If you’re looking for the best klon clones and alternatives, look no further! In this article, we’ll showcase the three best klon pedal clones on the market today. From budget-friendly options to high-end pedals, there’s something for everyone. So whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, be sure to check out our list of the best klon guitar pedal clones!
What Is The Klon Centaur?
After several years of development, Boston based Bill Finnegan released the Klon Centaur in 1994. Finnegan’s effort to put a little extra oomph between his Telecaster and the Fender Twin Reverb he frequently gigged with led to the creation of the pedal. He simply didn’t like the midrange hump and mushy response of the ubiquitous Tube Screamer. As a result, he made the decision to develop an overdrive that would be transparent, articulate, and clear while still incorporating a thickening, character-enhancing boost that wouldn’t change the tone of his guitar or amplifier.
Finnegan had help from an MIT student and his friend, the late Fred Fenning, an MIT graduate, in the early phases of creating the Klon Centaur. They worked tirelessly through each iteration, adjusting the circuit until it was perfect. Finnegan was pleased with the results, and guitarists who learned about the Klon Centaur’s appeal felt the same way. Before calling it quits in 2009, Finnegan personally hand-built some 8,000 pieces throughout the course of the pedal’s 15-year production cycle on his shaky, folding card table.
Watch this video below explaining the history of the Klon Centaur overdrive pedal.
What Are The Best Klon Clones?
Now that we know the history and origins of the Klon Centaur, its time to check out the best clones of this pedal that you can purchase on todays market. The reality is that original Klon’s are very rare to find and extortionately priced due to their scarcity. If you can off course get your hands on one then that is ideal situation, however, its safe to say that there are many fantastic alternatively which is many times more affordable and strikingly similar in quality.
Wampler Tumnus V2 Overdrive & Boost
A flexible overdrive that works with every style and setup is the Wampler Tumnus. It is simple to stack it with another pedal to increase or modify the overall gain, use it as a disconnected overdrive, or as a little nasty boost to push the amp’s front end to the limit. Alternatively, since Tumnus is not a full bypass, like its predecessor, you may utilise the overdrive as a buffer. Instead, it has a by all accounts famous buffered bypass tone.
This overdrive pedal has three streamlined control knobs (Gain, Volume, and Tone) that make it easy for users to quickly dial in their chosen tones no matter what the concert calls for. Additionally, it has Treble settings that always maintain a consistent tone. The controls are useful since Tumnus’s full gain range is quite usable.
If that is what you want, you can rely on Tumnus to give the signal a tiny bit of excellent edge. Pushing it over the limit causes an incredibly balanced distortion. However, keep in mind that it lacks those really high overdrive settings and is not the pedal for ultra-fuzzy rockers. That is not how elegant it is. When the overdrive pedal is used to the fullest extent, a crisp, intense distortion that enticingly resembles the classic model is produced.
Check out our full review of the Wampler Tumnus Here.
Electro-Harmonix Soul Food Overdrive
Some guitarists may disagree with one point: the Klon Centaur is a fantastic overdrive pedal, ranking right up there with the finest. An unique circuit design, the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food, was influenced by the Centaur. It aims to get the guitar to that level of tone for a small portion of what a secondhand Centaur would cost. You cannot help but notice that the Soul Food sounds very much like Klon when you first plug it in.
It is without a doubt an overdrive in the traditional Klon Centaur. The EHX Soul Food does a great job of producing comparable overdrive and even clean boost tones while maintaining its own flavour, despite not being an exact replica of the Klon Centaur.
The Soul Food offers superior sounds for your tone expertise at a price that makes purchasing a Klon Centaur at the current second-hand rates appear silly, even though guitarists with money to burn may not hesitate to fork out several thousand dollars for a pedal. Despite its extremely low price, the Soul Food clean boost tones are outstanding, making this pedal a worthwhile Klon alternative.
Check out our full review of the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food here.
J. Rockett Archer Overdrive and Boost
The J Rockett Archer is a flexible overdrive pedal that transitions between a somewhat hot clean boost vibe, low gain sounds, and medium gain sounds that are excellent for both chord and single note lines. When the volume control reaches unity (the same level as your amp), with the gain set to 0, you get a clean boost effect that can be tailored using the treble control to match your tone. This is ideal if you just want to boost a sound that is somewhat overdriven or add a little bit more volume to your circuit, but it may also be used for other purposes.
The versatility of this pedal to provide fantastic low gain and clean boost tones, as well as the ability to go up into the mid gain region with all the sustain and punch any blues/rock guitarist would require, makes it more like a 3 in 1 pedal than a traditional 2 in 1. The crunchier tones that make this pedal such a wonderful value for money buy begin to emerge once the gain control has been pushed over the halfway mark.
In conclusion, the best klon guitar pedal clones are those that offer a great sound at a reasonable price. There are many clone pedals on the market, so take your time to find the one that best suits your needs. With a little research, you can find a quality pedal that will help you create the perfect sound for your next gig.
VISIT OUR GUIDE ON THE 10 BEST OVERDRIVE PEDALS
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