The Flattley Centurion is a transparent overdrive pedal made by Flattley Guitar Pedals, a family-run builder based in Gloucestershire, England. Guitar World's reviewer Trevor Curwen describes it as "a transparent overdrive in the same vein as the Klon Centaur"1, and Delicious Audio calls the Silver Range version "a straightforward, Klon-inspired transparent overdrive pedal designed for cutting through mixes while maintaining note clarity"2. In other words, it belongs to the family of drives that aim to push your amp harder while leaving your core tone largely intact, rather than recoloring it the way a mid-heavy Tube Screamer-style circuit does.
The pedal is handmade in the UK, and Flattley says every unit is "handcrafted in the UK with strict quality control"2. It comes in two finishes: the Silver Range version reviewed here, and a version with a more traditional Flattley look. There is also a limited 10th Anniversary Edition, the Centurion 10 AE, introduced in 20263.
A transparent overdrive in the Klon vein
To understand what the Centurion is going for, it helps to know where the "transparent overdrive" idea came from. The original Klon Centaur, designed by Bill Finnegan, was intended, according to GuitarPCB's technical analysis, "to improve the TubeScreamer transient response and the midrange-bass frequencies in order to create a big open sound with a hint of tube clipping"5. When the Klon's schematic was finally traced, Gearnews reports it turned out to be far more than a tweaked Tube Screamer: "a highly sophisticated piece of engineering that effectively birthed the category of transparent overdrive"6. Original Centaurs now sell for thousands used5, which is why Klon-inspired circuits at ordinary pedal prices have become a category of their own.
The Centurion is Flattley's entry in that category. MusicRadar's review of the Silver Centurion is blunt about its purpose: "its raison d'être is replicating the ever-feted and super-pricey Klon Centaur"4. Where an original Centaur costs as much as a good amp, the Centurion comes in at £185 in Silver Range trim1.
The controls: Gain, Treble and Volume
The control set is minimal: Gain, Treble, Volume, and a bypass footswitch1. Here is what each does, based on Guitar World's review:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Advancing it "brings in a gradual increase in lower-gain drive, through 'clean with an edge' and 'just breaking up' tone to a mild raunch"1 |
| Treble | Set to match your amp, "adding a little enhancement to the tone"1 |
| Volume | Gives boost from its eight o'clock position onwards, with "plenty of knob travel to dial in just the right amount of clean boost from a slight lift to something that will really get your amp cooking"1 |
Two working setups fall out of that. With Gain at minimum and Treble set to match your amp, the pedal works as a clean boost1. With Gain advanced, it stays in practical, lower-gain drive territory: Guitar World found these are "practical degrees of drive that'll work in conjunction with the Volume to punch up an amp to the next level, or give extra options to another overdrive pedal when stacked together"1. That stacking use is worth noting for players who already have a favorite drive and want something that adds to it rather than replacing it.
Versions: Silver Range and traditional Flattley look
The Centurion is available in two standard versions, plus a limited edition.
- Silver Range: The version Guitar World reviewed at £185. MusicRadar notes that "the Centurion's Silver series lineage foregoes a little of the visual pizazz" of Flattley's more elaborate finishes41. Delicious Audio describes the finish as "metallic flake/hydro-dipped graphics with a high-gloss lacquer polish"2.
- Traditional Flattley look: The same pedal in a version with a more traditional Flattley look, at £2591.
- Centurion 10 AE: A 10th Anniversary Edition of the Centurion, with purple halo light rings installed3.
The two standard versions are listed with different bypass types by different reviewers: Guitar World specifies buffered bypass for the Centurion1, while MusicRadar lists the Silver Centurion as true bypass4.
What reviewers said
Both published reviews were positive. Guitar World's overall verdict:
"A great pedal for giving you more of what you've already got, complementing any decent amp or drive pedal."
MusicRadar's take on the Silver Centurion was similar: "The Centurion will flatter your rig," adding that it stacks well with other drives and is "a lot cheaper than a Klon" overall4. Neither review frames it as a replacement for a high-gain distortion; it is a lower-gain, amp-pushing pedal, and both reviewers treated that as its strength rather than a limitation.
Where it is made and how it is powered
Flattley is a family-run business based in Gloucestershire, England7, and all Flattley pedals are "handmade and hand wired in the UK using high quality components"3. The Centurion runs on a 9V DC adaptor, which is not supplied, and no battery option is mentioned for the standard version1. The 10 AE is specified for 9-volt external power with no internal battery option3, so a pedalboard power supply is the practical route for any version.
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Questions
Is the Flattley Centurion a Klon clone?
Reviewers describe it as a transparent overdrive in the same vein as the Klon Centaur, and MusicRadar says its reason for being is replicating the ever-feted and super-pricey Klon. Flattley does not market it as an exact clone, but it sits squarely in the Klon-inspired transparent overdrive category, at a much lower price than an original Centaur.
Is the Flattley Centurion true bypass?
It depends on the version. MusicRadar lists the Silver Centurion as true bypass, while Guitar World's review of the Centurion lists buffered bypass. If bypass type matters to your signal chain, treat the Silver Range and standard versions as differing on this point.
Does the Flattley Centurion take a battery?
No. The standard Centurion runs on a 9V DC adaptor, which is not supplied, and the 10th Anniversary Edition is specified for 9-volt external power with no internal battery option. Plan on a pedalboard power supply.
Where is the Flattley Centurion made?
In the UK. Flattley is a family-run business based in Gloucestershire, England, and every pedal is handmade and hand wired in the UK, with the company describing strict quality control over its builds.
Sources (7)
- Flattley Centurion review, Guitar World, 2021-08-20
- Flattley Pedals Silver Centurion, Delicious Audio, 2026-08-04
- Flattley Pedals Introduces Centurion 10 AE Overdrive, Premier Guitar, 2026-08-06
- Flattley Revolution and Silver Centurion review, MusicRadar, 2021-10-01
- Klon Centaur Analysis, GuitarPCB
- The Myth in the Box: Inside the Klon Centaur Phenomenon, gearnews.com, 2026-07-04
- Flattley Nirvana Analog Delay, Delicious Audio, 2022-05-09
