The Klon Centaur has been cloned hundreds of times by as many companies since the DIY community managed to scrape the black goop off the circuit board. Each company's "clone" sounds slightly different because there's one component that nobody can seem to agree on: the diodes.
Players refer to them as "magic" because many diodes manufactured in this era didn't come labeled, so many thought the actual value would remain a mystery forever.
Not anymore. We found some.
The crew spent a great deal of time poring over the Klon circuit (including our own) and the diodes used therein. After much searching and prodding with direction from Rockett, we were able to cultivate our own magic for this, the Archer Ikon—the definitive transparent overdrive.
After finding this pocket of magic diodes, the next step is to fine tune the circuit so that it matches the source material: a real gold Klon Centaur. Rockett tuned the Ikon to its Centaur until the differences were 100 percent indistinguishable. The Ikon is quite simply the closest you're going to get to authentic Centaur tone without draining the kids' college fund.
The sound is a hair more compressed than the silver Archer and fuller sounding with the Gain knob dialed back—or “boost” mode—which is how a majority of players use their clones. Quite simply put, there is no finer tool for goosing your amp, be it tightroping the verge of breakup or simply dipping its toes into the juice pool. When set to full gain—or “drive” mode—the Ikon exhibits a smoother, gently compressed clipping section, indicative of the original Centaur tone but sorely lacking from the abundance of clones on the market. The Treble knob keeps all the frequencies in check, and is a godsend for players using a Les Paul or other humbucker-equipped axe.
Just like the original Centaur, a charge pump circuit is used to internally bump the voltage from the nine-volt input up to 18 volts. This helps create the legendary headroom for which the Klon is renowned, and it is also why the Klon stacks so well with other pedals.
J. Rockett Audio Designs Archer Icon Features:
- Features actual Klon "magic" diodes. That's right—THE part
- Legendary drive and boost tones—ultra-transparent
- Internal charge pump circuit doubles the voltage
- Hand-made in the USA
- Standard 9v center-negative power
An Interview with Chris Van Tassel of J.Rockett Audio Designs (opens in new window)
