DIY Workshop: Build your own Klone pedal | Guitar.com | All Things Guitar

When locking in and looking for DIY projects to stay sane? Why not try to use the Centura kit from Ceriatone to build a clone of the legendary Klon Centaur.

demand

Centaur drives prices into the stratosphere. All the originals are hand-built by Bill Finnegan, who has teamed up with some MIT engineers to design this most respected power/speed pedal. According to pedal standards, this is a complex and highly primitive circuit. After 8,000 units were produced between 1994 and 2000, Finnegan understandably thought he was enough.

Because the demand is so high and the supply is cut off, the inevitable happens. In the past two decades, a small cloning industry has emerged, but only

Trouble recreating Finnegan's original housing and PCB layout. The result is Centura Professional Overdrive.

Ceriatone provides customers with various options. You can buy printed circuit boards and enclosures, or fully assembled PCBs. You can also buy prefabricated pedals or complete kits with various finishes and graphics. I can't resist the opportunity to build myself and learn more about this legendary circuit in the process.

Ceriatone's Centura kit is a fairly advanced version, but this is only because the number of components for the DIY overdrive is more than usual, and it means that not everything is given to you. You need to read the instructions carefully and make some plans for the final assembly.

The choice also needs to be made at the beginning. Although the Klon Centaur circuit remained almost unchanged throughout the production process, Bill Finnegan did adjust some component values. In 1995, the two 1uF capacitors in the signal path were increased to 4.7uF to allow more low frequencies to pass, and a 15K resistor was added to the "sweeten" intermediate frequency. Three resistors are also added to reduce the popping sound of the foot switch, but they have no effect on the sound.

The manual lists all of these and identifies the components in clearly drawn diagrams. Having an anti-pop resistor is a no-brainer, but I'm not sure about the extended lows and enhanced midrange range. Since most Klon Centaurs have late tournaments, I decided to give it a try.

As with any kit, the first task is to classify the components and verify that everything in the list is included. I prefer to follow the printed instructions and use a certain length of tape on the left side of the page near the resistance list.

Even if you know the color code, it is recommended to use a multimeter to measure each resistance. Once the resistor is determined and verified, place one of its wires under the shielding tape and next to the location on the list. This helps to keep things organized, which means you only need to organize it once.

Electrolytic capacitors are easy to identify because these values ​​are written on the case. Film capacitors have a three-digit numeric code and its value and a multiplier, so you may need to look up the online capacitor code table for clarification. And pay attention to the yellow 1uF small capacitor because it is polarized. There is a small plus sign printed next to one leg.

The PCB is very compact, but the location and value of the components are clearly marked. First, use the three tips of a soldering iron to solder to 350 degrees Celsius to solder three IC sockets. Excessive heat can damage the circuit board, so it is a more complicated task than soldering components to the holes and turret plates.

Next, I install the resistor, push the wire through the PCB hole, press the component on the board, and then slightly fold the wire to the back of the board. This keeps the resistor in place when I solder the joint, and once the joint cools, I cut the excess wire. Making four or five resistors at a time, I will go through all the resistors and finally solder seven connecting wires.

I followed the same steps for diodes. There are five in total, three for power supply, and two "germanium" clipping diodes to enhance the clipping capability of the operational amplifier to produce Cologne's unique overdrive characteristics. Pedal geeks have long debated the type of diode Finnegan uses. The PCB is labeled 1N34A, and Finnegan confirmed in a forum post that this is the diode he used in Centaur.

Countless versions of 1N34A have been manufactured for decades, but Finnegan asserts that when they are used for editing, they all sound different. I agree that I have tested many diodes for my pedal construction, so did Ceriatone manage to source exactly the same type of Russian diodes that Finnegan apparently couldn't get? We will find out soon.

Next are electrolytic capacitors, followed by brown capacitors. As shown by the original pedal, I folded the electrolyte. When the PCB is fully loaded, carefully check to ensure that there are no overlooked solder joints or accidental solder bridges that should not be connected between traces. Once I'm sure I can, it's time to load the case.

Even if there is no description, the location of all potentiometers and connectors is clear. Just remember that the double gang pot is for gain and make sure the jack is in the correct direction. These pictures clearly show this, but you can verify the socket connection by inserting the guitar cable and using the continuity setting of the meter to identify the labels corresponding to the top, ring, and sleeve.

Klons is built with cans designed to be soldered to PCBs. Instead, Ceriatone provides potentiometers for pots with round solder labels, and the volume and tone pot must be rotated 180 degrees to make the solder labels point away from the PCB. The gain tank has the same connection, which makes the detachable part of the PCB unusable.

All potentiometers-as well as switches, sockets, LEDs and power sockets-are connected to the PCB via jumpers. After loading all the hardware on the case, I also temporarily fixed the fully assembled PCB to the case, so I can reduce the length of the wires for each connection-all over 10mm.

Since these wires must be pushed into the holes and soldered under the PCB, please remove them before soldering the wires. Then, I reinstalled the PCB and tightened it. While constantly referencing the wiring diagram, I traversed all the wiring links and trimmed the wires to the correct length. After the wiring is completed, the test can be started.

After completing the pedal construction, perform a continuity test between the positive connector of the battery clip and the ground. If you hear a beep from the multimeter, check all connections before powering up. If there is a problem, it may damage the components on the PCB. Battery overheating is another warning sign. In this case, I connected the two wires leading to the DC outlet in the wrong way-probably because I was too excited. But after the error was found, the pedal worked for the first time.

The initial impression was very good and I was very excited about the sound quality. But before doing a detailed analysis, most people might wonder how Centura compares to the real Centaur. My companion Ed Oleszko kindly lent him to me so we can find out.

Ceriatone's version is so close, but not exactly the same as Ed's version. The true Klon in the signal chain has a uniform frequency balance, clarity and a wide tone-whether it is turned on or when bypassed-is unique. Frankly speaking, compared to the difference of 1,500 pounds, the difference is closer to 15 pounds, and in my ears, Ceriatone has a lower low frequency component. This softens the bass response and muddies the mid-bass, thereby reducing bass and clarity.

As the gain increases, we begin to hear a slight midrange, while Centura does not have the mid-range sweetness of Klon. Of course, this is only a direct comparison with a specific Klon, not a direct comparison with the selected unit, but it did make me consider the two 4.7uF signal capacitors installed instead of the 1uF capacitor. It may be Centura's ultra-low-end problem.

A few minutes later, with 1uF capacitors installed in the C2 and C15 positions, Centura sounded closer to Ed's Klon. The lowest point is tighter. Compared with Les Strat, Les Paul can improve the situation more, but we also heard some clarity and definition. However, Centura still has some deficiencies in pitch, low string punching and picking rods.

I think this is due to the slight increase in the midrange, so we turned our attention to the 15K mid-range sweetness resistor. Connecting it with flying leads and switches makes it easy to evaluate its influence. Although subtle, removing the resistor from the circuit seems to make the low frequency uniform, and our Centura can indeed provide this Klon tone, punch and Clarity. However, its thickness and softness are small, and if you want to modify this kit, a permanently installed mid-range switch with 15K resistance may be a useful option.

Like all Klons, Ed's circuit board is covered with opaque black tape, so I can't identify the signal cap inside, and I don't know if a 15K resistor is installed. It has a relatively low serial number, but there is no reliable way to date the original Klons. By choosing an earlier circuit, it can be determined that the kit can be adjusted to sound the same as the randomly selected Centaur. This is not unreasonable. It can be considered that the kit can also be configured to sound like a later Klon. This is not a question of which is the best, but which sounds best for you, best for your equipment and playing style.

About 20 years ago, I tried Klon Centaur for the first time and it was very impressive. I was surprised by the sound quality, but I'm not sure if it is boosting or speeding. Of course, it's actually both, but I always think it's stepping on the "better" switch because it seems to make every guitar and amplifier sound better. Indeed, it is easy to see why so many Centaur fans rarely close it.

Krona enhances the effect in some way without significantly changing your voice. I liken it to a recording studio scene in which the sound engineer uses high-quality equalization and compression to subtly adjust the recorded guitar sound. It's basically the same sound, but it's clearer, more powerful, more realistic, and can be better integrated into the mix.

In a sense, feeling is as important as sound. This circuit makes your performance more expressive and dynamic, because you can always hear finer details easily during breakdown, which really shines in live or recorded band mixes.

It seems that each frequency band in the audio frequency spectrum of an electric guitar is processed separately, with more compression and dirt in the middle, and less bass and treble. Even if the gain is set very low, it maintains a sense of stability and continuity, and you will never feel like you are struggling with an over-compressed iron fist. If anything, the Cologne Tour two decades later left a deep impression on me, and everything I said applies to Ceriatone Centura.

There can be no fault in the quality of the Ceriatone Centura kit. The Daka-ware knob is no different from the knob on the manuscript, and the attention to detail is excellent. We may point out subtle differences between the shells. The original shells have clearer lines, but if you don't put them side by side, you won't notice. We also prefer the polished metal appearance of Klon, but the finish of Centura is excellent.

The best pedal kit provides an inexpensive and viable alternative to boutique pedals for those with the necessary DIY skills. Ceriatone Centura is priced at US$200 (US), which is not cheap compared to other Klon clone kits, but it is the only kit we have seen with this level of accuracy-its cost is only a fraction of the genuine product. It only costs an extra $25 to purchase a fully assembled kit, but I really like making it and being able to adjust the circuit. I couldn't be more satisfied with its results.

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