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Klon Centaur designer Bill Finnegan has warned that fake versions of his legendary overdrive pedal are going up for sale – sometimes with huge price tags.
Since its launch in 1994, the Klon Centaur has become one of the most sought-after pedals in all of guitar-dom, in part because of its transparent, articulate tone, but also because of its scarcity and mythology. The pedals were produced by hand in limited numbers, with used examples of both silver and gold versions now fetching up to – and sometimes in excess of – $5,000.
Given the mark-up, it’s perhaps unsurprising that fakes are out there, but Finnegan has now personally drawn guitarists’ attention to the fact.
“Hi everyone - recently someone emailed me with these two photos, asking if they were of a genuine Klon Centaur unit,” the designer posted on Instagram.
“They are absolutely NOT of a genuine Klon Centaur unit. To avoid giving the fraudsters any tips, I will not go into the details - this post is simply to alert all of you that there are intentionally-fraudulent units out there that people are trying to sell for big money.”
At first glance, the copycat pedal’s internals certainly appear Klon-like, complete with infamous ‘gooped’ circuit, concealing the components used. Yet a quick comparison with a real Klon’s insides flags up the discrepancies, with the fake pedal’s potentiometers a dead giveaway.
So, unless you’re completely up on Klon lore, you might want to run any potential purchase by Finnegan before buying, lest you get caught out by the scammers.
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If your budget won’t stretch to $5k, Finnegan has previously indicated he will make the Centaur in very limited batches – although information on future runs have been somewhat scarce, and the klonllc Instagram account has been overrun with requests for updates.
There’s no shortage of Klon clones to explore in the meantime – but then there’s no guarantee they’ll sound quite as magical as the real deal, either…
Mike has been Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com since 2019, and an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict for far longer. He has been writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist for over 15 years, and recording and performing in original and function bands for two decades-plus. During his career, he has interviewed everyone from John Frusciante to Chris Cornell, Matt Bellamy and Billy Corgan. His writing also appears in The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock as Maebe.
