Cloning, Creativity, and the $69 Overdrive Debate

I gulp.

There it is on my desk. A Behringer Centaur clone.

Next to it?

A more premium Ryra the Klone, which I picked up a few years back. It’s a limited edition from the famous Denmark Street in London.

And gathering dust in my guitar room?

Another budget Klon-style pedal. I can’t even remember its name.

Three clones. Zero originals (I had to give that one back). And until last Tuesday, zero thoughts about what that actually means.

Then I saw the news:

Bill Finnegan, the man who created the legendary Klon Centaur, had his lawsuit against Behringer dismissed.

And suddenly, I had to look at my pedal collection differently.

Here’s the thing.

I’ve justified my clones a hundred ways. “The originals are impossible to find.” “I’m not paying three grand for an overdrive.” “It’s just a circuit. Patents expired. Fair game.”

All technically true.

But Finnegan wasn’t suing over the circuit. He was suing because Behringer’s pedal looked like a Klon. The graphics. The font. The centaur artwork.

They copied the story, not just the sound.

And that, for the first time, made me a little uncomfortable.

Because I realized I’ve been telling myself clones are about democratizing great tone. Access for everyone. Fighting back against boutique pricing.

But is that what I actually believe? Or just what I tell myself.

In case you missed the drama:

Behringer released their “Centaur Overdrive” for $69. It looked… well, a lot like a Klon. Same layout. Similar artwork. Even the name.

Finnegan filed suit.

Within weeks, Behringer scrambled. Renamed it the Centara. Then the Zentara. Swapped artwork. Made it look less like what they were clearly copying.

Now the case is dismissed. Behringer made changes. Finnegan walked away. Everyone moves on.

Except I can’t.

Because I keep staring at my pedals and asking: What do my choices say about what I actually value?

Look, I’m not here to tell you cloning is wrong. I’d be a massive hypocrite.

I’m also not here to tell you it’s fine. Because honestly? I’m not sure it is.

The truth is messier.

Most classic circuits aren’t protected anymore. Patents expire. That’s just how it works. But there’s a difference between inspired by and trying to fool people.

Behringer crossed that line. They didn’t just make a Klon-style overdrive. They made a pedal that looked like it was a Klon. It was close enough to confuse people.

When you copy that? You’re not paying homage. You’re just taking.

But here’s where it gets weird.

Original Klons sell for $3,000+. Most working musicians can’t drop that on one pedal. So when a company offers that sound for $69, why wouldn’t you jump on it?

I did.

But then I think about Finnegan. Years of developing that pedal. Building the brand. Creating something that became guitar history.

Now a massive corporation copies his work, undercuts his price, and profits off his decades of effort.

That doesn’t feel right either.

The clone debate isn’t about good guys versus bad guys. It’s about tension.

Tension between access and originality.

Between affordability and respect for creators.

Between what we want (great tone, affordable) and what we value (creativity, innovation, story).

Most of us live somewhere in that tension without really examining it.

I know I have.

Here’s the ironic part:

Behringer’s “pre-lawsuit” pedals are already selling above retail online. Legal drama creates lore. And lore sells pedals.

Which makes me wonder: Are we buying pedals for the tone? Or for the story?

Because clones can give us the sound.

But not the narrative. Not the history. Not the feeling of owning something that means something.

Maybe that’s what actually matters.

I don’t think there’s a clean answer here.

Cloning is democratic. $69 gives more people access to legendary sounds. Knowledge should be shared. Once patents expire, designs belong to everyone.

That feels true.

But massive corporations profiting off small builders’ life work? There’s a difference between inspiration and imitation.

That feels true too.

Maybe the real question isn’t “Is cloning okay?” but “What do my choices say about what I value?”

Access over originality? Sound over story? Affordability over artistry?

I’m still figuring it out.

Maybe we figure this out together.

Cheers,