Catalinbread Formula 55
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- This item is covered for 3 years
Essential Information About the Catalinbread Formula No.55 Pedal
Essential Information About the Catalinbread Formula No.55 Pedal
- A Tweed Deluxe 5E3 at Your Feet : faithful reproduction of the preamp section, to capture the "tweed" tone without lugging around the vintage combo.
- Wide Playing Range : from a clear, woody crunch reminiscent of jazz roots to a thicker, more aggressive saturation, "Grant Green meets Crazy Horse."
- Amp-like Response thanks to a discrete JFET signal path and controls designed like a true tweed circuit.
- Hi/Lo Switch to toggle between a tamer vintage feel and a more "hot-rodded" behavior (as if you installed higher gain tubes).
Manufacturer Information
Catalinbread
https://www.catalinbread.com
info@catalinbread.com
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An "Amp-in-a-Box" Dedicated to the Tweed 5E3 Myth
The Formula No.55 belongs to the "foundation" overdrive family: instead of adding distortion on top of your sound, it aims to transform your amp's foundation by recreating the character of a Fender Tweed Deluxe 5E3. It captures the idea of a tweed amp that is big, lively, and rich in harmonics, with that preamp feel that "breathes" and responds to your playing.
Who It's For, Styles, and Contexts
This overdrive is designed for guitarists seeking an immediately usable vintage amp tone, from intermediate players to seasoned musicians. It excels in blues, classic rock, garage, country, roots, but also remains musical in jazz and funk when a warm crunch is preferred over modern distortion.
On a pedalboard, it can serve as a permanently-on "tweed" channel, or as a base to stack with a boost, fuzz, or another overdrive. In both studio and live settings, it's ideal for thickening a too-hi-fi clean tone, adding bite to a neutral combo, or bringing out the mids without sacrificing dynamics.
Controls and Operation: The Spirit of an Amp, the Convenience of a Pedal
The Formula No.55 adopts a very "amp-like" approach: Volume and Tone are designed to replicate the response and interaction of the 5E3 circuit, while the output stage is engineered to deliver punch and level with a low output impedance, allowing it to drive your amp credibly.
The Lo switch favors a clearer, more "vintage tweed" response. In Hi, it shifts to a beefier, higher gain feel, perfect for growling rhythms and thickening leads without becoming muddy.
Depending on the version and specifications, Master (output level) and Presence (attack and brightness) controls are also available for fine-tuning your place in the mix, from dark amps to very bright combos.
The Sound
Expect a woody, slightly granular overdrive that is highly responsive to your picking hand, with that typical tweed sensation: the sound can shift from near-clean to singing crunch just by playing harder or rolling back the guitar volume. The low end stays full, the mids come through naturally, and overall it gives the impression of a "bigger amp" than a simple combo, while maintaining real finesse in the attack.
Technical specifications
| Effects | Overdrive, Amp Simulator | Type | sector |
| Technology | Analog | Use | electric guitar |
| Format | Pedal | Color | Grey |
| EQ | Yes | ||
| Signal path | discrete JFET | Bypass | true bypass |
| Modes | Hi / Lo | Dimensions | 60 x 50 x 115 mm |
| Controls | Volume, Tone, Master, Presence | Weight | 270 g |
| Input | 6.35 mm TS jack | Mains power supply | no |
| Output | 6.35 mm TS jack | Power supply | 9 to 18 V DC, center-negative (possible with a 9 V battery depending on configuration) |
| Input impedance | 1 Mohm | Power consumption | 5 mA (specification) / 10 mA (measured) |
| Output impedance | 15 kohm | ||
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Questions frequently asked
Does the Catalinbread Formula 55 recreate the sound of a Tweed 5E3?
Its discrete JFET circuit aims to capture the character of a Fender Tweed Deluxe 5E3, with a woody crunch and dynamic playing response. The guitar volume allows switching from near-clean tones to a more singing overdrive.
What music styles suit this overdrive?
This pedal is suited for blues, classic rock, garage, country, and roots aesthetics. A warm crunch can also fit well in jazz or funk.
What does the Hi / Lo switch change?
The Lo mode favors a clearer response inspired by vintage tweed. In Hi mode, gain and thickness increase for rhythm and lead parts.
What power supply is needed for the Formula 55?
The power supply requires 9 to 18 V DC with a negative center, with a stated consumption of 5 mA and measured at 10 mA. A 9 V battery can be used depending on the setup. No AC adapter is included.
Can it be easily integrated into a guitar pedalboard?
With its 6.35 mm TS jack inputs and outputs, it fits into an electric guitar effects chain. Its dimensions of 60 x 50 x 115 mm and weight of 270 g make installation on a pedalboard easy.
