Fewer pedals are surrounded by the mystique associated with the Klon Centaur. To some, it’s simply an overdrive, but to others, it’s the epitome of guitar pedals, enhancing your sound, making it sweet and musical – and also setting you back a couple of grand. As such, many pedal makers have sought to replicate it, which is why I’ve compiled a list of the best Klon clones out there.
Like many other pedals, the idea behind the Klon is to allow the user to dial in cranked tube amp sounds at lower volumes. They were made by Bill Finnegan between 1994 and 2008. They took a long time to make and so supply was limited. It’s estimated he made around 8000 units. It didn’t take long for other manufacturers to jump on the hype and create their own versions of it.
The Soul Food made the Klon circuit accessible to thousands, and like it, the Mosky Golden Horse is currently the best bang-for-buck clone available. On the other end of the scale, J Rockett’s Archer is a great premium pick, albeit still thousands less than the original. Although difficult to source, the Klon KTR is the most authentic choice out there. A Bill Finnegan creation, it passes the ‘clone’ test, as it’s inspired by his original design.
Today, there are plenty of clones to choose from, so I’ve organized a list of my current favorites on the market. If you have any questions, head down to the handy FAQ section, or if you’re a beginner looking for your first clone, the how to choose section highlights a few key points to consider.
My top picks
Simply put, this is one of the very best Klon clones you can currently buy. It has 3-band EQ, allowing you to further tweak your sound along with active bass and mids controls. A brilliant addition to any pedalboard.
If you're just starting to explore the world of pedals, you should take a closer look at the Mosky Golden Horse. That's because it's available for a great price and it nails the core sound beautifully. For the price, you really can't go wrong.
If you're a more experienced or pro player, the J Rockett Archer is worth your time and money. I think it's the gold standard when it comes to Klon clones and this robust pedal sounds almost exactly the same as the celebrated original.
Best overall
✅ Buy if you want more tone-shaping options: A 3-band EQ lets you tweak far more than the original.
❌ Avoid if you want something more traditional: Extra EQ won’t appeal to purists chasing a straight Klon-style experience.
Where the regular Tumnus was a no-frills Klone, the Deluxe represents Brian Wampler's take on the circuit, and is one of the best Klon clones out there.
Of most interest are the additions of an active bass and mids control. The shelving treble of the original Klon is still present, but the mids control allows you to have greater say over the midrange of the pedal.
While the Klon's mid-bump is nowhere near as pronounced as that of, say, the Ibanez Tubescreamer, it's still far from a flat EQ profile. The three-band arrangement of the Tumnus allows for far greater tonal flexibility than the original.
"Combining detailed grit and wide-open headroom with sparkling clarity, the Tumnus Deluxe is an overdriven elixir that will strengthen any guitar and amp combination."
Read our full Wampler Tumnus Deluxe review
Best on a budget
✅ Buy if you’re just dipping your toes in: Unsure about Klon clones? The Mosky is a great, cost-effective starting point.
❌ Avoid if you’re after something more boutique: Sometimes guitarists can be snobs, myself included, and there are plenty of more premium options available.
At this price point, it's surprising that the otherwise all-SMD Golden Horse should boast two through-hole germanium diodes. Then again, Mosky have surprised us with solid budget offerings before. As a result, the Golden Horse has the core sound down.
There's a slight difference in timbre with the Golden Horse when in the mix of a larger 'board. This may be down to the fact that this pedal appears to be true bypass rather than the buffered bypass of the original. It's a marginal difference, though, even if it isn't just my brain playing tricks on me.
Best premium
✅ Buy if you want one of the most accurate clones: Since J Rockett worked with Bill Finnegan, this is about as close as it gets to the coveted sound.
❌ Avoid if ‘board space is an issue: It’s by no means huge, but there are more compact options on the market.
J Rockett Audio Designs worked with Klon designer Bill Finnegan on the first versions of the KTR, the successor to the Centaur, so they have about as direct a link to the original as it's possible to have.
For a long time, the JRAD Archer was pretty much the only show in town in terms of a mass-produced alternative. This is probably why it crops up on so many pro rigs.
Nowadays, there is more choice, but the Archer remains the gold standard replica. There's not much to say about the tone other than that you'd be very hard-pressed to tell it apart from an original.
Designed to be toured, its bombproof construction means that it'll likely outlive its owner.
Best mid-priced
✅ Buy if you’d like a slightly warmer take on the Klon sound: We found this pedal to be a bit warmer compared to other clones.
❌ Avoid if yellow isn’t your color: I can understand why this pedal might be too visually loud for some players’ pedalboards.
This is a cool little Klone from the great mind of Jeorge Tripps and is one of the best Klon clones available today. It’s not crazy expensive, but it’s hardly a budget pedal. It’s made incredibly well and features NOS germanium diodes. In terms of controls, you’ve got the classic Gain, Treble and Output layout so there aren’t any surprises there.
It’s slightly warmer compared to the originals, but only minutely, and it has smooth midrange; it’s unlikely any of your audience would notice, but other than that it sounds very close to the real deal.
It’s built with a super sturdy casing, and the sizing of it means it’s not going to take up loads of space on your board. The Conspiracy Theory is a faithful recreation of the Klon, built into a smaller enclosure and with a fairly eye-catching design.
"This pedal acts more like a cranked, low-wattage Fender amplifier with singing sustain... and it really nails that. Its range of gain is dialed-in for fat and bluesy, ideal for the touch-sensitive hunters, and pairs incredibly well with other overdrives and distortions."
Read our full Way Huge Conspiracy Theory review
Best dual pedal
✅ Buy if you want two classics in one: What’s better than one classic overdrive? Two. The added Marshall Bluesbreaker circuit is a lot of fun.
❌ Avoid if you already have more overdrives than you know what to do with: As unbelievable as that sounds, this might be excess to requirements for some.
Ceriatone makes a part-perfect clone of the Centaur, called the Centura. It's even housed in a nifty enclosure that's got some of the over-engineered heft of the Centaur to it. However, their Horsebreaker is more interesting. Housed in a double-width enclosure, it has not only a Centaur circuit, but also a clone of the Marshall Bluesbreaker.
The Bluesbreaker, along with the Ibanez Tubescreamer, is famously the basis for the coveted Analogman King of Tone. What you're getting with the Horsebreaker then, is two classic circuits that stack well, with a switch to select the order in which they come. It's cheaper than the Centura, smaller, and as a result potentially a killer addition to a pedalboard, both in terms of tone and real-estate.
The Centaur is known for being great at pushing tube amps into saturation. With the Horsebreaker you're getting another gain stage into the bargain. As they say, "if less is more, then imagine how much more more will be!"
Best compact
✅ Buy if you need a space saver: The Sugar Drive is ideal when pedalboard real estate is tight.
❌ Avoid if you can’t look past germanium: To keep things compact and affordable, MXR opted for SMD internals and silicon diodes.
The MXR Sugar Drive not only looks the part, but it also sounds the part, with a solid take on the Klon's sound, housed in a sleek mini-enclosure.
As you'd expect from a mass-produced MXR pedal, the internals are fully SMD rather than through-hole, and as a result the diodes appear to be silicon rather than germanium.
We're on record saying we don't think that's a very big deal, but if you want a part-for-part authentic klone, then that rules out the Sugar Drive.
"No doubt, the Sugar Drive is smooth in its overdriven and boosted tones, but what’s just as important is that it sounds fantastic when stacked or paired with just about any other overdrive or distortion pedal. Kind of like adding more sugar to your coffee."
Read our full MXR Sugar Drive review
Most authentic
✅ Buy if you want the original (or there about). These are built by Finnegan himself, straight from the source.
❌ Avoid if availability matters: In truth, this pedal may actually be avoiding you, as they’re notoriously hard to get hold of.
Okay, so putting the KTR on this list is a little disingenuous, as it's designed and built by Bill Finnegan, the successor to the hype beast Centaur itself. Even so, it's inspired by the Centaur, so we've included it.
Released in 2014, these were available through dealers as recently as a few years ago, but that seems to have ended and the pedal's price is steadily climbing on the used market.
Meanwhile, though it's not clear how frequently pedals are available, Bill has periodically sold Klon reissues made by him in the original-style enclosure on eBay. However, in the event that these do crop up, be prepared to pay an appropriately large sum for one.
Best boutique
✅ Buy if you appreciate attention to detail: It’s a faithful clone, and the artwork looks great on these hand-built pedals.
❌ Avoid if you want more control options: As authentic as it gets, there are no extra EQ tweaks or bass boosts found on some other clones.
The RYRA Klone is a straightforward piece of kit. Unlike other pedals which use puns and misdirection to hint at their origins, the Klone comes straight out and says what it is.
RYRA is a one-man shop run by Shane Logan, so the spirit of small-run, independent operation continues in their DNA.
The circuit is a faithful reproduction of the original down to the ground, and sounds very close to it. Although there are much smaller options, it's also quite compact, always a bonus in our book.
Best design
✅ Buy if you want people to think you own an original: Warm Audio is certainly wearing its influence on its sleeve here.
❌ Avoid if large pedals aren’t your thing: Like the original, the Centavo takes up a fair bit of space.
Okay, first things first, the Centavo most certainly looks like the real deal. Its custom-cast ‘Champagne’ enclosure, with a trio of oxblood-colored knobs, is sure to get pedal fanatics weak at the knees.
It's all well and good to look like a Klon, but how does the Centavo sound? Well, in a word - fantastic. With dials for Gain, Treble and Output, as well as a handy Mod switch on the back for extending its low-end response, the Centavo is a drive that’ll flatter your setup - and is superb as a clean boost.
For us, this is easily one of the best-sounding Klon clones on the market. In our glowing review, we stated: "There’s a serious amount of clean power to help you push through, to heat things up. You’ve really got to push the gain past noon to get the grit going. Leave the Mod switch off, turn the Treble past noon, and you’ll easily cut through a mix".
"The Centavo looks the part and sounds the part, and isn't encumbered by the nigh-on punitive prices that an original Klon commands on the vintage market. More importantly, if it had just fallen out of the sky it would still be a superb overdrive for managing relations between guitar and amp, boosting, adding sparkle, making things sound great.
Read our full Warm Audio Centavo Professional Overdrive review
Most versatile
✅ Buy if you want a bit more saturation on hand: The Manis’ extra switch allows you to push things a bit further than usual.
❌ Avoid if you’re just after a clean boost: The price tag might put you off if you’re just after a more traditional Klon clone.
The Manis sees the Oklahoma-based Keeley Electronics enter our list of best Klon Clones. The Manis takes the core Klon architecture and adds a bit more versatility than other clones out there. At its core, it will deliver that familiar clean boost and low-gain drive that Klon fans adore, but a pair of switches opens the door to far more flexibility than a traditional clone.
On one side, a switch lets you move between classic germanium diode clipping and a transistor mode that adds extra saturation and compression, pushing the Manis closer to a more driven, amp-like overdrive. The other switch brings in a subtle bass boost, which is very handy for single-coils or leaner amps that will benefit from a bit more low-end oomph. With these extra options and the standard tone, drive, and level controls, the Manis can cover everything from transparent boost duties to richer, more saturated drive sounds.
Also, I can’t forget about the pedalboard-friendly construction. Unlike the original, the Manis will only take up one pedal space, further adding to its usefulness. So, if you want Klon tones that will fit on your board and don’t want to be locked into just one flavour, this is one of the most adaptable takes on the circuit available right now.
"Robert Keeley has taken the basic Klon architecture and come up with something with much more versatility in a pedalboard-friendly package. There’s that traditional Klon voice, but there’s also another version with more gain in a pedal that has plenty of adaptability to various amp and guitar combinations."
Read our full Keeley Manis review
Glossary
Buffered bypass: This is a bypass type where the pedal’s buffer remains active even when it is switched off. In a Klon-style pedal, the buffer is part of the sound and helps preserve high-end clarity, especially over long cable runs or complex pedalboards.
Clean boost: This type of boost increases your gain without significantly altering your tone. On its own, it won’t add distortion, instead it will increase volume.
Clipping diodes: These are electronic components that limit the signal level by clipping the waveform. In an overdrive pedal, diodes shape how and when distortion occurs.
Germanium diodes: These are diodes made from germanium rather than silicon. In Klon pedals, they’re known for having smoother clipping and a more natural feel.
Hard clipping: This is a more abrupt type of signal clipping that creates stronger harmonics and a firmer edge. The Klon uses hard clipping, which adds to its punch and headroom.
Midrange hump: A boost in midrange frequencies that helps a guitar cut through a mix. The Klon has a subtle midrange compared with a Tube Screamer, for example.
Op-amp: An integrated circuit used to amplify and shape the audio signal. With the Klon, the op-amp plays an important role in gain and clipping, contributing a lot to the sound.
Stacking: This refers to using multiple gain pedals together to shape tone and response. Klon-style pedals are very popular for stacking because they push other drives without overwhelming them.
True bypass: Opposite to buffered bypass, true bypass is when the guitar signal completely avoids the pedal’s circuitry when switched off. There is no tone coloring with true bypass as it doesn’t influence your signal.
How to choose a Klon clone
The world of Klon clones can be a confusing one. There are plenty of things to consider when you’re chasing a particular sound, and with all the technical specifications and jargon, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. That’s why I’ve put together this handy section to help steer you in the right direction. I’ve been playing guitar all my life and also worked in a guitar store for 10 years. Any time a customer asked me about Klon clones, this is what I told them to look out for.
Components
If you’re after the most genuine replica on the market, you’ll want to look closely at the components used. Clones that use germanium diodes and an op-amp-based circuit are generally aiming to stay closest to the original design, as these are key elements of Finnegan’s circuit. This approach tends to deliver the touch sensitivity and transparent overdrive feel associated with the original Klon.
If you’re less concerned about what’s happening under the hood and simply want a pedal that gets you into the same tonal ballpark, component accuracy matters less. Many modern Klon-style pedals sound excellent without being part-for-part replicas, but if authenticity is your priority, it’s worth paying attention here.
Functionality
Some players want a straight Klon-style pedal that does little more than provide the transparent boost and low-gain drive of the original. If that sounds like you, a simpler clone without added features is probably the best choice.
Others may prefer a more flexible take on the circuit. Pedals like the Keeley Manis add tasteful extras, such as a bass boost and the option to switch between diodes and transistors, while the Wampler Tumnus Deluxe offers a three-band EQ for more detailed tone shaping.
There’s no right or wrong option here. In my experience, players tend to split fairly evenly between wanting a faithful recreation and something a little more adaptable. The best choice is simply the one that works for you.
Budget
Set a budget. With so many Klon clones available, it’s easy to get carried away. Deciding how much you want to spend helps narrow your options and makes the decision far easier. If budget isn’t a concern, you could always chase down an original, but for most players, there are plenty of excellent clones available at far more realistic prices.
FAQs
Why is the Klon Centaur so good?
Bill Finnegan claimed that the hard-clipping 1N34A germanium diodes are the signature component of the Centaur's sound. However, testing by ear, as well as waveform analysis have since showed that, if anything, the effect of these diodes is marginal.
There's quite a bit of gain on tap, and that, combined with the hard-clipping diodes means the Centaur can hit distortion territory if required. At the maximum settings on the gain control, it's an almost square-wave distortion, caused by clipping inside the op-amp. Most players, however, value its touch-sensitivity and run it at much lower-gain settings.
Key to the circuit are two filter networks that amount to a clean blend. The first is controlled by the dual-gang gain control. As gain is increased, a filtered clean signal that runs in parallel is reduced in amplitude, and vice-versa. This is another reason why players running it at lower gain settings find it to be the 'cleanest' boost or drive that they've played.
The second network is more simple, adding a bit of 'thickness' back into the tone. This applies a low-pass filter to the clean tone, which is then blended back into the distortion sound. Each of these waveforms - the two filtered and the distorted - are radically different to one another. It's their sum that makes the Centaur so interesting.
All of this detail serves to point out that most of the magic happens in these filter networks and the gain stage itself. Though the original tone control is interesting - an active high pass shelf above 400Hz - modifying the EQ stage doesn't affect the essential character of the circuit as much as you might expect.
Is the Klon versatile?
Yes! A load of people use it with the gain set low but there’s actually a fair amount of it on tap. With gain set to full, you can achieve some nice distorted tones, as well as milder, overdriven sounds. It plays well with other pedals too. You’ll often see a Klon being used alongside something like a Tubescreamer for gain staging.
What should I look for in a Klon clone?
When buying a Klon clone, as long as it's a faithful reproduction of the original circuit, you can purchase based on looks, as modifications like different diodes are likely to have a small impact. The Centaur stacks pretty well with other pedals, especially at lower gain levels, and so some boutique options that offer utilities for further tweaking EQ, or indeed having two pedals in a single enclosure are good options.
Famously, the Centaur had a buffer which some people lionise to the point of building it into a separate pedal. Thus, most klones are either buffered bypass or selectable between buffered and true bypass.
Finally, the original had a massive enclosure, so as always, we tend to say that size should be one of the most important considerations. After all, if you can't fit it on your 'board, it doesn't matter how good it sounds!
Does it need to be exactly like the original Klon?
When looking for the best Klon clones, you might want to ask yourself how much you want just the original design, or whether you’d benefit from some additional features. There are plenty of pedals out there designed to sound and respond like the original. You’ll find the same three knobs (gain, treble and output) and, when designed right, they will offer a very similar style of gain.
Others are a little more liberal with how much of a clone it is Some Klones simply use the original pedal as inspiration and might add extra EQ controls, or even another pedal to add flexibility and versatility. Ultimately, it’s up to what you want out of it as to which one is best.
Why are Klon pedals so expensive?
Simply put, scarcity. When Bill Finnegan created the Klon, he probably didn’t expect it to be as sought after all these years later. Bill only built around 8,000 of the original units, and as their reputation grew among guitarists, demand quickly outstripped supply, driving prices up. The Klon Centaur is a textbook example of supply and demand at work.
This was largely because Bill was building, testing, and shipping every pedal himself, often clocking up to 60 hours per week in an effort to keep wait times down. A combination of low profit margins and high Boston real-estate prices meant he couldn’t realistically scale up production, and eventually the Klon stopped being made in 2009.
Even at the time, second-hand Klons were already commanding high prices, as many players didn’t want to wait.
Are Klon clones as good as the original Klon Centaur?
Quite honestly, yes. There are now plenty of Klon clones that sound extremely close to the original pedal. Top picks like the J. Rockett Archer and Wampler Tumnus get you firmly into Centaur territory without having to remortgage your house. Brands with larger budgets and dedicated engineering teams have the resources to create genuinely convincing Klon-style tones.
That said, there’s always going to be a degree of mythology surrounding the original. You can’t account for the mojo factor entirely, but if you look past that, a well-made clone is more than good enough for most players.
Is the Klon Centaur the same as a Tube Screamer?
Although the TS9 played a role in the development of the Klon Centaur, the two pedals aren’t the same. Bill Finnegan experimented with Tube Screamers while searching for a way to achieve a ‘sweet spot’ tone at lower volumes, but ultimately found them too compressed for what he had in mind.
While both are overdrive pedals, the Klon has a more open sound with significantly higher headroom compared to the mid-heavy, compressed response of a TS9. The two pedals also use different clipping approaches, with the Klon relying on hard clipping and the Tube Screamer using soft clipping. The result is a very different feel and response, the TS9’s familiar midrange honk versus the Klon’s more transparent character that preserves more of your amp’s natural tone.
Are germanium diodes important in a Klon clone?
Germanium diodes are often associated with recreating the most authentic Klon tone. Bill Finnegan used germanium diodes in the original design after deciding he preferred their sound to silicon alternatives, describing them as more natural-feeling and dynamically responsive.
That said, while germanium diodes are part of the equation, they aren’t the whole story. Much of the Klon’s character comes from its gain structure and filtering stages. Still, if you’re chasing the closest possible recreation of the original circuit, choosing a Klon clone with germanium diodes is a sensible place to start.
Do Klon clones work well with tube amps?
Absolutely. In fact, the original Klon Centaur was designed with tube amps very much in mind. As a result, most Klon clones pair extremely well with valve amplifiers.
Used as a transparent boost, a good Klon-style pedal will push a tube amp right to the edge of breakup, where it starts to feel lively and responsive. Klon clones are particularly effective for achieving cranked-amp tones at more manageable volumes, bringing out the best characteristics of tube amps without overwhelming them.
How we choose products
Here at Guitar World, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything guitar and bass-related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.
When choosing what we believe to be the best Klon clones available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.
First and foremost, we are guitarists, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best Klon clones on the market right now.
Read more about our rating system, how we choose the gear we feature, and exactly how we test each product.
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Meet the experts
Alex Lynham is a gear obsessive who's been collecting and building modern and vintage equipment since he got his first Saturday job. Besides reviewing countless pedals for Total Guitar, he's written guides on how to build your first pedal, how to build a tube amp from a kit, and briefly went viral when he released a glitch delay pedal, the Atom Smasher.
After spending a decade in music retail, Richard is now a freelance writer for MusicRadar, Guitar Player, Guitar World and Reverb, specialising in electric and acoustic guitars, bass, and almost anything else you can make a tune with. When his head’s not buried in the best of modern and vintage gear, Richard runs a small company helping musicians with songwriting, production and performance, and plays bass in an alt-rock band. Otherwise, you'll probably find him out walking the dog!
Daryl is a Senior Deals Writer at MusicRadar, and is responsible for writing and maintaining buyer's guides on the site as well as testing out products for reviews. Before writing for MusicRadar, Daryl worked for many years in music retail, helping musicians of all ages find the best gear for them.
Daryl also has a passion for live sound, having worked professionally as a sound engineer in a number of venues around Scotland and holds a first-class Bachelor's degree in Creative Sound Production from the University of Abertay. He's worked for various bands, as well as his fair share of pantomimes, dance shows, opera and has operated the sound for some of the country's top comedians, including Alan Carr, Ed Byrne and James Acaster, among others.
Ross has been a music lover and guitar player since the age of 8. He has spent the five years since graduating from university working in music retail, selling guitars, amps and more. Ross is particularly interested in electric guitars, pedals and amplifiers and his current rig includes a trusty 2009 American Standard Stratocaster and Vox AC30S1 with a few Walrus Audio and Way Huge pedals in between.
Latest updates
18/02/26: The guide has been updated and now includes "at a glance" panels for all 10 of the pedals featured. In addition, we've added a new entry to the list: the Keeley Manis. Expert verdict box have now been included and tje FAQ section has been significantly updated with more information. We've also added a glossary section along, advice on how best to choose a new Klon clone pedal and a "meet the experts" section.
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