The Oregon pedal company follows the Belle Epoch with another faithful recreation of the classic tape delay's circuitry
(Image credit: Catalinbread)
Following up the Belle Epoch, a faithful recreation of the Maestro Echoplex EP-3, Catalinbread has announced the Epoch Boost, a preamp/buffer pedal modeled on the classic tape delay unit's highly regarded preamp.
Employing the same circuitry as the EP-3 itself - from its NOS Orange Drop capacitors to the output mixer stage that acts as a rudimentary frequency selector - Catalinbread says the Epoch Boost acts as a "mastering pedal", taking guitarists' base tones and outputting more sculpted versions. Just like a certain Eddie Van Halen used to do…
(Image credit: Catalinbread)
The pedal's boost control gives users just the EP-3's tone when rolled off, but offers up to 20dB of boost when cranked.
Drawing 2mA of power at 9V - and upped to 22V internally to capture the headroom of the original - the Epoch Boost is housed in a lightweight, compact chassis measuring 1.93" x 2.36" x 4.33" (H x W x D).
The pedal also includes a switchable hi-Z input buffer - intended for those who wish to use it as their only stompbox.
The Epoch Boost is available to preorder for $149, and launches on 23 September. For more information, head to Catalinbread.
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Sam was Staff Writer at GuitarWorld.com from 2019 to 2023, and also created content for Total Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar Player. He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar.
