ThorpyFX rumoured to be launching a Klon Killer in 2016
Rumours have surfaced on UK guitar forums that suggest boutique UK pedal maker ThorpyFX might be planning a new product inspired by the legendary Klon Centaur pedal. This combination of a much sought-after boutique item from the 90s and a pedal manufacturer with a reputation for excellence could be very exciting.
The Klon Centaur was designed and hand-built by Bill Finnegan in the USA starting in the early ‘90s. They reached legendary status as one of the first boutique overdrives and currently sell for well over a £1000 on the web. I myself have owned three of them and the last one I sold myself this year privately to a studio in LA for $3000! So if ThorpyFX can release a low gain drive pedal to beat the Klon Centaur then a lot of people will be interested.
ThorpyFX is a family-run business located in Wiltshire, England. Adrian Thorpe has previously released The Gunshot overdrive and The Muffroom Cloud fuzz pedals to critical acclaim, and they have been winning awards left, right and centre . ThorpyFX came ‘Highly Recommended’ in the UK Guitar & Bass Magazine 2015 pedal awards and was awarded a ‘Premier Gear’ award by Premiere Guitar for The Gunshot overdrive.
The company is Ex-British Army Major Adrian Thorpe MBE and his wife Georgia, who are both perfectionists obsessed by detail and who use nothing but the very best components which are painstakingly sourced and checked for quality, before being used in their products. I myself got to try out the two pedals this year and see for myself the level of detail in their custom laser-etched cases and also internally, where they use only the best quality components on gold PCBs.
The Gunshot pedal has been described in reviews online as sounding amazingly complex and amp like, in some settings almost as though two amps are being used at once, which is a great compliment. Here’s a review by Premier Guitar.
I myself think that the level of detail put into the units is in the same league as my old Klon pedals, which had unique aluminium sand cast enclosures and were hand-built and -tested. So, take the idea of a company like ThorpyFX, the level of detail in their circuit design, their reputation for component quality, and imagine them taking on the challenge of recreating something as desirable as the Klon. That is really exciting. The rumours online on UK forums are that they are going to release a low gain, Klon-like drive have many players really excited. I suspect these rumours have some truth in them, as Adrian is an avid poster of threads on UK forums and has been hinting about what he has planned for 2016.
Their pedals are not the cheapest on the market at around 184.99 GBP, but considering they are hand-built and bulletproof they should last you a lifetime.
You can check their pedals here: http://thorpyfx.com
Watch this space for more updates!
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