The Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2 is a Catalinbread overdrive pedal, currently around $188.95. Close alternatives include the Xotic BB Preamp V1.5 and the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret MKI. It pairs well with the Laney LX20R and the Marshall Silver Jubilee 25/55 100W Amp Head.
Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2
Catalinbread · pedal
The Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2 is the second-generation Marshall Superlead-inspired overdrive from Portland, Oregon, improving on the original DLS with refined dynamics, improved gain staging, and a more versatile EQ section while preserving the original Plexi-inspired harmonic character. The Mk2 circuit delivers the natural compression, harmonic complexity, and British midrange authority of pushed Plexi-era Marshall amplifiers with improved control over the gain response. Made in Portland by Catalinbread.
- gain
- eq
- dynamic
- response
- british
- dirty
- saturation
- harmonic
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2 is commonly used in
- Rock
- Blues Rock
- Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Blues
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Indie Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2
Laney LX20R
Laney
42% matchThe Dirty Little Secret's dynamic, British-voiced gain pushes the LX20R's own bedroom-practice drive further.
Marshall Silver Jubilee 25/55 100W Amp Head
amplifier
38% matchPush the classic-voiced Jubilee with the DLS Mk2's own British gain and the two stack into a thicker, more saturated crunch.
Hiwatt Custom DR20H
Hiwatt
38% matchInto the DR20H's bright headroom, the DLS Mk2's dirty, harmonic-rich gain has room to open up without turning brittle.
Marshall Studio Classic SC20H 20W Head
Marshall
34% matchStack the DLS Mk2 into the SC20H's already-aggressive JCM800 bite for gain that pushes past what the amp reaches alone.
Friedman Pink Taco V2 Combo
Friedman
31% matchCatalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2's own voicing points at Marshall-style amps, and Friedman Pink Taco V2 Combo delivers it
Marshall 1959T Super Tremolo
Marshall
29% matchCatalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2's own dynamic character is the real reason this is worth trying
Marshall MG15GFX
Marshall
27% matchCatalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2's full balances out the thin tone
Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100 Dual Super Lead 2-Channel
Marshall
27% matchWhat Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2 brings here leans toward dynamic — that's worth building a pairing around
See all 30 amps that pair with the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2 →
Pedals that stack with the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2
Klon Centaur
Klon
18% matchStack the Klon's clear midrange boost with the DLS Mk2's own dynamic, British dirty gain for two distinct shades of push.
Soldano SLO
Soldano
18% matchStack the DLS Mk2 ahead of the SLO pedal's tight, articulate high-gain platform for a rowdier push into that preamp voicing.
MXR Phase 90
MXR
15% matchRun the Phase 90 after the DLS Mk2's saturated gain and the sweep rides on top of an already-thick signal instead of thinning it.
Crazy Tube Circuits Golden Ratio
Crazy Tube Circuits
13% matchRun the Golden Ratio's punchy optical compression ahead of the DLS Mk2 so its British-voiced gain kicks in from a consistent, evened signal.
Cusack Music Delay TME
Cusack Music
10% matchPut the Delay TME after the DLS Mk2's saturated gain and the tight, tempo-locked repeats stay defined instead of blurring into the drive. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Electro-Harmonix XO Deluxe Memory Man
Electro-Harmonix
10% matchThe Memory Man's warm, dark analog echoes trail nicely behind the DLS Mk2's British gain instead of competing with its harmonic bite. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
TC Electronic 000-EBD00-00010
TC Electronic
8% matchCatalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2's own dynamic character is the real reason this is worth trying
Suhr Eclipse
Suhr
tonal matchSuhr Eclipse is voiced for a clean amp's front end — Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2 gives it exactly that
Cheaper alternatives
Behringer OD300 Overdrive Distortion
Behringer
70% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, tight_tracking, circuit
Warm Audio ODD Box V1
Warm Audio
70% similarityShared character: original, tight_tracking, response
MXR Timmy Overdrive
MXR
69% similarityShared character: original, clarity, gain
Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret
Catalinbread
68% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, full, gain
Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret MkIII
Catalinbread
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Electro-Harmonix Spruce Goose
Electro-Harmonix
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Boutique & premium upgrades
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Xotic BB Preamp V1.5
Xotic
70% similarityShared character: circuit, response, clarity
Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret MKI
Catalinbread
70% similarity“The MkII and MkIII added refinements and the MkI has a slightly different gain texture as a result”
Wampler Pedals Tweed '57
Wampler
70% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, clarity, gain
Silktone Overdrive Plus
Silktone
69% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, tight_tracking, full
Cusack Music Metaplexi
Cusack Music
66% similarityShared character: full, gain
Diezel Herbert Overdrive/Distortion/Preamp
Diezel
63% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, clarity, gain
See all alternatives to the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2 (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2?+
The closest matches in character are the Xotic BB Preamp V1.5, the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret MKI, the Wampler Pedals Tweed '57. Budget picks: Behringer OD300 Overdrive Distortion, Warm Audio ODD Box V1, MXR Timmy Overdrive. Boutique upgrades: JAM Pedals TubeDreamer MK2, J. Rockett PXO Phil X Signature Overdrive.
What pairs well with the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Laney LX20R, Marshall Silver Jubilee 25/55 100W Amp Head, Hiwatt Custom DR20H — The Dirty Little Secret's dynamic, British-voiced gain pushes the LX20R's own bedroom-practice drive further..
How much does the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Mk2 cost?+
Around $188.95 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).
Compare
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