Catalinbread Guitar Pedals 30% Off Sale: 35 Select Models

My favorite pedal brand too, have a lot of these but these are some fantastic deals, wish the Katzenkönig was on the list but the Dirty Little Secret, 5F6, Topanga Burnside (Reverb and Trem in one) and Karma Suture are amazing pedals… eyes on the Karma Suture and RAH for sure, thank you so much Iconian for always looking after the musicians here!

I have never heard of this brand, but just started getting back into playing the electric guitar. My current setup is Fender Player SSS, Bugera V5 Infiniti, Boss DS2, and Boss RC-1. Can anyone recommend what my next pedal should be if I choose a Catalinbread?

This will change your life:

1. Combination is not always the possible dilution of our fundamentals. We all know it's a given; that it can be. Just not always.

2. We have started and can only learn anything by the base fundamentals. Where we have a growing, partially common understanding, only from whether something purely is or it isn't. That has no third option existent; but of course, not every situation is fundamental. However, it is fundamental; that we have the fundamental and not fundamental. The first way to avoid damages is not miss define and mix these up.

3. So why do I start this universal way? These total guitar gear set issues fit too.

And least we forget Slickdeals implies VALUE for your dollar.

The first thing then is some of us care about the price and some not so much. Two camps (not strictly though, just almost), I guess someone could half way care, on that one; but we mainly see bargain hunters and conversely those who remind us they can't spend all their money before they pass. Which is not wrong technically. It's just if Slick-deals becomes about that then it's not really a deal, is it? So I recommend value. Doing so is not disrespecting anyone, their personal choices or opinions. That said, on some items we could pay extra; but I personally didn't become able to do that by not doing my homework up front, before buying and bargain hunting. Where up to multiple reasons then make a deal, a relative super slick deal. And even if the owning would be better than the wanting, in the first place. Many times it's not. And we can make more money, if in time; but we can't make more time. So combine some parts and also don't combine others, wisely. Do both with gear, and your thinking. It does not have to be one track or the other method, on everything. Only with some things.

The reason for all that; for guitarists:

While "better" is subjective (sometimes), we've all heard of many, non-tube ways and about gear where *some* (select non-tube gear) provides the desired tube characteristics; that pros can not detect in, blind A/B evaluations. Of course many disagree; but fail the scientific test. And these folks are professional artists with very discerning ears. Somewhat Less with most folks in public audiences. Even, if we are covering some favorite songs (fine business) *and* we are playing at attaining exacting accuracy (of which recording or memory?) or just looking for our own unique "tone" then most of our eventual audience (even if it's your dog LOL, up the world wide) does not care. Not that it can be messy, usually. So accuracy is good; but often the $40 gear gets accuracy, without the premium $5000 parts. Of course there is some used gear to avoid; that's not very tube like(to be nice), and/or not good in their other non-tube ways too. Tubes are not all; that is good. Historically pedals prove that.

What's the first thing a all tube advocate does? Add a non-tube pedal for stacked boost and distortion, when desired. Plenty of clean players; but the first thing folks new into amps is how do I ALSO set it for ultra gain. Try a tube amp with it's own distortion, to crunch or more.
Then stack more gain from some type of pre amp (in the effects loop or up front); which is often or in recent history, part of your many pedal board, instead of another amp and re-amp hardware. And this, the multi effects/amp/IR's unit like the Cube Baby also replaces. Or it, or other multi unit can be almost all of your pedal board.

And you need only two strong pre amps to get to past ultra gain options. Where it's to much distortion and other depth can be tweaked. Having stacked gain as built-in to premium amps is costly, with their matching premium prices. You can save a bundle knowing a $5000 amp head is not even necessary to chase "tone" and get you anywhere you need to go, with your "tone". Or the ability trying out tones and being able to cover almost any song, tonally. Which does help with practice maybe; but your inspiration better not be your gear or you'll soon be over stocked and scared you can't play any of it. You ALMOST don't even need guitar at all, or anything to practice. It's possible to practice unplugged on an electric guitar. And most people have many free ways to amplify a practice sound; with out wasting gear funds on practice only amps! Old stereo or Karaoke box. Or simple headphones. It's only because you can be portable with your own, known power amp and guitar voiced Celestion 12" speaker consistently shaping the (midrange) sound; that you would need to buy anything else, for your electric guitar. You can practice on the same combo you perform; but we need NOTHING but the guitar to practice on it. Even electric unplugged. Sure high gain is somewhat different. So with my total gear (below) I can go clean to ultra and stacked for $235. And basically never need to buy anything more.

Set a practice goal to achieve; before buying anything else. Reward yourself. Avoid GAS. You have to be able to take it one step at a time and never quit. You either love the guitar for the long term or you can't play. You are not suppose to be good the first month you pick up a guitar. Do not believe the lie of "investing" big into gear, for "motivation". It's de-motivation and you may never learn, that way. Best toys around; but that's never their point. What is the point of your guitar?

A mix of tube goodness and non-tube goodness, tweaked for both interacting, or sometimes independently is the best gear set. Don't be fundamentally rigid with ONLY tubes(many types), or all your gear with zero tubes(many types). And tube or non-tube is not what makes quality, ease of use, dependability, low maintenance, reparable, light weight and portable, with song and venue flexibility.

Combination theory also helps; being some gear does multiple gear tasks and conversely sometimes gear is better independently. And there's so much gear. So everyone's set will be very different. Mostly not right or wrong morally there. While only you decide; it can't make bad gear better. Or great gear terrible. Nor affordable generally, or not.

I recommend "running the numbers" (for slicker deals) on your whole system of gear. What options from your total gear give you? What is the cost(s) AFTER itemizing each purchase? So plan well. I'm not a fan of buying to try; because it's all like candy and it just becomes a severe lack of self-control. Try everything; which means a store or stocked up, collector friends basement. LOL. All the reading and searching in the world, now with the net increasingly errant, then can't hold a candle to putting the gear into your hands.

I've learned some stuff about planning your total guitar gear and try to be accurate and you are welcome to go another way; but I'm still learning some things and can greatly benefit from what you know too. I'm currently researching tubes(EL84 type) deals, for example. So any commenter can have great tips and still not be an expert on every guitar thing there is to know. Who is? There's too much guitar gear and to many ways to combine them to for anyone to get close to being an expert, on all guitar gear. But learning is half the fun for some of us; that best need to just practice MORE! LOL. But gear counts; gear is just secondary to practice, even here on Slickdeals. Just don't be surprised if the best tips comes from a commenter; that also needs your help for what you know. These comments have a high percentage of seller and shill flack; but buyers benefit from sharing what can be VERIFIED. And best if we can all take it, and go verify it for sure and fitted to our goals. Please just don't make gear bragging rights your top goal. It's OK to love your guitar... LOL.

What I recommend (to much according to nay sayers; but you may not know) is simply the Monoprice SR 15W all tube, $200 when on sale, including Marshal/Vox like combo,12" Celestion, Reverb, EQ, Presence/Tone, loop connections, 1W switch, small, 25lbs, bedroom to stage volume, "Goldilocks" amp.

Plus a $35 Temu (or best seller total) Cube Baby GUITAR super pedal, rechargeable, BT for backing tracks, USB for computer DI and digital conversion, candy bar sized multi effects, FULL SPECTRUM of amp and cab IR loadable types. (Instead of a $280+ Katana 100 MkII, likely depreciating quickly and less reparable).

The last bastion of matching the select tube amp performance it's better dynamic feel. Specifically light, to harder picking and easy with that coming out soft to load volume, and with it effecting more gain. The Cube Baby, when alone is easy to acclimate to that slightly lesser range; but it does it well. Expensive multi units may match a real tube amp dynamics more, at the highest metal gain (stacked); but dang for $35 what do you want? The Cube Baby gets the dynamic job done with picking dynamics; but who says you have to use it by itself? But you can; like for a first practice device before getting the combo. Or as a redundant backup or just practice. I DO NOT recommend any practice *only* amps; but see the Cube Baby is a pedal board compacted, everything a real tube, of other power amp needs. (No auto vibrato nor octavier effect, and good riff loopers are usually separate and use that way anyway; but adding one or all of these out layers pedals functions still has a much lower total gear cost!). And there nothing wrong if you want to step into another new multi unit that has a wah pedal and looper built in for around $150 instead. Just compare the TOTAL gear costs for your needs. $115 difference may buy you the missing Cube Baby extra effects you need, for less! Because the goal isn't to always get every feature, known to mankind. Features lists are only a clue and they are good to reference; but do not dictate total value alone. You may, for example get a better looper, for you, and may need it to be separated, and cost less overall.

Obviously; a fine line of pedals here is interesting. However, keeping each effect separate is never going to be the slickest deal for your total system. Even with $20 pedals each. Plus power connector costs and wiring spaghetti. So we're back to those who are not looking for a slick deal, on Slickdeals. And that's fine; but ironic; no matter how you slice it. Since multi pedal units were commented above; I've included the $35 Cube Baby. I believe it covers what most players need. Very well. And is my tests matches tubes character!

If you think $35 disqualifies anything for being that low then that's your mistaken bias and loss. Try it then, after reviews and your homework. There are now many reviews about the Cube Baby. Like anything, most are good and others partly errant. But you'd have to work hard to find a reviewer who is not shocked and happy with the tones and full range of them, and within each (famous) amp selection it's own fine grained flexibility, without ever needing to optionally load others(MS Windows app only; but not needed). And both the MP 15W tube amp and the Cube Baby (by easy hold to set, preset remote foot/hand type switches) can do EVERYTHING with just knobs! Just like classic tube amps. No screens at all are required or to bust. No fiddling or messing around, getting lost, wasting time in any program menus or waiting on upgrades. Instant ON and go. Just play. The new edit-able version even lets you vary the your presets making each preset many of them. Like same preset; but then switching on and off just the Phaser, or anything. Gain & Tone, Cab IR, Delay timing and all. The manual mode knobs work so well, I don't even need the presets. It operates just like an amp plus (like a pedal board) with effects and more. A dream pedal board and in the size of a Hersey bar, stacked on another.

Get your gear in combination and how it's best for you, and with separated components too, where it's also best for you in your total combination. Combine tubes and otherwise. And consider you total guitar gear, as the slickest deal value. Not alone. Or continue collecting duplicate gear for fun, if you wish. A great exit strategy might be helpful. Sell before buying or whatever works for you.

One of the biggest examples of why I wrote all this with a method of parsing choices, such as technically complex gear is I see folks pointing their mind into classic guitar amp mods. Such as adding switches to effect other amp circuits and characteristics. Hardware hacking is fun; but if we can get our heads our of just very cool classic circuits we can see pedals do that better and cheaper. Without possibly devaluing your classic amp unnecessarily. It's not wrong, it's just not overall better. And wastes time and money. This is why a nice $35 multi amp/cab/effect unit, on non-tube pedal is such a sweet deal. Effect Fender or Vox chime, or gain staging amps on the knob that stack with real tubes (or other) to create even fuzz, down tuned depth and fine control of tight metal styles. More with a Humbucker pickup boost; but also able to compensate and dial in single coil advantages of like kind metal anyway. Yes the full range of nine amps on the knob can turn real marshal crunch and your humbucker in to clean Fender classic quack/shimmy, or real Fender classic amp shimmer into a stacked Marshall, Metal depth tone(amp knob position nine max is really a PRS Archon type). And yes if you are new to all this it gives you the world to explore. Without breaking the bank, for $35. It's funny folks missed it at first and ASSUME it can't play gigs or compete, not now, LOL.

Yes, you could use an over price FRFR power speaker and the Cube Baby will effect a good guitar amp tone to it or a house PA all by itself. But I'm not a fan. I real guitar power amp and guitar classic voices 12" big mag (you could try neodymium and shave off 3 lbs.) speaker already looks the part and is automatically speaker EQ filtered for guitar goodness. You might leave OFF the CB's cab IR for recording, that has it's own; but for live the CB's cab IR's, such as the 4x12 mesa stack emulation, including room and mics image doesn't over compress the real guitar speaker and work fantastically. So for value you'd get your preferred tube combo and get the best of the real tubes (including feel) and with modern technologies pedal amp types.

At some point it becomes funny watching folks making and spending a fortune to get a sTpecific tone variant(real or Memorex); that the Cube Baby does with all of them, even better. And still have it optionally going through a real tube amp. Through (or after) the real pre amp or just the power amp. Just like a classic pedal position(s). It works well in either spot too. Even the time delay effects are just a slightly different, fine setting.

Best wishes.

Thank you for your perspective NeoSlick. You've given me some things to think about. I do agree practice is the most important part and adding random gear can get expensive quick.

Most people don't know how to practice or what to practice. It's easy to say go practice this it's not easy to show how to practice it in a way that will stay with you. I was fortunate enough to have a person to help me with this overtime. I was always a plug-in go direct kind of player. I've practiced my whole life. I never got into effect, etc. Distortion yes reverb yes. Now, I am putting my pedal board together. I am not using it to cover things. I am using it to enhance things. Not to mention it's fun.

Jazzpants, if you have any tips for practicing that would be greatly appreciated.