The Foxpedal Killface V2 is an analog overdrive aimed at bass players, built on the same circuit family as Foxpedal's Kingdom overdrive. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as "a transparent overdrive that adds unicorns and fairy dust to your signal," and the maker is explicit about its lineage: "The circuit design is very similar to the original Klon Centaur and retains many of its characteristics while including some enhancements"1. In other words, this is a Klon-style design rather than a straight copy, voiced for bass.
Where it comes from: the Klon lineage
The transparent overdrive idea traces back to Bill Finnegan's Klon Centaur. As MusicRadar's Alex Lynham put it in the site's history of the pedal, "the goal was to create an overdrive that improved on the full, midrange response of the Tube Screamer while adding some" of the open character of a high-headroom tube amp driven to clipping2. GuitarPCB's technical analysis of the circuit makes the same point from the design side: "The initial idea was to improve the TubeScreamer transient response and the midrange-bass frequencies in order to create" a big open sound with a hint of tube clipping3. That approach became the template for a whole family of Klon-style pedals, of which the Killface V2 is one1.
On That Pedal Show, Mick Taylor argued the overdrive side of the Klon design deserves use in its own right: "why would you spend all that money on a clone and and not use the overdrive because it is a killer overdrive"4.
How it differs from the Kingdom
RockBoard's PedalPedia states plainly that "The Killface is a Bass-tuned version of our popular Kingdom overdrive"1. The Kingdom V2 is the guitar-oriented original, and the two share most of their design. Both carry the same key enhancement over the Klon: "Unlike the Klon, the entire audio chain is run on a higher voltage spread allowing for more headroom"1. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio noted the same feature when the Kingdom V2 appeared, calling it "Pedalfox's take on the Klon style overdrive"5.
For players comparing the wider Foxpedal range, the Kingdom Combo V2 Overdrive adds a boost side on top of the same drive circuit6.
The controls: clipping and overdrive switches
The Killface V2's two switches are what set it apart from a straight Klon copy, and both carry over from the Kingdom157:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Clipping switch | "A clipping switch has been added to allow for different hard clipping options"1 |
| Overdrive switch | "An overdrive switch allows you to add soft clipping to the feedback path of the IC, allowing for earlier and smoother breakup"1 |
The distinction matters in practice. Hard clipping and soft clipping shape the breakup differently: the overdrive switch works on the feedback path of the IC, which RockBoard's PedalPedia says produces earlier and smoother breakup, while the clipping switch selects between hard clipping options1. Between the two switches a player can move from a mostly clean, open boost character toward a more compressed, earlier-breaking drive without changing pedals.
Power and practicalities
The Killface V2 runs on 9V DC, center negative, the standard for pedalboard supplies, and draws 40mA1. Its true-bypass footswitch, in Foxpedal's words, "allows you to keep your signal chain completely clean when its not engaged"1. Being analog, it processes the signal entirely in the analog domain1.
The Killface V2 is a bass-voiced pedal. Guitar players after the same circuit in a guitar voicing have the Kingdom V2, which shares the switches, the true bypass and the higher-voltage headroom design17.
Questions
Is the Foxpedal Killface V2 true bypass?
Yes. Foxpedal's product page states that the Killface V2 has a true-bypass footswitch, which the maker says allows you to keep your signal chain completely clean when the pedal is not engaged. That means the pedal sits out of your signal path entirely when switched off, so it will not load or color your clean tone until you stomp on it.
What power supply does the Killface V2 need?
The Killface V2 runs on 9V DC, center negative, the standard supply used by most pedalboard power supplies. It draws 40mA according to Foxpedal's specifications, so it is well within the reach of a typical isolated pedal power supply output, but it is worth checking your supply's per-output current rating before daisy chaining.
Is the Killface V2 analog or digital?
The Killface V2 is an analog overdrive. Foxpedal lists its circuit type as analog on the product page, meaning the signal is processed entirely by analog components rather than converted to digital and back.
How is the Killface V2 different from the Foxpedal Kingdom?
The Killface is a bass-tuned version of the Kingdom overdrive. Both share the same Klon-derived circuit approach, including the higher voltage spread for more headroom, the clipping switch for hard clipping options, and the overdrive switch for soft clipping in the IC's feedback path. The Killface is voiced for bass players, while the Kingdom is the guitar-oriented original.
Is the Killface V2 a Klon Centaur clone?
Not exactly a clone, but it is firmly in the Klon lineage. Foxpedal says the circuit design is very similar to the original Klon Centaur and retains many of its characteristics while including some enhancements, such as the higher voltage spread for headroom and the added clipping and overdrive switches. It is best described as a Klon-style design with modifications rather than a straight copy.
Sources (7)
- Killface V2 by Foxpedal, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- The FX files: Klon Centaur, MusicRadar, 2019-03-27
- Klon Centaur Analysis, GuitarPCB
- Does The J Rockett 'The Jeff' Archer Sound Like Mick's Klon Centaur? Or The Regular Archer?, That Pedal Show (youtube.com), 2023-10-23
- Foxpedal Kingdom Overdrive V2, Delicious Audio, 2017-08-22
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-09-03
- Kingdom V2 by Foxpedal, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
