The Warm Audio Centavo is an accurate recreation of one of the most unattainable overdrive pedals in guitar history. Known by its lauded boost and overdriven tones, the craze for this uber-popular pedal continues today, long after its original production from 1994 to 2009. With prices soaring into unthinkable prices for a three-knob overdrive, it’s no wonder that guitar players like Jeff Beck, Joe Perry, John Mayer, and Josh Homme have found all the mythical magic of the original pedals to be worth the hype.

The Centavo has three basic controls on the top - Gain, Treble, & Output. The gain on Centavo breaks up fairly late, with edge-of-breakup hitting after 50% and real clipping occurring late in the gain stage. The treble control is useful for dialing in more top-end for muddier guitars, like dual-humbucker models or all-mahogany instruments. The Centavo is loaded with output and can easily deliver clean boost, or create natural distortion if the tubes on your amplifier are already being pushed. Engaging the MOD switch on the back is a great tool to have at your disposal if the overdrive initially sounds “thin” in the lower register.