The JedsPeds Super Klone is a DIY guitar effects pedal kit: you buy it as parts and build the overdrive pedal yourself. JedsPeds describes it as "the ultimate overdrive pedal" and says the circuit compares to a modified Klon Centaur1. Where the original Klon is a hard-clipping overdrive, as Brian Wampler explained to MusicRadar2, the Super Klone adds switching that lets the builder move between clipping diode sets and two extra tone-shaping toggles.
The kit is listed at £60.00 GBP on the maker's product page1. JedsPeds states there is no endorsement or approval from any manufacturer, and that the comparison information is for comparison only1.
The controls: three knobs and three toggles
The control panel follows the Klon layout with three pots: Volume, Drive and Tone1. Delicious Audio's buying guide notes that Klon-style kits like this "just like the original, sports the usual three knobs"3.
On top of the knobs sit three toggle switches1:
| Toggle | What it does |
|---|---|
| Thick | Tone shaping toggle |
| Fat | Tone shaping toggle |
| Clipping | Alternates between two sets of clipping diodes |
The clipping toggle is the "Super" part of the circuit. Rather than committing to one pair of diodes, the builder can flip between two clipping configurations from the top of the pedal. For context, Klon-style builds vary widely in their clipping parts: the Kenny B Pedals Klone, reviewed by Pedal of the Day, used a pair of germanium D9E Russian diodes4, and the underlying Klon design is a hard-clipping overdrive2. The Super Klone's toggle makes that kind of choice a front-panel decision instead of a soldering decision.
Kit options from bare PCB to JP-Pro
The Super Klone comes in five levels of completeness, so a builder can buy just the circuit board or a nearly finished pedal1:
| Option | What you get |
|---|---|
| PCB Only | Just the plain PCB |
| PCB & Components | PCB, onboard components, pots and toggle switches |
| Full Kit | As above, plus undrilled enclosure and off board components (foot switch, jacks, 9V, LED) |
| Full Kit & Drilling | Full kit with a drilled enclosure |
| JP-Pro Kit | Full kit with a pre painted, drilled and UV printed enclosure |
The JP-Pro Kit is the closest thing to a finished pedal in the range: the enclosure arrives drilled, painted and UV printed, so the remaining work is assembly and wiring1.
The kit is currently supplied with a JP125B sized enclosure1. If you buy the PCB Only or PCB & Components option and source your own box, it needs to be a JP125B.
Building it
JedsPeds does not state a difficulty level for the Super Klone itself. Its related Klone 2019+1 kit, which compares to the unmodified Klon Centaur, is described by the maker as "suitable to an intermediate level builder"5, which gives a rough sense of where Klon-style builds from this maker sit.
One construction detail from the maker: the PCB hangs from the three toggle switches, and the three pots are wired rather than board mounted1. That means the toggles do double duty as circuit parts and mechanical support, and the pots connect with hook-up wire rather than soldering directly to the board.
For players who would rather not build at all, Pre Built Kits have a 1 to 4 week build time1.
How it fits among Klon-style options
The Super Klone sits in a crowded field of Klon-inspired pedals and kits. On the finished-pedal side, the Jad Freer Audio Klone is a faithful reproduction of a specific original unit, serial number 31576, and the Acorn Amplifiers Another F#%king Klon Klone is a handmade faithful version7. On the value side, Pedal of the Day's 2015 review of the JC Audio Klone Overdrive noted it delivered a Klon reminiscent pedal for a tenth of the price of an original8.
The Super Klone's angle is different from all of these: it is a kit, and it is a modified circuit rather than a faithful copy. The three toggles, especially the clipping diode switch, are changes the original Klon and most replicas do not offer, and they are the reason to choose it over JedsPeds' own straight Klone 2019+1 kit1.
Videos
Jeds Peds and Martin Aspeli
Jeds Peds
Budget Pedal Chap
Questions
What does the clipping toggle on the Super Klone switch between?
The third toggle alternates between two sets of clipping diodes. The other two toggles are labeled Thick and Fat. This gives the builder a choice of clipping characters without rewiring the circuit, on top of the usual Volume, Drive and Tone knobs.
What size enclosure does the Super Klone kit use?
The kit is currently supplied with a JP125B sized enclosure. The Full Kit option includes an undrilled enclosure, Full Kit & Drilling includes one already drilled, and the JP-Pro Kit comes with a pre painted, drilled and UV printed enclosure.
Is the JedsPeds Super Klone hard to build?
JedsPeds does not state a difficulty level for the Super Klone itself. Its related Klone 2019+1 kit is described as suitable for an intermediate level builder. Pre Built versions of the kits carry a 1 to 4 week build time.
Does the Full Kit include a 9V battery snap and footswitch?
Yes. The Full Kit adds an undrilled enclosure plus the off board components: foot switch, jacks, 9V connection and LED. The PCB & Components option stops at the board, onboard parts, pots and toggle switches.
Sources (8)
- Super Klone, JedsPeds
- Brian Wampler explains why it's (mostly) a myth that the Klon is a 'transparent' sounding overdrive pedal, MusicRadar, 2024-01-10
- 9 Of The Best Klon Clone Kits In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-03-27
- Kenny B Pedals Klone Boost Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2019-11-21
- Klone 2019+ 1, Jeds Peds
- Klone (Klon Centaur replica), Jad Freer Audio
- Another F#%king Klon Klone, Acorn Amplifiers
- JC Audio Klone Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2015-03-29
