The Caline CP-43 Pegasus Overdrive is an overdrive and boost pedal built as a take on the Klon Centaur. Pedal of the Day, reviewing it in 2019, called it "an excellent Klon-inspired beast" and identified it as "Based on the original Golden Professional edition of the Klon," the gold-housed version of the circuit that made the Klon's name1. It is made by Caline, a builder of budget pedals, and it sells for far less than the pedal it draws from.
What it does and how it sounds
The Pegasus covers the two jobs the Klon is known for: it works as a clean boost, and it adds overdrive as the Gain control comes up. Pedal of the Day described it as producing "some gorgeous vintage-style overdrive and boost sounds"1. On the boost side, their reviewer's verdict was that it is "An excellent clean boost," with a Gain control that "adds in just the right amount of natural-sounding overdrive/distortion that is very d[ynamic]" and responsive to how hard the player digs in1. In other words, the pedal is touch-sensitive: pick lightly and it stays clean, dig in and it breaks up.
If you are weighing it against other Caline pedals, the Pegasus is the Klon-style option in a range that also includes the Caline CP-79 Wolfpack, a Tube Screamer-style overdrive with an added boost section, and the Caline CP-99 Medusa, which Pedal of the Day described as a Klon-inspired overdrive and boost built on the CP-43 Pegasus itself1.
The controls
The Pegasus keeps the control layout simple, matching the original pedal it is based on. Pedal of the Day: "Tone, Gain and Volume represent the controls here, just like the original pedal did"1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the amount of overdrive; at low settings the pedal works as a clean boost1 |
| Tone | Shapes the treble character of the overdriven sound1 |
| Volume | Sets the pedal's output level1 |
That three-knob layout is the whole interface. There is no switch for boost and overdrive separately: the Gain control blends the two roles, which is how the Klon original works as well1.
Price and where it sits
The Pegasus is priced as a budget pedal, and the two published figures differ a little. Pedal of the Day wrote in 2019, "seriously, these are like 50 bucks new"1. When the JHS Show covered it on YouTube in 2020, presenter Josh Scott said, "i think that pedal is 30 or 40 bucks"2. Both put it in the same bracket: a fraction of what a Klon-style pedal from a boutique builder costs, and a small fraction of what an original Klon sells for.
The two published prices differ: about 50 dollars new in 20191, and 30 or 40 dollars when the JHS Show covered it in 20202. Budget pedal prices move around, so treat both as approximate.
The Klone Wars series
The Pegasus appeared in the Klone Wars series on the JHS Show YouTube channel, in which Josh Scott and the JHS team look at Klon-inspired pedals, the pedals players call Klones1. Pedal of the Day noted that if you follow that corner of the pedal world, "you may very well be aware of an excellent Klon-inspired beast called the Pegasus Overdrive"1. The series is a useful place to hear the pedal next to other takes on the same circuit.
Build and bypass
The Pegasus is housed in a durable enclosure, according to Pedal of the Day's review, and it features true bypass circuitry, so the pedal is out of the signal path when switched off1. True bypass is worth having on a boost or low-gain overdrive, since these pedals often stay on all the time or sit early in the chain where any tone loss is most noticeable.
Videos
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Pedal of the Day
Questions
Is the Caline CP-43 Pegasus true bypass?
Yes. Pedal of the Day's review describes the CP-43 Pegasus as featuring true bypass circuitry, meaning the pedal's electronics are removed from the signal path entirely when it is switched off. That matters on a pedalboard where the Pegasus might sit alongside other always-on effects, since the guitar's signal passes through untouched when the pedal is bypassed.
Which Klon is the Pegasus based on?
Pedal of the Day identifies the Pegasus as based on the original Golden Professional edition of the Klon. That is the version of Bill Finnegan's overdrive most players picture when they say Klone: the gold-housed, horse-logo pedal that became famous for its transparent overdrive and clean boost character.
How much does the Caline Pegasus cost?
It is a budget pedal. Pedal of the Day said in 2019 that these are like 50 bucks new, and the JHS Show, covering it in their Klone Wars series, put it at 30 or 40 bucks. Either way it sits far below the price of the pedal it takes its inspiration from.
What is the Klone Wars series?
Klone Wars is a series on the JHS Show YouTube channel in which the CP-43 Pegasus appeared. The series looks at Klon-inspired pedals, commonly called Klones, comparing the many takes on the Klon Centaur circuit that builders have produced since the original became hard to find and expensive.
Sources (2)
- Caline CP-43 Pegasus Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2019-07-17
- LIVE: Everything Klon Centaur (History, Circuit and Shootouts), JHS Pedals (YouTube), 2020-11-23
