Catalinbread gets in on the minimalism hype with one-knob Elements pedal series

Minimalist pedals seem to be all the rave right now – case in point is JHS Pedals’ ultra-streamlined 3 Series – and in an effort to make a mark on the market, Catalinbread has debuted its all-new Elements effects pedal range.

With an emphasis on minimizing fuss and maximizing tone, the hand-made Elements family has been debuted with three pedals – a fuzz pedal, overdrive pedal and distortion pedal – which aim to marry easy-to-use functions with high-gain sounds.

According to the brand, each Element circuit has been designed and internally set so that all guitarists need to worry about is how much volume they require. The pedals are also supposedly suitable for a variety of amps and wattages, vowing to deliver ultimate versatility and compatibility.

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“Few things in life can compare to plugging in a guitar and playing your go-to riff on a gear setup that just works,” Catalinbread said in a statement. “Regardless of skill level or technical chops, or sheer amount of gear, this is a feeling whose greatness is 100 percent agreed upon.

“While we can’t streamline the amp setup process for you or take the guesswork out of your existing pedals, we can give you the next best thing: a series of stompboxes that have just one knob for a streamlined setup process, giving you that feeling of satisfaction each and every time you plug in.”

In terms of controls… well, it’s as simple as it sounds. Each pedal comes equipped with a bypass switch and a sole volume knob. That’s it.

There are a number of under-the-hood differences, naturally. The Distortion, for example, is said to be a dirt box “that sounds good on any amp, any volume, in any situation where some oomph is required”.

In terms of tone, it’s all about harnessing a no-nonsense, thick and meaty distortion, which can be dialed down for “burly crunch” or cranked up for more off-the-rail tones.

Elsewhere in the Elements line, the Fuzz aims to pay homage to 60 years of the effect in one ultra-simplistic unit. It comes loaded with a balanced silicon fuzz circuit that has been internally maxed out to offer a full-throttle fuzz experience.

Completing the catalog is the Overdrive. Said to be internally fixed in order to “sit right in the mix”, the unit promises amp-like breakup regardless of where the volume knob is situated and vows to deliver “no-nonsense rock” tones.

Each Elements pedal is available now for $150.

For more information, head over to Catalinbread.

It’s been a busy few months for Catalinbread, which recently made shoegazers’ dreams come true with the FX40 Soft Focus Reverb.