The NUX Horseman is a mini overdrive pedal from Chinese maker NUX, announced in August 2019, that packs two takes on the Klon Centaur circuit into one small box12. A toggle-free design gives you two modes, Gold and Silver: Gold mimics the transparent Gold Centaur overdrive sound, while Silver raises the internal voltage to 18V for more gain and headroom13. It sells for $694.
The pedal is based on the Centaur's voltage converter circuit, with a built-in op-amp voltage converter driving 18V to the op-amp, and two Schottky diodes performing the waveform clipping1. In other words, it follows the same broad recipe as the original: a clean-ish op-amp stage with diode clipping and an internal voltage boost.
The controls and the Gold and Silver modes
The Horseman has three dials for the primary settings and two modes, Gold and Silver1. The most interesting control is the gain knob: NUX describes it as a double potentiometer, a "dual-ganged gain pot," which controls bass and middle frequencies as you turn it1. That is a departure from a straight clone, where gain would only set the amount of drive.
Gold mode is the default and offers what MusicRadar calls "the classic transparent overdrive tones"3. Silver mode is where the pedal pushes further: holding the footswitch switches to Silver, which increases the voltage up to 18V, giving more gain and headroom, the kind of headroom that on the original Silver Klon usually required an 18V input75. An LED light shows which mode you are in3.
| Control or switch | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain knob | Dual-ganged pot controlling bass and middle frequencies as well as drive1 |
| Two other dials | Primary output and tone settings1 |
| Footswitch (press) | Engages and bypasses the pedal1 |
| Footswitch (hold) | Switches between Gold and Silver modes6 |
| Mode LED | Shows which mode you are in3 |
NUX also says the pedal works as a clean boost: dial in a low gain with a high output setting and it adds mostly volume and minimal color to your sound1. In 2026, NUX marked its 20th anniversary with a limited-edition Horseman in a bold, exclusive, horse-themed aesthetic for the Year of the Horse1.
Power and connections
The Horseman runs on a 9V center negative DC supply with a 90mA current draw1. NUX's page also lists a working current of 20mA1; the two figures sit side by side on the maker's own product page, so treat the 90mA figure as the safer one to plan a power supply around.
There is no battery compartment. Premier Guitar's reviewer notes the pedal's "stable is a tiny AA-sized enclosure," about 1/6 the size of the original Klon, which leaves no room for a battery8. Plan on a 9V DC power supply.
Connections are simple: one 1/4-inch jack input and one 1/4-inch jack output1. The bypass is switchable between True Bypass and Buffer Bypass modes, so you can keep a buffer in the signal chain when the pedal is off if your board needs one1.
How it compares to a Klon Centaur
The original Klon Centaur was released in 1995 and came in several versions: gold and silver finishes, each with or without the centaur line drawing on the enclosure, the "Horsie" and "Non-Horsie" variants910. The Silver Edition differed from the gold original by a few component value discrepancies, according to one independent circuit analysis11.
The Horseman maps those two versions onto one pedal. Gold mode mimics the transparent Gold Centaur; Silver mode is a powered-up take with an extended gain range, thanks to the internal 18V boost16. In an Andertons blindfold test reported by MusicRadar, the Horseman was compared against a real Klon Centaur, and Danish Pete only spotted the real thing after deliberation4. Lee Anderton observed that the Gold mode seems to offer less gain on the Horseman than the real Klon4.
Premier Guitar's reviewer noted the Horseman was the only pedal in their Klon-clone roundup built in China, with all the others made in the U.S.8. Delicious Audio lists it as a top-selling budget mini-Klone at $6912.
Where it sits in the NUX range
Videos
Mike Hermans
Leon Todd
Guitar MAX
Questions
Can the NUX Horseman be used as a clean boost?
Yes. NUX says that dialing in a low gain setting with the output high makes the pedal add mostly volume with minimal color to your sound. That is the same way players use the original Centaur as a mostly-clean push into an already warm amp.
Is the NUX Horseman true bypass or buffered?
It can be either. The Horseman has an optional bypass mode that lets you choose True Bypass or Buffer Bypass, so you can set it to suit the rest of your pedalboard, for example keeping a buffer in the chain on a long cable run.
Does the NUX Horseman take a battery?
No. Premier Guitar's reviewer notes the pedal lives in a tiny AA-sized enclosure with no battery compartment, so it runs on an external 9V DC center negative power supply only.
How does the NUX Horseman compare to a Klon Centaur?
It is based on the Centaur's voltage converter circuit with modifications. Gold mode mimics the transparent Gold Centaur, while Silver mode raises the internal voltage to 18V for more gain and headroom. In an Andertons blindfold test reported by MusicRadar, Danish Pete only spotted the real Klon after deliberation.
Where is the NUX Horseman made?
In China. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted it was the only pedal in their Klon-clone roundup built in China, with all the others made in the U.S. NUX is a Chinese effects maker.
Sources (12)
- Horseman, NUX Audio, 2026-05-11
- NUX's Horseman combines both Gold and Silver Klons in one $69 mini pedal, Guitar World, 2019-08-16
- The NUX Horsemen strides in with two Klon clones in one mini pedal, MusicRadar, 2019-08-20
- This $69 overdrive pedal nearly had Andertons fooled in a blindfold test with a real Klon Centaur, MusicRadar, 2023-08-18
- NUX NDO6 Queen of Tone Dual Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2023-04-29
- NUX Horseman: Gold and Silver Klon pedals in one, gearnews.com, 2019-08-19
- Bill Finnegan, gearnews.com, 2019-08-19
- Klon vs Klone: Top 5 Budget Pedals Compared, Premier Guitar, 2020-04-17
- 9 Best Klon Centaur Clones For 2026 (Includes Klon Inspired Pedals), Tone Island, 2026
- Classic Gear: How the Klon Centaur Overdrive Became a $5,000 Pedal, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2021-06-29
- Guitar FX Layouts: Klon Centaur Silver Edition, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2014-07-26
- The Klon Centaur Pedal And The Best Klon Clones In 2026: A Buyer's Guide, Delicious Audio, 2026-06-17
