Fredric Effects Zombie Klone

The Fredric Effects Zombie Klone is what the maker calls a "highly sought-after boutique overdrive"¹. It belongs to the family of Klone pedals, drives that copy a famous reference circuit, and sits alongside the maker's other overdrives such as the Fredric Effects Blue Monarch and Golden Eagle. For a player, the point of the design is fidelity to the original: Fredric Effects describes it as "a 100% accurate electronic clone, with nothing added or removed from the original effect"¹.

What it does

The Zombie Klone is a transparent-style boost and overdrive in the Klone mold, and the maker's emphasis is on keeping the parts of the original circuit that shape its feel. "So the buffer and charge pump circuitry are intact and it sounds great," Fredric Effects says on the product page¹. The buffer matters for players who run long cable runs or large boards, since a pedal with a buffer at its input can sit first in the chain without dulling the guitar's top end. The charge pump generates the internal supply the circuit needs, which is a defining part of how this type of drive behaves.

The pedal is available in a surfy blue-green finish with professionally screen-printed artwork¹.

Versions

There are two versions of the pedal, and the maker is clear that they are the same circuit in different clothes¹:

A demo of the MkI by Christian at Magnetic Effects is available on the maker's page¹.

Where it sits

If you are comparing drives, the Zombie Klone is a Klone-style overdrive, a different flavor from the Bluesbreaker-style circuit in the Blue Monarch or the Tube Screamer-style circuit compared in Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer. For the wider field, see the site's guide to Overdrive Pedals.

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