The Harby Pedals Centauri is an overdrive pedal that is, circuit-wise, a clone of the Klon Centaur, built into a compact case much smaller than the original1. Like the pedal it copies, it covers ground from a clean boost to a light-medium overdrive: with the Drive knob turned all the way down it works as a clean boost, and turning Drive up brings in a compressed, harmonically rich midrange12. It sells for $169, which Delicious Audio notes is about 1/30th the price of an original Klon Centaur1.
The pedal has gone through two versions. The original Centauri Clean Boost/Overdrive was reviewed by Pedal of the Day in October 20222, and the refined Centauri MkII was featured by Delicious Audio in March 20261. Both are hand-built in the United States, in Idaho, by Joe Harby1.
What it does to your sound
The Klon circuit the Centauri copies is a light-medium overdrive that uses hard clipping, and it is most commonly used as a clean boost or an "always on" pedal3. Premier Guitar makes the same point about the original: a Klon with its gain knob fully counter-clockwise delivers a pure clean boost4.
Delicious Audio describes the two ends of the Centauri's Drive control in the same terms. Drive down gives clean boost, sparkle and presence without pushing the amp; Drive up gives what they call "that creamy, compressed, harmonically-rich midrange"1. Beyond overdrive on its own, the pedal can be combined with fuzz and distortion pedals to add a slightly thicker character1.
"Drive down is clean boost, sparkle and presence without pushing the amp. Drive up is that creamy, compressed"
The controls: Volume, Drive and Tone
The Centauri keeps the same three-knob layout as the original Klon Centaur1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the overall output level1 |
| Drive | Down is clean boost, sparkle and presence without pushing the amp; up is a creamy, compressed, harmonically rich midrange1 |
| Tone | Shapes the tonal balance1 |
Delicious Audio's take on the MkII calls it "a clean, ultra-low-noise 1:1 functional execution of the traditional 3-knob interface"5.
Inside the circuit: TL072, charge pump and germanium diodes
The Centauri is modeled directly after the Klon Centaur's circuit board, using several of the same components1. The parts list, as reported by the press, reads like an attempt to match the original part for part:
- Genuine Texas Instruments TL072 op-amp12
- NOS 1N34A germanium clipping diodes, with the correct 0.35V forward voltage, within plus or minus 15 percent12
- TC1044 charge pump that doubles the voltage internally to 18V for headroom1
- Gold-plated ENIG circuit board, thin-film Japanese resistors, and Class 1 capacitors from Japan (MkII)1
- Precision-milled aluminum enclosure (MkII)1
The germanium diodes are the detail Klon cloners chase hardest. Harby tracked down original new-old-stock 1N34A diodes with the correct forward voltage, because as Delicious Audio puts it, "germanium is never" perfectly consistent between parts1. The charge pump is the other Klon signature: the pedal runs on a standard 9V DC negative center supply2, but internally the voltage is doubled to 18V, which gives the clean boost setting its headroom1.
The Centauri uses buffered bypass, not true bypass. Like the original Klon Centaur, it is never truly off: the buffer remains in your signal path with the effect disengaged1.
How it compares to the original Klon Centaur
The Klon Centaur's reputation has made it the reference point for this whole category. An independent review at AMZ Guitar Effects, comparing clean boost pedals, found the Klon "the one to beat so far," with a little extra clarity that made the reviewer want it back on after switching to a clean boost6. That is the sound the Centauri sets out to reproduce: Delicious Audio says it is built to give "that rich, clear Centaur sound without the Centaur price tag"1.
For the MkII, Harby went further than copying the schematic. Delicious Audio reports that they followed the original builder's specifications, used the same parts, and built it in America1. The practical differences for a player are size and price: the Centauri sits in a compact case much smaller than the original1, and at $169 it costs a small fraction of what an original commands1.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day reviewed the original Centauri in October 2022, on a unit sent by Harby Pedals, and called it "an instant star from the moment you plug it in"2. Delicious Audio's June 2026 Klon-clone buying guide listed the MkII at $169 and summed it up as "a rising contender"5.
Videos
SRGuitar
Pedal of the Day
Eric Merrow
Questions
Is the Harby Centauri true bypass?
No. The Centauri uses buffered bypass, the same as the original Klon Centaur, so the pedal is never truly off. The buffer stays in the signal path even when the effect is disengaged, which is part of how the original Klon was designed.
Does the Harby Centauri use real germanium diodes?
Yes. Harby tracked down original new-old-stock 1N34A germanium diodes with the correct 0.35V forward voltage, within plus or minus 15 percent, because germanium parts vary from unit to unit. These are the clipping diodes in the circuit.
Is the Harby Centauri the same circuit as the Klon Centaur?
It is modeled directly after the Klon Centaur circuit board, using several of the same components and the same three-knob layout, including a Texas Instruments TL072 op-amp and a charge pump that doubles the voltage internally to 18V. It is a clone rather than the original, built in a compact case much smaller than the Klon.
Can the Harby Centauri stack with a fuzz or distortion pedal?
Yes. With the Drive knob turned all the way down it works as a clean boost, and it can be combined with fuzz and distortion pedals to add a slightly thicker character to the sound.
Where are Harby Pedals made?
The Centauri is hand-built in the United States, in Idaho, by Joe Harby. The MkII version is likewise built in America using the same parts and following the original Klon builder's specifications.
Sources (6)
- Updated Pedal: Harby Pedals Centauri MkII, Delicious Audio, 2026-03-04
- Harby Pedals Centauri Clean Boost/Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2022-10-05
- 11 Best Overdrive Pedals For 2026 (Includes Budget Options), Tone Island, 2026
- Klon vs Klone: Top 5 Budget Pedals Compared, Premier Guitar, 2020-04-17
- The Klon Centaur Pedal And The Best Klon Clones In 2026: A Buyer's Guide, Delicious Audio, 2026-06-17
- Reviews of boost pedals, muzique.com (AMZ Guitar Effects)
