After a certain YouTube video from Josh Scott of JHS Pedals was uploaded, the pedal world has gone mad. It would seem that the effect pedal guru has suggested that the Digitech Bad Monkey is essentially capable of sounding just like a Klon Centaur.
Is the Bad Monkey the new budget Klon?
The Digitech Bad Monkey was released back in 2004 and has received “extremely mixed” reactions over the years. The budget overdrive pedal was always claimed to be close to a Tube Screamer, but it has its own thing going on in reality.
Overdrive
Now the original $59 price tag has seen its price increase tenfold in some cases after an eye-opening demo video from the JHS Pedals owner Josh Scott.
When the video was published on March 14 the Bad Monkey could be purchased for “basically the same price” as when it came out, but a quick look at the used gear market today shows that they are now going for more than $600!
And now there is even a £10k Gary Moore Digitech-owned Bad Monkey being sold.
JHS Statement
To the people complaining that I raised the price on this pedal and “now you can’t buy one,” I would like to remind you you had 19 years, but you never cared. This pedal has existed four years longer than JHS as a company, and most guitarists have hated on it since day one. No one kept you from trying it in 2004. Learn to listen with your ears and not trends, and you will be a much happier guitarist.
Dialling them in
Now, the Klon Centaur is considered to be the ultimate transparent overdrive pedal. Then Josh Scott makes a video and switches between it and the infinitely cheaper DigiTech Bad Monkey with no significant tonal differences whatsoever.
This just goes to show that most overdrives can achieve similar tones when you know how to dial them in. If you need a few examples of this you can read my article on how to dial in some very famous pedals here,
I actually own both pedals and they are quite similar for many basic drive settings. The way that they are dialled in is how you achieve a good overdrive tone and so this isn’t exactly surprising.
Digitech Reborn
Thankfully, Digitech is back in business and re-releasing many of their classic pedals and so chances are the Bad Monkey will be back soon anyway.
I am guessing this price rise insanity will just be a temporary blip, so hold onto your money and grab a Bad Monkey once the craziness is over.
