The Warm Audio Centavo Professional Overdrive is an overdrive pedal built as a tribute to the Klon Centaur Professional Overdrive, the transparent overdrive that sells for thousands used1. Where an original Klon commands vintage-market prices, the Centavo retails at $179 street in the US, £199 in the UK, and it is made in the USA1.
Guitar World's reviewer Jonathan Horsley found that few Klon tributes are as exacting as this one: Warm Audio replicated the circuit right down to the TL072 op amps and the internal charge pump, in a custom-cast "Champagne" enclosure with a trio of oxblood knobs and a centaur armed with a bow and arrow on the cover1. MusicRadar's review calls it "a dead ringer" for the original2.
A Klon Centaur style transparent overdrive and boost
The Klon Centaur quickly gained a legendary reputation for its transparent sound: a drive pedal that enhances your rig without coloring it. Guitar World describes the Centavo the same way, as a pedal that enhances the rig "without colour"1. On That Pedal Show, Mick and Dan discussed the original as the Klon Centaur Professional Overdrive, the pedal that defined the "transparent overdrive" category4.
In practice, MusicRadar found the Centavo works two ways. It is a very effective clean boost, and at unity gain it is what the reviewer calls the archetypical tone-sweetener, with a hard-working Tone dial that can dial in bite or roll off treble2. Its high-quality buffer and dynamic grit, in the reviewer's words, "offer a missing link between guitar and amp, adding sparkle, and a little hair"2.
Guitar World's verdict was that even setting the Klon connection aside, it stands on its own13:
"if it had just fallen out of the sky it would still be a superb overdrive for managing relations between guitar and amp"
Controls and the Mod switch
The control layout follows the original Klon: three dials and one extra switch that the original never had132.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the amount of drive, from clean boost up |
| Treble / Tone | Hard-working tone control, dials in bite or rolls off treble2 |
| Output | Sets the overall level |
| Mod switch (rear) | Normal mode, or an extended low-end mode giving the tone more width and muscle2 |
The Mod switch is the one change from the original circuit, and it has a story behind it. MusicRadar reports it was a feature requested of the original Klon by none other than Jeff Beck2. The reviewer found the effect subtle rather than transformative: it comes in handy for giving wiry single-coil tones a bit of width, "but it's hardly Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde," leaving the pedal's character intact2.
Circuit and build
The Centavo's feature list mirrors the Klon circuit it is based on12:
- TL072 op amps
- Vintage-style diodes
- Internal charge pump (charge-pump voltage regulator)
- Top-mounted jacks
- Custom-cast "Champagne" enclosure with the centaur silhouette on the cover
It is a heavy pedal for its size, weighing in at 2 lbs2. MusicRadar lists that bulk as the main drawback, alongside the large number of alternative Klon-style pedals on the market2.
Power and connections
The Centavo runs on a 9V DC power supply or a 9V battery3. Guitar World's buying guide lists the same power options3. The input and output jacks sit on the top of the unit rather than the sides, which affects how it sits on a crowded pedalboard2.
The Centavo is not true bypass. Both reviews list it as buffered12, so unlike a true-bypass pedal it keeps its buffer in the signal chain when switched off. Players who want the smallest footprint can also look at Warm Audio's compact Centavo MOD version.
What reviewers said
The two published reviews agree on the essentials. Guitar World's buying guide concluded:
"The Centavo looks the part and sounds the part, and isn't encumbered by the nigh-on punitive prices that an original Klon commands on the vintage market."
MusicRadar's verdict praised it as a very versatile tone-sweetener and dynamic overdrive that looks the part, sounds the part, and costs a lot less than an original, while flagging that it is bulky and faces plenty of competition from other Klon-style overdrive pedals2.
Videos
Sweetwater
Warm Audio
Warm Audio
Questions
Is the Warm Audio Centavo a Klon clone?
Yes. It is a recreation of the Klon Centaur circuit, down to the TL072 op amps, vintage-style diodes and internal charge pump, built in the same style of custom-cast enclosure. Reviewers at Guitar World and MusicRadar both describe it as a faithful tribute to Bill Finnegan's original, at a fraction of the vintage price.
Is the Warm Audio Centavo true bypass?
No. Both the Guitar World and MusicRadar reviews list its bypass as buffered. MusicRadar calls it a high-quality buffer, and notes that the buffer and dynamic grit work together as a missing link between guitar and amp, adding sparkle and a little hair to the signal.
What does the Mod switch on the Centavo do?
The Mod switch sits on the rear of the pedal and offers two modes: a normal mode, and one in which the low end is extended to give the tone more width and muscle. MusicRadar reports the feature was requested of the original Klon by Jeff Beck, and that the effect is subtle rather than character-changing.
How big is the Warm Audio Centavo?
It measures 171 x 127 x 57 mm and weighs 2 lbs, in a large custom-cast Champagne enclosure with a centaur in silhouette on the cover. MusicRadar flags it as bulky, with the input and output jacks located on the top of the unit rather than the sides.
Is there a smaller version of the Centavo?
Yes. Warm Audio has since released a compact Centavo MOD version of the pedal, shrinking the format for tighter pedalboards. The original full-size Centavo reviewed here remains the closest visual and circuit match to the Klon Centaur.
Sources (4)
- Warm Audio Centavo Professional Overdrive review, Guitar World, 2023-04-14
- Warm Audio Centavo Professional Overdrive Pedal review, MusicRadar, 2023-03-20
- Best Klon clones 2026: Klon Centaur Klones for every budget, Guitar World, 2022-06-09
- That Pedal Show, That Pedal Show, 2017-12-15
