Warm Audio have made quite a name for themselves offering budget-friendly re-creations of the music world’s most mythologized gear, and it doesn’t get much more mythical than everyone’s favorite horse/man hybrid overdrive! The Warm Audio Centavo Professional Overdrive is an authentic re-creation of arguably the world’s most sought-after pedal, cloned by countless builders for its near-magical clean boost qualities. Every piece of the horsie puzzle has been faithfully replicated, right down to the custom-cast golden enclosure, tapered oxblood knobs, and buffered bypass operation. What’s more, the Centavo sports one of the most commonly found mods performed on the original — a selectable Mod switch that kicks up the low-end punch on your guitar’s bottom strings!
From their microphones to their studio tools, Warm Audio is exacting in their quest to replicate iconic vintage gear. The Centavo is no exception, boasting ultra-premium parts including TL072 op amps, high-end diodes, carbon and metal film resistors, and a charge-pump voltage regulator. We’ll leave the technical analysis to Sweetwater’s electronics engineers, however, to put in in plain English, the Centavo is about as close as you’re going to get to an original without paying well over four figures!
For many guitarists, the pedal of Centavo’s inspiration is a Holy Grail, and it's considered sacrilege to modify it in any capacity. However, we’re thankful that the world’s pedal gurus are willing to desecrate the proverbial (and black epoxy) seal on the heavenly horse, twisting and tuning components to provide us with the most tonal utility possible! Warm Audio have included one of the common mods found on the original pedal: a bass-boosting “Mod” switch located on the back of the pedal. This setting is particularly useful for beefing up the tone of a low-output single-coil guitar, providing some heft to your bottom strings.
