Best transparent overdrive pedals: Give it a kick

Transparent overdrive rose to popularity in the early 90s, as guitarists and pedal manufacturers alike grew weary of the over-the-top high gain sounds of the hard rock of the 1980s. Everyone was seeking an overdrive sound that didn’t totally replace a guitar player’s tone, but rather would complement what was already there.

It all started with the Klon Centaur, a pedal that maintained a mystique as strong as its mythical namesake. What added to the mystery was that when the enclosure to the Centaur was opened and people tried to reverse engineer it to uncover the magic within, all they found was a glob of epoxy hiding the circuit.

Paul Cochrane’s Timmy is also one of the ubiquitous transparent overdrive pedals that is beloved in the guitar world, and while fairly inexpensive (especially compared to the Centaur) each pedal is handmade and the wait times to order one were usually months long.

This original type of overdrive caught on quickly. It was novel, sounded fantastic, and was released into the guitar world at a perfect time. And being so “clean” and precise it was the antithesis of the era of music that preceded it.

But not all transparent overdrive circuits are the same. There is a lot of variety within the category as some offer more available gain, different EQ sweet spots, and unique highlights to the base tone.

These are some of the best transparent overdrive pedals available today.

Best transparent overdrive overall: Electro-Harmonix Soul Food

The Soul Food from Electro-Harmonix is probably the best combination of quality and affordability in a Klone. Due to using silicon diodes it is a little brighter, with less low end than other Klones. Some might find it to be a little thin, but at higher drive settings the mids do get a gentle lift.

The pedal boosts the power rails internally in the circuit, which increases headroom. It also provides the option of buffered or true bypass. The circuit provides a great platform for mods, the most famous being the JHS mod.

Best Klon-style transparent overdrive: Wampler Tumnus Deluxe

Named after another mythical beast, this is one of the more accurate Centaur alternatives, though it uses silicon instead of germanium diodes. A 3-band EQ sets the frequency curve and a normal/hot switch increases the available gain.

You can also select between true or buffered bypass.

Best transparent overdrive with Germanium diodes: Way Huge Electronics Smalls Conspiracy Theory

True to the original Centaur design, the Conspiracy theory uses germanium diodes to achieve its crystal-clear clipping. There’s a slight accent in the low-mids under 500Hz that gives it a warmer sound than a lot of the alternatives. At the highest gain settings it has the lovely chime of a cranked British-style amplifier.

Transparent overdrive with the most headroom: J. Rockett Archer

The Archer is the closest you’ll get to the authentic Centaur sound without having to refinance your home to afford it. Germanium diodes and an internal charge pump in the circuit boosts 9v up to 18v which increases the headroom and articulation of the circuit.

It doesn’t get very dirty, but that’s kind of the point.

Most unique transparent overdrive: JHS Morning Glory V4

JHS is no stranger to transparent overdrives, and the Morning Glory has a few elements that other pedals don’t. As the drive control increases, it lends a slight boost to the treble frequencies.

The tone control is a high-pass filter (instead of a band), so you can think of it more as cutting bass frequencies than increasing midrange. And if the tone is too bright for your rig, there is a cut switch on the side.

One of the things that sets it apart is the remote control option. When engaged it adds more signal gain, low end, and presence.

Best transparent overdrive for stacking with other pedals: EarthQuaker Devices Westood

EarthQuaker Devices bills this as a “translucent” overdrive. But there are a number of features that set this apart from other similar overdrives besides an adjective.

Like most overdrives it’s designed to provide edge-of-breakup amp tones without ear blistering volumes. It’s got enough output volume to do that, but how it responds to playing dynamics is where it shines.

An active EQ section with controls for Bass and Treble offer up to 20dB of cut and boost. The knobs are detented in the center and makes it easy to find the flat setting.

What sets it apart is how well it stacks with all kinds of other effects, regardless of the pedal order. The tone gets a little indistinct when you push the gain above the midway point, but it’s not meant for a lot of gain.

Transparent overdrives are meant to be an extension of the player, guitar, and amp. The Westwood does that and more.

Best transparent overdrive for use with amps: Xotic Effects Soul Driven

Let the soul of your sound drive through with this transparent overdrive from Xotic Effects. It features gain and volume controls and a 2-band tone section with mid boost control. It’s one of the lower gain options here but provides a glassy chime that suits its name.

Best compact transparent overdrive: MXR Timmy

Paul Cochrane’s Timmy (along with the Klon Centaur) was the original trailblazer of the transparent overdrive sound. Being a boutique shop, the waiting list to order a Timmy was usually pretty extensive.

MXR teamed up with Paul Cochrane to release this mini version of the celebrated pedal – with a nice upgrade. This version includes a switch that offers three different types of clipping! It goes from clean boost to chimey crunch and has a very responsive EQ section and works great with a number of amps.

Best JFET transparent overdrive: Keeley Super Phat Mod

Keeley’s take on transparent overdrive aims to be as true to your core sound as possible while giving it a little something extra. The sweet, singing harmonic saturation comes via the JFET gain circuit to provide a more amp-like response.

There are two modes to choose from – flat and phat. Flat does just what you’d think, while the Phat option gives a lift to the lower frequencies.

Best budget Klon-style transparent overdrive: Mosky Audio Gold/Silver Horse

These might be just about the cheapest Klones you can get, but they sound surprisingly faithful to the original design. Both feature the same control set (gain, tone, volume), but the Silver Horse is a bit more versatile as it features a clipping switch to toggle between hard and soft clipping.

Best mini transparent overdrive: MXR Sugar Drive

Sweeten up your tone with the Sugar Drive, MXR’s take on transparent overdrive tones. It works by blending the dry signal with overdrive, sort of like parallel processing. It focuses the lows and mids while providing an open sound with headroom to spare. It also allows the option to choose between buffered or true bypass.

Best tone shaping transparent overdrive: PRS Horsemeat

Paul Reed Smith has stepping into the guitar pedal game, and the Horsemeat offers one of the best EQ sections for tone shaping in a transparent overdrive pedal.

It complements the core midrange profile, enhancing it without adding too much of its own character to it. The EQ section features controls over low and high end as well as a Voice knob that works in tandem with the gain control.

If you’re looking to invest in a well designed transparent overdrive that gives you plenty of EQ options this is one of the best.

FAQ

Why use a transparent overdrive?

Since they don’t color the sound too much, they’re really versatile. They retain some of the original tone, so the better your guitar and amp combination the more of your core sound stays in tact.

What is a transparent overdrive pedal?

They’re a certain type of overdrive that is meant to add to your tone instead of take it over. Most do this by blending some of the clean signal in with the effected signal and by not introducing too much EQ.

How Does a Transparent Overdrive Differ from Other Overdrive Pedals?

Traditional overdrive pedals that may add their own tonal coloration depending on how the circuit is architected. Transparent overdrives provide a cleaner sound that enhances your tone instead of modifying it.

Does BOSS make a transparent overdrive?

They don’t have one specifically. But their Blues Driver and OD-3 models are some of the closest to a transparent overdrive.