Page 130 - FLIPMAG.NET
P. 130
DIY WORKSHOP
12
10 The switch is located close
to the PCB, so wire lengths
can be kept short
11 Ceriatone supplies a
different style of dual-gang
gain pot so the detachable
section of the PCB is
redundant and the pot and
LED have to be hand-wired
12 Placed side by side,
we can tell how close the
Centura is to the real deal,
even if most of the Klon’s
circuit is covered in that
infamous black goop 10
11
It’s not a question of which is best but In many ways, this subtle supercharging indistinguishable from those on the original
rather which sounds best to you and of your tone is as much about feel as it is and the attention to detail is extraordinary.
best suits your rig and playing style. sound. This circuit frees you up to be more We could point to some slight differences
expressive and dynamic in your playing between the enclosures, with the original
LEGENDARY TONE because it’s always easy to hear the finer sporting slightly crisper lines. But you’re
I first tried a Klon Centaur almost two details as they punch through – and this unlikely to notice unless you place them
decades ago and it left a big impression on really shines in the context of a live or side by side. We prefer the Klon’s polished-
me. I was amazed by the sound quality and recorded band mix. metal look too but the Centura’s finish is
yet couldn’t quite decide whether it was a It seems that the various frequency also excellent.
boost or an overdrive pedal. Of course, it’s bands within an electric guitar’s audio For those with the necessary DIY skills,
actually both. But I’ve always thought of it spectrum are processed separately, with the best pedal kits provide a cheap and
as stepping on a ‘better’ switch, because it more dirt and compression in the mids viable alternative to boutique pedals. At
just seems to improve the sound of every but less in the bass and treble. It feels $200 (US), the Ceriatone Centura isn’t
guitar and amp. Indeed, it’s not difficult smooth and sustaining, even when the gain cheap compared to other klones and kits.
to see why so many of the Centaur’s fans is set low, and you never feel like you’re But it’s the only one we’ve seen with this
rarely switch the thing off. struggling against the iron grip of excessive degree of accuracy – and it costs a fraction
Klons somehow enhance things without compression. If anything, I’m even more of the price of the real thing. It’s only an
obviously changing your sound. I’d liken impressed by the Klon circuit 20 years later, extra $25 to buy the kit fully assembled but
it to a studio scenario where a sound and everything I’ve said about it appears to I enjoyed building it and being able to
engineer subtly tweaks a recorded guitar apply equally to the Ceriatone Centura. tweak the circuit, and I couldn’t be any
sound using high-quality equalisation and happier with the way it’s turned out.
compression. It’s basically the same sound TOP KIT
but clearer, punchier, more present and The quality of the Ceriatone Centura kit Follow Bill Finnegan on Instagram @klonllc
better integrated into the mix. cannot be faulted. The Daka-ware knobs are or visit ceriatone.com for more on this kit
130
