Keeley Manis vs Tumnus ?

[Tomm Williams]

I’ve struggled for quite some time with the tone of a Klon, for some things it’s pure heaven other things not so much. For me it doesn’t work that well on chords but single notes is wonderful.
I guess the primary thing that I object to is the midrange tone I can’t get comfortable with. The Tumnus having a mid knob I thought would cure that but I’m still searching though I must admit, the Tumnus is pretty darn good.
So I’m looking for those who have experienced both the Tumnus and the Keeley Manis. Please offer your thoughts as they compare to each other.

 

[synthpenguin]

I've heard nothing but good things about the Tumnus Deluxe (I'm assuming you were referring to that one since you mentioned a mid knob), so I wouldn't be afraid to just go for that.

But...

Do you want a wider mid boost, or do you want something flatter?

If you want a wider / less obvious mid boost, maybe check out something like the Sarno Earth Drive. A lot of people who like Klons also like that, but its mid boost is much wider, and with the treble all the way open it's very gentle and comes across like more of a gradual low end rolloff. They have a newer mini version which looks cool too.

A Bluesbreaker or clone / variant (Analogman Prince of Tone, MXR Duke of Tone, Browne Carbon, etc) will be a bit more transparent again, but still generally with a mid boost. The Wampler Pantheon is also based on the Bluesbreaker, though, like the Tumnus Deluxe, its tonestack gives you more control, so that might be worth a look too. The overdrive character is different from a Klon with these, but there's a lot of overlap depending on the use case.

If you want something even more transparent, a Boss OD-3 could be good and can be pretty smooth still, or something like the EQD Special Cranker, which is even flatter, MIGHT work depending, again, on the application (it might come across as too "spit-y" and aggressive compared to a Klon at higher gain or more treble-y settings). There are actually some good videos comparing the OD-3 to the Klon iirc

Btw here's a great site that will let you look at and compare the frequency response of most of these pedals: https://rhpfelectronics.com/rhpf-el...edals-in-switzerland/rhpf-nerd-lab/tone-maps/

 

[JasonE]

I have been very tempted to pick up a Manis. I have just been afraid that it may not be for me and would rather get my hands on one in a shop where I can try before I buy.

I have a Wampler Gearbox. It has the Tumnus on the right side. I like it but the midrange is a little strong in it for some things. I decided to take the jump and buy a Tumnus Deluxe since they are on sale right now. I just received it earlier this week. I like it. The bass and mid controls on it are active and have a good but of adjustment to them. The treble control is the same as the Tumnus tone control. You can get the Klon / Tumnus tones from it and then you can tweak it to get other tones out of it. I am a fan of it.

If you are looking for something else in this arena that is a Klon type circuit but offers something different without that big mid hump, look at the PRS Horsemeat. Yeah, the name kind of sucks. I stayed away from it for a good while just because of the name. However, I found a good deal on one about a year ago. It is an impressive pedal. It is what I would call a truly transparent drive pedal. You can really hear the characteristics of each guitar you plug into it. The controls on it let you take it into areas that the Klon and Tumnus don't go. I have been quite impressed with this pedal.

 

[newholland]

ya might also try a sweet honey overdrive type circuit. it cuts low end, so i dial up the amps, and always leave it on and just use my guitar volume, but its fantastic for chording- thick and juicy, but CLEAR, and with control on the guitar... a little rolloff can get you even more.