(updated August 10, 2020)

This article is a list of the Best Klon clones pedal clones on the market. Klon Centaur clones are a popular breed. You see them everywhere.  This post will break down the best ones to check out for any budget.

The Klon Centaur is perhaps the most over-hyped guitar transparent overdrive pedal of all time. The thing is, though, they sound fantastic!  The original Klon Centaur pedal sells for thousands of dollars on the used market.  The Centaur hasn’t been in production for years, and the only re-release in recent times was the Klon KTR.

If you’re lucky enough to own either a Gold or Silver Klon Centaur, you’re one of the lucky few on Earth.  Most people can’t justify spending over $2000 on a used overdrive pedal, so if you fit into this category, this list is for you.

Except for the Klon KTR listed below, the rest are in order of least expensive to most expensive.

1. KLON KTR

If you plan on buying a pedal made by the creator of the Klon, then get the Klon KTR.  I used this pedal stacked with my Maxon OD-820 for many years, and it works extremely well.  One of the features of the Klon KTR is that on the side of the pedal, there is a selectable true-bypass switch.

With the switch in buffered mode, you’ll be allowing a more accurate top-end tone to come through.  This lack of top-end frequency is especially evident with long cable lengths.  If you already have a buffer in another pedal on your board, then you can leave the switch in true-bypass mode.

No matter which way you use it, it sounds great and is built well.  The main difference between the Klon Centaur and the Klon KTR is this is a PCB version of the original.

2. Moskey Golden Horse

3. Caline Pegasus

If I had to pick the best Klon clone pedal on a budget, it would be the Caline Pegasus. Caline has proven itself to be an affordable, reliable, and well-made budget effects pedal brand.

The Pegasus does all the Klon-type things you would expect.  The Caline Pegasus enclosure is slightly larger than a regular pedal and is about the same size as the Klon KTR.  The range of pedals that the Pegasus is a part of is all this larger size.  I much prefer having a regular or slightly oversized pedal on my board, but that is just me.

4. TONE KLONE Overdrive Golden Horse

This pedal is called the Golden Horse Overdrive. The Golden Horse is a well-made pedal for the price and compares very favorably to the “Clone Centaur,” which is no longer in production.  Much like the Clone Centaur, the top end has been slightly attenuated, giving you a slightly warmer/darker sound than the original.  There is still plenty of top-end available in this pedal, so no need to worry about that. Build quality wise the Golden Horse has a well-constructed case and potentiometers.  There’s nothing to complain about with the TTone Golden Horse.  For the price, it will be considered by many the best value for money Klone out there.

5. The Joyo Tauren R-01

It’s great to see that Joyo has updated its pedal range recently.  One of the inclusions into their lineup is the Joyo Tauren overdrive pedal.  This pedal features the tones of the Klon with just a little bit of extra gain added to the mix.

One of the standout features of the Tauren is the LED light on the front and top edge.  I love the way these light up and how great they look in a gig situation.  For epic lead tones, pair this with the Joyo Aquarius delay pedal.  You’ll have the brand snobs wondering where they went wrong, spending the extra money!

• The Joyo Tauren has a higher than average gain stage. 
• This overdrive pedal from Joyo can be used as a clean boost or overdrive.

6. Chellee Ponyboy

Buy it from Chellee

This is the best affordable USA Made pedal.  If I had to recommend one boutique Klon on this list, it would be the Chellee Ponyboy.  This takes the Klon effect in a slightly different direction.

What makes the Ponyboy special is the fact it can do the Klon “thing,” but it can also be EQ’d thanks to its two-band EQ differently.

Another factor that makes the Chellee Ponyboy is it is built like a tank.  The designers at Chellee actually drop test their pedals from drones onto a road to make sure they are robust enough to handle long-term regular use.  If you drop the EHX Soul Food off your table, odds are it will break.  The Chellee Ponyboy is a beast, and it’s worth checking out.

7. Electro-Harmonix Soul Food

The EHX Soul Food has somehow doubled in price since its original release, but it does nail the tones of the Klon.  One of the sad things about EHX pedals is their build quality.  They use cheaply made potentiometers (pots) that can break easily if the pedal is dropped.

Mine broke very easily, and EHX has crap customer service.  You’re unable to get or order parts from them without sending the pedal back and forth at your own expense.  This pedal is worth about $60, not what they are asking for it in 2019 and beyond.

Tone-wise though, the Soul Food nails it.  I would buy the Caline Pegasus over this if I had to do it all over again.  In terms of value for money and build quality, the Chellee Ponyboy kills the Soul Food. I don’t see any reason to buy this one over the Chellee.

I also put together a detailed post regarding my 10 Best EHX pedals here. The Soul Food, even with the build quality issues, still made a list.

8. Electro-Harmonix JHS Mod

While I didn’t give the EHX Soul Food a perfect review, here’s the JHS modified EHX Soul Food pedal. At the same time, there are some obvious upgrades in terms of tonal variety thanks to the toggle switch on the side and the “Meat” knob on the right.

This pedal will allow you to get the Klon-type tones while also being able to customize it more tonally than the original.  I am not a big fan of potentiometers on the side of pedals, but maybe that’s just me?

• 3-way clipping toggle gives you stock EHX clipping, open clipping, and true Klon-style germanium clipping added bass contour “Meat” knobVolume, Treble and Drive controls
• JHS adds a 3-way clipping toggle that gives you stock EHX clipping, open clipping, and added true Klon style germanium clipping, which isn’t present in the stock Soul Food pedal
• Lastly, they also added a bass contour “Meat” knob to make this pedal a tone shaping tool
• These modifications retain the integrity of the original Klon tones while giving you a few extra tone shaping abilities

9. Wampler Tumnus

buy it on Sweetwater

The Wampler Tumnus is perhaps the best-made mini-Klon on the planet.  Wampler pedals are sometimes hit or miss in my opinion.  In this case, Wampler pedals made a great little pedal featuring the beloved tones you’ve come to expect from a Klon.

The Wampler Tumnus features a gold mini-enclosure, which will save room on your pedalboard.  In terms of how the Tumnus works with other pedals, it works great!

You will choose the Wampler Tumnus pedal over some of the others if you need a small Klon that’s also really well made.

10. J. Rockett Audio Design Archer Ikon Overdrive

If you locked your keys in the car and can’t find a brick to break the window, then the Archer Ikon is for you!  The J. Rockett Archer Ikon is built like an absolute brick! It weighs way more than you might realize thanks to its amazing build quality and design.

What I like about this pedal is that it pays tribute to the Klon visually-speaking, but also has enough of its own thing going on to stand out.

While this is sound-wise no different to many of the others on the list, the build quality is what makes this pedal stand out.  Much like the Chellee Ponyboy, the Archer Icon gets it right.  You are also paying a much more premium price for this unit, so weigh up whether or not it is within your budget.

What do I Personally Recommend?

In terms of Klon Clones, these all nail the tone.  It comes down to your budget and what you can personally justify.  If you have your heart set on the Soul Food, then maybe consider the Caline Pegasus.  Value for money wise, the Caline kills the Soul Food, and it’s also a better-made pedal than the EHX.

Another strong addition is the Wampler Tumnus Klon clone. I would highly suggest this pedal if the size is of concern.  In terms of a well made USA produced pedal, the Chellee is hard to beat. It nails the tones of the Klon and also adds a little bit extra in there.

Is the Klon KTR still being produced?

Being that Bill Finnegan is no longer producing the Klon Centaur or Klon KTR, it is not hard to rationalize finding a quality Klon Clone replacement.

Many guitarists might not be able to also justify how expensive the original Klon Centaur is on the used market, and I agree.   Spending more money on a pedal than a guitar or amplifier makes no sense.

I hope this list has been helpful. I put a lot of time and effort into this post, so please share it on Twitter or Facebook if you found it valuable.

This is a list of the top 10 best Electro-Harmonix pedals in my experience.  This top 10 list features pedals based on tone, uniqueness or influence.

Electro-Harmonix (or EHX) are very popular effects pedals for guitarists because of their price point or uniqueness.  This Top 10 best Electro-Harmonix pedal list is in no particular order.

1. The Electro-Harmonix POG2 Polyphonic Octave Generator

Buy it on Sweetwater | Thomann

The Pog2 was one of the most sought-after effects pedals of the mid-2000s.  With the release of John Mayers Coninnium album a new sound was presented to the masses on a track called “In Repair”.

This track featured a “church-like” organ tone that put the EHX POG2 into the mainstream.  These pedals are not cheap but what they do, they do really well.

If you are looking for the ultimate octave pedal that can handle single notes as well as chords, check out the POG2.

EHX POG2 Features

• Attack control, two sub-octaves, 2-pole resonant low-pass filter
• Enhanced detune, enhanced algorithm
• Saves your favorite settings with a click
• Rugged, pedalboard-friendly die-cast chassis

2. The Electro-Harmonix Soul Food

Buy it on Sweetwater | Thomann

The EHX Soul Food has to be one of the most hyped overdrive pedals of all time and guess what? It’s a clone of the beyond-famous KLON Centaur.

The Soul Food has two things going for it that the KLON Centaur does not.

1. It’s readily available
2. The EHX Soul Food is also very affordable

So is the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food just a Klon copy? Yes.  The only downside to this pedal is the build quality.  It’s been proven that EHX skimps out on their potentiometers which means if you drop this thing, it will probably break.

The good news is you’d need to be 30 of these pedals to equal what you would spend on the real KLON so it is what it is.  If you check out Amazon you can also find the JHS Modded EHX Soul Food pedals too.

EHX Soul Food Features

• Transparent overdrive
• Boosted power rails for extended headroom and definition
• Super responsive
• Compact, rugged design
• Selectable true bypass or buffered bypass modes

3. Electro-Harmonix East River Drive Classic Overdrive Pedal

Buy it on Sweetwater | Thomann

The East River Drive from EHX is a great little overdrive pedal.  This might not be covering any new ground in terms of tone but it sounds great and looks really cool too.  I have to give credit to EHX for reinventing the wheel with such cool designs.

If you are wondering if this is a TS-808 copy, you’d be correct.  The World probably doesn’t need another Tubescreamer but EHX has made a great-sounding overdrive with the same drawbacks as their Soul Food.  Combining this with the Soul Food effects pedal is a match made in tonal heaven!

EHX East River Drive Features

• JRC4558 IC based pedal
• Symmetrical overdrive adds edge and gain without compromising tone
• Volume and Drive take it from sweet to searing while Tone lets you dial in just the right amount of bite to cut through the mix
• True bypass

4. Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi Guitar Effects Pedal

Buy it on Sweetwater | Thomann

Out of all of the Electro-Harmonix pedals I have tried over the years the Big Muff stands out as unique and timeless.

If you love Fuzz then the big muff is for you.  There are not many pedals on the planet that are more influential than the Big Muff.  That’s right! EHX didn’t copy anyone else with this one.  It goes back to the old days and sounds great until today.

The Big Muff has remained an affordable and timeless Fuzz pedal worth a shot if you want to capture high gain fuzz tones with little effort.  Well done to EHX for making such a fantastic fuzz!  In terms of how it could place on the 10 best Electro-Harmonix pedals of all time? It could be right at #1.

The EHX Big Muff Features

5. Electro-Harmonix Superego Synth Engine

Buy it on Sweetwater | Thomann

This Illuminati-inspired pedal really is one of a kind. This is a “freeze” pedal which allows you to free a section of your playing indefinitely.  The Gliss control allows for instant or slow-blend chord changes as you move through your passes.

The Superego also features an effects loop for playback of the frozen sounds.  There are not many pedals like this on the market.  The Superego makes jamming on your own fun as well as creatively layering up sections of songs in the live mix.

Much like the POG2, the Superego also has polyphonic tones built right in.

The EHX Superego Features

8. Electro-Harmonix Epitome Multi-Effects Pedal

Here’s a pedal you don’t see every day! This is the EHX Epitom3. This 3 in 1 effects pedal places some of the famous EHX pedals all in one including the POG, Stereo Chorus, and Reverb.  Each effect on this pedal can be used independently or together allowing for a wide range of tones to be had.

• The polyphonic Micro POG provides glitch-free octaves above and below your actual pitch
• Stereo Electric Mistress adds EHX’s signature stereo flanging and chorus
• Holy Grail Plus lets you choose from Spring, Hall and Room reverbs, plus Flerb
• Shimmer Mode re-routes the effects’ chain and opens the door to a world of amazing sonic discovery
• Individual footswitches plus dedicated controls for all three effects; 9Volt Power Supply included

9. Electro-Harmonix LPB-1 Linear Power Booster Preamp Pedal

This is maybe in theory, the most boring pedal on this list.  The one “Boost” control aside, you can never underestimate a good boost pedal.  The EHX HPB-1 allows you to saturate the front end of another pedal or amplifier with ease.  The EHX HPB-1 also works as a very capable clean boost pedal on a clean channel as well.

The other way you can run the Electro-Harmonix Linear Power Booster is after your favorite overdrive.  Running it this way allows you to kick the volume up without adding any extra pre-amp distortion.  The options are plenty, even if the pedal looks simple.

If you run your amplifier on the dirty channel, this is also a great option for a lead boost pedal.

10. Electro-Harmonix Lester G Deluxe Rotary Speaker

This is one wild pedal! When I first heard about this I wondered how great it would actually be.  Once I had a chance to hear it, I realized EHX had nailed the tones and done some very impressive things with this pedal.

The Lester G is great because the built-in compressor adds sustain to the rotary speaker effects allowing you to play clean and to play less.

The EHX Lester G Deluxe Rotary Speaker pedal features

• Ultimate rotary speaker emulator, with built-in fully featured compressor & tube-emulated overdrive
• Stereo/mono in/out
• Adjustable Fast and Slow modes, acceleration control
• High quality buffered bypass
• Includes EHX9.6DC-200 power supply

I hope you enjoyed my Top 10 Electro-Harmonix Pedals! This list is a compilation of my favorite picks of the bunch. Do you agree with this top 10 list? Don’t forget if you want to find out more about the pedals click the images of the Electro-Harmonix pedals above to take you through to Amazon.