Klon Centaur Overdrive

Very easy: plug and play.

I use my klon with strato into custom audio od 100.

Klon has a fantastic mid freq voice;

I use it for studio session, gig, tour.
10 years never problem.

Working with the klon 10 years

I'm 35 guitar man. I use the klon cent in different situation and musical styles.
It's perfect when you want a good midrange-sound in your guitar voice.

very simple three knobs.how can anybody go wrong!!!!!!!!!

test it through Marshall JTM45 + Bad Cat + Fender pro 1966 + Dr z 38 + Tweed Deluxe 59 and it was tested against three other pedals Throbak Boost, Burriss boost and BOSS BD-2.
To my surprise among all pedals the Throbak which is a remake of the Coloursound Power boost this pedals sound exactly the same only better you can get a real incredible fat overdrive and many other tones which the Klon cannot is one trick pony, Also the Busrriss great boost does not change your tone at all we all know the klon is transparent but ads a fat bottom to any amp which is a good thing. the real winner because of cost and tone is the BOSS BD-2 for any player that just are stuck on the TS-808 crap, open your mind because the BD-2 is the best kept secret not only is incredible boost and also makes any amp sound warmer and much better. we could not keep this pedal off was that good. 1st BD-2 price & performance. 2nd Throbak awesome pedal fat boost like the klon with bonus of overdrive tones to kill for.
3rd Klon & Buriss with edge to the klon which also make some of the amps sound better with mediocre overdrive.

built like a tank
awesome looking.

never had the chance to use it..

message for Bill... is time to mass produce the klon make allot more cash and lower cost.
If mike fuller can built the fulldrive to sell to the public for less then $200 you can too...and allow many other to own a KLON. who cares if it comes in a huge silver case.

playing for 20 years and I would only buy a Klon if won the lottery the I could afford a Gold and a silver for my collection. To use in Gigs I find the BD-2 and Throbak outstanding.

3 knobs. Doesn't get much simpler.

This pedal works best with vintage, or single channel tube amps that are of higher quality. I tried using it through the clean channel of a few higher gain amps, and the sound wasn't bad, but nothing special. Every time I use it through a nice, hand wired, single channel amp, however, it's absolutely perfect. Amps like Victoria, Dr. Z, and vintage Fenders or Gibsons love this pedal. I have a Dr. Z that I use, and when I step on this pedal, it sounds like my amp. That is what this pedal is designed to do. It allows you to add another channel to your single channel amp. This way you can set your amp at a lower level for clean, and step on the klon for your bigger, higher gain setting. It's almost like just turning your volume and/or gain knobs to a higher setting. That's the magic of the klon. If you have a crappy amp, it will not make it sound better, because it does not change the sound of your amp. That's what the people who criticize the klon do not understand. I love this pedal, and never plan on parting with it.

Haven't needed it.

The Klon is perfect for you if you meet the following criteria:

- You have a high quality or vintage single channel amp
- You love the sound of your amp as is
- You just want to add a foot switchable channel to your amp, without modifying it.

The pedal has 3 knobs. Gain, treble and output. This pedal has very usable tones at all settings.

I usually play a Strat through 66 Super Reverb or 61 Fender Concert. I like the sound of a "cranked" amp. The pedal does this but at a more managable volume. If you like the sound of your rig when the tubes are pushed into overdrive, you like this pedal.

The pedal is sturdy. All controls, jacks and switch are reliable. The one drawback is it will munch batteries (9 volt). I always use a fresh battery for every gig.

This is a "one man" operation. When you call, you talk to "the man". Bill will quiz you, if you never heard one. He tries to determine, with insightful questions, whether this pedal is for you. He's always helpful but don't bother to email, just call.

I'm a Blues/Rock guy and play some Jazz/Gospel. If I put a name on my sound it would be "Duane Allman". I've been playing 25 years. I have Strats, Pauls and Teles. Up until the Klon, I had tried many OD pedals. Tube screamers, Fuzzface, Marshall Guv'ner, Marshall Bluesbreaker and many Boss pedals. I have not tried another OD pedal since the Klon. I've had mine since 2002. I'm going to order another one to keep with my "Church rig". I took a leap of faith when I bought the Klon, I never heard one before. Everything I read about convinced me to try it. It makes my rig sound like my rig does when its "cranked", just without all the volume, that goes with a "cranked" amp. It inspires me to play.

Bloody easy mate.

I am one of those guys...you knwo, a working guitar player who has comtinued to try other OD's and this is the shit. My serial # in the low 2000's ( with a centaur graphic, not a "horseyman" you morons. did any of you crack a book in high school?)
I have a simple board CRybaby> Klon>Memory Lane> Lehle switcher> Psilocybe> %13 FTR37> 3/4 open back 2x12. My friend has a booteek store and has let me try lots of pedals, but I only have one OD. Why?
Because this guy makes a great pedal. If you need saturated gain, get a good amp that does that before you expect a pedal to do it well.

So far so good. Lots of touring, lots of batteries, but it is awesome.

The owner of this company seems to get some bad press on here. Some of you are more than likely expecting superb hospitality from him, but he needs to be building my 2nd unit(for different settings)so dont be unrealistic and light off on the guy and call him a jerk inhere. Having tried to sell on eBay, theres a lot of dumb ass people buying guitar gear out there, with lots of stuuuupid ass questions. Same guys that dont like Finnegan, is my guess. Oh well...this pedal rocks most mightily, which is what you are paying fdor and lots of guys have had their units for years with no issues.Try and get ahold of Line 6, see whos friendly and knowledgeable there, and their stuff is poorly built.

One of the best in the world. I have tried many, many cheaper units and this is the one I settled on. Not sure how a Landgraff sounds, but I will never part with my Klon, and my sons will not borrow it until they are older, and they know it.
If you are a working guitar player in search of a great OD pedal, here it is. And no props to Jesus written inside !

I have read and heard mixed reviews on the Klon Centaur/Overdrive. I purchased a used one a little while ago.I was told by a few that they are over rated and over priced.No Way! Very easy to use and is built like a tank! The manual gives you some good starting points and how to change the battery and also how to hardwire the plug to power up the unit with a Boss psa120t.Just 3 knobs but what a differnce they make. They are the only 3 knobs you would ever need to shape your sound. They actually WORK unlike other overdrive pedals.If you read an article on someone and they say they just use a guitar,amp and just a cord,they are LYING! This pedal gets your sound huge in any situation. If you like your sound and turn this on,you can't help but,love your sound a whloe lot more!No matter what amp your using.Clean or dirty.

The Klon is the best sounding pedal i have ever owned,i have had blackstone,ibanez tube screamer,various keeley effects,mxr,boss,fulltone,rat and various others. The klon is the only one that KEEPS your SOUND and gives it a huge boost. The gain control is just what it is,it dosen't add mids,or lows it just gives your amp a HUGE boost. It kicks your first preamp tube in the butt,big time. The output control and treble also work great! The treble dosen't get that nasty brittle sound like many other boxes out there. Its a very smooth transition and only helps your over all sound. The output is very gracious and also gives you a lot of control. I think it also has then best clean boost also,i use it with a badcat and a Splawn marshall amp,62 bassman piggyback and 63 bassman piggyback. The gain is on very little aout 9 oclock,treble a little over halfway and the output about 1 oclock. If you have any other overdrive effects do yourself a favor and try and get your hands on one,if thats possible,you won't ever turn back! Well worth for a new one.

Built like a tank,only had it for a short while but haven't read anything about them breaking down.

N/A

I think this pedal works with all styles of music. I really can't see anyone not liking the way it sounds. But you have to have a good tone already,but actually you have to have a good tone to start with or you wouldn't be buying a one in the first place. There aren't any pdeals that i'm aware of that get a great distortion sound on their own without any help from the amp. If it was lost or stolen i would definetly have to hve another one!

Very easy to use. Scint manual, two sketches of small notes, on hints and tips. Though, what it really does, is clouded in usual mystery.
Really easy, and heavy built which makes it stay on the floor.

It is a clean boost. Just a from mediocre to OK overdrive on it's own. It does what it's supposed to do very well, and was a quite novel act back in 1994 when it was first introduced. This is a sort of "connosieur" pedal, in that your amp and guitar should be at a certain setting and volume. And are liked and useful only to a "handful" of guitarists, that knows a little bit about playing with volume and so on.

I've tried it with a Bad Cat amp 40R (Wild Cat) and this pedal turns that - already a tone monster - into a Grizzly,PitBull,Godzilla kind of monster. It shines the best as a clean boost. I have a feeling that some frequencies, at least somewhere along the line, has at least SOME compression or limiting to them. But without losing any attack or dynamics. What is intriguing is that when using the volume on guitar, the pedals follows with it. It is a subtle added gain that may or may not be to anyones liking, but I agree with everyone else here, that you really have to turn you tube amp up a bit, before this thing should be kicked in. It is one of the few pedals that one can leave on all the time, and you wont get fatigued with the sound.

The pedal seems to "move forward" the working point of an amps preamp. That's the closest description I can get. The other day I tried it with the "ugly" VOX Conqueror solid state amp from the late 60's, that a friend of mine had. That amp had never sounded so good, but you have to turn it up to crank level. That amp couldn't sound even half decent no matter what, until we put the Klon in front of it. Even his Peavey Backstage 15 watt which sounds totally horrid by itself, came to life when coupled to a 2x12 speaker box. I even tried - just for fun - put in in front of Digital Modeller software inside a computer, i e Guitar Rig, but that was the most horrendous sound I've heard! Don't do that!

It's for real amps. The sound works best to vintage blues/rock and classic hard rock. It reacts to picking nuances very well. It is very silent also, save for when everything is put on eleven.

This is the first overdive, boost pedal I've heard, that works equally well on any setting. Has no particular sweet spot. My favorite setting seems to coincide with all others around here. Gain at 10 o clock, Treble at 12, and Output at full. With your amp turned up a bit with tubes producing "crank distortion". But you can basically have them knobs set anywhere, and it will not fatigue your ears.

As for full transparency or "direct bypass" I'll rest my case. It's not THAT special or unique by todays standards. I have no doubt there are several other pedals that sounds similar and even better, because technique must have evolved since 1994 when this unit came around. There's no one though, that sounds exactly the same

Here's the caveat. Yeah it's rugged built, and the black gooey thing can hold things together so they wont rattle and turn loose, as the years go by. However, when someone plugs wrong current into it, or somethings get broke INSIDE it, I think it will die for good.

There are some sites out on the internet, that has tried to revers engineer it, so if I probe deep I probably will find spare components of it. This, is the caveat with most one man companys and "copy protected" manufacturing.

Well, I mailed mr Finnegan and asked him about current price, and he responded within 24 hrs. I got all information from him, but ended up buying one from Boutique Tone in Montreal anyway, because I visiting that town anway. His lead time is - well - putting ones patience at test, so to speak. :-)

I can't think of that this box haven't been copied, cloned or clowned, or even bettered many times over, since it's inception in 1994 and I wonder what will happen if mr Finnegan - excuse me for pushing it - all of a sudden not will be with us anymore? then the extortionate e-bay prices will plummeth, because there will be no after life services. And if he has left the schematics to some other guy, it must be opened to public. There will be no service, warranty, or anything like that.

From that Klon company that is...;-)

I'll have to confess to being a "currency-shark" on this pedal. The very low dollar rate right now, is the first time that I thought that this pedal may be worth it. Before, I thought this pedal was waay too expensive both for my needs, and my wallet. Until now.

And I've always wondered how anyone can pay that much dough for a pedal. Especially you folks, in the US. However, as with all other quality things out there, cars, stereos etc. For that extra 5 % that anything becomes better in quality (i e sound), you have to pay 60-70 % more.

There are lots of other pedals that will do this, perhaps, better, and similar, say Lovepedal, Zachary, Crowther, Divided by 13 and whatthef*** but no one the same. This one has that little nuance, and taste that may apply to a few picky, selected, discriminating players. It's a niche pedal with quite a narrow usage, but a very very good one at that. If its flavor appeals to you or not, it's only a matter of taste. One can't say green is better than red.

It was a tad hyped when it came around in the mid 90s. And then overhyped to the moon and back. The best - funniest - description I've heard was on another site where someone ( a detractor of the box) said "Those who owns it says it will control the phases of the moon, cure cancer, rid nations of evil, and even Chuck Norris will bow before it...". Now, that's a tad overhyped don't you think? :-)

I think there are alternatives now, but no one really the same, since this one set the standard of which the others had to follow.

very well built. Simple to use. vol tone gain

Unfortunately this pedal just didnt bring me the orgasmic uphoria I expected after reading all the #10 reviews posted everywhere. In my opinion the pedal is highly over rated and way over priced. It works well as a boost with settings of vol at 10 tone at 12 and gain at about 8 o clock. Otherwise the gain does color your tone and is pretty much useless. My opinion is this. great od/gain comes from power tubes being pushed over the top. Get a good all tube amp turn it up and save your money on this effect.

Built well

dont know. bought on ebay.

30 plus years experience. have yet to find a od/dist/gain pedal better than an overdriven all tube amp.

I received the pedal at work and sweat through the next five hours until I could get it home to try it. The unit has three controls ??? Gain, Treble and Output. It comes with a one handwritten page of suggestions. Instructions aren???t really needed with this thing. Plug it between a guitar and an amp and play. It???s very easy to get a good sound. I initially just set the controls to the settings on the paper I got and was happy with that. I play a/b/y???ed with a 76 Fender Strat run into a SF Fender Princeton and an Orange Tiny Terror (Run into an Orange 1x12 cab.). The Gain controls the amount of bark I get out of the Princeton and the level of crunch from the Orange. The Treble control does what you would expect it too. Not using it would be a mistake and probably why some find that the gain adds mid range honk. Turn the treble knob. I personally don???t find the gain to add mid range. I plugged the Klon into my son???s Crate and it seemed to emphasize the mid range. I think it???s amp and speaker dependent. If your amp emphasizes certain tonal frequencies, then the Klon will bring it out. The Output controls how hard you hit the front end of the amp. It makes the Princeton sound huge. I usually run the volume of the amp on 8. In order to please our sound man ( I play praise and worship at a fairly large church, so our stage volume is relatively low.) I???ve dropped the amp volume to 5. I???ve had the Klon for over a month and am surprised at how diverse one pedal can be. The OD???s that I???ve used in the past have been pretty much one trick. Just varying degrees of overdrive with the one sound (And regrettably that sound wasn't usually the sound of my guitar and amp, i.e. TS pedals.).

I used to have a pretty extensive pedal board. Multiple overdrive pedals (Fulltone OCD, Keeley Modded TS-808, Old original Ibanez Tube Screamer, and a Keeley Java Boost), a compressor (Keeley), and delay pedals (Diamond Memory Lane and DLS Echo Tap) and whatever Wah pedal that grabbed my attention. As stated above, I a/b/y into the Fender and Orange amps. Since getting the Klon, all the other overdrive pedals have left the board (Except for the OCD which I???ll explain later.). The Klon into the Diamond delay gives me all I could ever want out of the Princeton. It really beefs up the sound. Notes blossom. String definition in open chords increases. Hammer-ons and slides up and down the neck seem to become more defined. Notes just seem to pop out of the amp (I know???that sounds stupid???but that???s how it sounds.). If you love the sound of your current amp (Tube amp preferably) cranked up to the point that the tubes are starting to sweat, then I can???t see any reason that the Klon won???t help you to sound better. I???ve found, after dumping these other pedals that I have had to become a better player. I play cleaner now. The Klon coaxes the amp into natural compression and sustain. I never turn it off.

The Klon into the Orange drives that little amp in crunch heaven. I???ve played through the bigger Marshall and Orange amps and they have to be pushed to the point of permanent hearing damage to get them to start talking. With the input section of the amp pushed by the Klon, the amp beefs up and all of those 70???s classic rock tones are there for the taking. I set the ouput to around 1 o???clock (That pushing the input section on the amp fairly hard.) and then move the gain to however how much overdrive (Well really???distortion.) that I want. Mix the two tones together and I???m one step closer to heaven. Only one problem. The settings needed on the Klon for the Princeton are different that those for the Tiny Terror (Kind of like trying to compare apples and oranges???pun intended.). So???I ordered another Klon. In the meantime I???ve got the OCD pushing the Orange. It ain???t the Klon but it will have to do until my second one comes in (Not expected for at least 13 weeks???.Arggggh.).

My amp tech took a look at the insides of the pedal and his only comments were, ???There???s some high quality parts in here.??? And ???Yuch???goop.??? I personally couldn???t tell you the difference between a good switch or pot and a bad one. I???ll take his word for it. As far as the goop???well???I write computer code. If I don???t want everyone knowing what I wrote, I encrypt it. Looks like some physical encryption to me. The case is built like a tank. I like the custom battery holder and the way he has the battery cable secured to the board. Might seem minor but I???ve paid some serious money for pedals with crappy cases, cheap battery connectors and wires that weren???t secured. I can solder but I shouldn???t have to. Batteries last for approximately 20 hours of playing time. Don???t forget to pull the input or the next time you play you???ll be putting in a new Energizer.

For some reason, some people don???t like Bill Finnegan (Owner, Manufacturer, Shipping Department, Tech Support and Cleanup Crew at Klon.). Maybe it???s because he asks prospective customers what kind of equipment they use. I kind of appreciated that fact. I had never played through a Klon when I ordered it. I thought about it long and hard too. It made me feel more secure about spending my money when he told me that the Klon with an old Strat and a SF Princeton would sound great. I???ve read that he???s got a big ego. I didn???t see it. People are fickle. Some have complained that he sounded really busy when they???ve called (He better be???the wait time on these things averages three months.). What do they expect. I???ve talked to him several time over the last three months. Just short informational calls. Yeah???you can tell the guy is working when he???s talking to you. So? It???s a one man show. Give Boss a call. Maybe you???ll get to talk to somebody who speaks English.

To put things into perspective, I was supposed to give him a call to nail down the time of shipping on my current pedal. I got busy at work and forgot. He called me that evening, at home, with the information. Nuff Said!

I've been playing the guitar, in one form or another, since 1976 (The year I graduated from high school. My kids are right, I am getting old.). I???ve been through countless amps, pedals and guitars searching for this elusive tone that???s been banging around inside my head. Ironically enough, I???ve had the guitar and amp portion of that search since day one. I was just too inept to know it. I have now found the third piece to my puzzle. The Klon Centaur. No more scouring the internet for new overdrive pedals. Reading effects forums for the latest on pedal companies no one has ever heard of. I read about the Klon six years ago. Man, I could of saved a lot of money, time and effort if I would have just ordered one then. It probably would have had the horseyman graphic on it too! Now...I've got another one coming. Word to the wise my friends. Word to the wise.

Dial it in for your setup.
People hear things in differnt ways.
This by no means the Klon's fault.
I have no. 370
Man these things have gotten expensive.
Hype? Yes!
Overated? No!

What can I say. I have no. 370 I loved it the first time I tried it.
I have a Matchless DC 30.... but does that matter to any one it shouldn't. The point to this is this will make your amp sound
25% larger so if you like your amp then great...if you love your amp
even better. If you don't like your amp's sound... well start there
first. It does not color my amp's tone at all. It kinda of just boosts all frequencies across the board like it becomes part of the amp you almost forget that it is a pedal.

I've seen a few negative reviews of this pedal on this site.
you guys are funny. It seems that you want this pedal to do something
it wasn't intended to do. So of coarse it is not for you.

My favorite things about the Klon is 1. It is dead quiet 2. Opens the
amp up. The fist thing I thought when I tried it was the amp sounds clearer, 25% larger. One or two great sounds is to put your Amp to clean and then dial in the gain to say 9:00, treble to say 12:00 or 1:00 and the Level to say to where the volume is slightly increased.
Now the amp sounds like it is 25% Larger.

For distortion push your Amp just past clean to where it is just starting to distort to my ears it is the sweet spot on a given Amp.
Click the Klon on and move the Gain up to where it starts to distort.
(set the Amp to clean first to figure this out then go back to that sweet spot) Then micro adjust the gain, treble and level slightly to your likening. Now listen to your speakers on axis and off (don't
make yourself deaf....Ha..Ha!) Hopefulley you have some good Speakers. To me and my ears, this one of the most over looked pieces of equipment in one's setup. I worked in a music store years ago and people would try to achieve sounds without even considering this.
(To my ears until you heard a good speaker then alot of one's sound
seems elusive).
To my ears speakers can sound down right shitty to glorious to the point where you don't want to put any effect on your amp for fear that it might fuck with the speakers mojo (I'm using the Weber ANICO Blue Dogs 12") I really like these speakers, I've tried a few.) This is why I love the Klon it just enhances that graet tone you may all ready be getting.
TO MY EARS I LOVE IT!

Oh yes!
Still working 10 plus years...man time flies

Never had to worry about this.

I like Blues and early Rock.
How long? Well awhile since 18 now i'm going to be 50.
Lost or stolen? would I get a new one OH yes. Although
at the prices they are now that would suck. It would be nice
if Finnegin could get these produced at a quicker fashion and roll
back the price to say $350.00.

A word about effects, there all fucking over priced. I can see, say
a 33% mark up on Point to Point pedals, but man it has gotten really ridiculous!

But everything has!

Just turn it on and you'll get a good sound. I don't really want to repeat whats been said over 200 hundred times here but here goes anyway: You have to have a good sounding amp to begin with. The KLON amplifies your already good sounding amp...makes it better. What's better than a great sounding Fender Super, Twin or Deluxe?" Answer: One w/ a KLON !

I use it with a Fender BF Super, Deluxe and sometimes w/ a Gibson Ga15RV...(a really great 15w Class a amp BTW, As good as a Vox AC15 or 30 but about a third of the cost.) I use this in front of another pedal..currently an MI Audio Blue Boy or a Digitech Bad Monkey..(the Bad Monkey is much better than a TS-9 and costs $40) But usually use just the KLON unless I need a big dose of ultra-distortion for a particular tune.

I've had it for about 10 years...never had even a small problem with it.

Very, very helpful. Back in '98 Bill F. was just like an Amp Professor on the phone w/me. Ultra-knowledgable and I trusted his judgement completly.

I've been playing professionallyfor 35 years..play all kinds of stuff. I have to jump on the KLON bandwagon of superlative descriptions/endorsements because I have had basically every overdrive pedal there is...and probably many that you've never heard of because some of you readers weren't alive at the time...but the KLON has remained on my board as the ONE CONSTANT, must-have, won't do a gig without it pedal for almost 10 years. I have never had an overdrive pedal I can say that about. It was even stolen from a gig once. But I was able to retrieve it because I saw it on eBay a few days after it was stolen. I identified it based on a few dings that I recognized. The local police raided the music store that had it, retrieved my prized pedal and complimented me on my "great detective work"...man, getting a compliment from a cop..that made my day !

Easy to use, except some people may misunderstand it's intended use. It's meant to make your amp sound like it's driven harder, like adding a notch or two on your gain and/or volume control.

The taper of the controls, and the range that they offer are just about perfect.

Does exactly what I want it to do. From a clean boost to a dynamic, grainy focused overdrive. Retains dynamics well, (although when the volume is on max. it compresses, which can be good and bad).

I use this mainly for a bit of a gain boost. For higher gain sounds I use a Ge Crucible Fuzz, or a modified RAT.

I've tried many overdrive pedals before, and since. And there are a few which have sounded good to me temporarily, but eventually sold off because I got tired of their tone character. I've used this pedal for about 2 years through various amps, and feel it imposes very little sound of it's own... it's funny but I'm likely to change guitars/amps/pickups/speakers/etc, but the Klon is a constant.

No Hassles whatsoever. This unit is over 10 years old. (SN#678).

If you look inside the unit, you'll see how well these units are made. Very solid and absolutely beautiful work!

Bill is a kind and helpful guy if you should ever need any info.

This is my second review on this pedal.

I believe the people whom would benefit most out of this unit, are people whom generally don't like the sound of pedals. And I know a few "Pedalphile"s, and ironically they are the ones whom don't appreciate it...

I actually bought two more brand new units, one which I intended to keep as a backup, but ended up selling both since I figured I would probably never need a replacement, unless my main unit was stolen.

It's easy to get an "okay" boost out of it, but a good overdrive sound is impossible with it.

This has to be the most overrated pedal in history. It is not transpartent at all. It totally changes your guitar amp tone just like tube screamer. The only use for it is playing lead to make your solo pop out of the mix a little bit, maybe goose your amp into crunching. You can do the same thing with 100 other pedals.

The overdrive is one of the worst you will ever hear. It's painfully poor. I mean DOD 250 is better, boss SD-1 is better hell a danelectro daddy-o is better. It's among the worst I have ever enountered.

It's built well.

Have you ever heard the saying the bigger the lie the more easily it will be believed? That pretty much sums up the hype surrounding this box.

Easy to use-comes with suggested settings for clean boost.

Compared to pretty much every other pedal out there (e.g., Expandora, two original TS-808s, B.K. Butler, etc.) this one has a certain even quality and a steady smoothness through the range of the settings. I think it's been correctly described as "sophisticated". It's the one that caused me to "quit looking". For me this is the reference overdrive pedal.

I run a bevy of single coils or humbuckers through a 68 Deluxe Reverb, which when I got it "needed something" although everything was working. Guitar--EH White Finger--TS808 or the like--Fulltone '70--Vox Thomas Organ Wah--(Voodoo lab Proctavia sometimes)--Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe Jr--H&K Replex--Deluxe Reverb. Then the Centaur came along. TS808 is out.

BLAT. (Built like a tank)

Bill was patient in dealng wth me. I'd actually lost his number and he called me to see what was up, since he hadn't heard.

It's a transparent pedal, for those who care about such things, you know who you are. It's way cool, and it is one of those pedals that allows you to settle down and quit searching for "the sound"--this is the tool you need if you are one of those type of people.

I'd seen Bill at his booth with Jim Campilongo at the Dallas guitar show back in '96 I think, and didn't think the Centaur was something worth looking into, ha ha. You live and learn.

Personally I feel this overdrive pedal is simple enough with 3 well spaced out controls.

I have avoided most overdrive/distortion pedals in preference to amps natural harmonic distortion when needed thats why its essential to play the correct wattage amp for gig, however I have found with the Klon and no other pedal that I actually prefer the harmonic structure, natural feedback and saturated clarity of my equipment with the Klon engaged rather then without. At the moment I play through a Barber tone press into Fulltone Wah into Klon then stereo out of the new Damage Control Timeline Delay modulation pedal into 2 Savage Mach 6 amps.

Now the Savages run on 1 6V6 power tube each so for this set up it gives a more aggressive but sophisticated sustain quality.

I run the tone control at 11 - 1 oclock mostly as I prefer tone adjustment from the amp and find aggressive use of the pedals tone control not pleasant to my ears. Also I use the Klon gain between 12 oclock and full out although after 3 oclock gain noise can creep in which is expected anyway but personally I have no complaints whatsoever when used full out. Clarity is the key for me and this pedal stops before extreme distortion without loss of the fluid sustain we all love.

Play Strats , Les Pauls , PRS's.

Concerning using the gain level full out.
I believe that single coil and lower output humbuckers sound better then super high gain pickups and that is part of the equation of liking the pedal in this capacity.

I believe its as tough as you can get and risk playing without a back up because I tend to use it more for solos and occasional songs chord work.

Bill is kind with his time on the phone and proud of his product which he deserves to be.

Been obsessed with equipment and tone for 30 odd years.

I did compare Klon to many other pedals and there was something about its organic nature that put it above the rest. Band members enjoy it as much as I do.

I love clarity of notes even when playing distorted and I think many pedals get lost when playing complex patterns, so far the Klon has maintained its voice in all situations by being transparent.

This pedal is pretty easy to use...3 contols- Gain, Treble, Output...very sensitive, with a wide range of sounds.

Alright...here's the story with this one. Remember the guitar tones we hear on our favorite recordings? Usually, it is the sound of a tube amp recorded at a loud volume-no pedals. This is an overdrive pedal, NOT a distortion pedal. You have to love the sound of your amp to begin with...this is not a magic pedal to make you sound great. If your amp sounds like crap, this will make you sound crappier...BUT- if you love the sound of your amp cranked, this is the pedal for you. I play mostly vintage Fenders and Marshalls, and I am a firm believer that the best guitar tones come from amplifiers that are "opened up" a little. Unfortunately, a lot of the gigs we play do not allow us to get loud enough to experience great tone-so we try overdrive pedals. Every other OD pedal I have tried (Fulltone, Analogman, etc) have added compression to my signal, and usually a loss of low-end frequencies. The Klon Centaur makes your amp sound like your amp, but bigger. I leave it on all the time, and back off the volume on my guitar for clean tones. Lead tones are articulate and extremely touch sensitive, and even complex chord voicings ring out with clarity.

Built like a tank, and seems extremely reliable. I always have a backup, but doubt I'll ever need it.

Bill is really knowledgeable, and very honest when it comes to helping you figure out if this is the right pedal for you. I have heard some gripes in the past about how you have to wait 3 months for the pedal, Bill is hard to get a hold of, etc...Not true. Call him in the morning. He is a one-man operation, so of course there will be a wait (more than worth it)...

I play mostly rock...Gibsons and Fenders. I've been playing about 25 years. If it were lost or stolen, I would curse my misfortune, and promptly obtain another one. I am somewhat of a gear nut, and have tried just about every "boutique" pedal out there. If it sounds like I am stuck on this pedal, I am.

Why not a 10? Because despite having only three knobs, Gain, Treble and Output, this is a very sophisticated unit and requires quite a bit of tweaking to get the most out of it.

This is my second review of the unit having owned it now for two years. Outstanding sound quality. I use Gibson Historic Les Paul Reissues and Carr Amps -- a Rambler and a Mercury. No other effects. While I agree with many of the reviewers that say the Klon shines as a clean boost when a low-wattage tube amp is cranked to the point when it starts to break up, I have another take that many may find controversial: I think it's great as an overdrive as well. There I've said it. With the right guitar/amp combination I can get a great tone out of the Klon set to flat-out distortion. I A-B'd some recording I made with a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 and found the Klon to have a more organic overdrive, that is to say, it felt like part of the sound rather than an effect on top of it.

I've had no issues with it and would use it on a gig without backup.

Bill Finnegan is a likeable and knowledgeable guy.

I play blues and jazz. I've been playing over 40 years. I played professionally for 12. Now music is a hobby but a serious hobby. I play almost daily. Tone has always been the Holy Grail for me and I've owned old Strats, old Teles, numerous Gibsons, old plexi Marshalls, blackface Fenders and on and on. With the Klon, I'm able to sound like what I hear in my head (if that makes sense). You've got to have a guitar that sounds great unplugged and an amp that has a warm clear sound. Add the Klon and you have tone heaven!

As a collector and player who has used about everything on the block, the Centaur is to me one of the most organic, easy to use pedals out there.

The Centaur is the essence of simplicity, but that's also its achilles heel. Unlike many pedals, all three controls (gain, tone, and output level) are independant, so for instance if the gain is changed the user may want to dial in new tone and output level settings.

The Klon does what it does better than anything else out there.

And there's the rub, and what some players and users don't understand. Calling the Centaur an "overdrive pedal" lumps it into a broad category with a plethora of other products, some similar, but many different in fundamental ways.

If you're a spandex wearing big hair kinda player, the Centaur won't give you hot-rodded Soldano or Marshall gain in a box. If you're a bedroom player who keeps the volume down to keep the neighbors at bay, it won't produce sweet sounding distortion at low levels. if your idea of tone is some sort of solid state swiss army knife amp, or modeling unit, the Centaur is about as useful as a trailer hitch on a Ferrari.

But paired with an organic, already good sounding, touch sensitive tube amp, the Centaur is just ... MORE. It's hard to describe. It's not exactly a totally transparent effect, but then again it's nothing like the boxy response of say one of the myriad Tube Screamer type clones.

But the essential thing here is that the amp MUST BE TURNED UP ENOUGH SO THAT IT CAN BREATHE. There's a magical, resonant, organic combination of guitar, pickups, tubes pushed into overdrive, transformers that are beginning to sweat a bit, and speaker cones that are being pushed out of their safe zone, and the Centaur works best when added to this mix.

A friend of mine has a pristine 1965 Super Reverb and brought it over one day, saying "it just doesn't sound very good, and I don't know why". He fired it up, with a Strat and the requisite Tube Screamer, and immediately I saw the problem, as the "Volume" control was set at about "2.5" and the tone controls were all at "4" or "5". A simple flick of the knobs, bright switch on and Bass-Treble-Mids on "7" and the Volume on "9", the amp came alive and my buddy's jaw just dropped.

The Klon is very similar, in that it sounds good only when paired with an amp that's working, not full out, but enough so that the amp has come alive. I've paired it with everything from classic Fender Tweeds (Bassman, Low and High Power Twins), to the ubiquitous Fender Blackface Amps (Showman, Twin, Super Reverb), and to Marshalls and their betters - in particular I refer to the particularly magical pairing of the Centaur with a Blockhead '63 Split Front.

With any of those medium to high power amps, the Centaur just sang and became an essential part of the tone chain. With some lower power amps - for instance a '62 Brown Deluxe, which is a great rock-and-roll amp with lots of crunch - the Centaur was less useful as the headroom of the amps was reduced. It's certainly useful as a subtle, transparent boost, but the Centaur really shines with the more powerful amps.

Mine is one of the early (gold colored) units, and I've never had a problem. The circuits are covered with some sort of black gunk, which although useful perhaps to keep everything in place and make it more reliable, likely makes any sort of repair problematic at best. I've heard good things about the service provided by the builder, but luckily (so far) never needed it.

Never had an occasion to deal with them - no opinion.

Take a time machine back to when this pedal was introduced - there were a few high end guys making one-off type pedals for the stars, but in many ways the Klon Centaur was one of the first high end pedals, and helped pave the way for many of the custom builders. Back then your typical used pedal might be $25 or $50 at the local music store.

It's hard to rate anything a "10" but in this case it's difficult *not* to give the effect that rating. Over the years I've owned and/or played through ... well, too many "overdrive/distortion" units to count. They all had their good and bad points, but they all did seem to be "effects" , in that they were something to be used sparingly, as an effect, rather than an organic, essential part of the sound. To me the Klon simply has become a part of the tonal chain that's always on, as opposed to something that's simply an "effect".

Simple, three knobs! Gain, treble & output. Very easy to use, right out of the box.

The sound is outstanding! I only rate it a 9 because nothing is perfect! I use this as a boost, to get more of my own sound. I set the controls as follows: Gain: 7-8 o'clock, Treble: 12-1 o'clock and Output: 1-2 o'clock. I play a strat or tele through a '62 Bassman head running a 1x12 open back cab with a celestion vintage 30. WOW! The tone is amazing, giving my stock single coils more gain & sustain, but retaining their beautiful characteristic "bell like" tone! Lower the volume and it cleans up, turn up and it sings! Awsome blues tone!

I use it on gigs without a backup, I've been using it for about 6 months with no problem.

My dealings with Bill have been great, but I have not had any issues with the product.

I am a professional musician,and play all styles. I have been playing for 30 years. If this were lost or stolen I would replace immediately! Expensive? Well, you get what you pay for! It's built like a tank, and it sounds great! How many little boxes have we all bought, at about a hundred bucks a pop, and they just dont produce the sound we are hearing in our head? If you have a great tone, and want to push it a little harder, get this unit!

Gain Treble and Output controls. Couldn't be simpler.

The best use for a Klon, of course, is as a clean boost. The overdrive this thing produces is not pleasant at all.

The Klon as a boost is not transparent by any means. It colors your tone quite a bit, and is a bit nasal, to my ears. It's not a bad sound, but it gets old quickly. It's a very focused, low-mid boosting sound. There aren't a lot of tricks up its sleeve. It's a bit expensive too, for what it does. This may seem heretical, but I'd like to see some updates to the Centaur. More tone controls would be better, as well as a smoother drive sound.

Seems very dependable.

Bill is great!

If this were in the $100 range I'd say it's a great value. But for the price, I'd like to see more versatility. It's certainly not a bad effect - in certain applications, it's quite good (clean boost, works well with my twin reverb). But it's just not versatile enough for my needs. Not to mention it takes up a lot of real estate for a dirt box. No disrespect to Bill, who is a great guy.

Easy as pie , to get a good sound out of the Klon !!!

I'm not a person who gives ten's easily but this pedal has MAGIC !! Makes my amp so much better !! Makes my guitar better ! and has inspired me as a player ! How many pedals can you say that about ?
I play a 2005 Gibson 58 reissue Les Paul into a Marshall JCM 800 50 watt ....

You couldn't wreck this thing if you tried !!!

Bill is a real card to deal with ! He is passionate about his product and his customers and it shows..

I play mainly classic and hard rock and this pedal does them perfectly !If somebody stole it I'd rip out thier heart and eat it !

Very easy to use with just three knobs: gain, treble, and output. If you've used any kind of overdrive/distortion pedal you wont have any problem with this one.

I'll go ahead and compare the Klon to the other overdrives I have: a analogman 4 knob king of tone, and a landgraff dynamic overdrive. The centaur is pretty similar to the analogman king of tone, minus the extra boost channel: the tone can go from warm to bright and the gain control is very subtle on both pedals. I'd say maybe the klon has a touch more gain than the king of tone and definately more output. The klon sounds nothing like the landgraff overdrive. The landgraff dynamic overdrive is more of a hyped-up distortion sound, where you really need to set the gain a bit higher and you get this really thick, smooth, sustaining distortion that is more of an effect than the sound of your amp boosted. The klon on the other hand really needs the amp to be slightly gritty before it will do it's thing and it's sound is much more open, raw, and less sustaining and smooth than the landgraff. I'm not really sure what it is about this pedal but it just really sounds good in all the right ways. The landgraff never has enough treble and when you crank the tone knob on it, a crapload of hiss and noise is added. The klon on the other hand has plenty of treble and is very very quiet. It seems to just enhance the right frequencies, it's hard to put your finger on it but it's just this glorious, raw, natural, dirty amp sound. You really do need to use a lower wattage amp and have it slightly girtty for the klon to really sound amazing though, where as the king of tone and landgraff overdrives can pretty much work with anything. The centaur and my 1962 fender brownface princeton are a match made in heaven, I can have the amp's volume about halfway: just between clean and clipped and I kick on the centaur and it just makes the amp scream in such a beautiful way. But trying the centaur out with a friend's mesa boogie dual rectifier just made the amp unbearably loud and not all that distorted so you really need to have an amp that's a bit on the dirty side to really make it work like it should. If you like to use high-headroom 100 watt amps be prepared to turn that thing waaaayy up before the centaur will add any serious overdrive element. I know most people like using the centaur with its gain off and the treble control at 12 o'clock but I really like it set with the gain a little less than halfway and the treble set just under 2/3rds of the way up...this gives my amp just the right push and make any solos or anything really cut through. All I can say about this pedal is believe the hype!!!! It's wonderful but you do need the right setup on your amp to really make it work at it's best. It really is one of the most transparent effects ever even compared to the king of tone which is very subtle and the landgraff which is way more of an effect sound.

Absolutely rock solid steel enclosure...very high quality parts and attentive handmade consruction make this one of the most sturdy and heavy-duty pedals ever...but at almost $350 new (and even more used...which I think is very telling of the quality of the pedal) you really wouldn't want to throw the centaur around...I keep it nice and safe in its box when not in use and take care of it...should last a lifetime.

Bill Finnegan is great, helpful, and extremely dedicated to his work. Customer support is well beyond most other companies out there.

Love this pedal. Sounds nothing like a tubescreamer, fuzz face, landgraff, or analogman pedal...unique in that it really works with your amp to produce a sound which means that you've got to have a good amp and set it to the right gain level where the centaur can really work it, but if you do you will not be dissapointed...there's something very very RIGHT about the sound of the centaur. The upside to the amp-pedal issue is that the centuar is really less of an effect and so it allows you to create unique sounds depending on your personal amp, guitar setup. Totally worth the money!!!!

One has to get the feel of the pedal first and then it's just a matter of adjusting to the room you're playing in. The treble function seems a bit misundrstood by some opinions voiced below, though it's my favorite tool in the box.

If you want clean boost and dynamics look no further. I don't use a lot of other pedals-some Echoplex and a mini-Leslie, so I'm very pleased with the enhancement.

Never failed to function in 6+ years. I think it sound better with an adaptor.

Bill is a great guy to deal with. I think if you read many of the other reviews you'll find a lot of players strike up a friendly relationship with him. I've received a lot of useful information from Bill over the years.

A little editorialising here: I love it when the knuckle draggers weigh in e.g. "I'd take a Boss MetalZone over this piece of crap"... baffling really. It's like complaining that the chicken on your plate is not roast beef.

Easy as pie to use. Mark your different settings on the pedal and go.

Not only can you get some of your favorite artists sounds, the Klon enables you to create your own. That's what I want. Admittedly when I first bought it I used it to copy Robin Trower (along with a roto vibe). That required a more OD than not. I kept it that way till just yesterday I turned the OD knob all the way counter-clockwise. My amp (Fender Blues Jr.) was accidently out of adjustment and down very low. When I hit the first note I couldn't believe what I heard. Slamming super charged lead tones. I turned up a little and the tone still held. Then I added some Carl Martin compression and Carl Martin analog delay, bought a De'ja-Vibe ! well it's an awesome. Got my own sound. Great pedal

Built solid and correctly. Never a problem. Don't need a back up

The customer was great. He even told me a few tricks about how to get the best out of the Klon.

I lean toward the Blues but I also rock out at times. Latin Rock is my new style for now. I've been playing for around 30 yrs. I have a '91 Strat and a Martin DCX1E. I have a Fender Blues Jr. and an Epiphone 5w Valve jr. I own a Roland CD2400 studio and some outboard gear to go with it. Plus other various p.a. and lighting gear. And yes I would buy the Klon again. I love the quality, the tone and the noisless operation. It's the best I've ever used. I've used Boss and a few others. Tested a lot of different OD pedals. Went out on a limb and bought the Klon because of a Guitar Player mag. write up on the Centaur. Glad I did. This pedal has helped me define my own sound which is all I really wanted. It is an asset to me and my music===David Patrick

Clean Boost mode is where the beast lurks in this pedal. If your going for a traditonal overdrive. Buy an Analogman OD9 Silver Mod Maxon pedal. ( The Maxon is better than the Ibanez peices. Go read the website at analogman.com)
Anyway it is simple three knobs. Tone Gain and level. Easy. Old Gold version. I hear Bill F Detests it when someone through the grapevine claims that the silver version which is the new version is tonally differant than the original gold version. I myself have never tried the newer silver version but im sure if the guy is that crazy over the differance factor they must be similiar or very close if anything.

I run an early 80s JCM800 2203 mode Marshall thru a matching early 80s cab. Also play a few NMV Marshall plexis, JMPs, mkII, jtm45s and the like. A bit of everything from the family of Marshall. Which rig I take to the show on a particular night is up to how im feeling. When I want a thick midrange with balls i go Klon'ing and my JCM800 2203. It simply does what it says. It takes my JCM800 2203 and simply makes it more of what it already is. You SIMPLY MUST START with a great rig right off the bat for if not, forget it! RUnning this puppy through a solid state rig is ridiculous. A $600 Gold Klon into a $200 solid state Marshall NO!
ANyway, It takes my Les Paul and simply makes it more dynamic and sparkling in every facet. If your saying it adds low mids as someone previous said this is because the amp your obviously running the Klon with has eccentuated mids to begin with and the Klon is simply bringing the EQ freq.'s from your amp to life ! IT LIVES AND ITS A KLON!@

Built like a tank. I do concur with the gentleman who mentioned "what do we all do if BIll Finnegan kicks the bucket or retires or becomes and invalid . Is that how you day that. In-velad?? I dont know. SORRY BILL but its true. If you feel your mind or health slipping away please do us all a favor who have blown $300 to $600 on a Klon. GIve us the SCHEMATICS! no probs

This man BIll F is inpassioned about his sole product. And rightfully so, he knows what has gone into it and he knows what people are getting out of it. Nough said here. Im sure if your unit went kaput , you send it to the man and hell just rip out the old board and throw another fresh one in. Gosh knows he aint getting into his on GOOEY mESS !

The Klon will take a dynamic amp and make it more dynamic . It can seem to bring out certain frequencies more than others to some people who have reviewed this pedal before me and to those I say this. Listen closer to your amp STOCK before the Klon and then after the Klon. I bet you 9 out of 10 it is a frequency or frequencies that were lurking in your amp in the first place that the Klon TICKLED and now they are burstying forth in granduer and delight! A WONDERFULLY EXCITING and hair raising piece of eqpt. I sold my original GOld Klno and I was so upset I did this that I went and bought another gold one at the $580 dollars I made selling my first one ! So its all relative money wise. YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS , THE KLON IS NOT I REPEAT ___NOT_ A BEDROOM SHREDDERS PEDAL. YOU MUST TURN IT UP. IT SOUNDS WOOFY at lower volumes and you will be TRICKED into thinking the pedal bites ass in this regard. DONT BE FOOOLED> IF you cant run with the big dogs stay on the prorch. In otherwords if you are not playing out live or cranking your amp to live rehearsal volumes OR recording with the amp art adequate volumes or any of the above than FORGET IT> SELL IT> GO BY a SHrednmaster

Exceptional boost and overdrive pedal. So easy to get good sounds sounds you can literally plug-and-play.
I've had mine for over 3 years and use it at every gig, and most rehersals.
It's so good I'm buying another Klon; bit self-indulgent, but I want one for my basement and one for the pedalboard I take to gigs.

Sound is perfect for me: blues and classic rock. I use mostly an original '70 Strat, an Eric J. Strat and an RI '57 Goldtop Les Paul. I like to stick to old Fender amps.
I use the Klon two ways: 1. a clean boost when want a bit of overdrive but I'm playing at low volumes, it fattens the sound nicely and 2. when I want to bring just a little crunch into my sound, it's a wonderful overdirvie sound, not distortion, a smooth, natural sound.
I'd say the boost gives me a Buddy Guy sound through my old Fender amps, sharp cutting Fender-ish but with a "big" feel to individual notes (no, I can't play like Buddy, I just try). The overdire on the Klon is great, very sensitive so you can add "hair" in small increments. It never get's into distortion, always has a pushed-tube feel. OD sound gets into Billy Gibbons tone, depending on the amp.
Note - The Klon is not a TS9 or 808. Tube Screamers, to me, are very "thick", which I love. But that isn't the tone I use often; usually the Klon is just right for me.
Examples of how I use it
- Blackface Deluxe Reverb at rehersals is too loud if I move it past "4", so I use the Klon as a clean boost and the sound gets just knarly enough to sound great at low volume. Key here is to hit a cord, then step the Klon "on" and make sure you're boosting the signal (about 9 o'colock for me). While you'd expect this to give a buzzy pre-amp boost it does not, it just sounds thicker, like the power tubes are working harder.
- On gigs if I want my Blackface Super Reverb to be a bit thicker at about "6" (a good stage volume in small-mid clubs for me) I dial in a touch of overdrive from the Klon (FYI, a "touch" is at 10-11 o'colck on the overdrive knob of the Klon). Also, live with my 30 watt Rivera R30 I use the Klon as a boost for leads. On the Rivera's crhuch channel, wow, Marsall-like, huge tone, sort of Billy Gibbons.
Also, the tone (treble-bass) knob on the Klon is fantastic to brighten or darken you tone; amazingly useful feature if you swithc from a Les Paul to a Strat and back during gigs, as I do.
I only use tube amps, although the Klon might help solid-sate, I'm not going to talk since I don't know.
This is a very quiet unit; I really can't hear any hiss when I turn it on. I'll say the pedal has no weaknesses for what I use it for.

Been using it for over 3 years. It's totally dependable.
Backup? It's a pedal, no one needs a backup for a pedal.

This is a great company. Call anytime and you get the boss and he'll do the right thing; always. I've never needed service, but the Man is there if you do.

I play (or try to play) blues and classic rock-type music. Some country-ish tunes. Lots of originals. Klon works for me and I don't know any other effect that can take its place. Of course I'd get it again, for over $300, if I lost it. It's that valuable to me.
Three piece "power trio."
See above for comaprison to a good Tube Screamer; they're different, both excellent for what they do.
Playing for 30 years. Gear, my, my, just a sample:
Effects: AnalogMan TS, Voodoo Labs Trem and Sparkle Drive, Russian-made Big Muff, Morley A/B/Y, Boss Tuner and Boss Delay.
Guitars: Original Strat, Tele, Jazzmaster and ES 125; RI Goldtop '57, EJ Strat; Martin 00021, Gibson J100 Extra (several basses, which I play in another band; original '57 P, late '50s danos, RI '62 J)
Amps: Blackface Super R, Blackface Delux R,Brownface Princeton, Blackface Tremolux and cab, KJL Dirty 30 combo, Rivera R30 combo

Plug it in and boost it

You get alot of bost I compared it to alot of other overdrives and boost this has Alot of mids to cut thru for a solo

I smashed the pots 2 different times But then again I do wear steel toe boots,,,

Bill is Cool he returns e-mails and phone calls very fast very reliable guy,,,

I would say that They are very expensive on ebay the gold ones at least ,, but the new ones are worth the price well hell even the expensive gold ones I bought mine years ago and I still wont sell it even when I needed the money once you buy one you will use it on everything you can check mout some of my guitar solos on www.myspace.com/fogtown I used a prs mccarty into a carvin legacy and used the klon to boost my solos good luck

Hello! My name is Lee Moore and I'm a member of the Seymour Duncan Forum, Les Paul Forum and Fender Forum. You can find me there under the handles: Lee_Moore and dlmooreiii.

Since most people don't submit their names with their reviews, I'm changing the trend and am going to tell you about myself before I talk about the Klon.

First, I'm an Investment Banker in NYC and I live/commute from CT. I used to be a full-time musician (~11 years ago) and have played on and off with bands throughout the last decade.

In my childood youth (8-18), I was a Jazz Drummer for 10 years and a good one at that; I hit professional at 17. During that peiod, I became very akin to hearing fine Classical, Jazz and Fushion music. My instructor, Robin Beauchamp (Savannah, GA) is a world class Trumpet Player and he was heavy into the Yellowjacks, Chick Corea, Dave Weckle, Brecker Brothers, & various members of the soon to be "GRP Allstars".

My highschool Quintet started playing that type of music as freshmen and they only got harder as the years passed by - songs such Spain, Storm Warning, Oleo, Cherokee, you name it. If it was fushion and hard, we did it.

So my taste for difficult music, tone and mix of instruments in a band is still very fine tuned. I say this because my review of the Klon is coming from a very "skilled and versed drummer, as well as a decent guitar player". I believe that I hear the fine nuances of tone and texture - hence, I have a good feel for the Klon and its capabilities.

East of Use:
Extremely straight forward and just having all the knobs at Unity is a perfect setup for 99% of rigs.

The Sound Quality is unmatched for its intended purpose. The intended purpose is to get inside of the amp you're using and "add more of it". It is not a circuit designed to create its own distortion and color your amp in a different way - it is a circuit that will give you more or less of your amp's tone and output. That is it; nothing more, nothing less.

So what is the advantage of having this circuit?
Well, if you have a kick-ass amp that you prefer to plug straight into (nothing in between), this is perfect pedal for you if you want unadulterated clean volume, additional treble or more of the AMP's gain. Again, if you turn on the Klon, you are ONLY getting more of the amp's tone, nothing else. The Klon does not have a color of its own.

So, what is an example of using the Klon?
At the moment, I'm using a 2006 "Fully Customized" '59 VOS with Custom Shop "Duane Allman Clones" from Maricela Juarez. The guitar also has a Tonepros Locking Bridge, 6100 Frets, Ivory Nut and a full RS Relics Super Pot Setup (all pot values are over 600K). The RS Set also includes their new Hovland (made for RS) Musicaps at .015 neck and .020 bridge. A superb combination if I say so.

For amps, I'm running a 50W Blockhead w/ EL34's and an SLO 100 with the Haynes, Demartini and Depth Mod.

For cabinets, I'm using two Blockhead 2x12's loaded with JBL D120F's, as well as a Blockhead 4x12 with the new Celestion Heritage 20W Clone's.

Plugging my VOS '59 into the Klon and then the SLO and Blockhead produced absolutely stunning results. If anyone has heard Warren Haynes tone via Gov't Mule, the Klon and SLO absolutely nail Warren's tone (regardless of which pickups you're using). I can pull all of my recent bootlegs of Gov't Mule and can get his live lead tone extremely easily with running the SLO preamp gain at 3, master volume at 5 and having all the Klon's controls at Unity. When you engage the Klon, you suddeny have his version of "Living Loving (Maid)" from Led Zeppelin. And, depending on how he's feeling that night (Live Setting) in terms of going high-gain or low gain, you can get the same tone (Klon engaged) as Bad little Doggie, Blind Man in the Dark and various solos throughout the show. It is just awesome because I recently bought that SLO used from a friend and it sounds phenomenal.

Running the Klon through the Blockhead, we just demo-ed it on the clean channel, which works like a standard '68 50W Marshall as you turn the Volume Up. With the Volume at 4-5 on the Blockhead, you get a great clean tone that is on the verge of breaking up. When you engage the Klon, with the Gain dimed and the Level and Tone at Unity, the amp turns into a Marshall Flame Thrower!!! All the sudden we had more gain than we knew what to do with!!! It was just phenomenal. I ended up pulling the gain back to Unity, but it was so cool to hear the maximum gain from a 50W Marshall with the click of a switch.

Why was their so much gain?

Many people say that the Klon is a wimpy overdrive with no gain whatsoever. Well, if you understand that the Klon's circuit attaches itself to the internal circuit of the amp, you'll realize that IF there is natural Tube distortion hiding in the "Clean Channel" of the Amp, the Klon will find it and absolutely exploit it! Same thing with the lead channel. If you have a mild crunch on the lead channel, the Klon will find the rest of the gain and really maximize it.

Ossie at Blockhead (and I) were absolutely amazed at how much gain popped from the Clean Channel Blockhead with the volume on 4-5. It was stunning and Ossie (owner of Blockhead) said that he "now" understands why ALL of his professional customers (such as Steven Tyler and Brad Whitford from Aerosmith) use the Klon on their pedal boards.

Quite simply, if you are using great amps, it simply adds more of the good stuff.

And, it doesn't have to be distortion that you are adding. You can use it as a pure clean boost for weak pickups (like old Danelectro Lipstick Pickups) or as a clean boost for Jazz Amps, etc.

Sound Quality is 11 !

Absolutely Zero Problems. It is built like a TANK and I would use it at a gig without a backup.

Bill Finnegan is extremely helpful and willing to work with you if something happens to your Klon. It is built so well, that if it really stops working because of natural causes (and not frying the circuit by using the wrong wall wort), he WANTS to know about it!

10+ on the Custom Support.

Since I play original Duane/ABB Fillmore East music and older Gov't Mule music, the Klon is a perfect match for my needs.

It it was lost or stolen I would definitely buy another - it simply works too well with my tube amps. IMO, until the naysayers really hear the Klon under the proper setup (meaning that you are using the pedal in the way Bill Finnegan intends; i.e. the Blockhead Clean Channel on 4-5 and then engaging the Klon for distortion), they will keep saying bad things about the Klon.

There is a reason that this pedal continues to get attention after 10 years. Boutique Pedals come and go after a few years, but this has stood the test of time for 1 decade. I can't think of too many other pedals that have done that with very little PUBLIC ARTIST endorsement.

Conclusion:
When we used the Klon with the Blockhead clean channel (which had been tested with EVERY boutique pedal on the planet, trust me), we said nothing more. It was a lock that I needed to get another one from Bill because Ossie wanted to keep my mine to test with his amps!!

Bill, if you're reading, you've got another check coming!

"How easy is it to get a good sound out of it?"

How easy is it to turn up the volume knob on your amp?

"How about Editing patches?"

It has two patches HYPE and BS

This pedal has one of the worst overdrive sound i have ever heard and i'm being 100% serious. I would take a boss or digitech over this overdrive sound. Not a tubelike breakup in the slightest, more like a mild digital clipping sound.

As to the "boost". The DOD (yes i said it!) bi-fet preamp is better, not just a little bit. The DOD bi-fet is more transaparent and organic sounding by a mile. Gives you exactly what you put in but louder. If you want something to cut off some lows and thicken and sweeten the rest of your signal try the austone soul-o-stomp. It also kills the KLON dead.

Or be a tool and pay $400 for smoke and mirrors. It's your choice.

because the product is BS he puts glue all over the inside of it so no one can see it or fix it in the future!!!!!!!! what are you hidding? The fact that you copied the circuit from john andertons electronics projects for guitarists book? The secrets out SHHHHHH!!!!!!! These die with him i guess. good ridance if you ask me.

The emperor wears no clothes

This is just an answer to the below review.

You have to remember that this is a matter of taste and use, "to each his own", the Klon is NOT the pedal for everyone.

Talking about bedroom players, how on earth do You know about who are bedroom players or not here???

I've played approx 30 years: Blues, jazz-rock, classical, rock and metal. My main bands today is a signed metalband with own songs, and a coverband doing some gigs from time to time with old VH, AC/DC, classic 70/80's rock etc. The other bands are long gone, but the blues will def be played in a near future when the metal-thing is calmed down a bit. Ok, just a brief intro.

For my sake, I've ALWAYS cranked my amps at gigging levels. This is to get the BEST tone from the amp. The bands I've played have also been playing loud, no bedroom wanking here.
That means, as some examples either an old non-master Marshall which needs to be cranked to sound it's best. OR an amp like the Soldano SLO which def. sounds its best cranked at least 1/2 up. That's when the power tubes interacts with the pre-amp section to produce the (IMO) best TONE.
I've used old Marshalls for all years (including plexis), and my MAIN amps have been SLO's the last 12 years. (I use two SLO's)
These amps sounds best when cranked, still the SLO has GREAT tone also at lower volume settings.
I've ben trough a bunch of other "high end" amps as well during the years, but always came back to the old Marshalls and the SLO's.

Warren Haynes has killer tone, either he use his Marshalls or SLO's
He's been one of my fave players since he joined the Allman Bros years back.
He also get good tone with a Klon in front of an SLO, ok cool, his choice.
For my sake, I have NO use for an OD (Klon or whatever) to use with my SLO's. IMHO, this amp really do not need any outboard OD or boost.
This amp has everything needed to start with. Again, a matter of playing style. I find the SLO's crunch-ch to be a great rhythm-ch, and the lead-ch has everything. From low gain-blues to screaming metal.
I compared the Klon with a Soldano GTO. IMHO the GTO sounds more NATURAL. That means, I think the GTO preserves the ORIGINAL tone from the guitar in a better way. The natural harmonics and string to string def is GREAT with the GTO pedal. And it cleans up AMAZINGLY well when rolling down the guitar-vol for cleaner tones.

So, IMO , the Klon is not "the end all" search for the "holy grail" of boost/OD pedals out there.
It does work for many (pro) players, and many are happy campers.
That does not mean it is a killer pedal for everyone. If so, the other makers out there have a MAJOR problem to compete with the Klon.
I really think there are other at less cost (the GTO is on par...), which can do the same.
For less cost the Klon would be a good pedal used as a clean boost, yes into a CRANKED amp. I know!!!
Again, IMO the dist tones are "so-so", and really hyped.

This is not to diss any product at all. It's a review that tells it's wise to try this pedal FIRST before bying it.
Not just jump on the band wagon and buy it based on the "rave-reviews".
Either it flows Your way, or it might just do the opposite.
Again, for my sake I have a hard time finding an OD which sounds like the "real thing", which would be (for my sake) a cranked good tube amp.
For this reason, I also think the Klon fells short on its distorted tones. Then again the clean-boost is good, but IMO not the "best" out there.

Good hunting!
2B

It is very easy to use, BUT YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE YOUR AMP AT A DECENT VOLUME BEFORE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND HOW THE CONTROLS WORK.

The Volume and Gain are self-exlanatory - You have tremendous volume output and you have a nice overdrive that inter-twines with your amp to push its TUBES, harder. It is easy to use, but remember that it is not a Distortion pedal. The GAIN IS SUPPOSE TO GIVE YOU MORE GAIN THAT YOUR AMP IS PRODUCING, not the other way around.

The Tone Control is extremely flexible at higher amp volumes and YOU REALLY HAVE TO PLAY AROUND WITH THE CONTROL TO FIND THE RIGHT SPOT WITH YOUR AMP CRANKED FOR GIGING LEVELS. The control is very easy to use, but it has a large effect on the pedal at high volumes. As such, YOU MUST TWEAK THE TONE CONTROL BECAUSE THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 12:00 and 8:00. Most people forget this and get angry and upset for spending $300 on the pedal.

The Ease of Use gets a 10 from me because it is very flexible and works so well right out of the box.

First of all, I'm hear to set the record straight since I've owned pedal # 3175 for over 4 years and have used her at Club and Full 50-100W volume levels. So, what I'm doing below is laying down some quotes from previous, recent responses. I will then respond to them with my impressions of the pedal - take them for what they are worth, but I own a Klon and have a second pedal on order (that's how nice I think they are):

FIRST QUOTE FROM FIRST USER REVIEW:
"This box is hyped up the a degree that I think is funny.
It adds a nice boost, and fattens up the tone a bit when used on old Fenders (like an old BF Super) with a strat or a tele.
But is this necessary for rhythm work? I do not think so.

I like the "natural" tone of this combo better. For leads it can be ok, but then again not worth a high price tag to get "that" tone.

Many OD's can do the same at less cost.

Then turn this box into distorted tone, and the fun starts. I really think this box sounds like crap for its distorted tones. Nasal, boxy, and honky. Ugly SS-distortion...a 1 for dist tone."

----------------------

RESPONSE FROM ME:
First of all, EVERYONE needs to realize that this is NOT A BEDROOM/APARTMENT VOLUME LEVEL PEDAL. You CAN NOT use this at home at 2 watts with your Fender or SLO on 1-3, it will not work and will sound like crap. Bill will tell you the same thing. Most users get really confused by this concept since hardly anyone is a Pro-Player with gigs where you can turn up the amps to 18-30 Watts to get the tubes cooking.

Again, you MUST HAVE THE AMP turned up to a DECENT VOLUME (gigging level) to achieve the best sound from the Klon. So, at those HIGHER VOLUME LEVES, the KLON never takes over your amp; it becomes a PART OF YOUR TONE and SOUND. For me, when I'm really slamming my Blockhead 50Watt, it's hard to believe that it is on (it is so perfect).

--------------

SECOND QUOTE FROM EARLIER USER REVIEW:
"Look, there's a lot of hype surrounding this pedal and I hope I can save people some money and trouble with this review. The only way I think that you can get a good OD sound with this pedal is to use it with a good vintage Fender blackface amp. Otherwise, the OD adds a nasty mid-hump and nasally OD sound that is just unusable with most amps. I can't believe all the posts that say that this pedal will make "any amp sound better."

I think people have to convince themselves that this pedal sounds better than it acutally does after spending $500 on ebay for one. Like I said, the boost is good, but this thing is waaaay overhyped as an overdrive pedal. Any number of cheaper OD pedals will sound better. If you dont have a killer vintage Fender pre-CBS Blackface amp, don't bother. Plus, even in that case, we're talking LIGHT overdrive."

RESPONSE FROM ME ON SECOND USER REVIEW:
Only use it only with a Blackface Fender? Are you kidding me? Do you know what is on Warren Haynes' Pedal Board (Since 1996), Brad Whitford and Joe Perry's Pedals Boards (Since the same time)? A FREAKING KLON that they are still using on tour, right now.

Do you see any of those three guys playing with ONLY Fenders during live shows? No - Brad and Jow were playing Ossie's Blockhead Amps for a Long time and Warren has been using the Klon with his Soldano SLO100 since 1996. If you haven't heard Warren's tone with the SLO100 and the Klon, you are: (i) first, missing out because it is the sweetest gift that god has given the Les Paul world, and (ii) if you have listened to Warren and don't like his "live tone", you might have poor taste respecting "tone" from an overall perspective. Warren is the definition of the KLON and how/why it works. He sets his SLO on pre-amp gain around 2.5-3.0, turns up the Master Volume to get the tubes cooking and then kicks on the Klon for his solos. He does that with his Marshalls, Diaz and every other amp with which he's played during live shows.

And, as for the MID-HUMP you are talking about....DO YOU KNOW THAT THE KLON HAS A TONE CONTROL THAT HAS AN EXTREMELY USEABLE SWEEP FROM 0-10?

Most people NEVER bother to mess around with this part of the Klon because it is simply overlooked. NOT PLAYING AROUND WITH THE TONE CONTROL is the #2 reason as to why people are unhappy with this pedal (#1 being the fact that most players are NOT USING IT AT HIGH ENOUGH VOLUMES TO GET MORE OUT OF YOUR GUITAR AND AMP).

Personally, I can get the KLON to do whatever I want it to do with my amp at the right settings. If you turn the TONE control up or down you get a HUGE SELECTION OF TONES and that is the part that Bill worked on the most. I think that people are simply forgetting to try this at gigs or practice session.

With, both, my 50W Custom Blockhead and RI Vibrolux CRANKED UP, the KLON DOES SCARY THINGS TO THE "TONE". You can make it be transparent with the amp and: (i) get it to add a little more of the Amp's tonal quality - a little "push" if you will or (ii) you can shape the distortion, EQ and Volume.

The KLON IS A VERY FLEXIBLE PEDAL AND WORKS WITH THE AMP, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. IT IS NOT A MODELING PEDAL OR A DISTORTION PEDAL.
The KLON is DESIGNED TO WORK WITH THE AMP AND GIVE YOU MORE OF THE AMP's TONAL QUALITIES. THAT IS WHY SHE WORKS SO WELL WITH GREAT AMPS THAT ARE TURNED UP...IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A GOOD GUITAR/AMP COMBO, THEN THE KLON WILL SIMPLY 'ADD MORE TO IT' AND GIVE YOU MORE OF THE SWEET STUFF FOR SOLOS OR VOLUME BOOSTS FOR WEAKER PICKUPS.

Anyway, I'll get off my rant, but there are too many pro musicians that use this pedal - which proves that IT DOES WHAT BILL DESCRIBES and ADVERTISES.

If you are BEDROOM PLAYER, this is NOT THE PEDAL FOR YOU and you don't deserve to bash the Klon when you don't have the facts straight. Hopefully, this post will give future guidance to everyone who wants to buy a Klon.

Absolutely dependable....built like a tank and impossible to destroy. Like the Soldano SLO 100, it is perfect for taking on the road, dropping, kicking or smashing. It will work regardless of what you do to it.

Bill Finnegan is: (i) VERY SUPPORTIVE of his product and (ii) VERY SUPPORTIVE of the customers with whom he speaks and conducts business. He is really a one man shop and takes a lot time out of his schedule to talk with people (like me) who want to buy a second Klon and how to try some different settings when you own 2.

He gets an A+ from me - great guy with a lot of knowledge.

To quote another user (because I'd say exactly the same thing):

"This is the perfect pedal for me and it's a conversation piece; pretty much, it is the best sounding OD pedal ever made. If it were stolen or lost, I'd be calling the insurance company first thing in the morning, while calling Bill by 2 pm that afternoon...i.e., I'd definitely replace it with a new one.

You know that beautiful feeling of when you're standing in front of your amp, and it's loud enough that it's shaking your leg hair - WHEN THE VOLUME IS JUST UNDER THE POINT OF MAKING YOUR GUITAR SQUEEL WITH FEEDBACK...AND THE TONE IS SO PERFECT THAT YOUR GUITAR STARTS PLAYING ITSELF...WELL, WELCOME TO THE KLON CENTAUR"

To me, that says it all and describes having your amp cranked and having the right settings for your gear. THAT IS WHAT THE KLON IS ALL ABOUT - TURNING YOUR GREAT SOUNDING RIG into a richer, fuller sound for rhythm, solos, you name it.

This pedal, since I have another on order, gets a 10 in every regard. For players (able to turn up their amps to a decent volume) looking FOR MORE from their Amp and Rig, welcome to the KLON. You will not be disappointed. I assure you.

As easy to use as any pedal on the market...gain, tone and volume...real tough.

The Klon Centaur has been the object of much praise and criticism. The one thing that frustrates me is when I read user comments that say they hate the distortion from this pedal. This is not a distortion pedal! Get that through your collective skulls! Very simply, if you have an amp that gives you a great sound, distorted or otherwise, this pedal will enhance that great sound better than any on the market. If you are looking for screaming distortion or 'metal' crunch, keep looking! I have used this Klon for about eight years and I use it with a Victoria 35310T and a rack set-up with a Marshall JMP-1 pre-amp. My guitars are a Gibson Custom-Art-Historic 1958 Les Paul. a 1990's ES-335 and a Tom Anderson Drop-Top Classic and the Klon sounds great with all of them, particularly with the Anderson for clean tones. It 'piggy-backs'a great tone and makes it better.

Very dependable...built like a tank. I would use it on a gig without a backup but only through a/c...it drains a battery faster than Ashley Simpson drains her band's integrity. However, use the proper power supply with it as damage will occur if you don't. (See below)

You deal with the owner and that's it. He is very helpful and when I tried to use another power supply with it (please, don't make that mistake) I fried the input stage and Bill replaced it for a fair price.

I play blues-based rock and have been playing for 35 years. I can't compare this product with any on the market because there isn't any. This is a very subtle product that I wouldn't give up for anything. It increases your string sensitivity and and presence and gives my tone a very enviable quality.

this is one easy pedal to use...get your amp @ its sweetspot, turn the gain all the way down, tone and volume to taste... sounds like a recipe to me...the "best" clean boost out there! average distortion... very tweedish on its own (to me anyway)
manual? what's that? i rely on my ears, not someone elses!!! there is a huge lesson RIGHT THERE youngsters!!! i find it best not to look @ the knobs when adjusting amps, pedal etc...

i use a variety of strats w/ this pedal (6)... my main amp is a k&m emerald 50 (bf meets dumble)- i have a mesa blue angel, old princeton reverb etc... this pedal is very quiet, and guys it makes the other pedals on the board sound BETTER!!! many people miss the point of this pedal... that buffer thing makes other pedals sing more...makes a bf sound VERY tweedish in my opinion by itself... it's the way it can work w/ a set-up that impresses me...on its own it's just a decent pedal... first time i heard one was 'bout 8 years ago..david grissom was touting it and i have to agree w/ them that what it does, no other pedal out there does...

looks and feels like a brick house... i'd use an old ts or ts clone for a backup, due to the frickin' price...it will cost your tone, however...

how many guys call and ask 'bout your set-up before they accept an order...guy must be a tone freak!!! seems very professional and very helpful...i'll give it a 9 since i've never dealt w/ him in regards to a repair...get the feeling i won't have to do so...

i play blues, blues based rock, 60's psyco, some country/swing, rockabilly, jazzy things... great for ALL of the above. i've been playing for 30 years now... feel like i understand tone and constantly get comments 'bout my sound...that in itself is the real litmus test for me... my effects chain is as follows: teese wah w/ foxx roxx mod, prescription exp (modded), red snapper, mi audio blue boy (my favorite OD), klon>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
yes, i would replace it when i got the cash to do so...
i love the clean boost and the way it interacts w/ my setup...
it's very musical and hard to mess up...the bottom line is it makes my setup sound better... more of my natural amp sound and breathes more life into my pedal rig...what else out there does that? if you know of something... share it w/ the rest of us please!!! i give it a 9 ONLY because of the price>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
sing on bro., play on drummer... jeh 68
later,
noel

Hi.
I guess I'm VERY critical about OD's, as I've always cranked my amps and then used the natural breakup and dist. the amps are capable to do by themself. These amps have been either high-gain amps like SLO's (still my main amp after many years), old Marshalls, Matchless, BadCats, Bogners, old Fenders, VOX, etc....
More or less all OD's I've tried out sounds like a "box", no matter what.
It's no big deal to get diff sounds out of the Klon Centaur. It's been well covered already.

This will be a short review, as I much agree to the below reviewer opinions.
This box is hyped up the a degree that I think is funny.
It adds a nice boost, and fattens up the tone a bit when used on old Fenders (like an old BF Super) with a strat or a tele.
But is this necessary for rhythm work? I do not think so. I like the "natural" tone of this combo better. For leads it can be ok, but then again not worth a high price tag to get "that" tone. Many OD's can do the same at less cost.
Then turn this box into distorted tone, and the fun starts. I really think this box sounds like crap for its distorted tones. Nasal, boxy, and honky. Ugly SS-distortion.
It gets a 7 for good clean boost, and a 1 for dist tone. Sorry, I do not like it's dist. tones at all. Compare it to a cranked great tube amp, and its sounds real vimpy. Far away from the real thing.

Seems very well built, and I guess it is real good quality.

Not been in contact with them...

This box will never be a part in my rig. I do not think it is worth the cost vs the tone it is capable of.
It works good as a clean boost, but the dist tones are way overrated, IMHO.
Even my old MXR Micro Amp can do a good clean boost compared to the Centaur. The MXR is more noicy and compress too much at higher boosts, but it works ok. The Klon is capable to give an amp a good kick in the front, and as mentioned it works good this way.
Compared to my Soldano Supercharger GTO used as a clean-boost, the Klon is IMO not on par. It just fall short for coloring (fattens up) the tone too much. The GTO is more real sounding, with the natural tone from the guitar coming through in a better way.
So, IMHO, the Klon is an overrated and hyped up OD/Clean boost, not worth the price tag at all.
I would recommend to try it out with Your own guitar and amp before
bying it. It might be Your thing, or like for my taste, it does not do anything special at all. It falls short on it's distorted tone, which is bettered by many others out there at much lower cost.

Pretty easy to use -- as long as you don't crank the gain dial.

Look, there's a lot of hype surrounding this pedal and I hope I can save people some money and trouble with this review. The only way I think that you can get a good OD sound with this pedal is to use it with a good vintage Fender blackface amp. Otherwise, the OD adds a nasty mid-hump and nasally OD sound that is just unusable with most amps. I can't believe all the posts that say that this pedal will make "any amp sound better." It's just complete BS. The boost is very good, but these days you have so many good boost pedal choices for a lot less money and no 3-4 month wait. (RC Boost, Keely Java, even the $99 MXR Micro Amp)I think people have to convince themselves that this pedal sounds better than it acutally does after spending $500 on ebay for one. Like I said, the boost is good, but this thing is waaaay overhyped as an overdrive pedal. Any number of cheaper OD pedals will sound better. If you dont have a killer vintage Fender pre-CBS Blackface amp, don't bother. Plus, even in that case, we're talking LIGHT overdrive.

Solid, but they don't even look cool anymore without the gold finish and Centaur logo.

N/A

This thing is a big disappointment after reading all the reviews that hype it as the best OD ever. It won't many ANY amp sound better (and it fact has a very limited use within the vintage Fender market). It is an expensive one-trick pony, doing a good job at clean boost. (Nowadays, though, you have a lot more alternatives in boost pedals). I don't know where most of these "10, 10, 10, 10" reviews are coming from, but BUYER BEWARE. I hope I save people some heartache and money with this review, 'cause this is the real deal. I have no interests to protect in writing this -- I'm just giving you my objective viewpoint. Try scrolling down past all the "10,10,10" reviews and read the few that have lower numbers -- those tend to tell the truth. (Unless you just want to intentionally fool yourself and waste your hard-earned $$). Buy this pedal ONLY to boost your vintage Fender Blackface into slight OD. In that context, it will sound good in a live setting, but it's not the "best pedal in the world" like everyone on this site keeps saying. (Or perhaps it's just one guy writing a bunch of reviews?!)

It's as straight foward as it gets. The powering issue was a non-issue to me...the builder includes a plug, but I just used the appropriate cable that came with my Voodoo Lab PP2+ and had it up and running just like my other pedal(s). No fuss - very easy.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the three glorious knobs of tonal bliss. But the fine folks below me have already mentioned those....

I've owned and played the Centaur for a few months now. I purposely waited before posting here to try and make this review honest. Right off the bat I'll tell you I love the Centaur. It is the real deal. I use a variety of guitars (single-coils, humbuckers, and soapbars) into the Centaur, then to a hi-gain pedal, and then into a JTM-45 clone (sometimes I use an old, ratty, mid-60s Bassman). I can't say I noticed the Centaur favoring one guitar over another, as I find it useful with all of them. My ears aren't good enough to comment on the buffer/true by-pass issue. I go straight into the Centaur and have no complaints.

I've read below that the Centaur "sounds best" only at stage volumes, or in a live band setting. But I got to tell you, I love mine at lower volumes too just wanking away in my music room. Like others, I use it as a boost, but I also like to crank the gain setting a bit and use the overdrive as it was intended. To me the OD is very musical. The Centaur plays nice with my higher gain pedal next in the chain and, when engaged, makes my leads jump out very nicely.

I have no worries that this will fail me. Again, there is nothing I can really add to this category that wasn't already written below.

I can't say enough about the Customer Service. The builder took the time to listen to me and assess if the Centaur would be a good fit - we spoke at length about his pedal, other pedals, and gear. He didn't knock other builders - just a cool guy that is passionate about his product and company. The pedal arrived as promised (he tells you up front about the lead times).

I know, I know: another review with straight 10's across the board. Well, hopefully you won't discount my review because of this. I just really dig this pedal.

I play Rock n Roll (does anyone even use that term anymore?). I've only been playing for about 25 years. I've owned a lot of gear in that time, but recently, I've been really stripping down and getting back to basics and couldn't be more thrilled with my tone (but I loved the journey along the way too). The gear philosophy I've adopted as of late is less-is-more. The Centaur fit in nicely with this philosophy, because for me, it covers a lot of ground and I was able to ditch a few other products (tonally for the better IMHO). I've owned quite a few ODs and I've finally found the OD that does it for me in the Centaur. It just seems to suit my gear and playing style the best. Obviously, it isn't going to be the pedal for everyone. Some people will be put off by the price of admission, but to each his own, right?

Feel free to contact me via email if you have any questions, or if you want me to clarify anything I wrote here.

This pedal is so easy to use - 3 simple controls (Gain, Treble, and Output), and I just can't get a bad sound out of it. The knobs are big enough and far enough apart to allow easy tweaking with my foot, even while I'm playing.

I'm using a Deluxe FMT Tele, which has a pair of humbuckers, and the Fender S1 switch for coil tapping ar whatever it does. I've replaced the tone pot with a ToneStyler (16-way tone switch), which gives an incredible range of tones, and no mush. The Klon lets each tone shine through, preserving the wide range and versatility of the guitar.

My amp is a Matamp 1224 Coupe (1x12 valve combo). This is a single channel amp, which is a great shame, as it is capable of a great range of tones, but you have to turn your back on the audience and tweak the knobs to change between them - which is difficult mid number. The Klon has solved my problem, by kicking the amp into sweet overdrive at the press of the footswitch. So now I've got my rhythm tone, and a great lead tone, on tap - and the guitar can tweak both of these 'to infinity and beyond'.

The Klon makes some noise if the output is cranked beyond 3 O'clock. Cranking the treble also increases the hiss, but it's no worse than any other pedal in this aspect. As the designer states, the tone is the most important thing, and he achieved that by the bucketload (after 4 years of tweaking and refinement).

I've only had the Klon for 3 weeks, but it's built like a tank, with a sand-cast housing that's as solid as a rock. The components (pots, switches, etc - you can't see the ones on the board, as they're covered in black resin) are all top spec, so I don't expect any reliability problems. I'd gig without backup (although I have other OD/distortion pedals available for different styles/tones) - but if I could afford a second Klon, I'd have two on different settings for quick tone changes, and if one went down, the other would be enough to carry the show.

If I have a gripe, it's about the power jack. This is a miniature jack plug, rather than the usual 'barrel' type connector. As such, it has a smaller contact surface, and the chassis mounted socket is not as sturdy as I would have liked. I've had a few crackles when I've moved the unit, due to the flimsiness of this power jack setup.
That's the only thing I would change about the Klon, and I'll deduct two points in case it stuffs me up at a gig (though I intend to build it into a pedalboard, so it should remain fixed, and crackle-free).

I haven't contacted the company, firstly because I bought the Klon, new, through a UK distributor, and secondly because it's given me no problems (apart from the above power jack crackle, which I will speak to them about only if it becomes a problem).

I'm basically a clean, driving, funky rhythm player, but the new band I'm in is stretching me (in a good way), with more rock-based material, and some dual guitar lead work. The Klon gives me great tones for rhythm or lead, and I'm delighted with the possibilities it offers me.

I've been playing, more off than on, for 40 years, and there's still so much I haven't tried - but I'm learning all the time in this new band, so I'm happy as a little boy in a puddle.

I've got too much gear to list, accumulated in the endless search for 'my tone', but I think I've finally found it with the three items above (FMT Tele, Matamp combo and the Klon).

If I had a wish (apart from a sturdier power jack), it would be for a two channel version of the Klon - but I'll probably get a second one eventually to satisfy that 'need'. If it were lost or stolen, I'd be devastated, but I'd get another as soon as Klon could make me one.

The price is high for a pedal - even for one as good as this, and it is incredibly good - so I'll deduct a point. The high cost is the only real barrier to me getting a second one - and I might have to consider getting something cheaper for my second/backup unit (the ZenDrive is tempting).

Very easy to use if you know what your doing with it. Original Gold Version. I bought it used but in great cosmetic and functional condition. I just set the pedal up and go.

I use my Klon Centaur with a 1981 Marshall JCM800 2203 100 watt head/BOgner Uberkab and it is nothing short of hair raising! The Klon is not per say an overdrive like many of the breed but is a unit intended to drive a quality tube amp into tubey saturation more quickly. The Klon simply gets my mighty Marshall to sound even bigger and any guitar I plug into my rig instantly becomes more dynamic and alive!
The pedal can get into moderate distortion territory on its own when maxing out the gain relative to a low output setting but for me the true genius in this unit lies within its clean boosting function.
Simply run your Level at 100%, your Treble (middle knob at noon, and your gain at 0% slowly moving up from their (but not to much) I went for 9 oclock. This offers the end user a very transparent clean boost. Simply put, The Klon gives me a very "meaty" and fast picking attack type sound without any COLORATION or degradation of my original sound, period! I also use a Analogman Boss OD1 3403d chip mod pedal and a Analogman TS9808 brown mod which are both useful for what they are in differant scenerio but in the end I find myself simply using the Klon in all its fine glory!

No problems and wouldnt expect any. BillFinnegan, The designer of the Klon uses a black epoxy to scare away the Klone enthusiasts from copying his design and rightfully so. At the same time I think the epoxy works as a double positive and protects the circuitry from outside debris or dust. Kudos to you Billy Boy!;>)

Spoke with Bill once and he is very passionate about his one product and rightfully so should be. I told him someone was going around saying the newest version of his mighty Klon was saying the unit was not the same component wise to the GOld version and he went awall! Of course all of his designs for the Klon are identical and there is no variation from the original Gold version to his newest version Klon.

I play old school funk, heavy groove and d tuning e flat, etc. aggressive blues, retro, Chili pepperish to Black Crowes to Pink FLoyd to Tool to Steve Vai. The Klon handles all styles. I have been playing for 20 years. SImply put, THe Klon will make a good amp sound incredible, a big rig sound huge, and any guitar that is run through it sound more responsive. It is simple and should be. Who needs all the push pull mid freq knobs and gadgets hanging off of their gear, certainly not I. If there is any complaint it is the resale of the Gold version at $500 bucks. Supply and demand dictate this price so in essence i can really complain but id like to have 3 or 4 of these but its not practical money wise.

I just put it between my Peterson Strobostomp and Lehle A/B/Y and read the heavy multi-page manual. Set everything at noon and let loose and it certainly does.
On a more detailed issue there is a great deal of actual variety in tone when tweaking the controls. Unlike a lot of pedals that have a good postion and the rest is crap.
Nice big knobs that you can dial with your foot and that's all you need say

My rig is two old Les Pauls with BKP humbuckers in and a PRS McCarty with BKP P90's driving a MesaBoogie Lonestar 1x12 and a MesaBoogie Lonestar Special 1x12 all hooked up via a Strobostomp and Lehle switcher. Amps run with effects return hardbypassed and volumes past noon.
A very quiet rig and putting the Klon in the chain does not change this except that I can run long cable without loss.
It gives me more of what I have, if you like your tone this will give you more of it. Plenty of breadth and articulate with a punch across the whole spectrum when gains set below noon with treble at noon. Crank the gain up and roll off the treble and you get that nice gritty halo.
Very easy to dial up a Paul Kossoff, Joe Walsh, Leslie West tone without worrying about throwing the drive switches on the channel 2 settings of the amps. I used various pedals over the years going back to FuzzFaces in the 60's right up to Boss in the naughties. This one actually does what I want.
Going to get another so that I can run them after my Lehle A/B/Y!

Built like a brick shithouse and handles my size 13's and I'm quite happy to use it on a gig without backup. I use the jack power connect which gives a better connect than those Boss type

This is where it bombs out!
I have sent e-mails to the company but they never bother to reply. I got mine through a dealer which is where I expect the 2nd will come from.
Anyway you don't really need customer support for this

I primarily play original material that would categorise as blues/rock/jazz infusion and some covers of people like James Gang, Mountain, Free, Iron Butterfly. This pedal ties in perfectly for me but you must get your axe and amp right first because it wont turn a bad sound into a good one. You can't hide behind it.
I love it's simplicity and ease of use and true variety of tone. All my other OD/Gain/Fuzz pedals have bitten the dust and sit in drawers.

Customer Support would have given it a 10

Alot of people get confuse this pedal with other 'overdrive' pedals thinking they can set the output to their normal volume level and crank the gain to get a sweet tone (ts9ish). Thats definitely NOT how this pedal works. This pedal is a booster for tube amplifiers already into harmonic distortion, or, tube saturation.

Honestly, this pedal is like a gal. You rub her the right way, she gets wet, end of story. If you dont know how to use this pedal, you won't get shit out of it, and you probably don't know how to treat a lady lol. So I can understand why there happen to be alot of people claiming this pedal sounds bad..

The way I use this pedal is I put the output at 12:00, 50% more volume than my bypassed signal. I set the tone back at 10:00 for a warm coloration, and I put the gain at either 12:00 or 2:00 depending on how loud I'm running my Amp. I then set my Matchless Clubman at its tube saturation breakup point. With the pedal setup this way, it definitely rubs my amp the right way and makes it a wall of tone. The juices flow lol.

signal chain:
Gibson Les Paul
Klon Centaur
Mutron Phasor
Maxon ad900
Zvex Lofi Loop Junky
Matchless Clubman
Orange 2x12 (v30's)

negative:-1
Not enough texture. This pedal was set up to be extremely transparent and do exactly what it's meant to do, nothing more/less. It boosts your signal, and upon user settings, it gives some color and grain. The gain loses its tasteful character after 3:00, so it's not as overdriven as I'd like it to be.

positive:
When used the right way, its the best without a doubt. It adds awesome attack and gives a nice color to my amplifier. It gives some crunch and every note resonates pristinely. It takes my tone from a 9/10 to an 11/10. I plan on buying a ts9 type pedal to run directly after it to get a bit more texture, but no biggy. Also, I like single functioning pedals, they make it easier to mold tone, so I have no quarrel with this pedal just doing its job and nothing more/less.

Never a problem, built like a tank.

The dude gives you his cellphone number, end of story.

Im proud of it. If someone stole it, I wouldn't have to worry about buying a new one because I'd hunt the thief down and let them know who not to f*ck with ever again.

If you are looking for the absolute best clean boost you will ever hear this pedal is for you.
However if you are looking for overdrive look elsewhere.

Les Paul Junior w/Bartolini Pickup (Custom)
Fender Subsonic Strat w/ EMG H and RPC Control
Rickenbacker 330 w/ stock high output single coils
Traynor YGL3A MKIII into 412 Cab
Was able to get excellent (fat) clean boosted sounds. (great)
Was unable to find any acceptable overdriven tones. (weak)

From the looks of this pedal the quality is excellent.
Yes I believe you would be okay without a backup.

I did not have to deal with customer support concerning this pedal.
I will not be keeping the pedal long enough to find out if I will need support.

I play two styles of music. Blues and Metal. This pedal would be okay for blues and completely unacceptable for Metal in any way shape or form.
I have been playing guitar for 10 years. I own too much equipment to list here. My main instrument that I play in my blues band is bass and I sing lead.
If I were to keep this pedal and it was stolen the only reason I would be upset is the pricetag. A pedal that carries such a high price tag should deliver much more than it does.
I have three other pedals made by Tech 21 which deliver much better overdriven tones than this pedal does.

Simple - dial in the amount of gain (I run it between 2 and 3 0'clock), set the output level, and roll back the tone control until you don't cringe (typically around 12:00 with a strat or tele)

I use vintage strats and teles, amps range from '67 Vibrolux and '65 Deluxe Rev (studio) to '69 twin, Vibroking, Kendrick Gusher, and recently Dr Z Maz 38 (live shows). The Klon is quiet, always sounds great, and has stayed in my pedal board for 6+ years - I run my amps clean and loud with lots of headroom, and use the Klon as an instant 'Tweed' switch. I have a second spot that I rotate - Fuzzface, Fulldrive 2, Tubescreamer, XXL, Soul Bender etc depending on gig/amp/mood, so it has been A/B tested with a LOT of pedals. Nothing matches the Klon in terms of preserving the amp tone while adding more of the magic qualities - sustain, fatness, tweedlike 'hair' on the notes.

Totally reliable - I clean the switch and pots periodically, but it's gone 6 years of 200 plus gigs per year with NO issues.

I ordered it directly from the guy who makes them after borrowing one from a buddy for six months. Very nice guy, he delivered it as promised (it was like 3 months, it's been a while). He answers the phone, generally a good sign.

I play original music, plus lots of blues and rock, everything from Albert Collins, and Roy Buchanan to Zep, lots of Hendrix and so forth - the usual nihilistic screeching and senseless cudgeling. I've been playing since I was nine - I'm OOOLLLLD now...

I've got old strats ('58 and '64), teles ('56 and '67 custom) and an embarrassing pile of amps and effects. If the Klon took a hike, I would without question get another one.

got a good sound straight away

I use this as a lift on both a Dual Rectifier (it sounds better than using it's own other channel) and also with a Matchless Superchief.
It gives you the sound you had, but with more sustain and volume, perfect for solos. It's not as brittle as the tubescreamer and not as soggy as the hotcake.
No deterioration, just enhancement, pretty supernatural!

I never gig without backups for everything, but I'd say the build of this thing is as good as one can imagine....

A company that does just one thing, and does it well, doesn't rush manufacture, is available on the phone, I don't think it gets any more straight-up than this...

'been playing since 1972, 70's protopunk garage rock, normally plug straight in, but since I'm in a 3-piece I need to do a few one string things now and then...So now I have a Fulltone Clyde wah, and I've tried many boosts and overdrives, all of which destroy the ability to play a solid chord after you've set it up for a solo.
The Klon doesn't make your sound go brittle, or thin, or spungy, it's already great for everything it doesn't do...
What it DOES, though, is lift volume and sustain, which is all I need, the rest is the fingers....
If this pedal could be made with a remote footswitch, so much the better, 'cos I like keeping my (Spectraflex-) cables as short as possible (20'/6M or less).
I have owned Fender, Marshall, Rivera, Soldano and Bogner amps, always loved my front-loaded Celestion Vintage 30 4x12 and a Japanese Strat with an Evolution humbucker in the bridge.
Mesa and Matchless rule my ampworld now, and like them, the Klon is totally inspiring.

I can't get a bad sound out of it. Very easy to use.

Strat/L.P. - pedals - 61 Fender reverb tank - 61 Fender Super Amp.
Sound quality: Mature, majestic, deep, soulful, exquisite. I love beautiful sounds. I love this pedal. A religious experience.

Yes

Friendly, knowledgeable. Call in the A.M.

It's really unbelievable, no kidding. I've been playing 24 years, blues and rock.

ok this pedal is pretty easy to use from the stand point that it has a couple of knobs and ON/OFF switch .but if you think that is the end of it .think again .. 1st the maker of this pedal send you a plug and ask you to buy a boss adapter ,cut it and solder the plug that came with the pedal . now that really makes a lot of sense !!! BILL i hope you are reading this ,, MAKE THIS PEDAL LIKE A STANDERD BOSS PEDAL AND SAVE US ALL THE HASSLE . 2nd Bill tells you the pedal sound best when your amp is crancked ..,, well i dont think that is very practicale and versatile .

my setup is 2 carr amps rambler in a stereo and a roland for my acoustic mostly fender strats with kinmman or emg david gilmour pickups ,a tele with duncans pickups . dont think about using this pedal with battery it sounds awefull even if the battery is half way drained it will start farting THIS IS NOT AN OVERDRIVE PEDAL . this is a BOOST PEDAL PERIOD !! and it does a half ass godd job . look ladies and gents .. is it worth the money ,is it worth the wait ,after all that is it worth the hassle of cutting and soldering . the answer is BIG NOOO i have been playing for 21 years ,i have spend thousands and thousands of dollars on everything that is guitar related much of that money went on effects . i will tell you one thing and one thing only go buy yourself a fulltone OCD ,,look i hate mike fuller who makes fulltone products ,i think he is an asshole but i have to give it to him the OCD is the pedal to have nothing like it out there ,this pedal is 3 pedals in one ( bill if you are reading ,,we want versatility ) you can get a clean boost, you can get a nice overdrive ,, you can get a full blown distortion ., all in one pedal . bill is a nice guy but MR bill your pedal is not worth the wait , or the money . again all you can get out of this pedal is a boost and that is it . and by the way try the OCD after a ibanez ts-9 ( original ) and hear for yourself the most amaazing TONE you will ever get out of your guitar garanteed .

the pedal seem to be built very good ,i really cant tell much because i sold the pedal within one week on e bay ( thank god for e bay )what really sucks is i lost some money on this pedal selling it . LOL but hay at least i dont have it anymore .

Bill took the time and talked to me on the phone asking me what i use for amps and such ,seem like a nice guy to deal with .

i am the child of the 80's but my favorite band is pink floyd ,and my favorite guitar player is Joe satriani . now a days i am more inot blues but still i go out and do the 80's ( best times ) are the 80's again 21 years of playing ,if it were stolen i would feel sorry for the guy who stole it since he will discover that it is a lousy pedal LOL i do not like anything about this pedal yah i wish it had a new pedal LOL i compared this to many many things out there ,trust me my wife almost divorced my ass becasue of the amount of money i spent on effect pedals ,i had this hunger that i need to try every pedal out there so i know i did not miss on anything and i almost did . finally the OCD comes out and that was it for me . and again there is nothing like an original Ibanez ts-9 i will always use it .but for more kick try the OCD after a ts-9 you will thank me forever .

Three knobs, pretty easy to use. The Centaur comes With a great manual that will get you on your way in a hurry, the best I've seen so far, but for me, i've never been able to get a great sound out it, so, for ease of use,...

I've had my centaur for a couple of years now. I just haven't been able to make it live up to the hype. It does give you CLEAN boost, but sterile clean boost, think, ... Sorry Bill,... transistors. It doesn't color your sound at all, but it doesn't warm it up either. It also doesn't add any complexity.
I've used the centaur with a variety of amps. A Blockhead "Plexi" clone, a Silverface Twin, a Blackface Deluxe Reverb, a Vox AC 15 TBX, a JMP 50 Watt Marshall, and a little 20 watt Valvestate. The Centaur just never excelled with any of them.
As a plain boost it's pretty good, But if you crank up the gain it just gets nasally.

I had problems with my Centaur when first got it. It just never sounded very good. I told this to a friend of mine who's a Nashville studio cat, And he told me to send it back. He said, "Klon was a very good company that stands behind their product." Klon said, they had problems with some faulty parts, and they would take care of it.When I got got my Centaur back it sounded much better, but not anything to write home about.
You could shoot this thing out of cannon, dust it off and jam through it. It has the best case of any effect i've ever seen, and it looks very boutique and cool at a jam. I don't think you could break it if you wanted to.

Bill, the owner, is a great guy, he is very easy to talk to, and has musician's sense for products.

I,m your basic classic rock / Vintage gear guy. I've been playing guitar for close to thirty years now.I own lots of vintage, boutique, and production effects. My Centaur pretty much stays at home.
I know people rave about these things, and I wish I had the same results, but I haven't. I have to say for all its faults, I still use my old Tube Screamer the most.
If my Centaur were lost or stolen, I wouldn't miss it. I have friend that has a Fulldrive II, I think I'll buy that next.
Thanks, Brian Lane

Following the previous reviewer's view let me add that tube-based VHT Valvulator 1 : http://www.vhtamp.com/product-news/valvulator1.html
works well and does reduce your cable capacitance and can
be successfully used when you have several nice pedals
(it also provides the power to several pedals).

This in no way diminishes the great qualities of (also) expensive, yet superb and dependable, our beloved Klon Centaur.

Just to add to my review from last week. I recently made the startling discovery that my amps sound considerably better when run through the Klon in the OFF position than straight from guitar to amp. After speaking with Bill for the better part of an hour, I am now extremely well versed in the negative effects of cable capicitance (made worse by true bypass effects) and even more impressed with the Klon. The buffered output which is active even when the unit is OFF absolutely negates the negative effects of cable capicitance and the tonal impact is substantial even using extremely low capacitance GeorgeL's 10' cables. To be absolutely clear, the Klon is adding NOTHING to your signal...for the first time you are probably hearing the true tone of your guitar without cable capacitance, or as if you were playing a $400 reference quality ultra low capacitance cable. Playing my amps straight from my guitar without the Klon even in the off mode, I realize that I can't ever go back!

For a very good discussion on the negative aspects of true bypass go here: http://www.petecornish.co.uk/case_against_true_bypass.html

Effortless considering you can't get a bad tone out of it.

I've put this review off for sometime for a couple of reasons...

1. I loathe 99.9% of user reviews as they are primarily some idiot bragging about how great his or her new gear that they will only be dissatisfied with in a weeks when the honeymoon phase is over.

2. I absolutely cringe when I read G.A.S. or worse yet, I'm totally GASing for something. Seriously, I would bet my life that none of these people actually play music in a band...or even with other people outside of their bedroom.

So why am I bothering to write a review...merely to state that the Klon has exceeded every moronic overblown preposterous claim I have ever read about it. I've spoken at length with Bill on more than one occasion and he is currently building my 2nd unit due to arrive in a few weeks. I use a handmade point to point British Matamp S2000, 60w nominal output/clean pushing two beefy KT88's and a recently acquired point to point 2 watt Matamp recording head both through a Bogner 4x12 (V30's). FYI, Matamps were the original Orange amps and are still being produced today. Guitars are a US Tele and two P90 equipped Gibsons.

I tried literally dozens of pedals from Zvex, Fulltone, Homebrew, Keeley, Banzai, MXR, Boss, etc...and all but gave up. I have always hated pedals, but I took a chance on the Klon having once heard one in Chicago almost 7 years ago while in college. Simply put, the clean boost is phenomenal and the only one I have used that is truly Clean and Uncolored. The notes just get ten times bigger yet way more focused which is seemingly impossible. The overdrive sustains for days yet retains amazing string clarity and dripping with harmonics.

The only pedal that makes your amp sound a thousand times better yet unmistakably your amp, the Klon review almost belongs in the Amp Reviews.

Solid. Bill is one of a kind in this industry.

See Above.

This pedal has become indispensible and irreplaceable for me. I thought it expensive until I realized that I could sell off half my amps owing to the added tonal flexibility it gave me. I now run this one pedal straight into my amp and am able to get a ton of jaw dropping tones. I can't wait to hear it with other amps, namely a Victoria tweed which will be my next acquisition.

Very straight forward. Gain, Treble, Output.

Well, it's very much up to the Guitar and Amp you are using.
I wouldn't try it on other then tube amps on "decent" volumes.
It "adds" to a valve Amp sound.
Still it really added life to the dull, dull POD (little gain, all the way up on the output).

It is not giving you a new sound to the Amp, it's making more out of what you've got.
To my opinion, that's what you should look for in a OD, or get an Amp to better suit your preference.

The gain is slightly pushing the upper mids.

With a Dual Recto it's fantastic on all channels, adding a
nice, slightly warm crunch to the clean channel and a nice warmth/push to the gain channels.

It?s very different with a Strat or a LP (or what you through at it).

On a VOX, fantastic with a LP! the Strat will be a bit bright, but I guess that?s an Amp thing..

Again, it's all about combination.
I think that it does a great job with 6L6:s, but will be slightly
thin on EL34s or EL84s.

Heavy built.

N/A

If you want to push the sound you have a bit further.
What it does, is adding "fantastic"!

It?s not for monster things, guess it?s built for tone.
n' that?s what you get!

It will not substitute a good Amp, but I dont think anything does.

Not nice, VERY NICE!

I play in a working band and I am VERY picky about my gear. Use is very easy, three knobs. The treble knob is very useable, makes a nice cut the mix tone while on full overdrive. This pedal is big, but its nice having knobs big enough, and far enough apart to bend down in the middle of a song and fiddle with the knobs on the fly.
On/off switch is no frills.

OK, I admit that I bought the KLON because I am a gear whore, tone snob, and thumb my nose at anything that is made in China and is cheap. Having said that, I fell into the trap of "if it cost more...it must be better". Guess what....it is better. I have two orginal tube screamers (which I also love) and I've tried about everything else out there. The Klon does a nice tube warm overdrive sound, as well as a great low gain grit sound. Very natural sounding. It is a satisfying feeling knowing you have the best, and it give you the inspiration to play better with more soul. The Klon has made me a better player use my fingers for more response than just going through the motions. I tend to "feel" the notes more since I started using it.

Built like the USS KLON. Ready for battle. I would trust it w/o a backup, but I always have a TS9 at the ready just in case.

Never had to deal w/ them, probably never will.

I play alternative/classic Rock. All the classics: U2, Led Zepplin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, blur, Oasis, Aerosmith, REM, Radiohead, GreenDay (yes...the KLON will do Billy Joe nicely) as well as 80's stuff. I use a load of other boutique effects, analogman, fulltone, T-rex. I am using Two Clark Beauforts together. I am always being complimented on my tone, and I think the Klon is a big part, that and my natural talent, of course.

In short....life is short. Buy the Klon, focus on playing, and quit looking cause you ain't gonna find anything better. You will be happy w/ it. I give it a 10

Even though there are only three knobs: gain, treble and volume, the unit requires careful tinkering to get the optimum sound. This is not a "set and forget" kind of pedal and requires some tweaking. This is not necessarily a criticism of the pedal, just an observation.

I use the Klon with Gibson Historic Reissue Les Pauls and a Strat. I play through Carr amps, a Rambler and a Mercury. The unit sounds spectacular through both amps although quite different which is to be expected given the different character of each amp.

Sorry to continue what must sound like a scratched record at this point but, it makes you sound like you but more so. I'm not striving to copy a particular player's tone but artists whose tone turns me on include Peter Green, Mike Bloomfield, early Clapton, Stevie Ray, early Billy Gibbons and Gary Moore. The tone I get is along the lines of these players.

Haven't owned it long enough to really tell but it looks like it's build like a rock. My gigging days are behind me but were I to gig, I'd probably have a backup just in case.

Bill seems a pleasant enough and helpful guy to talk to but I have a few quibbles. First, two weeks before delivery, he called me to say that he wouldn't deliver to a residential address any more because of troubles with Fed Ex. He'd only send the unit if I sent him an email exempting him from liability in the event the unit was not delivered. Given that he'd already cashed my check, I found this unprofessional. Second, he originally told me that I could request a gold unit. I asked several times but he forgot and sent me a silver one. He offered to exchange it but after a 12 week wait I wasn't about to send it back. Lastly, at $344, I don't think it's too much to ask that Bill include an AC adapter, particularly since he uses a non-standard plug. I must now purchase a BOSS adapter, take it to a repair shop, and have the adapter replaced with the non-standard plug which Bill supplies with the unit.

I'm primarily a blues player although I do also play blues/rock, jazz and R&B. The Klon is a welcome addition to my rig. The only other effect I use is a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 which is essential a better made Tubescreamer. The Klon is subtle but powerful. It requires working with and it does make you play cleaner because the tone is so good. The transparency of the clean boost setting (0 gain, treble and volume mid-way) is superb. The gain is very useable up to half way but the more cranked your amp is to start with, the better it sounds. I'm still working out my favorite settings with the Klon but am glad to have it.

3 knobs, basic, but so diverse. I'm impressed!

Bill,
I now have (or have had) EVERY pedal made, and without question, this one is the ONLY ONE that has EVER blended with any other, (or combination of others) perfectly! I run it through Fenders (Super, Twinn, and Vibro-Kings), and Marshall Plexis, and it just makes these amps sound phonominal! No doubt in my mind, if Stevie was still here, He'd have 10 of them! Mr Gibbons (no doubt has one also).
Cant thank you enough, and it was DEFENATELY worth the wait.

Built tougher than BOSS! Its a Tank!

My personal opinion is that there arent very many companies who truly have the time to talk "One-on-One" with the consumer today. Moreover, how many companies can YOU think of, run, and operated by one person (who hand-builds EACH one of these), who would possibly have the time?
I'm convinced that this man is from the same mold as "LEO Fender", and people like him are DAMN hard to find!

Cant express how happy I am.....(and will spread the word Bill), (at the same time, I'd rather say nothing as this is probobly still one of the best kept secrets in the buisness!)

The Klon Centaur With Gain, Treble and Output; Stompswitch for on/ off. Ease of Use is a 10.

I found the Klon to be less of an Overdrive pedal like most of the breed, yet more of a unit designed to push a high quality tube amplifier into a saturated state and tubey overdrive faster.
My Marshall JCM 800 2203x sounds big stock, this pedal made my amp sound "bigger" and my Les Paul Custom and PRS Singlecut sound more dynamic, alive and super responsive! While it does achieve some distortion of its own when you max out the gain in relation to a low output setup, In addition to this you can dial the Gain set to minimum and treble at 12 oclock, the KLON CENTAUR gives me a completely transparent boost. I noticed it did not color or distort my sound whatso ever and still at the same time drove my Marshall into a beefed up distortion! INCREDIBLE. I found the unit to be a wide frequencied, very full sounding overdrive with a super sturdy low end dynamic and very brilliant.

Hand built each one by Bill Finnegan, and housed in a sand cast aluminum with a stencilled Centaur picture ( The original run had this graphic and is the one I own.) New ones do not havethe graphic but are the same build quality. Bill uses CTS pots, Switchcraft jacks and a Carling Switch. Also within the Wizardlike circuitry lies a dual-ganged pot as the gain control.(the first pot of the pair runs the Drive level and the 2nd at the same time tweaks the KLONS tone like response to maximize that particular drive level. Obviously A WELL BUILT MACHINE FOR THE AGES!

I originally called BIll to get on the list and was ready to mail my check out when a good friend of mine offered me his orignal KLON with the picture on it.I bought that one. Bill answers all questions with qrace and style and is a nice guy to boot. Will order a new one from him for a second unit soon enough. !

Worth the $344 tag for a new one. Money well spent.

The use of this pedal is fairly obvious, and simple to figure out... but, I must admit when I tried this for the first time a couple of years ago, I thought it sounded rather brash and horrible. After reading more about the design concept of it, and then trying it out a second time, it made more sense. It works like an extra gain stage on your amp, so if your guitar and amp combination isn't that great, this pedal probably won't help you much. Now that I know the boundaries of this pedal, I find it very easy to dial up a sound I like.

I like to call it the "eleven pedal", and it's probably the best one of this kind I've ever tried.

The guitars I'm using are a PRS w/ Tom Holmes' PAFs, and an Ibanez Blazer w/ stock single coils through a THD Flexi50 and a Dr.Z Route 66. The Centaur is an absolute "must-have" for the Route 66, and in general a "keeper". It doesn't seem to impose too much of it's own character depending on how you use it.

I generally use the Centaur for anywhere between a straight clean boost and the gain about up to 2 o'clock. It all depends on how loud/hard the amp is driving, but after the amp volume is pretty much set, I'll start playing with the Gain / Volume balance and see what works best for the situation. Treble usually stays in the middle or thereabouts.

The unit is a little noisy, but never to the point that it bothers me, and also it's a small compromise for how good this pedal sounds.

It looks and feels very solid... and I own a second hand unit that was made in '95 - No scratchy pots, no intermittent jacks, and the switch has worked everytime.

I've ordered two more units though, just incase this one gets stolen or damaged.

I've spoken to the designer/builder (Bill) on the phone, and found him to be very generous and helpful. He's someone who obviously cares a great deal about the product he's selling. He seemed quite busy, but was kind enough to take the time to talk.

I've owned this pedal for about 4 months, and I've used it almost daily. I love just about every aspect of it - it's pretty much a work of Art. The casting looks VERY sexy for a start, including the way it looks on the inside with the battery holder etc... The wiring / soldering and the layout looks immaculate. I was told by Bill, the designer, that this pedal took 4 years to develope to the point where he was completely satisfied with it. And I think it really shows. Overall a very inspiring piece of gear to own.

People checking this are probably looking for confirmation before buying and so know the drill. This simplicty in itself. one button,switch, GAIN,TONE,VOLUME. This pedal was bought from Chandler Music in the UK and came with typed instructions and welcome plus a handdrawn diagram of a suggested setting(s) but i dont know if this comes with ALL the pedals but a big help none the less.

First thing i want to say is THIS PEDAL WILL NOT MAKE YOU SOUND LIKE BILLY GIBBONS OF ZZ TOP.IT IS NOT ZZ TOP IN A TIN. It is however the finest overdrive unit that i personally have tried.I have worked at a music shop for close to 6 years and have tried EVERY brand and boutique pedal around.

It is obviously not high gain machine but what it appears to do is, as stated in most reviews, become part of th einternals of your amp and push it so you have that pushed overdriven valve sound that you trully dream about. Without sounding like a scratched record, it doesnt impose on your sounds and it doesn't hide a weak tone. It is what you make it but unlike a tubescreamer and Radial Tonebone, it isnt as middy when pushed and reatins every bit of the tone that YOU HAVE ALREADY.

Hear it on some MP3s at my bands website www.carmenpimps.com

This thing looks heavy duty and looks like it could take a beating. It is on a pedal board and has been used a lot.

Again, like most of the other reviews, Bill seems a real genuine guy and prefers you to talk to him to basically confirm that the pedal will do what you hope it should. As most people know, thats rare in the music industry and i guess a true credit to his reputation and believe in his craft.

I am more than happy with my guitar tone. My fave players are the like of AC/DC, ZZ Top, Slash, Kossoff(Free) etc. I needed a pedal that would help retain my tone and wouldn't lose its balls when stomped on. This pedal is amazing and is the finest overdrive pedal i personally have used.

I guess i am in some ways a bit of a gear whore but i am 100% sure that this pedal will not leave my board or rig. It has become part of my style and tone.

Probably like most people i winced a little at the price tag. How can a pedal cost THAT much?? Surely a tubescreamer or another cheaper model will do the job?? i honestly believe this is the pedal that all other overdrives should be judged and can personally recommend without hesitation.

You can hear the pedal on my bands website www.carmenpimps.com if thats any help.

One word for this pedal. Sublime.

Three knobs. Gain, Treble, Output. On/button w/LED.

I use it with every amp I have(Marshall JCM 800 50watt, Marshall DSL 2000 100 watt, Fender Prosonic, Fender Tweed Deluxe. All are great sounding on their own but this pedal breathes even more life into them. This is not a bedroom pedal!! It works best with an amp set at just about "break-up" and the louder the better. I still don't understand why I keep hearing about guitar players are looking for amps that sound "BIG" and a low volume. A great tone is about sound and FEEL!!! You don't feel it if the speakers aren't PUSHING SOME AIR. So if you are one of those "I need a quite amp" kinda player, get a POD and leave this pedal for the big boys.

This pedal truly becomes a part of your amp. It will only make a great amp sound better. It will not help a bad sounding amp.

This pedal is the best available and once you own one you will never look back. My best guess for the ones being sold used is that it did not meet the needs of a metal player that needs extra saturation to hide behind. This pedal articulates every note and nuance of your playing. Just check out the players that use it(Haynes, Whitford, Perry, Freed etc...)

Never had any problem. I am considering a second unit, not for a back-up but to use one for a clean boost and the second for a tone/gain boost.

Bill Fennigan is awesome. I called to inquire about a power supply and he answered the phone. After a 45 min. conversation I knew without a doubt this guy values every customer(and this was after I even told him I bought my unit used at a pawn shop). I definetly plan to by my next one from him new.

I feel like I stole it for what I paid for it. Mine is #505(gold w/Centaur drawing. I have been playing for ~30 years (that feels so strange to say) mainly rock in the style of the Stones, Zep, ZZ Top. Went through the "shred phase" years back but have come full cirle to less notes the ooze with tone and this pedal is the perfect companion. I have owned all the green and yellow pedals, fulldrive II, Sparkle drive, and although they are all good at what they do, they just do not compare to the Klon. The only reason I am not giving it a 10 overall is because it does not utilize a more universal power supply. A very small price to pay for such a beautiful product.

First off this is my 2nd time to buy one of these units. The first one was an older one with the centaur on it but the new one is a silver unit and bought new from Bill by phone 10 weeks ago. I had to sell the older used unit I had two years ago.
As most of you have already said this unit is easy to control. It really matters most what amp and guitar you are using with it. I have tried this new one in every configuration the knobs can be placed and I haven't found a bad setting yet. It is an all around easy piece to use. Silver and plain or not, this pedal sounds fantastic.

When I called Klon Bill did ask me about my setup and explain why it mattered. I use a '62 Strat reissue with non-stock pickups and a Tele Plus with a dual red/silver Lace Sensor in the bridge and blue Lace Sensor in the neck into a Fender 2ch The Twin Amp or a Soldano SLO with a Boogie EV12L loaded cabinet. I just resently bought a Marshall JCM 800 2210 Head which I am still tweaking with my setup. I do not gig out any more but I do record weekly and I try very hard to get the David Gilmour or a Warren Haynes type tone. I really try hard to get these type of tones in my original tunes. I also am trying to get a SRV sound in some Blues based songs. The light overdrive tones from the Klon are great. The bottom end is all there not like the TS 9 or TS 808 mentioned several times in these reviews. The TS series just doesn't have the low end at all like the Klon does. I have tried just about every other model overdrive on the market and the only other pedal that comes close for me is the Robert Keeley modified Boss SD 1 and His TS 9 Baked and plus mods. I have all of Robert's pedals and they do sound great also and I use them along with the Klon. They do not interfer with the Klon's tone and the Klon does not effect their tone which I love about both brands.

The Klon is built like a tank no doubt. Bill Finnegen doesn't BS you at all. He talks to you about your setup and then tells you that yes, It will take 8 to 9 weeks and it does take that long. But in my opinion it is worth the wait. He is a very nice person to talk with and shoots straight with you. He emailed me twice during my wait to update me and when he shipped it he emailed me. I did want a gold color but could only get a silver which does not matter at all.
I would carry the Boss modded SD 1 and a modded TS 9 as a backup if I gigged out but since I don't, I don't think a backup is nessecary but I have decided to buy another Klon for ease in changing setups.

Bill is very friendly and helpful as noted above. Someone mentioned in another review his concern that if something were to happen to Bill would there be someone else who could help us if the warranty were needed, of course there is someone else plus these other guru pedal builders know what's in the Klon. I know that someone has taken the goop off the wiring by now and knows what makes this pedal tick.
If somehting were toi happen to my Klon I am sure Bill would fix it with no problem.

I play classic rock and blues. For the most part I write my own music but it is in the style of Pink Floyd / Warren Haynes and a little SRV thrown in. I am a huge classic rock freak, INXS to Led Zep and all in between,I love it all. Guitar based rock is my life. I've been playing for over 30 years now and most of that time was spent playing semi professionally in clubs and festivals so all my adult life has been spent playing for a living. So in my opinion The unit works great for all of these tasks, live playing, recording whatever you throw at it. If it were stolen I would buy another no doubt in my mind it's the best. As I mentioned I tried most every other overdrive/ boost out there. I own most of the other brands as well and they do a good job in the styles they were made for but the Klon does it all. As to the differences that seem to be going on in this thread about is this pedal a TS 9 clone or isn't it? My review is from my mindset. It's not from a techs point of view. I don't care what's inside the metal case. I don't care that the power cord has to be made up or it runs better off a battery. All that matters to me is when I plug it upo between my guitar and amp that it rocks. That is blows me away time after time. The Klon does just that. If you are a plyer and you can play at nice loud levels and have good gear, buy a Klon. If you don't buy a TS 9. My opinion, ther Klon is the top of the overdrive market. Robert Keeley's products are right there with this one also but Klon is just one pedal and it does it all! I can say for sure I have a sound that many people would be jealous over, believe me when I say I am a truly bleesed or a lucky person.

This is a pure plug and play pedal. In & out plug slots at the top; 3 control knobs: gain, treble and output; Red light power indicator on the left and foot switch. It takes a 9v battery and does have a plug slot for out board power supply. There is one problem with this though (hence the 8 rating). To use a power supply instead of the battery, he sends you a 1/8" type plug adaptor with the pedal and instructions that this needs to be soldered to a very specific Boss plug. Further he specifies that if you do this wrong it could destroy the pedal and this would void the warranty. He needs to fix this aspect of his product as it is a bone head move.

To me the sound of this pedal is awe inspiring. I have used a 2004 American deluxe strat with noiseless pickups and a G&L ASAT special through the klon and a Dr. Z Maz jr. and Dr. Z Route 66. I have not put anything else in the chain so I can't speak to what affect that would have. I play electric rock/blues like Hendrix, SRV and pre-eliminator Billy Gibbons. Using this set up, the hair on my neck has stood up when I played 'waitin' on the bus' for instance. When I plug in, I play loud and this pedal sounds great loud. If I'm playing softly at home, I don't plug in. I have twisted all the knobs on this thing to the extremes and in between. There are no bad sounds or noisiness in it. You can get variations in drive, boost and tone but they all sound great. In comparison to another great overdrive: I have a fulldrive 2 and it has been my choice of overdrive for the past five years. The klon is more transparent, rich and natural sounding. I am still a fulltone fan though and have over half of his catalog. I do not know what this pedal sounds like with lower grade amps and guitars; I suspect not as good. This is not a nu-metal, high gain pedal. It is for vintage and boutique enthusiasts.

It looks solid, like most boutique stuff, but I've only had it a week.

He has responded to all my emails in a day or two and he answers the phone when you call. He is friendly but very busy and lets you know that he is busy.

This pedal is perfect sounding for my style. The sound is well worth the price. I would get anther one is something happened to this one. But for the money I do not expect to have to break out a soldering iron and be threatened that my warranty will be void if I screw up. He's got to fix this. Having said that you will not be dissatisfied if you have a good amp, good guitar and play loud.

I'm giving this a 6 because you need to experiment a bit to get your tone, ESPECIALLY when using the gain dial. As everyone already knows, the Klon is supposed to interact with your guitar/amp settings, and thus you cannot use the gain dial like you would use it on a 'normal' OD pedal like a TS-9. If you try to use it like a regular pedal, you may be very displeased with the gain sounds. When the gain is shut off, it reacts like a regular clean boost, and is VERY easy to use.

Before we get into this, let me say that I never give any product a 10. To me 10 is perfection, and IMO, perfection is an impossible, and limiting goal. Once you reach perfection, there's no where else to go! Plus I feel like too many people on this site keep giving across the board 10's, probably b/c they have just bought a new product, haven't lived/played with it enough, and are trying to justify their purchase. The approach is counterproductive and it does a disservice to all the people who need honest opinions before laying out their hard earned cash.

I'm giving this a 9 with a DISCLAIMER. You must know what you want to achieve before buying this product, and you must be sure that you have the right equipment. Contrary to all the hype, I don't believe that the Klon will ("make any guitar/amp sound better.... it just gives you more of what you have etc..")

The Klon is first and foremost a boost and light/medium OD pedal. Don't get this if you are looking for a metal crunch machine. It is made for gigging musicians, not bedroom players. If you are a purist and tone freak, but never play out, you will probably want to look elsewhere. This is because used in isloation, especially by pumping up the gain dial, the Klon will not impress. You will hear an unpleasent midrange spike and a lessening of bass response. But the magic happens when you use this pedal under real world gigging conditions (but you MUST have the right amp). It is perfectly (did I say perfect?!) EQ'ed to sit in the mix. In clean boost mode, your sound will seem to be more "up front" in the mix. This is even more evident when you listen to it from the audience's perspective or on live recordings. Many people don't know what all the hype is about with these pedals UNTIL they use them on a gig. That's why it's sold as a "Professional" overdrive. It must be heard in the full context of a live mix to be appreciated. Used correctly, this is a VERY musicial sounding pedal, and will not dissapoint.

Built like a tank.

The only disagreement I have with Customer Service is that you must call Bill Finnegan personally and go through an "interview" before you can buy one of these pedals. I can understand why the folks at Klon insist on this: to make sure that you have the right equipment and that your expectations of what this pedal will and will not do are clear. However, I feel that adults can do their own research and should be able to place an order online without personally talking to the manufacturer. This, however, is just a minor gripe, since many people will enjoy "chewing the fat" with Mr. Finnegan.

I had this pedal and eventually sold it. I sold it because I was using a crappy amp at the time and all the Klon did was to emphasize how crappy the amp sounded. So if you have a mass produced amp, you'd probably be better off looking elsewhere. Plus I was dissapointed that the Klon was only made in Silver when I bought it -- I thought the look of it was really boring. (To be fair, Bill did alert me to this fact before I bought it, so it's my own fault). The Klon website states that it is now available in two colors: silver and a gold anodized version, although the website only shows the silver version.

I am writing this review now because I am planning to buy this pedal again (in gold). My next amp purchase is going to be a Vintage Fender Pro reverb, and the Klon is particularly suited to vintage Blackface Fenders. I would say that the Klon would be the best Boost/light OD pedal for this type of amp. I don't agree with the folks who say that the Klon will sound good with any quality amp. It's midrange clean boost sounds REALLY magical with old Blackface Fenders. This is why I think some people get disappointed or underwhelmed with the Klon: they read reviews saying that it will work with any amp, giving you a Holy Grail sound no matter how you use it... this is not true. It's not for ANY amp, and it's not for ANY level of distortion. Also, in my opinion, you need to be careful in dailing in the GAIN. I found that it's best used from 8:00 to 12:00. Anything past that, and you're getting into nasal territory. Don't expect it to cover all your bases.

That said, once you find that magical Blackface and combine it with the Klon, you may find yourself loving the sound so much, that you throw out all your other pedals. If you're used to high gain, you may start playing with lower gain just because the Klon sounds so GREAT. You will start to appreciate CLARITY and TONE and not just balls out high gain OD. Your sound will be so natural in the mix that you will not need to play with massive gain to get your point across. All in all you will be very satisfied as long as you know what the Klon will and will not do.

I hope I gave a realistic review, beyond the hype, about the plusses and minuses of this pedal. Thanks.

While I am not currently an owner of a Centaur I am an ex-owner. After reading the reviews and comments here I wanted to add my .02 worth. A little background first. I have been playing at a semi pro level since 1976. I did play for a living on the road in a cover band for about three years in my youth but mostly just your average local working musician stuff. Since 1998 I have been part owner of a music store and am also a factory certified tech for a couple of major guitar and amp companies. I have been repairing amps and guitars at a professional level since 1988 so I know my way around gear a bit you could say.
I purchased a Centaur in 1996. At the time I was playing in a R&B band that mostly played weddings. My rig was a 1966 blackface Super Reverb and an original TS808. While this rig sounded good cranked, the gigs in this band were low volume. I was looking for something better in the overdrive department than the TS was giving me. I read about the Centaur and ordered one. In 1996 $279 was a huge amount to spend on an overdrive pedal. Heck it's still a lot of money. At any rate the Centaur into the Super at a low volume didn't do it for me. Having to justify the purchase I thought of returning the unit but another local player ended of buying it.
Fast forward to a month ago. For the last year I have been playing in a couple of bands doing a lot of classic rock stuff. I have been using a JTM45 RI, mostly playing bars and festivals and getting to crank the amp. Bumping the front end with my trusty TS808. Sounded good. The local player who bought the Centaur from me in '96 had noticed what the units, especially the early ones, were bringing on ebay. He wanted me to refret a guitar and decided to finance the work by selling the Klon. We sold the pedal for him on ebay as a consignment item so I was able to keep it and even play a couple of gigs while the auction was taking place. I didn't want to give it back!!! It was pure magic with the JTM45. This is nothing like a tube screamer. And with all due respect, anyone who says it's a tube screamer circuit or a variation could not be more wrong. A TS is a good thing, it does what it does and does it well. The Centaur does what it does very well also. It's different that a TS. It's hard to describe exactly the way it interacts with your amp. It pushes it over the top like a boost pedal would do but it adds something that just seems to make the notes "pop" out of the amp, makes them cut thru the mix. And in doing so still retains the soul of your amp. It still sounds like your amp only bigger. Even bypassed the tone was better. I like a tube screamer as much as the next guy. It's been my choice of overdrive since 1992. But the Klon was exactly what I was wanted to hear from the Marshall.
If the Centaur were a car it would be a high performance race car. You wouldn't own one to drive to the market in. Someone might say that it's faster but doesn't have as good a ride as their luxury sedan. That's what I was doing in 1996. I had purchased a race car to drive to the market in. In other words I was not using it as it was designed to be used. Do I regret selling it? You bet!!!!!
I wanted to buy it back but the auction brought $612 and I could not afford it. I handed the box to the UPS man yesterday and almost shed a tear. There are a lot of great pedals out there today. The Klon Centaur is one of the true classic pedals. A standard by which others are judged and you can bet I'm getting another one. I heard from the builder himself that the circuit is unchanged and the units quality might even be a little better than the original gold ones with the Centaur figure that are bringing the high prices.
If you have a good amp that you like the sound of when you are overdriving the power section and want to enhance it, add more drive, sustain or volume, from personal experience I can highly recommend the Klon Centaur.

N/A

I felt that I had to respond to an "anonymous" posting a little while back, under the guise of "PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT". This person basically claims that the Centaur is a Tube Screamer ripoff. In my opinion, he could not be more off base. Has he actually plugged one in and played it through a good tube amp? The claim that the Centaur is a modded TS circuit is absurd. I'm not dissing the TS, but to anyone with ears, these are two entirely different boxes. The problem I have with the TS is the loss of lows, not the mid hump. To some the mid hump is cool and that's great for them. The Klon does not lose low end when engaged. In fact, it makes everything a little fatter. With a TS, I would have to keep the lows on the amp cranked up for solos and the when I turned the pedal off my sound would be get too woofy. I couldn't get around this. Again, this is not an issue with the Centaur. And if there is a slight mid increase when the gain is cranked up on the Klon, it can be offset with the treble knob. If you purchased the unit from Klon directly you received a sheet that gives you tips as to how to custom tailor your sound and this aspect of the pedal is explained in detail. The author of this "PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT" also states that if you can't hear the TS similarities, your either deaf or suffering from "sticker shock". I did suffer from sticker shock of a different sort- shocked that I had spent so much money on other pedals over the years and resisted buying a Centaur because of the price. Like the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Well worth the money. How does Mr. PSA explain the 3 month wait for these? Just look at the overall ratings for this device on Harmony Central- solidly above 9 in all categories with close to a couple of hundred reviews. Check out the raves for this pedal in the new book by Dave Hunter-"Guitar Effects Pedal- The Definitive Guide". If you read the book you'll realize that this is a guy who has done his homework by ACTUALLY USING THE PEDALS and not someone who is evaluating them from word of mouth or online research. Maybe if Mr. Public Service would cough up the dough for one, he'd think a little differently about it. I think this guy's opinionated tone is what prompted me to post this message. God Bless the TS and it devoted followers. This forum is for what you like or don't like about certain pieces of gear, not to preach to people before they've made up their own minds. And as for him closing with " don't say I didn't warn you", I ask, "Who ARE you?".

Very easy to use. Three knobs control the overall function; no need to over-complicate like some overdrive pedals. The documentation is light, and rightfully so; this pedal is used and toyed with to taste, not to a manual's documented presets for certain sounds. It's all about what you choose to do with it.

Currently using the Centaur with a PRS Custom 22 and a Fender Strat with a David Gilmour EMG setup. Amplification at home is through a Roland Jazz Chorus-77 or a Peavy 5150; the tube amps are better in this case for the Centaur, as Bill points out, though I still can't ditch my Jazz Chorus for it's known cleans characteristic stereo chorus. Again, the unit really shines with tube, but I can still pull some nice sounds from it on the solid state side. This thing screams through Matchless amp, which is what truly sold me on this unit. I'll be re-building my amplification to a Matchless; this is a winning combination for me.

Other pedals in the chain are a ZVEX Super Hard On, Fulltone Choralflange, Fulltone Deja 2 and a BOSS Digital Delay DD-5 (looking to ditch the BOSS when I can).

I have zero complaints about this unit's sound quality, especially after years and hundreds of dollars wasted on pedals that color my sound as they please. I wish I would've had a clue about the Centaur two albums ago.

The Centaur is a tank. I can't imagine damaging the unit through normal (ab)use. I always bring a backup guitar to gigs, I don't feel I'll need to bring a backup Centaur. Back in my BOSS days, I would snatch up backups of my pedals when I found them for a cheap price.

My rating in this category is based on the time I've spent with it so far, and the pedal's overall construction. I trust it.

Here is my primary reason for the review; as most of the other information I've posted above has already been said by many before me; but I think something further needs to be said about Bill's support for his pedals.

I did not purchase my pedal through Bill, I purchased it second hand. Therefore, when a question arose about using a power unit to power the Centaur, I obviously felt a bit awkward calling with my question. Honestly, I know if I made each of my products by hand, I would want to spend my time giving support to those who supported me directly, and not so much to those who didn't.

Bill was great on the phone, especially when he knew I was not the original purchaser of the pedal. He still gave me excellent support on my question and took the time out of his schedule to find out about my particular setup, offering much further information than I imagined. Still, the frustration of being a small company and losing sales to others was there, and understandably so.

If these guys aren't supported by their products, they are going to disappear; that's just a simple fact of the business. I should have purchased this gem directly. I thought I was simply shaving a couple week's wait, but there is much more to it. Any waiting time required for this pedal is worth it. I see myself purchasing another for this very reason.

Really easy to get good sounds out of this pedal. Works really well with your amp and guitar.

I use it with a Dr Z carmen Ghia and marshall 4x12. It sounds wonderful with any amp and guitar i've plugged into. This is used with a number of other pedals in a chain (boss TU 2, DD3,TR2 and a crybaby) it is not noisy and does everything from super clean boost to vintage overdrive tones.


Just a note to the person that left the message disputing the "ground breaking factor". It is similar to a TS9 what's the problem with that? However it does the job much much better. Why do players use old guitars and amps? The answer is simple, they sound good, not because they are cutting edge. If it sounds good, it is good. Why waste your time writing on here if you don't have a helpful review??

No problems. But i do carry a TS9 as a spare. Just common sense.

Excellent. The man who makes them is very very good. Brought from Klon direct to the UK he was great and very helpful getting the pedal to me before a UK tour.

The best overdrive/booster on the market.

This is a PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT for anyone intersted in the Klon. Ok, this pedal's been around for awhile and now even has some clones such as the Zoom PD-01 and the Banzai Cold Fusion. What this means is that for all the goop on the components, the Klon's circuit has been dissected. Guess what? It ain't so revolutionary. In fact, as I've thought all along its based on the Tubescreamer. Here's the skinny found on the web in the public domain. The Klon uses a double pot for gain - the 2nd pot is reverse wired, one side controls a modified Tube Screamer OD stage, and the other an op-amp based booster for clear full frequency boost. That means with the gain knob all the way down the clean circuit is at maximum and the TS OD is essentially off. As you turn the gain knob up it introduces more and more of the TS. The reason I'm mentioning all this is to introduce some scientific objectivity into the discussion of what kind of tones this thing produces. As several users on this site have correctly noted (but others have refuted), when you turn the gain up the TS circuit will begin to cut bass and introduce a mid range hump. End of story. If you can't hear it you're deaf or suffering from sticker shock. The term "transparent" only applies when the gain is at minimum. I noticed that many of the reviewers who claim the OD was transparent also owned Fulldrives or a TS-9. Well the midrange emphasis of the Klon is somewhat higher than those boxes and will sound "more open" or "sparkly" by comparison. But once the thing is off you WILL hear the difference in the un-effected sound.

Obviously this pedal is well made and some people really love what it does for them. Hell, some people think the TS 808 really is the best OD ever. People are funny. I however feel that $300 is an ABSURD amount of money to pay for what amounts to ANOTHER VARIATION ON THE TS-9. There are so many CHEAPER variations on this theme and many of them sound really good. Don't say I didn't warn ya.

3 knobs, less confusion for me. but with just 3 knobs there are lots of different usable settings on this pedal.

i'm using this with a gretsch hollowbody and a victoria 1x15 tube amp. simply put, the best thing about this pedal is that you CAN get the same sound coming out of the pedal as what goes in. this didn't happen with the EQ set at 12 noon as stated in the instructons as being the neutral EQ setting... just tweak a bit and your true sound is there. this pedal provides just a little more bite and overdrive if that's what you're going for or it can add some snarly meat to your tone. my gretsch still sounds like a gretsch!... but meaner. crank your amp and add a little overdrive and it's the same guitar and amp but with that little extra bit i've been needing. if it's a quieter gig and you can't crank your amp, turn up the OD and you'll still get a great sound. i didn't want a pedal to suck tone from me OR add some kind of its own signature sound. remember, you get what you pay for. the klon delivers the goods as promised.

built like a tank and i hear the guy who builds these stakes his reputation on each and every unit lasting forever.

i emailed Bill long before i bought this and he responded very quickly and had some usefull 'player' insights for me as to how the Klon would most likely work for me. great stuff.

this is the plain silver box verison. i bought it on eBay knowing that the outer casing was a little beat looking but i wasn't worried. i needed this quickly and didn't want to wait the 12 weeks for one. besides, after i bought mine i was watching some others wich went for almost $600!!! the Klon allows more of ME to come out in my playing. the only other effect i use is a maxon analog delay for the slap-back thing. i love the sound of my guitar and amp... just wanted a bit more. the klon delivers in spades! i wrote this review because the other reviews of the Klon here on HCentral were very helpful and i believe anyone who builds a quality product like this and stands by it in the way that Bill does deserves the good press.

Easy, 3 knobs. There is a couple of one page note sheets that come with it. It also helps if you have a friend that uses one, to explain the intent of the pedal a little bit.

Guitars: Heritage 535, Heritage 150CM, Blackguard Esquire
Amps: Victoria Double Deluxe, 1961 Fender Blonde Bassman
Effects: Barber Direct Drive, Crowther Hot Cake, Original Expandora, Holy Grail Reverb

Okay that out of the way, I wanted to buy this pedal for the nice "fat" "sparkly" tone it adds. I know Bill claims it adds nothing, but it does add. I find it adds a lot to the lower mids, which in my opinion IS A GOOD THING! Bill hates it when you tell him it adds mids, but it does. Its a little noisy, but if you play with a good tube amp turned up, you're already noisy. I really love to turn the amp up to about halfway, then smack it with the Klon, and then add the Crowther for dirt. I use the Klon in the clean boost mode only, as I think that is where it excels. My favorite artists are Gibbons, Duane, Clapton, Peter Green, BB King, Freddie King, Roy Buchanan and Otis Rush. Pretty easy with the instruments I have to get the tones of these men, I just wished I could play like them.

To be honest I don't care for the overdrive of the pedal. So I will give it a 10+ for boost, but a 6 for overdrive. And by overdrive I DON'T mean I'm playing with my amp turned on 2, and maxing the gain on the pedal. I just use my normal amp settings which are around halfway up or louder, and then use the pedal with volume and tone half up and then adjust the gain to taste. Frankly I think its not good in this mode.

Looks reliable. But the black goop bugs me, because if something happened to Mr. Finnegan, then we're all screwed. That thought doesn't comfort me.

Again I don't like the black goop, I wouldn't want to try to "KLONE" (Klon joke) this thingm but I know those that would. I really am just worried that if Mr. Finnegan dies or retires, then if our units start to fail, we could all be hosed.

Bill was very helpful and nice. However I got the distinct impression that he's a bit of a "cork sniffer". He also hates it when you compare his pedal to something else or when you talk about "mids".

I play blues, and rock, I think that the pedal is a nice match for my style, and my tone. I've been playing a few years now, and have some nice gear, which I think adds to the sound of this pedal. Put it this way if you're playing a harmony strat through a crate SS amp, or if you're using a digital or other modeling amp, this is not the pedal for you.

I love the fatness and sparkle and low mids it gives. I hate the price, I hate the wait, Bill is not a bad guy, but he's a little different, and I'd hate to return one of these to him, because I think he'd be a real pain. He needs to take lessons from the ultimate in customer service Mr. David Barber.

I wished it was $99, but its not, and since NOTHING sounds like a Klon, if you want that sound you just have to pony up and buy a Klon. I compared it to other boosters and NOTHING ELSE SOUNDS LIKE A KLON. Maybe some are better or worse at certain things, but if you want a Klon, then get a Klon.

For clean boost I give this thing a 10+, but for overall value considering its $279 and its a one trick pony its about a 7.

Three knobs in a very basic layout (Volume, Tone, Gain). Very easy to use when you know what the KLON is and what it does. Great design that keeps the knobs out from under your feet. Also the LED is set where your foot does not block line of site when switching it off and on. Great bullet proof design that is very asthetic and appealing as well.

Here is an area that I believe that a lot of folks need to understand more. The KLON is a boos pedal that works just like the first gain stage of a tube amp. Is this true? Absolutely. I can get the sound of my amp's OD channel using the KLON to boost my clean channel (Gain 1:30 Vol 10 Tone 12:00). The KLON allows a clean boost setting with the Gain at Minimum. Volume is unity at about 10:00 or so. The great thing about the KLON is the Tone control. 12:00 on the tone gives you what you put in. Going higher than this give clarity to the high mids and highs. I love the tone control. The useable range is amazing and give the notes a great musical air to them. No shrill treble here. Amazing. I use this with a 2004 Les Paul Limited and a Paul Reed Smith McCarty through a Laney VC30 2-12 and a Dr. Z 6545 through a closed back 2-12. I have developed quite a few great sounds with the KLON.

I have had it for a few months and have used it with three bands every week since I got it. No issues and I expect none based on the design and the quality of the components.

I have had nothing but great response from Mr. Finnegan. I have spoken on the phone with him multiple times and have spoken with him for 30 minutes or more at a time. He has actually requested me to call to discuss the unit. The best way to describe the support I have received is professional and very considerate.

I could not imagine a better product. It does what no other pedal is capable of doing. I love the pedal and have really enjoyed talking with Mr. Finnegan. I would highly reccomend this product and have been doing so on a regular basis. The pedal is not cheap but worth every penny.

If you use a battery, it's a 10. If you want to plug in a power supply, you need to make up your own cable. Klon will send you the part, but I would prefer if the;y installed a standard power jack based on the supplies they recommend. I use a Power-All which powers the Centaur as well a few other things. That particular supply has the correct connector (a mini-plug); most other supplies have a barrel connector of some sort.

This is a blues players dream. Overdrive while preserving the sound of the guitar, without sucking the bass out! I use a Strat with Noiseless(tm) pickup, 335 and Les Paul Standard 1959 re-issues, Showmaster (noiseless neck and mid, duncan humbucker bridge; Fender Robin Ford (custom f-hole, see Fender 2002 calender), and a 1965 Tele Custom and they all sound GREAT.

This Centaur is used in a studio for direct recording: the chain is guiter -> volume pedal -> centaur -> SansAmp PSA1 -> Danelectro Reel-Echo -> volume pedal -> TC Electric G-Force -> XLR to recording console.

(two volume pedals let me control the guitar signal pre-everything, and again post pre-amp under my control, not the engineer's).

No failures in several years. Built like a tank.

Talked to Bill at some length pre-buy, and then just to talk about guitars later. Approachable, friendly, and knows his stuff.

I play rock (vintage), blues, and some jazz. My biggest influences are Berry, Bloomfield, and SRV; I'be been playing since 1965 and if I lost the Centaur, another would be ordered the next day.

Incredibly easy to get a good sound. On other hand, the 3 simple controls outlined thoroughly in previous postings beg to be tweaked ever so slightly to mix into new sonic territory. I give an 8 only because the controls make you listen and think. I give a 10 for the results

I have read many of the postings on this device. I play through a Dr. Z Max 18 Jr. NR. An incredible amp in and of itself. I was literally unable to get a bad sound using my 3 main guitars: a 52' reissiue Tele, a Don Grosh Strat Classic, and a Gibson ES335. This review is based on guitar to Klon to amp....nothing else in the chain.. All I can say is if this pedal doesn't rock your world, take up the accordian. I'm leaving a 10 rating for when I go to heaven. Shredders and big hair metal might even like this thing if you turn the gain up to 1 o'clock or so, but then again, probably not.

Owned for 3 days. But for god sakes, the guy who makes them puts his personal email address and phone number in the accompanying literature.

Can't say; but not worried. And by the way, have all the other reviewers REALLY called up Mr. Finnegan? What the heck were you asking him for god's sake?

Been playing for 40 years. Been through a lot in search of a box that actually enhances my electric guitar playing. This box is sensitive to touch, treats each string as an individual, blossoms like a spring daisy. And to those reviewers who say it is not an overdrive I say: YOU ARE INCORRECT. This box has balls to spare. all you gotta do is turn the gain up past 11 or so.
This is the real deal...worth the money...no other box required in your chain for playing electric guitar in this realm of sound enhancement

very easy to use -- usefull sounds though out
for the most part
gain at 0
treble at 12 o'clock
volume at 11-12 o'clock
i use it after all my effects as a nice buffer/boost to make my rig sound huge
the drive knob can be tricky but it is so subtle that i can make my princeton fron 62 roar with marshall like authority!!!!!!!!

guitars are: 79 silverburst les paul custom/77 fender starcaster/ 79 stratocaster/63 sg jr/61 lp sg jr/94 cij jaguar/98 mexi tele/99 gretsch white penguin/82 jackson randy rhodes/83 charvel super strat/
79 ricky 320/tiesco del rey 4 p/up tulip&3 p/up tulip& 2 monkey grip's
amps are: 55 bassman/65 bassman/62 epiphone pacemaker & one with trem/
68 plexi into 68 square 4x12 and 70 8x10/ carvin x-100b into pv tweed 4x12/ 55 les paul jr amp/ 62 brown face princeton/ 66 ampeg gemini II/
62 vox ac-30 with top boost on back panel/73 twin/traynor bas master into a vertical 4x12---ect...

i tried to use as many diffrent amp and guitars and it always sounded like my amp and guitar--hell i even tried it with my bass rig and it sounded killer-- a 77 fender jazz-78 fender p-bass and a 89 p bass into the traynor into a boogie diesel king 1510 cab-- it still sounded unbelievable-so clear so transparent soo cool!!!! this is the best pedal i've ever played because it retains the sound of your rig!
if i need to explain that it's too late you missed the boat---
by the way the ricky 320 into the klon into the 62 vox is absolute bliss....

had it for 7 years
like a les paul--solid and stunning

bill's a nice guy plenty of time for questions
unlike mr.fuller-- mr. i'm so busy--checking my stock portfolio
dr. prick is wat i call him---ohh! harmony will edit this i'm sure
but i have a very long relationship with mike F. what an arse!!
IMO

found at a pawn shop--
funny thing i HAD an original fat boost before the "knob changes"
fat boost was cool on my rhodes but sucked on guitar--so much for ditching my "greek boutique" pedal i sold the fat goose for 100 bucks
because it really sucked next to this--fulltone's pedals are like boss and mxr now--all mass produced buckets of phlem!!

Three knob wonder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I use the Klon with my THD Flexi 50, loaded with Gold Lion KT88's and Telefunken 12AX7's/12AT7 and my 59 reissue loaded with WCR Good Wood
pickups and RS Guitarworks upgrade electronics kit.When you put the Centaur in line the Rig just gets articulated in your face sound that you don't
want to shut off.

I've been play for 40 years, I mix FOH for SNL,Last Call and Night Music tone is my business.I own or have owned every Overdrive pedal on the planet and
not one comes close to the Centaur.

As easy as it gets.

This is a great clean boost pedal; it's not transparent, there is a mid boost, but a very musical sounding pedal. As an overdrive, it's not the best, it basically sounds like a Tubescreamer, but with much less drive and lots of clean gain. I'd save my money and get a Barber LTD, better clean boost and overdrive, and $180.00 less.

Best components available!

I never needed it, and probably never will.

I've noticed that there are a lot of people selling these used for more than a new one. I paid $279.00 direct from Klon, but there are people trying to get $379 on Ebay. Also, the circuitry has never changed on these units, so don't believe it if someone tries to sell you one saying that it's one of the older better ones. They all sound exactly the same.

Basic stuff...gain, treble, volume. The volume at around 10:30 is unity, the gain off is for clean boost, and the treble at noon is about how much you put into it. Simple, intuitive, flexible...more features would simply clutter this elegant design.

With a Parkly Fly Artist and a Bogner Shiva, this pedal is absolutely brilliant. I find myself using the clean boost function (with maybe a hair of gain) on both my clean channel and overdrive channel.

With the clean, I get a truly massive sounding tone...chords widen and become more 3d with a touch of glassy grind...this is a tone I've had in my head for years and haven't been able to realize with any other pedal. In front of the overdrive channel, the Klon makes my plexi-esque Bogner absolutely scream...very aggressive gain for over-the-top hardcore/hi-gain moments. Basically, the Klon, clean or OD, makes my amp sound bigger...like it's about to level the walls of my garage. Some criticize this pedal for coloring the sound too much--it DOES color the sound in my opinion. It adds some lower-mids and a bit of sparkle...with my rig, this addition is PERFECT...a more transparent pedal would not work the same magic.

The buffer is outstanding...it's at the front of a chain of true bypass pedals and I think the buffer makes the pedalboard function a lot better.

This really is as good as I've heard.

Solid steel case, clean interior...superb design.

Bill Finnegan responds to emails very quickly...this is the only pedal he makes and his diligence and attention to detail shows on every level.

This is a truly world-class piece of gear. The design is amazing, it looks great, but most importantly...this pedal sounds like nothing I've come across and it is never likely to leave my pedalboard. This is a glowing review on purpose...I've played with the pedal for a over a month and I absolutely adore it.

I am a pro player and cannot put up with racks of effects cluttering my stage and sound. Three controls, I have a certain sound that I use, but Gain, Treble and Drive ain't difficult people. I go through this unit, a TU2 and straight to my '74 JMP 50 watt head. Simplicity itself.

Okay, I have owned this unit for about 6 years. I have used it with a 58 Les Paul Junior which was rock and roll incarnate, than a Relic Strat, both through a '78 100 watt JMP head, and it blew my mind. At that time I also used a '57 Black Beauty, and a '73 DR103, a more killer sound you will not find. I now use a 59 Standard, 57 BB, my Centaur (i have recently ordered another) and my '74 JMP, and trying to get back my HIWATT.

Totally robust and reliable. I have played 100s of shows with mine as I said simply through a '73 HIWATT DR103 and 4 X 12 cab, and its nothing short of astounding for hard rock and blistering tone. But get that power supply. It goes through a battery a day if you are playinh regular shows.

Superb customer support. Bill - the genius who builds the Centaur - is a great guy, we have great understanding and he knows what i'm talking about. This is only the case with people like Bill. The main dealers are generally idiots who sell general tat - at least in my experience.

I am recording a record right now. I am studio bound and all i need is THAT sound. Let me tell you this IS Rock and Roll. A killer, killer unit. I have used a 1968 AC30 with it, a 1973 HIWATT DR103, a 1978 JMP 100, a 1974 JMP 50, and even most recently a JCM 800 reissue. And with out the Centaur I would still be playing around in that eternal search for THE killer sound. If you love Rock and Roll, the Stones, The New York Dolls, Mick Ronson, Fred 'Sonic' Smith, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Flamin' Groovies any 70s punk rock, hard rock and rockin' blues. Then with your tubes and your Klon Centaur, you cant lose. Tone and crunch heavan my friends.

Really easy ! 3 knobs.

I play with a Fender classic 60's Strat with Lindy Fralin Pickups, a Gibson Flying V with Voodoo pickups and i have a Gibson Les Paul Classic in order, my amp are a Orange Retro 50 from the Custom shop loaded with a Orange PPC 212 and a Old Marshall JCM800 cabs from the 80's. My other pedal are the follow's: Maxon OD-808, Frantone Brooklyn Overdrive, Bsm trebble booster RM, Ibanez Tube King ...
This pedal is my best clean boost / overdrive in my setup !

This pedal push ( in clean boost setting ) my amp in heaven, the sound are really the same but with more balls and more crunch: great !

This pedal are not a good item for the modern high gain amp, but if you like the sound of your vintage setup, with this Klon , your sound become really better !

Build like a tank and if you have a problem in the electronic panel board it's impossible to repair !

I dont know

I really love this pedal if y lost this, i buy another in the same day !

It's not cheap, but great tone have a price.

This pedal are really really good for the clean boost works.

Very easy.

Vintage Fender Telecaster, '54 Les Paul Historic, tweed amps. A great clean boost, good for overdriving the tweed amps. I really didn't like the sound of the gain knob on the pedal, waaaay too midrangey, not good. I found that it was best to keep the gain knob down and use the volume knob to overdrive the amp. I AB'd the Klon with a Way Huge Red Llama and set them both as a clean boost, they sounded nearly identical but the Red Llama had a better overdriven characteristic when the gain knob was increased. However, my Burriss Boostier (www.burrissamps.com) is my all time favorite; as a clean boost/overdrive it's better than the Red Llama and the Klon, no question about it.

I dig the Klon as a clean boost, but that's about it. I don't think it's worth the money because I know there are other pedals that offer a great clean boost for less, especially my Boostier ($175 :)

The pedal looks amazing, inside and out!

I didn't deal with the company but I understand that they're nice.

To me it sounds like a great clean boost, it's runner up to other boosts in my opinion though... As far as overdrives and boosts go, I think the Burriss Boostiest pedal with have those bases covered, I'm gonna buy one really soon.

I wouldn't buy the klon again if it were lost or stolen, not worth the $. I hate the mid boost with the gain knob...

3 knobs- Gain, Treble (very usable), and level. The level control is very powerful and that is probably why this unit excels as a clean boost.

I currently use a 56 Relic Strat, a 63 Relic Tele and a new, stock 335 thru a SonicCord Toad combo (what a great amp- www.SonicCord.com)
and sometimes a Mesa 2x12 LoneStar (Mesa, in my opinion, has created a classic). Thru the Toad, my blues amp which sounds just great on it's own, the Klon lends a solid kick that allows me to achieve the singing, woody tone I love at lower volume levels. You know you're on to something when you can get a Strat to feed back at sane volume levels! It does add a slight mid coloration but in a much more musical way than a TS Whatever. The Treble control is not at all harsh and very useful for brightening up HB equipped guitars if needed. Thru the LoneStar I use it as a mild OD/boost for the clean channel- it really shines as a clean boost, lending a little more clarity to solos and just a trace more grit. I was one of those people who did not believe the hype about this pedal but eventually had to own one and hear it for myself. Some people buy a pedal and expect to get more than it can offer- you won't use all that gain but you still want to know it's there, right? This pedal is subtle. It almost has to be coaxed, if you will. The accompanying manual makes it clear- you have to have a little amp distortion to begin with to really let this pedal do it's thing. You cannot put your amp on 2 and crank this pedal and expect to get everything you want to hear. Having said that, what this pedal does, it does very well. If you're like me, self concious to a fault, you'll probably love this pedal. What I mean is, I've always felt, right or wrong, that a tone that was too affected, OD/Distortion-wise, was covering up a lack of ability. Hate me if you like, it's just my own opinion. I never liked too much of an affected sound- mild OD and a little reverb were always enough for me. This pedal does not have the ability to make you sound too "covered up"- there is just not enough gain engineered into it. Therefore you have to rely on you, not the pedal. It will bring YOU out more than anything else. And if you're cool with that, well...? Get what I mean? It comes down to what has been selling this device all along- this pedal will only enhance an already great tone.

I have not heard of any chronic problems with this pedal so I will believe the what the website says: Of the over 5100 sold, only 14 have come back with problems. That speaks for itself. I would use it on a gig without a backup only because I can't afford a backup! I do plan on purchasing another just to look at- just kidding. It really is a classy piece of design work.

Bill is a cool guy. What can you say about a guy who wears a headset in order to talk to his customers while he's working? He asked a lot of questions about my gear and my playing style which made me feel he's really in touch from a players point of view. I can't believe that a guy who obviously loves what he does so much would not totally stand behind his product.

I have about 16 years of playing time behind me and I have started to pare things down to what's useful. This is a keeper. I use it for old school rock and roll, rockabilly, soul/funk, and especially for blues where I can get nice sustain without having to mush out my amp. I would definitely replace it if it were stolen or lost. Just my own opinion: I don't mean to sound snobbish, but mass production pedals for the most part don't cut it for me: Too noisy, weird EQ, loss of lows, mid humps, etc., and that really got me away from using pedals early on in my playing. I've only kept a few that are "unobtrusive"(?). I do own a Blackstone which has it's own thing going on that is cool, but another vibe entirely, and a Bennett Brown Sound, which I really like- tranparent, smooth, but able to "blow the doors off the sucker" if needed. Tubescreamers and the like, which are fine I guess, to me, sound better through big, loud amps that are already cranked up. And that's just not my thing.

Very simple - three big nobs well marked.

I'm a professional musician in New York City. I play a variety of styles from rock to blues, R&B and funk. I use a range of instruments including a 1959 Fender Stratocaster, a 1968 Gibson ES335 and a custom shop 1958 historic reissue Gibson Les Paul. I use mostly boutique amps icluding a 35 watt Louis Electric (website www.louisamps.com - see recent Tone Quest magazine for a write up on Lou's amps - everyone from Jimmie Vaughan to Keith Richards and the late Danny Gatton have used and love his amps) a 25 watt Vero amp (another awesome small combo amp which I use for smaller gigs, website: www.veroamps.com), a 1965 Fender Vibrolux (blackface) and a 1965 Fender Super Reverb (blackface). What I look for in an overdrive is a unit that gives me an authentic sound that the amp and guitar I am using would give me if I could push the amp a little louder. The Klon gives me that better than any other pedal I have ever used - and it's the only overdrive pedal I use now on gigs. In fact, Louis Rosano (of Louis Elecrtic) heard me use the Klon and said its a great pedal for retaining the sound integrity of the amp and guitar. I usually set the gain somewhere below noon depending on the volume I'm playing at (and crunch I want). I keep the treble at noon, because in lower gain settings, it is nuetral in terms of the tone of the guitar and I want the original tone to show through. I have experimented and find I can induce great "woman tone" by backing the treble knob off. I give the treble a little boost (say to 1:00 on the dial) when using higher gain settings to get the tone to stay true - I think it offsets the fuzziness from the distortion and allows the guitar to keep cutting through. The higher gain sounds are rich and full and authentic sounding as well. I use these settings for recording and on some rock gigs. I also use the unit to practice with to give me some extra dirt at low volumes. My unit is not noisy.

Never had any issues. It is very well made - I have a silver one and it's built like a chrome tank.

Klon was great when I ordered it. They are made by hand to order and the unit shipped before the date I was given which made me happy. When I called to order the unit, the Owner asked me about the type of music I play and the sound I was looking for. He actually encouraged me to get a smaller amp I could crank on small gigs rather than rely on any pedal. This guy gets it! He was more interested in helping me find my tone than making a sale. A rare experience for me. I also respect the fact the Klon continues to make the units by hand to retain the highest quality. Anything mass produced is bound to have issues.

This is a great, hand made unit that produces authentic overdrive sounds. I could not endorse a pedal more. By the way, I learned about the pedal through Jim Campilongo, who gets one of the greatest tele tones ever heard - reminds me of Roy Buchanan (website: www.jimcampilongo.com).

3 Knobs, very easy...........unless you can't count.

I like the gain at 12:00, treble up, and output at 12:00 also, for that Schenker/Van-Halen tone. I'll give this a 9, because I don't want anyone to think I work for Klon!!

Have had this for 4 years, never a problem, eats 9v batteries, though....suggest ac adapter.

Never had to contact, always perfect!!

I play in a variety Rock Band, SNEAKY PETE< NAPA< CA I need different tones at all times. I love the Euro-Metal tone. Ihave all Gibson Guitars, with hot Pups, Marshall tsl 602 Classic Cry Baby, and Boss effectsd, except the overdrive, which is the Klon Centaur pedal. Gets That Schenker/ Scorpion/ Accept tone easily!!!!!!!!!Wish it had side input/output, to go along with others, and, it is UGLY! I've been playing 25 years, and this is the Overdrive (not Distortion) for that Chunky Tone, but you have to have a allready hi-gain Amp for it to enhance!!I'll rate it 9, cause it's expensive!!

Very easy to use! With 3 knobs this is a no-brainer. Bill includes an instruction sheet with it. Was dialing in some great tones in a few seconds.

I use a SRV Strat with Joe Barden Strat Deluxe Pups > Fender '72 Silverface Deluxe Reverb that's been professionally black-faced. A very quiet pedal. Regarding clean boost I have never heard better! The tone control has a fantastic sweep to it. The pedal reacts wonderfully with your guitar's volume & tone controls. However, I was quite dissapointed with the gain control - very nasal! I don't know if it was me, my equipment or what but I had to use a Keeley-modded TS-9/808 to supplement this pedal to get the overdrive I wanted.

Exceptional quality & craftmanship! Could not fault it whatsoever!

Bill answered my emails promptly & courteously. I talked to Bill twice over the phone. The first time he was extremely helpful & pleasant. I must have caught him at a bad moment the second time because I found him to be a bit curt & I felt I was bothering him. Hey, we're all human but if you can't take the time to provide great customer service don't answer the phone.

I think the Klon is a great pedal for boost, tone adjustment & provides exceptional string definition. As an overdrive I feel it lacks. I've since sold the Klon & gone on to other pedals. If you're looking for overdrive I would recommend the Radial Tonebones (Classic Overdrive & Hot British). But, even more than these the best pedal, with the best range of tones & versatility is by far the Stephenson Amplification Stage Hog - web site - www.stephensonamps.com
This pedal may not have quite the clean boost as the Klon put kicks it HARD in the tone & overdrive departments & gives you WAY more combinations than the Klon ever could. I cannot recommend the Stage Hog high eneough; it is that good!

The prior post was so full of venom and misleading information that I felt compelled to correct it. Here's the thread he's referring to.

http://63.151.115.106/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38516&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

You can either read the entire thread and learn for yourself. Or jump on this idiot's bandwagon.

BTW idiot... The KOT is just a Marshall Bluebreaker

Yes it's buffered, yes there's a slight mid-hump. And yes it increases if you turn up the gain. Personally, I've found that a mid-hump can help your leads project a better off stage. I'm all for transparency, but sometimes you also want color. Heck that's why pedals were made in the first place.

The high end is still unbeatable. And yes I own a Tim which is also a great pedal. But it has it's quirks as well

Tank... Own tons of other pedals and FX. Absolutely nothing can take a beating like my Klon. Toured with it all over the world. Switch finally went out, and Bill fixed it right away

Always has been nothing but helpful.

Great pedal. Not for everyone, not for every amp! But there is no denying that this pedal is a very well thought out product. And is built with the utmost care and quality components.

It's expensive, but you do get what you pay for. Generic Hammond cases cost an awful lot less than the custom Klon case. And there are alot of other "boutique" boxes out there selling for the same price in hammond cases.

easy to use

past a clean boost it was metallic and very poor sounding/a lot of pedals do clean boost jsut as well/anyone with good ears can hear the negative effect the buffer has on your signal
There are new pedals out there like the TIM,KING OF TONE, LTD by barber that make the KLON sound like there is a rug in front of your amp/ they are 1/2 to a 1/3 of the price/ It wont be long before everyone moves on to these next generation awesome pedals/ I have the KOT and it makes the Klon sound terrible/If you are into blues etc. check these pedals out /on the prs forum people who were klon players for years are now using the TIM,KOT and LTD and dumping there KLONS!!!!!

very reliable

never needed

very poor

If you can't figure this thing out, good luck w/ all those knobs on your amplifier...

I use a reissue '57 les paul into a vox ac15 w/ the alnico blue speaker. My chain between is as follows: teese picture wah, maxon af9, KLON, maxon ad900, maxon ad80. I use george L's cables.

I should start by saying that I love the sound of a les paul through a vox--it's probably my favorite tonal combination of the dozens of guitar/amp combos I've used in the past. I've been searching for a drive box that will give me a little more boost for solos. Finding a unit that would work w/ my guitar & amp, rather than inflicting its own tone on me proved to be quite a feat. I have owned way too many dirt boxes to list now, & the KLON is now the ONLY dirt box that I own. I use it to add a slight amount of gain, & a slight volume increase, & when I turn it off, I can up the volume on my amp & switch to the second input of the amp, & the tone is EXACTLY the same. This thing has really blown me away, & now I can't believe that I spent so long wading through a sea of useless drive boxes b/c I don't want to spend the extra money on the KLON. Now, I look back @ all the pedals that came b/f this one, & the money I spent on them...I could have bought a few KLONS...

I don't have time to go into side by side comparisons between the KLON & every other overdrive I bought b/f it, but I will cover a couple:

Maxon OD820 overdrive pro--The sales pitch that I got for this one was that it is a "reverse-engineered KLON Centaur"--that's a great sales pitch, but it's a load of crap. This pedal has harsh top-end & its drive sounds just a little more natural than a reissue tube screamer.

Ibanez ts9 reissue--sucks. Buzzy mid-range, no low end, fake-sounding high-end. I can't believe that people buy this pedal.

Keeley-modded ts9--You get your low end back. The buzzy mid-range is gone. Still, it's too smooth to sound realistic. I have to hand it to Keeley, he's attempting the impossible, & ina way he succeeds--the ts9 now yields a usable tone. But is it now a transparant drive boost for your amp? No, it's a distortion pedal.

I've only had it for a month, but a ten year warranty?...Wow...

I've now had numerous conversations w/ Bill & he is a pleasure to deal w/. He has even followed up to see how I liked his unit. How could anyone ask for more?

The KLON Centaur is an additonal gain stage for your amp--I have no idea how it wound up housed in this pedal...

I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on gear over the years, & this pedal might be the most mind-blowing piece I have--I HAVE NO IDEA HOW A DRIVE PEDAL CAN SOUND THIS GOOD.

Very easy to use with one caveat: it is an overdrive and not a distortion... if you are used to setting your amp volume on 1 or 2, and hoping that the Klon will generate some sort of great tone on its own, you might be better off with a keeley modded ds-1 or something similar. This pedal is meant to overdrive an amp that is already cooking a bit.

This is perhaps the best booster money can buy. With my 50 watt plexi on volumes 6-8, this pedal just sends me into this round, fat, singing, cello tone, very similar to Eric Johnson's Chandler tube driver tones.

There is another overdrive that many believe is a Klon killer... the Tim Pedal by Paul Cochrane. I have had both the Tim and the Klon at the same time for several week, and I think i have A/B-ed them extensively. First, the tim has a very hard, clear edge to the tone. Through both a Plexi 50 watt and a car rambler, i got tones very similar in character to a Landgraff OD that I once owned. After a while, i noticed that what i once heard as clarity and fast response, became, in my ears, thinness and harshness, which were verified with the arrival of the Klon. Where the Tim was thin, the Klon was warm and round. I got a tone that sounded less like an amp being driven by an IC, and more like an amp with this incredible, footswitchable gain stage. with the plexi on 7, i set the klon with the output on full and the gain on minimum. witht he rambler, i had the output at 10 o'clock, the gain at 11 o'clock, and the tone at 9 o'clock. Perfect.

The key to getting great tone from the gain knob is reducing that tone knob below noon, esp if you have the gain fairly high. it takes the edge off of the gain, and allows it to blend perfectly with the slight breakup of your favorite non-master volume amp.

Look at it. Its a brick of tone.

I talked to Bill on the phone when i bought the pedal (I bought it new from a dealer), and he was more than willing to talk to me about his design philosohpy and addiction to old marshalls.
If you look on his website, he even encourages correspondance!

For those going though the long list of natural sounding boosters and overdrives, you owe it to yourself to check out the Klon. Everyone has heard about it, and everyone seems to have an opinion about it (whether they have actually used one or not). But if you play non master volume amps in a room big enough to let you crank it up a bit and breathe in a space bigger than a bedroom, you won't find a better overdrive. This is the first non-germanium pedal i have played that really becomes a part of you amp. Fantastic!

Mine is a Gold one. Very Simple, Straight forward. Gain, Treble, and Output. They just do what they say they do.

I use the Klon with a Tom Anderson Hollow T Classic, and a Silverface Deluxe Reverb (Non Push-Pull volume), and thats it. I've had Tube Screamers, Fulltone Fulldrive, Ect... This is what I ended up with. Tube Screamers are fine, but too much mid for me. The Fulltone was better, but had trouble holding the "Double Stops". With the Klon I just turn the deluxe up to where its nice and warm, add a little gain, Play with the treble a little, and things come alive.

Built for the road. No problems

I bought mine used. It came to me with a bottom plate screw missing. i wanted to keep it original so I called Bill. Very friendly, Didn't hesitate, just took my address and said he'd through a couple in the mail. No charge. Keep in mind he did'nt make any money off the sale of this pedal to me. I was impressed

What can I say? This is the pedal everything else is compaired to. I've been playing longer than I'll admit, Mostly Memphis R&B. If it were lost or stolen I would get another one, But a new one. I like this just fine, but you can actually buy a new one cheaper than used ones. You just have to patient. You do need an AC Adapter for this. Batteries don't last long

Any setting sounds great with this pedal

I play Les pauls through a Seigmund Midnight Special(another awesome product),A 10 watt single ended 1x12 combo.This pedal does everything from unbelievably transparent clean boost with no alteration of the sound to beautifully overdriven tones that sound exactly like the amps natural tube overdrive (many pedals claim to do this but none that I have tried do much more than compress and alter the tone to sound like the pedal not my amp and guitar). You can use this for extra clean headroom on a lower powered amp and as a night time practicind tool which will make your amp sound cranked but with the volume down on the pedal your family can sleep. Ive gone through too many pedals to name (you all know the ones) I never use them more than once or twice this pedal has been plugged in everytime Ive played since I got it a month ago. It is amazing how good this pedal does its job.

Built to last.

Bill will answer the phone and talk about his product and your equiptment.

This is the best pedal I have ever tried. A serious tool that can do everything bill claims it will and much more. Try it, it will make your amp have more of the good stuff youre looking for.

This is a very straight-ahead unit without true bypass. It runs on a 9v battery, but you can make an adaptor for it using parts supplied by the manufacture.

I borrowed a Klon from a friend to use on a few gigs. I was told that this was "the" pedal for blackface Fenders, so I used it with an original 1965 Deluxe Reverb with a Tele. I was generally unimpressed. It should not be used as an overdrive. As a clean boost I would not call it "transparent." I couldn't stand the tone I was getting and put it away half way through the night. I did find better success using it with a 1959 Gibson Skylark (single 8")and an Ibanese Tube King (of all things). This was an enjoyable combination for an overdriven sound.

This is a well manufactured and durable unit.

N/A

To me, this is a good example of the emperor wearing no clothes. I just can't reconcile the price tag of this unit with the sounds I got out of it. To me, the Blackstone Appliances Mosfet is the way to go.

3 knobs..... what do you expect very easy to use

First of all I would like to say I use this exclusively in my recording studio www.aroomstudios.com . Guitar wise I use, Gibson's (SG, Les Paul)and Fender tele's. Cab wise Orange, and Top Hat with Vintage 30's and green backs, one each per cab. For this discussion I will be referring to use of greenbacks exclusively, I use the vintage 30's for clean and lite drive which is not the topic of discussion with an overdrive pedal. Amp wise for this use I will be referring to vintage Marshall's, my 1959, 1992 (converted to a 1959), 1917, and a 2203, all of which are JMP, some plexi, some circuit board design. This is not a distortion pedal, nor is it a pedal that will change the sound of your amp (if you want your amp to sound different then you have the wrong amp and should sell it and buy and amp you like) what this pedal does is give you more of your amp. Very transparent, not at all like a ts808 which drastically changes the tone you have by adding TERRIBLE sounding midrange, and makes you amp sound very box'ie. If you have or have used vintage marshall's (pre 1980's), you know what I'm talking about when I say you want more of your amp, but don't want the tone changed. If you have a vintage Marshall this is definently the pedal for you. I don't believe in doing amp mod's except for doing a master volume, nor do I believe in using attenuates like a power break or hot plate. Buy one of these and compare it to you ts808 and believe me, you will be selling that ts808 on Ebay within a few hours. When I record guitar I always run 2 amps at the same time, through a transformer iso splitter. for instance a 1959 and a 2203, or 2 1959, and so on. So I ordered one of these pedal 3 months later got it, tried it for a few hours then called up Bill the next day and ordered another on, as you really need 2 of them to properly use 2 amps at one time, so you can dial in the tone for each amp. This is the best sounding pedal I have ever used HANDS DOWN, and recommend to every one that comes to my studio that they buy one, if they use vintage amps. If this pedal was $500 it would still buy it, its just that good.

Built like a tank, never hand any problems, and if I did Im sure Bill would take care of them.

Nicest guy I ever talked to spent about 30 min's on the phone with him before I bought the klon. I would also like to say I have seen a few bad reviews listed here, anyone that gives this a bad review either doesn't have any idea what good tone is or has a bad sounding amp, or works for some other pedal manufactur company and is just trying to hype up there pedal.

The Holy Grail of pedals, if your thinking about getting one, do yourself a favor and get it. Like I said earlier best pedal hands down, you won't be sorry.

Plug and Play

Supply's beef to no matter what amp you use but of course sounds best with great gear (tube amps). Definitely has a natural warmth to it and I even used it with a POD and DG STOMP (when I was forced to use them) to give them life. I don't look for the sounds of fave artists but it could probably supply that too if your hands could. The Klon let's me be me better than anything else that I've tried. I give it a 9 because perfection isn't art and would just take away its soul.

I travel a lot and squashed pots are road signs. Everything that is a big part of your sound should have a backup. So I'm getting another.

Bill took care of the squashed pots I mentioned above promptly, and he even walked me through it myself when I was in a jam. Stands behind his product.

Playing for over 20 years and performed from Woodstock '94 to Germany's Tollwood Festival. Style; Contemporary American Indian (native tradtions mixed with rock, blues, jazz, flamenco, folk, world, etc.) There are some sound clips on wadefernandez.com that feature the Centaur.
A great compliment to my sound and the only pedal that travels with me all the time. It's just amp, Klon, guitar, and me. Main squeezes; Victoria Tweed Twin, vintage Marshall, Divided By 13, PRS McCarty, vintage Strat, and Klon Centaur.

Easy enough: three knobs! (2 knobs = 8; 1 knob = 9; No knobs = 10)

Too may variables to answer

Yes, VERY RELIABLE, i IMAGINE.

Crap. In fact, I found him a bit rude. Must've caught him on a bad day.

Talk about hype. Open up the thing and have a look: it's a beautifully made, boutique style diode clipper! RIP OFF.

PROSPECTIVE BUYERS SHOULD BE AWARE OFTHE BLACKSTONE APPLIANCES' OVERDRIVE PEDAL. NO HYPE, FULL-ON DESIGN, 2-CHANNEL (+ CLEAN), MULTI-STAGE MOSFET OVERDRIVE - AS WELL BUILT, FAR MORE ADVANCED CONCEPT, FAR MORE VERSATILE (AND TWEAKABLE!), POCKET SIZE, AND SOUNDS VERY GOOD.

This pedal has the common three knob setup and is easy to use, but the trick is to have a good sound coming from your amp to start with. Don't expect this to add a Marshall channel to your muddy super reverb on 3.

This is the most natural sounding overdrive I've tried. I often use this pedal with either a 335 or strat with kinman pickups into a Blues Jr. with Celestion G12H30 or DR.Z Route 66 head with DR.Z 1x12 cab(low volume and higher volume rigs). If you try this with a Blues Jr., make sure that you crank or nearly crank the master volume and use the preamp volume as your master or the amp sounds mediocre. With the 335 and this pedal I can get vintage blues tones that I find very inspiring at very reasonable volumes. This pedal will give you a fatter, more touch sensitive version of what you already have with your amp/guitar combination. If you want Robben Ford or Eric Johnson lead tones you'll need to start with an amp that is already in that sonic territory by itself. I highly recommend this for more vintage blues/r&b/jazz/country/rockabilly etc. as most of us gigging musicians have to play at more moderate volume levels where dumbles/marshall plexis are not practical. Don't mistake this for meaning that this overdrive sounds thin, it's very strong, just not in a very modern way unless you're using a modern sounding amp. Just think: thin sounding clean tone + klon= louder,slightly fatter more overdriven(if desired)thin lead sound, fat harmonicaly rich clean tone+klon= sweet,singing,fat,harmonicaly rich lead tone.

I've been using this regularily onstage for a year with no problems. I recommend using the correct adaptor as the 9v battery life is substantially shorter than other overdrives I've tried, although I have used battery power with equally good results soundwise.

Bill Finnegan was very friendly on the phone and by e-mail when I ordered the klon. I haven't needed assistance since, but was given the impression that if I did, he'd be easy to deal with given that I was.

I play a variety of guitar styles professionaly. I have owned or still own a variety of pedals some of which are: fulltone fat-boost,fulldrive 2,distortion pro,zvex super hard on,nobels odr-1,tonebone classic & hot british,mjm london fuzz,orginal ts-9,ts-10 etc. I don't believe this pedal to be the be all end all of overdrive/dist. tone, but it creates a tone, a great tone,that no other pedal I've tried can duplicate. I want to buy a second klon in case this one is stolen, if that's any indication.

It's real easy to use. Just plug and play. Use on the front end of an amp after the guitar. A user's guide page comes with the unit as a guideline but it's up to the user to play around and get what he or she wants. Three knobs (Tone, Volume and Gain), it doesn't get much easier.

At first, I resisted the temptation to get one these when they first came out. I thought, here we go, another distorto stomp box, how can it be any good or better then what is out there (as I thought they all pretty much were artificial sounding)? I play pretty much only old vintage Fender amps (Blackface in particular for regular guitar playing) or high quality Boutique stuff like Victorias (for slide primarily). As a general rule I DO NOT like effects pedals at all. However having said that I've been looking and trying to find a stomp pedal to give some depth and maybe grit for what seems like forever. Everything else out there leaves me fairly cold. The last thing I tried was an original Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer. Still, I was not happy. Another device I tried was a Real Tube, but that didn't cut it either. I've had many others over the years, those are the most recent.

A friend recommended the Klon Centaur as an enhanced clean boost and slight edge that I described I wanted. In the group I gig with now, I use low power stuff only such as Princeton Reverbs or Deluxe Reverbs and we mike everything. My goal was to help me get above the mix for lead work but to NOT dis-colour the tone of what I was getting. The Tube Screamer was too mid-rangey and artificial sounding to me.

At my age now, I play fairly clean and certainly much cleaner then I ever have. I want that Texas Edge without it being too distorted. My amps set close to being wide open give me that, but the low powered 6V6 amps can't quite cut it at the volume I want for leads.


The KLON has given me exactly what I was looking for......a clean boost with maybe a hair more of grain that I might want for my solos. It's IT! This is the box I've been looking for for well over 20 years. Playing a BF Fender amp, this pedal is what you want to push you "over the cliff" as Spinal Tap would say, to enhance the tone of what is there already without colouring it in a way the other distorto boxes give you. Gone is the faux compression, gone is that ugly mid-range honk. What is there is more of the Fender sound, scooped mids (the way I want them) and the notes just seem to jump off the neck for you. It is a very responsive device without being in the way of the true BF sound. It ENHANCES your amp's sound. Think SRV tone from that first album, "Texas Flood". Clean, yet with a solid edge.

Hey, nothing is PERFECT, but this unit really nails what it set out to do!

Built like a tank, the mechanical foot switch is real solid and the pots are rock solidly mounted. It is tremendously well built. I use it on every gig. I did purchase an A/C adapter to save on batteries as it does eat them pretty quick. A one-time expense of the adapter is well worth it.

With so many of the newer 'high-production' amps out there, pots and inputs are mounted to floating PCBs and, with time, they put out of the solder. There is no chance of that happening the way this unit is designed. As a repair tech, I look for that. This unit will last for a very long while with no need of service from mechanical stress.

Personalized service form the manufacturer, Bill Finnegan at KLON. He took the time to go over every question I had before the purchase and followed up with a call afterward to see what my reaction was to it in a gigging situation. Tremendous support! I really took a lot of his time and he never tried to put me off or hasten any answer. The guy is a true player as well and designed this unit for the player in a situation much like I wanted to use it. I feel he NAILED is objective.

Our band does Memphis Soul, Motown, and Texas-style Blues. I find this is the perfect match for my playing. I've been playing for 37 years and use mostly Fender Telecasters and Stratocasters thru Vintage Fender amps.

If this thing disappeared I'd get another one right away, it's a part of my playing now. There's nothing to dislike about this unit...well crafted, great sound, versatile, and easy as pie to use. I know a guy who uses 2 of these, one for exclusive clean boost and the other set for a bit more dirt so as to not have to re-adjust it all the time. So it is more then just a "One-trick Pony". This unit is BY FAR the best stomp box for this type of effect that I've ever owned.....hey, and I (usually) hate stomp boxes!!! This one has turned me around in that dept.

It has my highest recommendation for all aspects...sound, value, service, and ease of use.

Hey, Listen up here. I've been playing for 32 years and know my pedals! YES, this is easy to use. If you can't figure this out - sell your guitar!

Sorry Klon, only get an 8 here. A lot of this is preference, but I've narrowed the overdrive pedals down to 3. TS 808 is still the best. Fulltone Fulldrive and Klon are about tied for second and don't waste your time on ANYTHING else! Try putting all 3 together and messing around with the settings!

Built like a tank!

Don't know, never called. If there are only 3 controls on this thing, whatthe heck do you need to call someone about it for??? Leave the poor guy alone to build his effects you bozos!

The sound is great - not awesome, just great. But that is a lot better than 99% of the pedals outthere that are basically garbage!

Three knobs: gain, treble (roll off) and volume. Spaced far enough apart that I can adjust them with my shoe, if necessary.

Wonderful. Ric 330/Les Paul Deluxe - Klon (and other pedals, sometimes) - Vox AC-30 or AC-15. I've used this pedal with a number of amps but it's never sounded better than with a Vox, pushes the amp over the edge into the classic crunch. I use the gain at 12:00 for vintage break-up (Kinks, some Who) and between 3:00 and full (around 5:00) for heavier stuff. I've cranked the AC-30, which sounds great, but just a tad loud. The Klon almost matches the cranked AC-30 tone perfectly with the gain around 3:00 or so.

I bought mine new in late 2001 and haven't had any problems. I converted a Visual Sound One Spot with the Switchcraft plug that Bill provides, works great.

Bill is a stand up guy and cares very much about making sure that his customers are looking for the right tone before they invest in a Klon. They're not cheap and it takes 10+ weeks for delivery, worth every penny in my opinion.

Great pedal for vintage crunch to punk. Not a high gain pedal, obviously, but that wasn't what I was looking for.

Easy to use but takes some tweaking your rig to "fit it in" and for it to do it's mojo

I'm using this OD pedal mainly with my Fender Custom hop 51 n.o.s. Nocaster . It goes like this: guitar into Teese RMC 3 wah-Fulltone Supa-Trem-KLON-FulldriveIIcs.-Line 6 Delay moddeler-into a DR Z Maz jr.2x10 18w PtP combo. It kills man. I've found it a really thang to use before the FulldriveIIcs. as another boosted tone. It works killer by itself for a great OD tone and then the FDII works killer by itself with it's own boost swich, but by using the Centaur as a "boost" for the FDII, it makes for another killer tone choice. Whew!!!

The only weird thang about it is it the only pedal that starts to make a "whisteling" noise when the battery starts going too low to use. I guess it is useful as a warning the the ye old battery is conkin out on ya. Looks to be made with pride and a little ooomph too!

I traded a new Hotplate for this thing from a buddy. I got the good end of the deal thats fer sure man. I love this pedal. And Bill was real helpul at sending me a manual and talking to me about it and even regeristing me as the new owner as he likes to keep an owbwers log. Cool!! Like he said to me..."A 51 CS. Nocaster and a Centaur into a Dr Z, now thats a real mans rig" It is too!!!!!!

I play in the style of the Strat masters, I'm in the process of putting in some Jason Lollar pickups into my Jeff Beck Strat, the Kinmas dont get it for me. Thats why this review is with my Nocaster with the huge honkin baseball bat sized neck!!! yeah baby!!!!.........need I say more??

This pedal is multi-faceted and offers virtually a limitless sonic pallete from which to create all the while giving you more of all that is great of your basic guitar and amp. It really does impart a very special "magic dust" on your sound- I for one cannot go without it! Very easy to use as far as number of controls but with so much interactivity you need to just play with it until you enhance your own special musical voice.

This will take some time and No, I do not work for, hang out with nor am I related to Bill Finnegan(Mr. Klon) although after he takes the time to spend talking with you about the pedal and your music and all great musical gear and sounds in general maybe he would adopt me!!!
I am a part-time pro guitarist with 29 years playing experience since the age of 7. I currently use select Custom Shop Fender Stratocasters and Historic Les Pauls with PAF type humbuckers and one with P-90's. I run a very specially modded Fender '59 Bassman Reissue which gets closer to the real deal than any Victoria will (not a bad amp either). I currently am having switching system master and guru and all around hilarious guy, Bob Bradshaw(thanks Bob for putting up with me) build a custom 16 loop effects switching system based on pedal drawers to accomodate a bevy of vintage (ie. TC BLD and MXR Micro Amp from 1978) and boutique (original Fulldrive for example) pedals. I have in the last 8 months also auditioned, lived with and slaved over numerous OD, Distortion, Clean(and not so clean) Boost pedals, vintage and clone fuzzes(both Sola Sound variety and Fuzz Face) as well as a slew of modulation and delay pedals not to mention several choice wahs. I have had the Analog Man TS-9 Brown and Silver modded pedals and they are fantastic but they are TS-9's and not Klon. I have also had Keeley and Analog Man BD-2, DS-1 and OS-2 from Boss and while each has a unique voice they all seem in some way too "plasticy" for me. Meaning they envelope your guitar sound in an M&M-like candy coated shell which the Klon does not. I first heard the Klon a few months ago at a summer musician's roast and Bar-B-Que that my bass player's old friend was having. The host is an engineer by day and has amassed quite a few toys including Historic ES-335 and '58 Les Pauls as well as Dr. Z Route 66 and Victoria Low Power Tweed Twin amps. Along with the usual fuzz and compressor(AM) on his board was a shiny chrome box that reminded me of the first time I saw gold bars lined up in a bank photo from the local mint. This was the Klon in its newest clothing which is truly spectacular in its starkness yet awesomely powerful stature. When plugged in is where the fun began. I could not believe that it made these wonderful guitars and amps sound 100% better, bigger and more palpable than any of the aforementioned pedals. I failed to mention that I also have had a Ferrari Yellow Custom Shop Fulldrive II, Menatone Dirty Blonde and Fulltone 2002 FatBoost. Now don't get me wrong, I love my original 3 knob Fulldrive for its sonically spectacular TS-808 style sound with much more articulation on the 3 high strings but the Klon just adds that something special that words can almost not describe. With the tone knob comes versatility and don't leave it a noon all the time it does so much more. The gain is very usable all the way up although I am using the Klon for mild OD/Clean Boost since the Fulldrive is doing heavy OD duties. I also love the TC Booster+ for a clean boost into the Fulldrive. The Micro Amp is its own special box and kinda reminds me of plugging into an old API or Neve mic preamp module. But anyway, back to the Klon. It will definitely take your sound to new heights(I know cut the cliches!) It really as I said above does add a certain "magical dust" to your sound as though someone sprinkled a sweetness yet warm, round, fat and robust something to your amp. I love this pedal and look forward to its continued use forever.

Well I have only had it as part of my sonic family for a little while but I know that Bill would repair as needed. It is very solidly built and I think that only a drop from a skydiving plane without a parachute would kill the pedal- then again maybe not!

See above- Bill Finnegan is AWESOME

Get one and be prepared to be amazed at what this will do for your overall sound. If I had available loops on my switcher and Expanded RS-10 floorboard I wold get another for a completely different sound.

It is now pretty much common knowledge that the Klon Centaur Professional Overdrive has hit the elite "classic" status. What this means is that enough high level players have deemed it the best transparent clean boost OD. Fender Strat, Tele, Gibson LP, 335, Deluxe, Bassman, Super, Plexi, Martin D-28, Tube Screamer, NOW KLON.
Put any OD that tags itself a "neutral boost type OD" next to the Klon and you will hear why the Klon is considered the benchmark.
When was the last time you saw an advertisement? Never. And yet there's hundreds and hundreds of stellar reviews under this one.

The Klon was designed to be used with a quality tube amp that is set on the edge of natural overdrive. Much like a studio quality mic pre
sending a tonally enriched sound from mic to board, the Klon takes your natural guitar tone and gives it a nice linear boost into your amp. This pedal is the only one I've ever owned that sounds great with any guitar and any tube amp. I've had great results with a strat/Matchless Chieftan or Vibroking. Lookin for Stevie? There it is! LP/Klon/Marshall? Hello Rev. Gibbons! McCarty/Klon/Bogner Ecstasy? If I start that note now, it'll start dying by the time you read this review! I'm also a big fan of the Banzai Coldfusion, which is IMO the #2 overdrive to get, if you're a serious toneslave.
You'll notice there are a lot of verbal battles between Klon desciples and Coldfusion Scientists. I had both on my pedalboard next to each other for a year. Klon for boost, Coldfusion for higher gain. Great combo. Highly recommended. My large venue rig is a Bogner Ecstasy 101B #138 and a 97 Matchless Chieftain 2-12. My pedalboard got too crowded for 2 OD's. The Klon stayed. Coldfusion was sold along with a Blues Pearl Blue Screamer, Bad Cat 2 tone, and SIB. Klon wins!

The Klon has nothing but top notch components that are sealed in rubber glue. My theory is that copycats will hit a roadblock, and the components are now resistant to erosion and electrical interference. The box is durable enough to pound nails with, the switch is nice and sturdy with a click you can feel, and the knobs aren't cheap plastic that will crack or fall off. My only complaint is that they cheapened the look by foregoing the gold anodized finish and Centaur picture.The silver box looks kinda plain, making the gold one's the true collectibles. Collecting is fine, but this is an overdrive that should be used. I know mine is. Luckily, I found mine for $240, but $325 is still money well spent for this piece. When the sound you get is equal to turning up the volume and gain on your amp, yes, it's worth it. It's like adding another channel to your amp with no modifications to an expensive tone machine.

I never worry about this, since quality purchases tend to give years of trouble free useage. The Klon is no exception, and I'm sure any problems would be fixed for the price of postage. All you guys that seem to need personal attention from manufacturers....Leave em alone!
You can't imagine how difficult it is to fill orders, build product, ship boxes, and control accounting. Small business owners will try and be nice, but really, they don't have time to treat you like Eric Clapton. The pedal has 3 knobs. Figure out your tone! That is, if you play good enough for it to matter.

Overall rating????Here's the rating....Spend 3 hrs. reading all the reviews below. Harmony Central tone zombies don't lie! If this pedal does not meet with your approval, put it up for sale. You'll get what you paid for it new, since many people don't wanna get added to the waiting list. See how the gold Centaurs are climbing past $400 used???? Gee, I wonder if there's a reason? 59 Bassmans and 68 Plexi's aren't going down in value either.

Gain, Treble, and Output controls. Three simple controls that REQUIRE experimentation. This is a very good thing. I spoke with the man who designed the pedal. More thought went into these "Simple" controls than I could imagine.

Does anybody out there have a great sounding amplifier? Want more of a good thing? Here you go. This pedal is not a typical overdrive pedal. Most people tend to think in terms of a wound out overdrive pedal that adds stacks of gain or overdrive. This pedal greatly enhances the sonic qualities of your amp in the best possible way. Take the sound of any given amp. Add the Klon pedal and the tone is greatly magnified. In my experience playing a Matchless Clubman 35 and a Don Grosh Strat with Fralin single coils, I find that it doesn't get much better than that. It is a tone with similar qualities to Robert Cray or Rolling Stones. Very rich, dynamic, clear, snappy, woody and in your face. Easily controlled with my picking attack and finger style. Well, add a Klon pedal and it is sonic superiority. It is seductive and relentless. Near impossible to put down. I would say that as much as this pedal sounds good, it FEELS good. I am NOT a fan of pedals because they "Color" the natural sound of the amp. They tend to make the amp feel and sound smaller. They tend to cheapen the amp and make the amp sound like the price you paid for the pedal -Cheap. I don't know about you, but when I pay 1,000 up to 5,000 for a well made boutique or vintage amp, the last thing I am going to do is throw a freakin pedal in front of it to mush up my tone. Klon is a different type of animal so to speak. Think of it as a high-end amp enhancer. I played it in my friends Matchless SC-30 and my Matchless Clubman 35. I was skeptical prior to plugging the Klon in because I despise pedals. Let me say, I had NEVER heard a Matchless sound so "Right". A plain old Matchless just won't be the same anymore. The Klon didn't shade these amps one tiny bit. It easily preserved the original tonality in EVERY WAY. It was a mind-bending experience. Something magical happened with these amps and the Klon pedal. I can't describe with words really the way it felt. It was unlike anything any other overdrive pedal had offered me before. If you want a pedal to change the type of break-up or distortion of your amp, buy something besides a Klon. Some people like that stuff. If you are the type of individual who wants your amp to give you more of the GOOD stuff while preserving the tonality of your amp, buy a Klon pedal. If you want your Fender or Matchless to sound like a Fender or Matchless when you step on your pedal(but more rich and dynamic), the Klon will consistantly deliver in a large way. Look at it this way. Regular Oreo cookies or Double Stuff Oreo cookis? If you buy one and for whatever reason you don't prefer it, sell it. There are alot of people who are waiting for a Klon pedal. All in all, it is a FINE piece of gear. This man is an artist with FINE ears and FINE taste in tone. Be thankful we have people like this making our amps somehow capable of sounding better. If you walk away from reading this review thinking I am full of it, that's ok. I will still have fat, over-the-top tone. Don't say I didn't try to tell you about the best 279.00 you could ever spend to enhance your amps original tone. My friend has a collection of about 15 overdrive pedals. He could throw the rest of them away and be happy having only this Klon. Hands down the best amp enhancing device I have ever used.

I will be ordering one this week. I just played my friend's Klon Saturday. I know it is constructed with superb components. Everything is just right about this pedal. The only reason I would gig with a backup is in case someone stole it from the stage I am playing on. I am not worried about the thing breaking. In all reality I suppose nothing is safe from unexpected failure. Although I sincerely believe this guy has taken every measure possible to make it as durable and gig-worthy as possible. It is by far more sturdy than any other pedal I have owned. Neither my friend or myself have encountered ANY problems with it's performance.

I spoke with the man myself. He appears to be one of the most insightful and determined individuals I have spoken with. He is fiercely intelligent and the sound of his pedal is clearly evidence of that. I noticed that he is very interested in your wishes for tone. I am sure this is probably to ensure that you will make the right decision as to buy it or not. Like I mentioned previously it is not your typical overdrive pedal. It is beyond that and is VERY refined.

I play all kinds of music. Funk, blues, fusion, jazz, rock, pop, techno, etc. I have been playing for 15 or so years. I own alot of gear. If I don't own it, I have played it. The Klon pedal enhances the great tonal qualities of my amps. I have not tried it with my hi-gain amps yet. I don't imagine it would be optimal. It tends to like amps that are cleaner and capable of fine output tube distortion. It is almost unexplainable. I my best judgemment, the pedal is designed to be put in front of an amp that is being pushed --on the verge of break-up. The breakup I like is woody and organic. I would consider the amps I own to be trees and Klon showed me the way to the forest so to speak. Very rich and woody with clarity, chime and sparkle. I would compare it to other products, but it is not like anything else. Overdrive pedals color and choke my amps. This pedal is like an oxygen mask for my amps. It allows them to open up and breathe. It is fantastic. I admit, I wish I could use it at lower volumes at times. It is designed to be loud. I suppose I could buy a 15 watt amp with a 10" speaker and be a bit quieter.

Very simple layout...easy to use.

The Centaur is a very unique pedal. It is not a pedal that is going to color your present sound. I am currently using it with an original tweed Bandmaster and it sounds great. The better your sound the better this device will work. It 'piggy-backs' your alreadly good tone and drives it to a natural over-driven sound by playing off the quality of the tubes. No other device that I have tried does this.

It is built like a tank. As long as you have spare batteries or AC
you have a very depenable unit.

Support is good. It is a small company that offers a fair warranty and a friendly atmosphere.

I play rock/blues music and have been playing for 35 years. I would absoulutely buy this product again if I lost it. I want to emphasize that this is not going to give you a snarling, colored or fuzz tone.
It is a quality device that may not be for everyone. It enhances the music that I make and I would not be without it.