Pedals that stack with the Bad Cat Era 30 Head

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

The high headroom tone has headroom to spare — Univox Super-Fuzz leans it toward mid-forward to fill it in

Goes in front of the amp

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

Into a high headroom tone, Colorsound Overdriver brings a pull toward fuzzy that's missing

Goes in front of the amp

pushes an amp at the edge of breakupPushes an amp already sitting at the edge of breakup over the line. (edge of breakup → clean boost)

Friedman BE-OD is voiced for a clean amp's front end — Bad Cat Era 30 Head gives it exactly that

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.

Run TC Electronic Mimiq Doubler after Bad Cat Era 30 Head in the signal chain, clear of Bad Cat Era 30 Head's own gain stage

Goes in front of the amp

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

Universal Audio 1176 Compressor's own compressed character is the real reason this is worth trying

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.

Put Strymon BigSky in Bad Cat Era 30 Head's effects loop, clear of Bad Cat Era 30 Head's own gain stage — 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.

Run Malekko Electro-Harmonix Memory Toy Analog Delay in Bad Cat Era 30 Head's effects loop, clear of Bad Cat Era 30 Head's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Sits in the amp's effects loop