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 Overdrive/Distortion Pedal
The latest pedal from acclaimed US boutique brand Catalinbread (those of the Semaphore tremolo, Ottava Magnus octave fuzz and many more cool toys) the Dirty Little Secret merely looks like another addition to the growing “Marshall-in-a-box” realm on paper, but in reality, it does sound like a cranked-up 100W head through a quadbox. Solidly built (as is the case with all Catalinbread pedals), the 9/18V-powered box doesn’t require an Einstein to figure out, with Tone, Loudness and Gain knobs, a two-way mode regulator and an on/off switch taking care of business.
The DLS’ two tell-tale modes – ‘Rock’ and ‘Rawk’ (try saying that with a hammy Yank accent for extra zing) – respectively house the ‘60s-’70s JTM/JMP and ‘80s-’90s JCM sounds. Best suited for traditional playing styles like blues and classic rock and no-nonsense rhythm work, ‘Rock’ gives you a sweet vintage overdrive in the vein of old Marshall heads, but once you flick the switch into ‘Rawk’, all proverbial hell breaks loose. This is where your chords thicken to molten-lead consistency, the solos take on the searing side and the harmonic feedback becomes pulverising. Over the weekend, I tested the pedal’s both modes with two different guitars (a Gibson and a Fender Jazzmaster) and was able to morph from Angus Young into J. Mascis and back, a happening from which I still haven’t quite recovered. What tone did I achieve by sticking a wah in front of it? Instant Slash. Sweeeet. Oh, and it cleans up beautifully once you roll the volume down.
Tone junkies to the core, Catalinbread have spent a lot of time on designing the DLS and captured all sorts of sought-after voicings, including the time-honoured player/amp interaction, resulting in plenty of mojo to boot. The makers also suggest running the pedal on an 18V adaptor for a more pronounced output or a 9V battery for more warmth and creaminess, according to the player’s taste. So there you go – two roaring stacks in stompbox format. The secret is officially out.
RRP $289. Check out www.catalinbread.com and www.ellaways.com.au for more information.
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