The Chellee Ponyboy Overdrive V2 is an overdrive pedal from Chellee Guitars & Effects, introduced in November 2016 as the successor to the original Ponyboy. Like V1, its circuit is inspired by the Klon Centaur overdrive design, and Chellee positioned it as a pedal that sits between a clean boost and a transparent drive. Premier Guitar's announcement described it as "a great blend between sparkly boost and transparent drive without the harsh, ultra-high frequencies often found in Klon" clone pedals1.
The key point about V2 is what changed and what did not. Guitar World reported that "the next-generation Ponyboy V2 pedal sounds identical to the Original Ponyboy (V1), with one key difference under the hood": the bypass switching2. Everything else about the update is practical rather than tonal, which makes V2 essentially the same pedal to play as V1 with a more modern switching system and clearer control labels.
A Klon-style overdrive between boost and transparent drive
The Ponyboy belongs to the family of pedals built around the Klon Centaur circuit, the discontinued overdrive whose clones and interpretations make up a large slice of the transparent overdrive market. Chellee's own framing, via Premier Guitar, was that the Ponyboy avoids the harsh ultra-high frequencies the company heard in many Klon-inspired pedals, landing instead between a sparkly boost and a transparent drive1.
By the time of the V3 announcement in 2018, Chellee described the Ponyboy as "a favorite overdrive pedal among guitarists for its pristine cleans and well voiced low gain overdrive"3. That low-gain, clean-into-breakup territory is where Klon-style circuits are typically used: pushing an amp that is already warm, or adding light grit to a clean signal without changing the core tone.
The controls
The V2 kept the same control set as V1 but renamed parts of it. Because the circuit is similar to a Klon Centaur, V1 initially carried the same control labels as one; in V2, "the switch and Treble control have been renamed to better indicate what they actually do"2. The word "Overdrive" was also added to the pedal's face, as Premier Guitar put it, "so that it's abundantly clear what this pedal does"1.
Performer Magazine's review, by Chris Devine, explained how the voicing toggle and tone control interact in practice4:
"normally the tone knob is a treble control, but selecting to the +mids side fattens things up, by not going too far into the treble range, and enhancing the mids; cutting the tone control in this mode drops out mids"4
In other words, the mini toggle gives the tone knob two personalities: a standard treble roll-off on one side, and a mid-enhancing voicing on the other that fattens the sound rather than just brightening it4.
Power and connections
The V2 runs on a 9V power supply, and Performer's review noted plainly that "it'll need a 9V power supply"4. There is no battery option: Chellee deliberately left the battery connection out of the V2 design to free up room for the new internal layout1.
No battery connection. The Ponyboy V2 needs a 9V power supply, so it cannot run standalone on a battery the way many compact overdrives can.
Connections are through Switchcraft stereo input and output jacks, the same jacks V1 used1. The bypass is not a traditional mechanical switch: Chellee replaced it with a microcontroller-operated relay bypass, using in-house-designed software to run the relay and LED, with a subtle mute circuit that reduces the pop mechanical switching can induce1.
History and versions: V1, V2 and V3
The Ponyboy line has run through three versions:
| Version | What changed |
|---|---|
| V1 | The original, Klon Centaur-inspired circuit with Klon-style control labels and a traditional mechanical bypass switch1 |
| V2 (2016) | Identical sound to V1; relay soft switch bypass replaces the mechanical switch, controls renamed, battery connection dropped, $159 at introduction12 |
| V3 (2018) | Adds a late-stage bass control and a Modern/Vintage voicing switch; $119, sold direct only3 |
The V3, announced in June 2018, is the version that expanded the tone shaping. Its new bass control "is centered around 120hz and provides a boost or cut of up to +/- 15 db," and it sits at the end of the circuit so it does not interact with the gain control, instead polishing the overall output3. Guitar Pedal X's 2019 roundup of Klon-style pedals described the V3 as having "tone split out to Bass and Treble, as well as a 2-way Modern/Vintage voicing switch"5.
The Modern/Vintage switch works like this: the Modern tone uses the same modern production parts that have been in the Ponyboy from day one, while "the Vintage setting selects a set of 1N34A germanium diodes that enhances the tonal character in higher gain settings"3. The V3 also carried over the in-house relay soft switching bypass, and Chellee pointed to its Teflon insulated MIL-Spec hookup wires and built-in PCB wire strain relief as evidence of the build quality; it was handmade in Florida with a two-year warranty3.
What reviewers said
Performer Magazine reviewed the V2 in February 2017 and recommended it on value, writing that "with a street price of $119, it definitely gets our recommendation for the Klon clone hunters out there on a budget"4. The review was not entirely uncritical: Devine found that "on maximum gain settings, it got a bit hissy," though backing the gain off slightly made the hiss go away while still leaving plenty of grit4.
Guitar Pedal X's 2019 Klon-style roundup listed the Ponyboy V3 at $119 and noted it was "the lowest cost option in this listing - American-made"5. Since Chellee described the V2 as tonally identical to V1, and the V3's changes are additive (bass control, diode voicing switch), the reviewer findings on the V2's gain character and price apply most directly to that version.
Questions
Does the Chellee Ponyboy take a battery?
No. Chellee left the battery connection out of the V2 design on purpose, to free up room inside the enclosure for the new relay bypass circuitry. The pedal needs a 9V power supply to run, so plan on a spot on a power brick rather than a battery.
Is the Ponyboy true bypass?
The V2 does not use a traditional mechanical true bypass switch. Chellee replaced it with a microcontroller-operated relay soft switch bypass, which the company describes as more reliable, with a subtle mute circuit that reduces the pop mechanical switching can cause.
What does the Ponyboy Modern/Vintage switch do?
The Modern/Vintage switch arrived with the V3, not the V2. The Modern setting uses the same modern production parts the Ponyboy has used from the start. The Vintage setting selects a set of 1N34A germanium diodes that Chellee says enhances the tonal character in higher gain settings.
Where is the Chellee Ponyboy made?
The Ponyboy V2 was handmade in the U.S. and backed by a two-year warranty. The later V3 was described by Chellee as handmade in Florida, also with a two-year warranty, so the pedal has stayed an American-made, hand-built product through its versions.
Sources (5)
- Chellee Guitars Unveils the Ponyboy Overdrive V2, Premier Guitar, 2016-11-16
- Chellee Guitars & Effects Unveils Ponyboy Overdrive V2 Pedal, Guitar World, 2016-11-14
- Chellee Effects Releases the Ponyboy V3, Premier Guitar, 2018-06-29
- Ponyboy Overdrive Pedal V2 Review, Performer Magazine, 2017-02-27
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2019-07-23
