
The reclusive pedal builder discusses the origins of his famed Centaur overdrive, the more affordable new KTR design, and how one pedal can inspire so much adoration and disdain.
If you've spent any amount of time on guitar-gear forums, you know they can often devolve into pretty abrasive battles of opinion. Even when a thread starts out with the best of intentions, it's not uncommon for it to morph into the online equivalent of a mythical Hydra. Forum administrators attempt to clean things up and lock out the more abusive commenters, but once they cut off one of the creature's heads, two more appear.
Of all the forum topics that can inspire such heated debate, few inspire more passion, awe, and vitriol than a guitar pedal named after a different sort of mythological creature. Launched in 1994 at the front end of the modern-day boutique-pedal boom, the Klon Centaur overdrive was immediately met with critical acclaim. So much so that it's ironic how much the pedal named after the half-human, half-horse creatures from Greek legend has since developed such a complex mythology of its own. And the fact that this seemingly mundane, 3-knob stompbox is used by such high-profile players as Jeff Beck, John Mayer, Joe Perry, Nels Cline, and Matt Schofield only compounds matters. Never mind the fact that the majority of the circuit comes encased in epoxy.
We recently spoke to Klon's Bill Finnegan about the origins of the Centaur, his new KTR design—which made a (naturally) limited debut in October of 2012—and how an overdrive pedal can fetch more than $1,000 on the used market and inspire such emotionally charged reactions.
Birth of a Centaur
In the 1980s, Bill Finnegan played in a band where he plugged his Telecaster straight into a Twin Reverb turned up as loud as the soundman would permit. In bigger Boston-area clubs, the Twin's volume would be at 6 or sometimes even 7, but in smaller places Finnegan could usually turn it up to only 3 1/2 or 4. The latter still sounded good, but not as harmonically rich as when the amp was working harder. Although it didn't occur to him at the time, a pedal that would give him the sound of a cranked amp is exactly what he needed.
Finnegan recalls that, in 1990, guitarists began chasing after out-of-production Ibanez Tube Screamers in droves. He'd heard about a guy who was selling two TS9s, and—hoping one of the little green pedals would help make his Twin sound like it was at 6 when it was only at 4—he went to check them out. It immediately became clear that Tube Screamers were not for him.
Finnegan built Centaurs—around 8,000 in total—by hand, on a cheap folding card table in a succession of small apartments for 15 years.
“[The TS9] compressed the transient response of the original signal a lot, had a midrange character I didn't like, and subtracted a noticeable amount of bass response from the signal as well," he explains. The same seller also had a TS808 that he wasn't selling. And, though Finnegan thought it sounded a little better than the TS9s, he still felt it had the aforementioned shortcomings. What he really wanted was a big, open sound, with a hint of tube clipping—a sound that would make you unaware a pedal was involved.
That's when Finnegan starting looking into creating a new design that would meet those criteria. He recruited a friend who'd just graduated from MIT with an electrical engineering degree. Though both had day jobs, for the next couple of years they got together once a week and tried to push the ball down the field. Within the first year, they'd developed prototypes that were much closer to what Finnegan wanted than a Tube Screamer, and various guitarists in the Boston area encouraged them to go into production so they could buy their own. But Finnegan felt the circuit could still be improved, so he and his partner kept working.
Eventually, the MIT friend bought a house in the suburbs and the distance made it harder to work together. Finnegan later partnered with the late Fred Fenning (who tragically passed away in a plane crash in the mid '90s)—another MIT grad whom Finnegan says was brilliant and very determined. Although Fenning had never designed an audio circuit and had no real interest in music, he was exceptionally good at finding ways to give the circuit what Finnegan thought it needed at any given time. Finnegan says Fenning deserves a lot of credit for the circuit in both the Centaur and its successor, the KTR.
Photo by Sarah Pollman
The entire design process took four and a half years, and when the pedal debuted at the end of '94 Finnegan was soon very busy trying to keep up with the demand—building, testing, and shipping the pedals as a single-man outfit.
Evolution of the Legend
From that point on, demand for Centaur pedals grew. Finnegan says he typically worked 55–60 hours per week in effort to keep turnaround times as short as possible, though he was hindered by the fact that the circuit was very labor intensive and time consuming. He also says it was more expensive to build than most other pedals due to the fact that everything from its cast enclosure to its knobs, pots, and sheet-metal bottom were custom crafted. Finnegan estimates the aggregate cost of a Centaur as seven to eight times that of a pedal built with off-the-shelf parts.
“For the last seven years or so of Centaur production, the retail price was $329," says Finnegan, “and to be honest, my profit margin was not very sensible—no real business person would have considered, for more than a moment, doing what I was doing for the return I was receiving. Also, given that I live in Boston, it was impossible for me to hire people and expand: Real estate here is in short supply and very expensive, so there was no possibility of my renting commercial space to set up an actual shop."
Finnegan built Centaurs—around 8,000 in total—by hand, on a cheap folding card table in a succession of small apartments for 15 years. In addition to the modest returns from his efforts, Finnegan says he felt immense stress as he tried to oblige those who wanted a Centaur but didn't want to pay the inflated price used specimens were fetching because of the 12- to 14-week turnaround time for a new one. It gradually became clear to Finnegan that the situation was unsustainable.
“These two photos show my testing jig for Centaur boards, with one of my experimental boards on it," Bill Finnegan shares. “The experimental boards have sockets for every component in the circuit, which enables me to listen to any particular component and then swap it out for a substitute while keep everything else the same. This experimental board is the one I used for developing the KTR. Unlike the Centaur which had through-hole components with leads, I wanted to use surface-mount components for the KTR, which meant that my assistant, John Perotti, and I had to spend an enormous amount of time soldering through-hole leads onto hundreds of very small surface-mount components so that we could evaluate them and choose the ones that would make the KTR sound the same as the Centaur did."
Photo by Nolan Yee.
“I was going to have to kill it before it could kill me," Finnegan recalls. In 2008, he began working on a ground-up redesign that had to meet the following criteria: It had to be straightforward to build, so that any good contract manufacturing firm would be able to do the job easily and well. It had to be rugged and reliable. It had to be a design with no hookup wires whatsoever, and with a modular footswitch assembly so that faulty footswitches could be replaced in a few minutes. It had to be considerably smaller than the Centaur. Except for the all-important clipping diodes, it had to have surface-mount components, which take up less space on a board than traditional through-hole components. Finnegan also wanted to prove—to himself and to those who said it couldn't be done—that, with careful component selection and smart board layout, he could design a successor that would sound exactly the same as the Centaur.
“This turned out to be quite a challenge," Finnegan says. “My assistant, John Perotti, and I spent almost two years listening to different surface-mount capacitors in various places in the circuit before I felt this had been achieved." Lastly, he wanted the new unit to be visually unique—a tall order, given that the unit would be housed in a standard enclosure.
I don't have any overall preference for single-coil guitars or humbucker guitars myself. I like pretty much everything under the sun in the way of electric guitars, and over the years I've owned a bunch of very different ones.
The one new feature Finnegan wanted to incorporate was a switch that enabled the player to choose the buffered output of the original Centaur or a true-bypass output. “Without the buffer there is a very noticeable degradation of the signal due to the capacitance inherent in guitar cables," says Finnegan, “but some people prefer it, so I wanted to provide that option in the new unit." He quickly adds, “My good friend Paul Cochrane—of Tim and Timmy [pedals] fame—was the guy who designed the switching circuitry, so a tip of the hat to Paul."
It took a long, long time to finish the KTR. And though Finnegan says it was much more difficult than he expected, he feels it has achieved all of his design objectives. “It sounds the same as the Centaur, takes up considerably less space on a pedalboard, is less expensive, and it's distinctive aesthetically—it's got the Klon thing going on." He laughs, “Whatever the Klon thing is."
You obviously have high expectations from your designs, though you're also perplexed by the reactions it inspires. What do you want people to see in Klon?
What I want people to expect from me and from Klon are designs that are exceptional in the literal sense of the term—designs that are conceptually sound and well executed. Designs that are unique and not to be expected from any other designer, no matter how talented.
When you were designing the Centaur, did you begin with any assumptions about players who'd be interested in it?
I was working from the assumption that there were a lot of guitar players with really good guitars and really good amps who were looking for an overdrive pedal that—whether it was adding dirt or not itself—wouldn't mess up what they already had and liked. Given the popularity of the Centaur and now the KTR, I would say that this has been borne out.
In your opinion, do the pedals work better with single-coils or humbuckers?
Neither. I don't have any overall preference for single-coil guitars or humbucker guitars myself. I like pretty much everything under the sun in the way of electric guitars, and over the years I've owned a bunch of very different ones. Each of them has its own particular thing going on, and when I was working on the design of the circuit I was always thinking about how it could be more effective in preserving and accentuating the essence of whatever instrument it was receiving the signal of.
What can you tell us about Centaur units that occasionally turn up on eBay with the claim that they are “new, with full warranty"—are they fakes?
I have a very close friend who is a single mom and whose job doesn't pay all that well. Every now and then she needs a little help, financially. I'm aware of what the used units are selling for, so at some point after I discontinued the Centaur it occurred to me that—if and when she needed me to—I could build a Centaur and give it to her to sell on eBay and use the proceeds to keep going. This has worked really nicely, and I'll continue to do it for as long as my old Centaur parts last. Since I discontinued the Centaur, a lot of people have asked me whether I'd consider building one for them—sometimes offering me pretty substantial amounts of money—but I'm not going to do that. The only Centaurs I build anymore are the ones I build for her, and I don't make or collect a single cent from them.
Klon builder Bill Finnegan wanted to include this text—which refers to the dialogue surrounding his famed Centaur design—on the casing of his new KTR pedal. “It's a wry observation that I can't be held responsible for the overheated emotions that have been introduced into various Klon debates since the earliest days of the Centaur," he says. “I knew that in using that text I'd be stirring things up some, but I thought it would be interesting and fun to see how, in reacting to it, people would self-select into either the 'love it' or the 'hate it' group."
Photo by Nolan Yee.
Do you think Centaurs will retain their high value now that the KTR is available?
Yes, in general I think they will. They're collectible and—with the one small exception I just mentioned—no more will be built, unless I'm very mistaken. For almost everyone, the KTR is a much more sensible option now: It sounds the same, it's much smaller, it's way the hell less expensive—$269 retail—and you don't have to worry about losing something that's worth $1,000 or $1,500 or $2,000 if it's stolen. On the other hand, the Centaur has something of its own that people really like and are willing to pay serious money for. The design has achieved a certain status—I would use the analogy of old, custom-colored Marshalls. I have two small-box, 50-watt Marshall Lead heads—model 1987s: One is a black-Tolex, aluminum-panel head from 1970, and the other is a red-Tolex, plexi-panel head from 1969. They have the same circuitry and sound almost identical, but of course the red one is worth way more than the black one. I like cool, distinctive things as much as the next guy, so I'm not in a position to criticize someone for being willing to pay more than I myself would, or more than most people would, if they want it that much.
What are the demographics of the typical Klon user?
It seems to be more or less everyone. Baby-boomer guys who are still only interested in the music they grew up with, but also a lot of younger, indie-rock people, and also a number of musicians whose work is more experimental and can't be easily categorized.
What can you tell us about the germanium diode you like so much in your circuits?
In 1993 and '94, when it was clear that Fred and I were getting close to producing what I thought was the full measure of what our circuit was capable of, I started buying quantities of every diode I thought might be at all suitable for the head-to-toe pair that clips the signal, except for when the circuit is in clean-boost mode. This was pre-internet, so I was going to the public library, looking up distributors in the Thomas Register, and then calling those distributors to find out what they had—email was still in the future then! I started out ordering both germanium and silicon diodes, but pretty quickly I began concentrating on the germaniums. Usually, though not always, they sounded more natural to me than the silicon ones did. After months and months of listening, I felt a particular new-old-stock germanium diode sounded best in the circuit, so I thought I should buy as many of those as I could afford. Eventually, I found a distributor that had a significant quantity of them. They were stocking them for a huge OEM, who—without any warning, I gather—stopped using that part. I bought them all at a good price. The distributor was thrilled to be able to sell them and not have to eat them.
Does the KTR have the same diodes?
Yes, the KTR has the exact same NOS diodes as all Centaurs did.
Since I discontinued the Centaur, a lot of people have asked me whether I'd consider building one for them—sometimes offering me pretty substantial amounts of money—but I'm not going to do that.
What is it you like about the sound of that diode when it clips?
It's a little more complicated than that, because the diode clipping happens on top of some op-amp clipping in the main gain stage. So it's op-amp clipping, then diode clipping. But to answer your question, this particular diode in the head-to-toe pair in the circuit just produces a very natural-sounding distortion in terms of the harmonic response. It's not harsh, but it also doesn't round off the highs excessively. It doesn't compress the signal as much as many germanium diodes seem to, but on the other hand it provides a little bit of what—to me—is exactly the right kind of compression.
Which other pedal makers are using this particular diode?
To the best of my knowledge, no one. It's a part that's been out of production for decades now, so even if someone else could identify it, I seriously doubt they'd be able to find any—I've tried a number of times myself.
So what are you working on now?
Lately, I've been focused almost entirely on putting together a good long-term arrangement for production of the KTR. This kind of thing has always been more of a challenge for me than it seems to be for anyone else, but I admit that I do have requirements—particular things I insist on—that few, if any of those other people have, so I guess that the increased difficulty is to be expected. I'm not saying that my stuff is necessarily higher quality than anyone else's, but rather that my criteria are somewhat different and that therefore the process is necessarily also somewhat different.
What is the current availability of the KTR?
The unit should be widely available—through dealers both here in the U.S. and in various other countries—by the time this interview is published. Hopefully by then I will have found time to get some kind of updated Klon website going, which of course will have contact info for the current dealers.
The top of the KTR features some text that's apparently causing controversy with some buyers: “Kindly remember: The ridiculous hype that offends so many is not of my making."
Lots of people got the point that I was trying to make and really enjoy the text, while other people find it off-putting or even insulting. It's a wry observation that I can't be held responsible for the overheated emotions that have been introduced into various Klon debates since the earliest days of the Centaur. I knew that in using that text I'd be stirring things up some, but I thought it would be interesting and fun to see how, in reacting to it, people would self-select into either the “love it" or the “hate it" group.
Photo by West Warren.
What does the future hold for Klon?
I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately. Part of me wants to work on design ideas I have—finish those designs to my satisfaction—and then make the resulting products available. The other side of me wants to either refrain from working on those ideas or work on them, finish them to my satisfaction, and then not put the resulting products out. As you may or may not know, many unscrupulous people have expropriated my hard work on the Centaur and KTR circuits and are selling pedals that incorporate my circuit—and in at least some cases, they're making a lot of money. And apparently there is nothing I can do about this from a legal standpoint.
Quite aside from the money they're making from my work, there's the question of what those pedals sound like. My understanding is that a number of those people are claiming their versions sound “identical" to mine, which—for reasons not only pertaining to the clipping diodes you asked me about—I think is very unlikely. Whatever expertise those various people may have, I'm going to go out on a limb and state my belief that it's not likely to be a good or sufficient substitute for the experience I have with the circuit: I co-designed it, I've hand-built and listened to about 8,000 Centaur units, I spent two years working hard to make sure the KTR would sound the same as the Centaur, and I've put almost 25 years of my life into it. If those other guys' pedals don't sound right, then of course Klon's reputation—and my reputation as someone who cares deeply about the quality of what goes out under the Klon name—will inevitably take a hit.
So my feeling is this: If any new product I come out with will be ripped off immediately after its release, and if unscrupulous people will again be making money off of my work, and if on top of that Klon's reputation and my own personal reputation will be at risk every time someone decides to put out his own version of one of my designs, then where is my incentive to release anything new at all? Over the past few years, I've talked with a number of other pedal designers about this stuff—good people who design their own circuits, and whose circuits have also been ripped off—and we all agree there is now an enormous disincentive for any of us to create and release new products.
From what I understand, a lot of the people posting on various online forums seem to feel that it's a wonderful thing for the pedal consumer to have more choices—how could that be bad? Here's how it could be bad: Maybe talented pedal designers—originators—will simply stop designing pedals and take their talents elsewhere to apply them to the design of other classes of products that can't be ripped off quite so easily.
Top 5 Klon Myths
Gear forums are regularly aglow with all sorts of comments about Klon. Here are the most common misconceptions.
- The Centaur is a slightly tweaked [insert name of extant pedal here] circuit. According to Klon's Bill Finnegan, “it's a much more complex circuit than the typical overdrive/boost circuit. These claims stopped almost immediately after it was reverse-engineered in 2007 and a schematic was posted online."
- Certain Centaurs sound better than others. Finnegan says he's heard this claim about earlier units, later ones, gold ones, and silver ones. “The fact is, under the hood they're all basically the same. In 1995 I made three small changes: I added a resistor to give the circuit some protection against a static charge delivered to its input—a change that has no sonic effect. I also had the circuit board redesigned with a ground plane for better grounding—again, no sonic effect except the potential for a little less hum. And I added a resistor to give the circuit a very small amount of additional low-mid response—I wanted it to have a little more roundness when used with, say, a Strat into a Super Reverb. I made no other changes."
- The KTR doesn't/can't sound as good as the Centaur. Finnegan says this claim arises because the KTR uses surface-mount parts while the Centaur (and most other pedals) use through-hole parts. “For two years my assistant, John Perotti, and I listened to hundreds of different surface-mount parts throughout the circuit," Finnegan explains. “While it wasn't an easy or pleasant process, we both feel—and now a lot of other people feel, as well—that I achieved my design goal: With careful component selection, the KTR sounds the same as the Centaur."
- You have to play really loud for the Centaur or KTR to sound good. “You need to have the output knob high enough that the signal hits the front end of your amp harder than your bypassed signal would," says Finnegan. “In other words, you need to use the unit as an overdrive in the literal sense of the term." The assumption here is that users are pairing the Centaur or KTR with an all-tube amp. “It's always a good thing if your amp is turned up enough to get the harmonic response and distortion that are engendered by tubes clipping and output transformers saturating. This is true whether you're playing through a 4-watt or a 100-watt amp."
- Certain clones sound “exactly the same" as a Klon. Finnegan's contention is that, given several factors—especially the rarity of the Centaur's germanium clipping diodes—it would be extremely difficult to create an identical-sounding overdrive/boost.
[Updated 12/12/21[
- Klon vs. Klone: 5 Affordable Stomps Go Head to Head with a Gold ... ›
- What Does It Even Mean When We Say a Pedal Is "Transparent"? - Premier Guitar ›
- Green Giant: History of the Tube Screamer - Premier Guitar ›
- Klon vs. Klone: 5 Affordable Stomps Go Head to Head with a Gold Original - Premier Guitar ›
- Why I Built This: Atelier Rosenkrantz’s Rachel Rosenkrantz - Premier Guitar ›
- A Beautifully Simple Vibrato Like No Other - Premier Guitar ›
- Spun Loud The Litigator Review - Premier Guitar ›
Some musical moments—whether riffs, melodies, or solos—bypass our ears and tug at our heartstrings.
It had to be in the early part of 1990, and I don’t know how or why, but I purchased Steady On, the debut album from singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin. Upon my first listen I knew it was something very special. By the time the third track, “Shotgun Down the Avalanche,” came pouring from my ancient Dahlquist DQ10s, I was a fan. The song features an instrumental break—not a guitar solo per se, but more like a stringed-instrument vignette that cascaded seamlessly through a number of sounds created by guitarist-songwriter-producer John Leventhal. I’ve listened to it dozens of times since, and I still marvel at the emotion it stirs in me.
You see, I’m a sucker for a musical moment that seems to bypass my ears and tug at my heart. It could be a simple phrase with an extraordinary tonal personality or just a few well-chosen notes that say more than any flurry ever could. My subconscious (and probably yours) is chock full of these snippet moments—and they guide and soothe us in our musical journey. Somehow, they all swirl around in my pea brain like some David Lynch fever dream—morphing and coalescing fragments that are always informing my taste and guiding my fingers. I’ll share a few with you now.
Like so many of my generation of guitarists, the Ventures figured prominently. Their powerful interpretation of the Richard Rodgers song “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” is brimming with pre-Neil Young-esque 1960s distortion. But I’m also drawn to the melancholy, ultra-clean, reverb-drenched tones of “Lonely Girl” from their 1965 album Knock Me Out. The nostalgic reprise in my imagination occurs in Young’s “No More” on his celebrated Freedom record—with its wash of reverb and mangled fuzz tickling my musical funny bone and warming me like the soft glow of a winter fireplace.
Now, imagine it’s the mid ’70s and Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” is battling with AC/DC’s “T.N.T.” for airplay when you drop the needle on the Tony Williams Lifetime track “Red Alert,” found on the Believe It album. Allan Holdsworth’s angular note choices and driving rhythm give way to a tour de force of legato fusion fury. When I first encountered Allan Holdsworth’s solo on the track “Wild Life,” I thought it was a saxophone. Holdsworth mimics the breathy attack of a reed instrument, complete with slow-wavering vibrato. Although it sounds a little dated now, it’s interesting to note that Van Halen was still a few years away.“I know I’ll get hate mail for downplaying his early solos, but Van Halen’s rhythmic drive and superb timing were really the heart of his craft and the soul of the band.”
Speaking of Van Halen, as spectacular as Ed’s soloing was, it’s his rhythm work that I find most inspiring. I know I’ll get hate mail for downplaying his early solos, but Van Halen’s rhythmic drive and superb timing were really the heart of his craft and the soul of the band. Interestingly, some of that feel has crept into my own playing, which does not make me unique. Who can deny the importance and influence he had?
While I’m on the subject of influence, it’s hard to overlook the swath that Jeff Beck cut through the guitar world. In my estimation, his pioneering sound and concepts were the godfather masterstrokes that propelled an entire genre of guitar-based rock. The first Jeff Beck Group recording, Truth, contains too many important guitar moments to list. One of my touchstones is the opening riff on “Let Me Love You” where Beck mangles the guitar, producing a head-scratching puzzle of sound before two seconds have passed. The next half-minute is a blueprint lesson in blues-rock style that many have studied, yet few have equaled. As a young guitarist in 1968, I was ready to throw my instrument down a flight of stairs after witnessing “I Ain’t Superstitious.” We’d heard the wah pedal before, but not like this. Beck impersonates a black cat—Clyde McCoy, eat your heart out. It’s worthwhile to note that Beck’s style and direction continued to evolve throughout the decades without destroying the validity of his earlier work.
I suppose I could go on, but I’m running out of space, and I’ve tortured you enough—until next month. The good news is that we have this seemingly unscalable mountain of amazing guitar sounds to discover, inspire, comfort, and rock us down the road. From Charlie Christian and Tiny Grimes right up to the host of great players today, as students of sound, we have a long, lovely path to hike.
An all-analog ’60s-inspired tremolo marries harmonic and optical circuits that can be used independently or blended to generate phasey, throbbing magic.
Spans practical, convincing vintage trem tones and the utterly weird. Hefty build quality.
Big footprint. Can’t switch order of effects.
$299
Jackson Audio Silvertone Twin Trem
jackson.audio
Almost any effect can be used subliminally or to extremes. But tremolo is a little extra special when employed at its weirder limits. Unlike reverb or delay, for instance, which approximate phenomena heard in the natural world, tremolo from anything other than an amp or pedal tends to occur in the realm of altered states—suggesting the sexy, subterranean, and dreamy. Such moods can be conjured with any single tremolo. Put two together, though, and the simply sensual can be surreal. Modify this equation by mating two distinctly different tremolo types, and the possible sound pictures increase manifold.
The all-analog, U.S.-built Jackson Audio Silvertone Twin Trem accomplishes this by combining a syrupy harmonic tremolo—the likes of which you’d hear from an early-1960s brown-panel Fender amp—and an optical tremolo like that in a Silvertone 1484 Twin Twelve amp or black-panel Fender. Both effects can be used independently, but it’s when the two are blended that the Twin Trem shines.
Doppelganger Effect
The Twin Trem’s optical and harmonic circuits are obviously not identical twins, but each is operated via its own 3-knob array consisting of speed, depth, and a smaller volume knob that will boost or cut the output of the individual circuit. Both tremolo types modulate at speeds slower than what you hear in amplifier equivalents. I don’t have a Silvertone Twin Twelve tremolo on hand for comparison. But the slowest speed from a mid-1960s Fender optical tremolo matched the rate of the Twin Trem’s optical circuit at about the midpoint of its range. At its slowest, the optical side will cycle through minimum and maximum volume in just a little under a full second, which feels molasses-slow, stretching and enhancing the ramping effect. Maximum speeds on the Twin Trem are closer to the maximum on the old Fender. But that’s still a pretty rapid modulation rate and the Twin Trem’s range-y depth controls make fast modulations sound extra alien.
If you’re sensitive to such things, the dedicated volume controls are great for overcoming the perceived volume drop that goes with any tremolo. There’s much more gain available than what you need for that purpose, and slathering on the volume gives the pulses a burly quality that’s tough but can obscure some nuance. The ability to create disparate volumes for each circuit means you can slightly foreground one tremolo type or the other, opening up an even wider tone palette and highlighting unique interrelationships between modulations.
Double Shots Make Dizzy Daze
The Twin Trem’s optical tremolo side (if you open up the back you can watch the pulsing diode that activates the opto-resistor) exhibits the throbbing tendencies one associates with black-panel Fender amplifiers. In fact, the Twin Trem sounds uncannily like the old Vibrolux I used for this test, but with more speed, range, and intensity. On its own, it’s a convincing stand-in for a 1960s Fender, Gibson, or Silvertone circuit.
One of the coolest things about the harmonic tremolo is how it often doesn’t sound like tremolo at all. In a harmonic tremolo circuit, high and low-frequency bands are split and volume-attenuated out of phase from each other, creating a bubblegum elasticity in the modulations. At slow speeds the harmonic tremolo’s phasey attributes take center stage (clip 1). And though the modulation texture is less swirling than what a simple phaser produces, the more vowel-like pulses lend a sleepy, mysterious aura to the modulation.
Though I did not use the pedal in stereo, I did utilize the effects loop, inserting a delay between the harmonic and optical tremolo, creating a little extra wash in the harmonic tremolo sweeps (clip 2). You can go crazy with possibilities here: How about inserting a multiple-tape-head-style delay for maximum syncopated mayhem? But the most traditional application for the effects loop is to simulate the reverb-into-tremolo order found in many mid-1960s amps. Again, it’s a great option when you need ’60s reverb/tremolo combo amp vibes and there’s no such animal around.Audio clip 2, which showcases the Twin Trem’s effects loop, also captures the two tremolos working together. And even at this fast-twitching speed you can hear the phaser-like wash softening the front end of the harder optical pulses that are situated downstream. Some dual-trem settings can produce chaos. But the best ones are thick, eerie, and propulsive in ways that can completely transform a song’s ambience.
The Verdict
The Twin Trem is just short of 300 bucks, and it’s easy to rationalize such a significant expense when you consider that you get two distinct tremolo sounds that you can mix, match, and switch between very readily. Maximizing the investment probably requires a little extra thirst for the unusual. Not all combined settings are money. Some rhythmic syncopations will drive you batty, and without the benefit of digital control you can disappear down little rabbit holes trying to find an elusive, perfect subdivision between modulation tempos or replicating a texture you found the previous week. It’s also too bad that you can't switch the order of the circuits. These are very minor traps, however. In general, the Twin Trem is forgiving and easy to use. And if you get in a meditative place with the pedal, and let it do the driving from time to time, the riffs will practically write themselves.
Bonnaroo announces its 2025 lineup featuring Luke Combs, Hozier, Queens of the Stone Age, Avril Lavigne, and more.
This year features headline performances from Luke Combs on Thursday, Tyler, The Creator on Friday, Olivia Rodrigo on Saturday, and Hozier on Sunday. Further highlights include John Summit, Dom Dolla, Avril Lavigne, Glass Animals, Vampire Weekend, Justice, Queens of the Stone Age, and the first-ever Roo Residency with King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard performing three sets over three days. In addition, Remi Wolf will lead the “Insanely Fire 1970’s Pool Party” 2025 SuperJam, Bonnaroo’s legendary tradition. The complete Bonnaroo 2025 lineup is below.
Bonnaroo tickets go on sale tomorrow, Thursday, January 9 beginning at 10 am (CT) exclusively via bonnaroo.com. Guaranteed lowest-priced tickets are available during the first hour of sales, from 10 am - 11 am (CT). 2025 ticket options include 4-Day General Admission, 4-Day GA+, 4-Day VIP, and 4-Day Platinum, along with a variety of camping and parking options starting at just $25 down with a payment plan.
The 2025 festival will offer some exciting new features for Bonnaroovians, including the “Closer” RV and Primitive Camping accommodations that guarantee closer proximity to Centeroo, regardless of which day fans choose to enter The Farm. Among this year’s most exciting additions will be The Infinity Stage, a brand-new, one-of-a-kind venue – presented in partnership with Polygon Live – boasting spatial sound, synchronized lights, and an unprecedented three-dome, open-air design to create the world’s largest, most immersive, 360° live music experience.
Bonnaroo also offers upgraded ticket types for those who prefer an elevated experience. GA+ tickets include unlimited access to the Centeroo GA+ Lounge, with relaxed seating, dedicated food for purchase, air-conditioned restrooms, and hospitality staff to assist with all festival needs; a private bar with drinks for purchase plus complimentary soft drinks; complimentary water refill station; a dedicated premium entrance lane at both gates into Centeroo, and more. VIP and Platinum guests will enjoy the same perks plus additional exclusive upgrades, including dedicated close-in and on-field viewing areas; unlimited access to VIP and Platinum Lounges; express lanes at the Festival Store, commemorative festival gifts, and so much more. To learn more about VIP and Platinum, please seehttp://www.bonnaroo.com/tickets.
A wide range of Camping & Parking options will be available in Outeroo including Primitive Car Camping, Glamping, RVs, Backstage Camping, Accessible Camping, Groop Camping, Community Camping, and more. Premium Outeroo Camping Accommodations include pre-pitched Souvenir Tents, cool and comfortable Darkroom Tents, weatherproof Luxury Bell Tents, and spacious 2-person Wood Frame Safari Tents for the ultimate Bonnaroo camping experience. Cosmic Nomads On-Site Daily Parking passes will be available for ticketholders not camping. For details on all accommodation options, please visitwww.bonnaroo.com/accommodations.
Complete Lineup
THURSDAY, JUNE 12
Luke Combs
Dom Dolla
Sammy Virji
Marcus King
Green Velvet
2hollis
Insane Clown Posse
Joey Valence & Brae
Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country
Wilderado
Max Styler
Azzecca
The Lemon Twigs
Wisp
Sofia Isella
Kitchen Dwellers
Dogs In A Pile
Die Spitz
Hey, Nothing
The Droptines
FRIDAY, JUNE 13
Tyler, the Creator
John Summit
Glass Animals
Tipper
Goose
The Red Clay Strays
Rainbow Kitten Surprise
Megadeth
Wallows
Foster the People
Slightly Stoopid
Flipturn
Of the Trees
JPEGMAFIA
Marina
Tape B
MJ Lenderman
BossMan Dlow
INZO
Levity
Mannequin Pussy
Leon Thomas
Cults
Aly & AJ
Matt Champion
Detox Unit
Rachel Chinouriri
Eater
Ginger Root
Bebe Stockwell
Effin
SATURDAY, JUNE 14
Olivia Rodrigo
Avril Lavigne
Justice
Nelly
GloRilla
Mt. Joy
RL Grime
Beabadoobee
Tyla
Jessie Murph
Modest Mouse
Gorgon City
Flatland Cavalry
Hot Mulligan
Action Bronson
Crankdat
Dope Lemon
Gigi Perez
Wave to Earth
Claptone
Jade Cicada
What So Not
Daði Freyr
Ziggy Alberts
ROSSY
Destroy Boys
The Stews
Thee Sinseers & The Altons
AHEE
SUNDAY, JUNE 15
Hozier
Vampire Weekend
Queens of the Stone Age
LSZEE
Remi Wolf
Raye
Royel Otis
Dispatch
Role Model
Barry Can't Swim
Treaty Oak Revival
Big Gigantic
Jack's Mannequin
ATLiens
Bilmuri
Saint Motel
James Arthur
Alex Warren
Zingara
Natasha Bedingfield
Alexandra Kay
Goldie Boutilier
Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge
GorillaT
YDG
SPECIAL PERFORMANCES
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Roo Residency: 3 Sets, 3 Days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
Remi Wolf’s Insanely Fire 1970’s Pool Party Superjam (Saturday)
Enhance your Ratio Machine Heads with Graph Tech's new Barrel Knobs. Designed for comfort and style, these barrel-shaped tuning buttons offer a fresh look and feel to your instrument. Available in chrome and black finishes, these knobs are the perfect way to personalize your guitar.
Graph Tech Guitar Labs has introduced the latest addition to their Ratio Machine Head family: Barrel Knobs. These barrel-style tuning buttons bring a fresh look and feel to the Ratio system, offering players a new way to personalize their instruments – and an easy-to-grip alternative to more traditional tuner knobs.
Available in two different finishes – chrome and black – the new barrel knobs can be ordered as a standalone option. If you already own Ratio Machine Heads, simply order the Barrel Knobs and swap them out – the process is easy and only takes a few minutes. Best of all, there is no need to replace the entire Ratio tuner system.
The new Barrel Knobs were developed at the request of guitarist Thomas Nordegg, known for his work with rock legends like Frank Zappa and Steve Vai. A longtime fan of Graph Tech’s Ratio machine heads, Nordegg saw an opportunity to enhance the system’s ergonomic design and approached Graph Tech with the idea of creating barrel-style tuning buttons to provide an alternative option for players seeking a fresh look and feel. Designed to integrate seamlessly with the Ratio system, these knobs combine ergonomic comfort with understated style, giving players another way to personalize their instruments.
More and more players are option for Ratio Machine Heads on their instruments. Ratio Machine Headsare designed with gear ratios that are uniquely calibrated for each string, making tuning consistent andpredictable across the fretboard. This innovative system simplifies fine-tuning and alternate tunings, saving time and improving accuracy.
Here’s what the new Barrel Knobs offer:
- Refined Functionality: Barrel-shaped design for a natural grip and precise adjustments.
- Timeless Aesthetic: A sleek, modern look that complements any guitar style.
- Perfect Fit: Designed specifically for Ratio Machine Heads, ensuring flawless compatibility.
- Available in chrome and black to suit a variety of instruments and player preferences.
Graph Tech’s new Barrel Knobs are available for $3.00 each and are available in chrome and black finishes.
For more information, please visit graphtech.com.