Pedals that stack with the Bad Cat Cub V Hand-Wired Head

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)

Run Marshall Guv'nor into that transparent platform and it finally leans toward mid-forward

Goes in front of the amp

shapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain. (dynamic → compressed)

Into a dynamic tone, Univox Super-Fuzz brings a pull toward compressed that's missing

Goes in front of the amp

clean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (transparent → fuzzy)

The transparent tone has headroom to spare — Colorsound Overdriver leans it toward fuzzy to fill it in

Goes in front of the amp

shapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain. (dynamic → compressed)

Bad Cat Cub V Hand-Wired Head's dynamic character and Universal Audio 1176 Compressor's compressed voice sit in the same lane rather than fighting each other

Goes in front of the amp

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Boss BF-2 Flanger's lush voice goes after Bad Cat Cub V Hand-Wired Head in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Bad Cat Cub V Hand-Wired Head's own dynamic character

Goes in front of the amp

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Keep Bad Cat Cub V Hand-Wired Head's dynamic voice out front: Boss RV-5 Digital Reverb goes in Bad Cat Cub V Hand-Wired Head's effects loop so its spring voice doesn't muddy it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Sits in the amp's effects loop

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Malekko Electro-Harmonix Memory Toy Analog Delay's modulated voice goes in Bad Cat Cub V Hand-Wired Head's effects loop — it's not there to compete with Bad Cat Cub V Hand-Wired Head's own dynamic character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Sits in the amp's effects loop