear he can afford, & still have people who don't like his sound. I submit the difference as demonstrated here is so subtle that most "players" can not tell in a live situation what they're listening to. And the humble fact is this: we can all be fooled, & we have been, whether we know it or not. If someone thinks the Arher can't sound like the Klon, then he's already defeated in his mind & in his approach to playing, & he won't be happy & he won't be confident; he'll doubt everything he hears thinking he's less than because it's less than. He's depending too much on his gear & not his ability to deliver.
You’d hear it on a recording. I was surprised how different they sounded
No.
I'm surprised (And a bit dissapointed) at how obviously different they are. In my Genelecs they sound completelly different, the mids are way pokier in the Klon...
Theres definitely a difference. I don't know which I like more though
This is the best Klon-parison video on the internet, hands down!
A bit of that reminded me of a scene in Reginald Perrin!
the magic of the KLON is the low mid push which is missing in the Archer
What amp were you using with the sg ? It's all sounded amazing
So now we know it was the Victory V40 The Duchess prototype. See the Tones For Tache Video from Sunday 16th November for more on the amp.
Absolutely agree! Sounded very very nice indeed...
close but no cigar. if you want a REALLY close and even harder test, try the Rimrock Effects Mythical Overdrive vs Klon video. The SMD construction of the Archer is a compromise where the through-hole clones stand a better chance against the real deal, I'd say. I would pick the Archer over the KTR Klon, though.
Just an FYI, all of the audio path on the Archer is through hole not SMD.
Chris van tassel Having built a Klone, and looking at the Archer's PCB, I'm going to say that is not true.
Chris van tassel Well you're wrong. The electrolytic capacitors in the Rockett are all clearly surface mount, as well as all the resistors. That puts a lot of SMD in the direct audio path. You got some bad information somewhere, it's just not correct.
monkey dangus Hello, I probably misunderstand you, but do you mean that there are some SMD components in the Archer ? (I am french so I probably misunderstand you ^^).
William Robertson Yes, the parts in the power section are SMT but parts in the audio path are through hole.
Mick speaking with an American accent is uncanny 😂
I own the Archer and it changes the sound too much. I play a strat and it's like a shift to a P90 sound instead of a single-coil. The Klon is more transparent. You can still hear the original sound.
Glasses ON!
a big part of the klons tone is the big enclosure
Loved the video!
How did dan get 9,006,461 but mick only got 400 and tenty sixteen?
Sound better the archer, more smooth and armonic
I didn't like one over the other. I liked each in different clips. Still wouldn't bet money on which was which with my eyes closed
Man that tone!
No difficult test,,imo! 50% chance to win!
Actually preferred the no pedal tones better, especially the Jr
Hello friends from TPS!
This was just as funny as all the nonsense surrounding the klon. Well played, guys! Im facing south...I should never face south.. too funny.
I think the klon is more harsh on the high gain settings
Excellent well done, what amp are you using?
Hi James, the amp will be revealed in tonight's Tones For Tache video (Sunday 16th November). It's a prototype of a new model.
i have a crush on Mick
I didn't laugh until he said "four hundred and tenty sixteen." That got me! Lol.
The Archer sounded better on three of those to my ears. The Klon sounded much better with lower gain though.
Isn't the Archer literally a Klon internally?
Bitchin' Hilarious 😁 Best Comparison video on these two pedals. I however feel that placing these two pedals against one another is really comparing "Apples to Oranges". I own a J Rockett "Archer" and all I can say is- "Thank you J Rockett for this great pedal and giving me the opportunity to have a little of this awesome sound". My "Archer" paired with my "JTM45" is very impressive. (I know a strange combination to pair a tube with a solid but honestly, it works).
I found it!!!!
Check out the Centura by Ceriatone. I have owned a real Centaur... and it's the closest I have ever gotten... even closer than the KTR
There is no magic in solder. Sorry.
GigrigShire !!! Cracked me up LOL !
So they are the same right? Just different boxes?
Very similar by all accounts, Duncan. They do sound marginally different to us, however. Very marginally!
This was great
Actually preferred the archer
The klon seems to have more gain in those comparisons.