The Rockett Archer is an overdrive and boost pedal from J. Rockett Audio Designs, released in 2015 and built on a Klon-type circuit12. In a compact box with three knobs it covers the two jobs a Klon-style pedal is known for: a transparent overdrive that pushes an amp, and a clean boost that hits the front end harder without coloring the tone much. Guitar World has called it "undoubtedly one of the most respected" pedals in its class3.
Pete Thorn demonstrated the pedal in 2015 and described its core use: setting an amp slightly crunchy and then boosting it "into a singing sustaining lead tone," a feel he contrasted with a Tube Screamer style circuit1.
What it does to your sound
The Archer sits in the same family as the Klon Centaur: a low to medium gain overdrive that also works as a clean boost with the gain backed off. MusicRadar's review found that "the Archer offers a remarkably amp-like experience that adds width and fatness to any kind of guitar"5. The silver version of the pedal uses silicon clipping diodes, which Delicious Audio's Klon-clone guide characterized as "pristine clean-boost clarity"4.
Because the gain range is modest, the pedal is often used the other way round from a high gain box: as a boost stacked in front of another drive, or pushing an amp that is already breaking up. In Sweetwater's demo video, Don Carr presented it as a pedal that can "do multiple functions" across different guitar, amp and pedal combinations6.
"you can place the Archer and have it do multiple functions"
Controls
The Archer keeps its control set to three knobs, which Pete Thorn walked through in his demo1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the overall output level |
| Gain | Sets the amount of overdrive, from clean boost on up |
| Treble | Darks or brightens the tone, from "nice and dark" to brightened up1 |
That three knob layout is shared across the Archer family, with one exception covered below: the Rockaway Archer replaces the tone control with a graphic EQ789.
The Klon connection
The Archer is one of the pedals built around the Klon Centaur circuit, the discontinued overdrive whose original units trade for high prices on the used market. Pete Thorn was direct about the lineage in his demo: "it's based off a Clon type circuit and does that sound really really well"1. He also noted it is a sound he had been using in his own playing for the previous few years, including on his single "Clean To Scream"1.
The Archer also received recognition outside the Klon comparison. Guitar.com's review noted that the pedal took the Best Effects category in its 2015 Gear Of The Year awards2. On That Pedal Show, the Archer appeared alongside very different company, including a comparison episode against the Boss Metal Zone10, and in a 2023 video Mick Taylor compared a Rockett Archer against his own Klon Centaur, observing "what you're actually hearing is more mid-range from mine"11.
The Archer family
J. Rockett has expanded the Archer into a range of variants, each changing one thing about the original recipe12713.
| Version | What differs |
|---|---|
| Archer (silver) | The original, silicon diodes, volume, gain and treble41 |
| Archer Ikon | Germanium diodes, slightly less gain and more warmth12 |
| Rockaway Archer | Six band graphic EQ in place of the tone knob, designed with Steve Stevens98 |
| Archer Select | Seven selectable clipping diodes plus a speaker emulated DI output13 |
Archer Ikon. Rockett Pedals says the Ikon "features germanium diodes and captures every nuance of the original unit," and that "unlike the Archer the iKon has slightly less gain and more warmth"12. For a player choosing between the two, the diode type and that gain and warmth difference are the whole story.
Rockaway Archer. Built with Steve Stevens, the Rockaway Archer is "an overdrive EQ all in one," a mod of the original Archer that swaps the tone knob for a six band graphic EQ7. Each band offers up to 18dB of cut or boost814, with Band 1 set at 100 Hz at the far left of the sliders9, plus volume and gain knobs8. Delicious Audio called it "a great way to hit the front end of an amp harder than a stock Archer"7. Its input and output jacks sit at the head of the pedal rather than the sides9.
What reviewers said
Published opinions on the Archer have been consistent about its versatility and its amp-like character51:
- MusicRadar: "the Archer offers a remarkably amp-like experience that adds width and fatness to any kind of guitar"5
- Guitar.com: took the Best Effects category in its 2015 Gear Of The Year awards2
- Sweetwater's Don Carr: works well in many guitar, amp and pedal combinations and can serve multiple functions in a rig6
- Pete Thorn: "does that sound really really well," a Klon-type sound he used in his own playing1
Pete Thorn's full demo, which includes the pedal pushing a crunchy amp into lead tones and a walkthrough of the three controls, is here1:
For a player weighing the Archer against other gain pedals, the short version is this: it is a Klon-style overdrive and boost with a simple three knob control set, and the family of variants around it, germanium, graphic EQ, and switchable clipping with a DI out, covers most of the directions a player might want to take that circuit1137.
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Questions
What is the Rockett Archer?
It is an overdrive and clean boost pedal from J. Rockett Audio Designs, released in 2015 and built on a Klon-type circuit. It has three controls, volume, gain and treble, and the silver version uses silicon clipping diodes. Reviewers have used it as a transparent overdrive, a clean boost and a stacking pedal in front of other drives.
How does the Archer differ from the Archer Ikon?
The Archer Ikon is a variant of the Archer that uses germanium clipping diodes instead of silicon. According to Rockett Pedals, the Ikon has slightly less gain and more warmth than the standard Archer, while the silver Archer's silicon diodes give it what one guide called pristine clean-boost clarity.
What is the Archer Select?
Released in March 2023, the Archer Select is a K-style boost and overdrive with seven selectable clipping diode options and a built-in speaker emulated DI output, including a ground and lift toggle for that DI. It launched at $329 and was available immediately.
What is the Rockaway Archer?
The Rockaway Archer is a version of the pedal created with Steve Stevens that replaces the tone knob with a six-band graphic EQ, offering up to 18dB of cut or boost on each frequency band, alongside volume and gain knobs. Delicious Audio described it as a great way to hit the front end of an amp harder than a stock Archer.
Sources (14)
- Rockett Archer, demo by Pete Thorn, Pete Thorn (YouTube channel), 2015-01-22
- J Rockett Archer Ikon, ThorpyFX Peacekeeper & Wampler Tumnus, Guitar.com, 2015
- What makes the Klon Centaur a holy grail guitar pedal?, Guitar World, 2025-05-04
- The Klon Centaur Pedal And The Best Klon Clones In 2026: A Buyer's Guide, Delicious Audio, 2026-06-17
- J Rockett Archer review, MusicRadar, 2015-04-16
- J. Rockett Audio Designs Archer Overdrive Pedal Demo, Sweetwater, 2019-04-02
- J Rockett Audio Rockaway Archer, Delicious Audio, 2017-08-01
- J Rockett teams up with Steve Stevens for Rockaway Archer overdrive EQ pedal, MusicRadar, 2017-02-20
- Rockaway Archer, rockettpedals.com, 2026-03-31
- Boss Metal Zone, That Pedal Show, 2021-12-17
- 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
- Archer Ikon, Rockett Pedals, 2026-07-23
- J Rockett Audio Archer Select overdrive offers 7 clipping diodes, gearnews.com, 2023-03-28
- J Rockett Rockaway Archer overdrive pedal, gearnews.com, 2017-02-21
