Michael Klein Audio Design Pony Boy Overdrive
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Michael Klein Audio Design Pony Boy Overdrive
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Overview
Pony Boy is my humble interpretation of the frequently copied Klon Centaur. “Why u make moar u dumb?” you ask? Lemme get wordy.... I’ve been asked for years to make my take on this circuit, and I have agreed only for a handful of friends. The response is always resounding, and it’s only because I understand and pay
attention to details.
After increasing demand, I decided to put something out there that honored the original while putting my own spin on it...without adding unnecessary controls or features.
To best capture the personality of the circuit, I searched across the world for NOS Panasonic metalized poly film caps, NOS Panasonic M-series electrolytic caps, and individually tested, measured, and plotted germanium diodes with performance ACCURATE to the original.
It has turned into a complete labor of love, and I hope you enjoy it!
Top row controls
GAIN: this control sets the amount of overdrive in the circuit. True to the original, this circuit is a dual-ganged pot that controls the blend of a massaged clean circuit and a clipping circuit utilizing the germanium diodes.
TREBLE: is again self-explanatory, and fine tunes the high frequency content of the pedal. Turn this control up to increase treble frequencies. You’ll notice this control is particularly suited to adjusting the emphasis of your pick attack.
OUTPUT: and again, quite simple. This is the volume control for Pony Boy. Unlike many overdrive pedals, there is an incredible amount of gain in the output stage. This allows you to hit any amplifier hard enough to overdrive it...even with Gain at minimum.
Bottom row toggles
CLARITY – Have you ever played a Klon and felt it was a bit squishy and congested in the low mid harmonics, especially into a high gain amp? If so, this is my fix. Rather than common voltage or diode switches, we’re actually reconfiguring the gain stages and how they interact with the germanium diodes. The result is more articulation, perceived clarity in the lows, and a faster response WITHOUT loss of bottom end. Toggle down is stock, and toggle UP engages the Clarity mode.
SHIFT - I’ve always wished the Treble control was more vocal, especially above noon. Shift (toggle UP) increases the midrange of the circuit without greatly augmenting the voice. It’s a nice change if you like more OUGH.
SLVR/GOLD - legitimately and accurately switches between earlier “Gold” (toggle DOWN) and “Silver” (toggle UP) circuit variants. It’s worth noting that there are subtle differences across the history of the Klon. That being said, in the reversing of 3 originals I was able to compare to the documentation of a good friend of mine. This allowed me to corroborate these more prominent differences. Sonically, the Gold circuit has a more prominent low mid emphasis. The Silver circuit is a bit more articulate and clearer in the upper mids.
Construction and connections
The construction uses components that are accurate to the originals – carbon film resistors, metal film resistors in the feedback loop of gain stages, NOS Panasonic poly film capacitors, and NOS Panasonic M-series electrolytic capacitors. It also uses Alpha pots, Taiway high quality switches, and Lumberg jacks for high reliability and consistent performance.
Connecting the Pony is self-explanatory but note the power jack is the industry standard 2.1mm “Boss style” center negative 9VDC connection. DO NOT use any input voltage other than 9VDC. Any voltages higher run the risk of damaging the components in Pony Boy’s power supply.
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Our gear experts are always happy to help you find the best gear for you and answer any questions.
All instruments are thoroughly inspected by our professional technicians before shipment.
Your details are protected and safe with us.