Given their place in the market as elite collectibles approaching $10,000 asking prices, it’s no surprise the Klon Centaur has long been copied by other builders. The best value of the bunch is JHS Pedals’ solderless DIY Notaklön kit.

DIY not your thing? Fear not; a passing familiarity with Legos is all you need, as assembly consists of sticking two finished circuit boards into its housing and bolting them down (and there’s a video tutorial). Set aside a half-hour or so and you can do this. There’s even silicone goop to conceal the “mythical” diodes.

The pedal has knobs identical to the original – Volume, Treble, and Gain – along with a switch (labeled “-/+”) that engages the Shamrock mod JHS gave its Klon KTR to increase overall boost by +4db.

Plugged in, the Notaklön offers an impressive version of the smooth, open sound and rounded treble famous in the original. Shamrock increases punch in overdrive, particularly midrange.

At just one percent of the cost of a vintage Centaur, the JHS Notaklön offers a virtually identical sound signature at an undeniably bargain price.

This article originally appeared in VG’s May 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.