The Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder is a Catalinbread tremolo pedal, currently around $111.99. Close alternatives include the Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection and the Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3. It pairs well with the Hiwatt Custom DR20H and the Peavey MiniMAX.
Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder
Catalinbread · pedal
The Catalinbread Valcoder is a vintage tremolo based on the tremolo circuit found in 1960s Valco style amps, offering a choppy, gritty take on amp tremolo with extra driveability. A JFET based input stage and independent output control let you add up to 10dB of warm boost, so it can thicken and push your signal as well as pulse it. The tremolo is characterfully square and pronounced, leaning into hard, rhythmic chop rather than gentle shimmer. It suits surf, garage, blues and vintage rock players who want authentic amp style trem with attitude. Its warm boost and gritty voicing make it a flavorful, slightly dirty tremolo rather than a clinical, transparent one.
- tremolo
- surf
- gritty
- vintage
- boost
- warm
- modulation
- garage
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder is commonly used in
Amps that pair well with the Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder
Hiwatt Custom DR20H
Hiwatt
31% matchInto the Hiwatt's punchy, British headroom, the StarCrash's gritty, surf-voiced tremolo pulse has room to be heard clearly.
Peavey MiniMAX
Peavey
30% matchThe MiniMAX's punchy, flexible transtube gain gives the StarCrash's gritty, surf-voiced tremolo pulse a modern amp voice to move through.
Hughes & Kettner Ampman modern
Hughes & Kettner
6% matchRun Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder after Hughes & Kettner Ampman modern in the signal chain, clear of Hughes & Kettner Ampman modern's own gain stage
Marshall Lead 20 Model 5002 Amplifier
amplifier
tonal matchWhere this leans warm, Marshall Lead 20 Model 5002 Amplifier answers back bright
Marshall 2203KK Kerry King JCM800
Marshall
tonal matchWhere this leans warm, Marshall 2203KK Kerry King JCM800 answers back bright
EVH 5150 Iconic 60W 212
Evh
tonal matchEVH 5150 Iconic 60W 212's bright balances out the warm tone
Orange Gain Baby 100
Orange
tonal matchRun Orange Gain Baby 100 after it and the warm edge settles into something more bright
Mesa Boogie Stiletto Deuce 50/100W Tube Head
Mesa Boogie
tonal matchMesa Boogie Stiletto Deuce 50/100W Tube Head's bright balances out the warm tone
Pedals that stack with the Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder
RHC Rat Turbo Rat Distortion
Rhc Audio
32% matchThe Turbo Rat's aggressive metal clipping gives the StarCrash's gritty, surf-voiced tremolo pulse a much heavier signal to chop up.
Paul Cochrane Timmy
Paul Cochrane
30% matchRun the Timmy's transparent overdrive ahead of the Valcoder so the tremolo pulses a signal that's already got its drive dialed in.
Dawner Prince Boonar
Dawner Prince
19% matchRun the Boonar's vintage studio delay after the StarCrash's gritty, surf-voiced tremolo pulse and the repeats carry the pulse forward. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Cusack Music Delay TME
Cusack Music
14% matchThe Delay TME's reliable, American-voiced echo trails the StarCrash's gritty, surf-voiced tremolo pulse with the wobble carried forward. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Benson Amps Delay PT2399 Echo
Benson Amps
9% matchKeep Benson Amps Delay PT2399 Echo's slapback voice out front: Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder goes after Benson Amps Delay PT2399 Echo in the signal chain so its spring voice doesn't muddy it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Death By Audio Dream Station
Death By Audio
7% matchPut Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder after Death By Audio Dream Station in the signal chain, clear of Death By Audio Dream Station's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Catalinbread Super Chili Picoso
Catalinbread
tonal matchInto Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder, Catalinbread Super Chili Picoso is right at home: it's built around a clean amp's front end
Suhr Eclipse
Suhr
tonal matchInto Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder, Suhr Eclipse is right at home: it's built around a clean amp's front end
Cheaper alternatives
Blaxx BX-Tremolo
Blaxx
72% similarityShared character: effect, tremolo, subtle
Black Cat Mini Trem
Black Cat
70% similarityShared character: signal, boost, tremolo
Maestro Mariner Tremolo
Maestro
70% similarityShared character: effect, tremolo, subtle
Behringer UT100
Behringer
69% similarityShared character: tremolo, subtle, modulation
Cordovox TR-8
Cordovox
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Boffin FX Vibratron
Boffin Fx
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Boutique & premium upgrades
Footloose Effects Brundlefly
Footloose Effects
74% similarityShared character: tremolo, transparent, modulation
Caroline Guitar Company Parabola State Tremolo
Caroline Guitar Company
73% similarityShared character: signal, tremolo, subtle
Wren and Cuff Sonder
Wren And Cuff
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Alexander Pedals Equilibrium DLX Vintage Modulation
Alexander Pedals
94% similaritysimilar tone character
JHS Kodiak
JHS Pedals
93% similaritysimilar tone character
JHS Tidewater Tremolo
JHS Pedals
93% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection
Catalinbread
74% similarityShared character: tremolo, preamp, modulation
Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3
Bookworm Effects
74% similarityShared character: effect, signal, tremolo
Cts Crazy Tube Circuits Memphis
Cts
73% similarityShared character: signal, boost, tremolo
Catalinbread Valcoder Vintage Tremolo
Catalinbread
73% similarityShared character: tremolo, preamp, vintage_charm
Walrus Audio Monument CS
Walrus Audio
71% similarityShared character: signal, tremolo, subtle
Anarchy Audio Flutterby Tremolo
Anarchy Audio
70% similarityShared character: tremolo, modulation, boost
See all alternatives to the Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder?+
The closest matches in character are the Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection, the Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3, the Cts Crazy Tube Circuits Memphis. Budget picks: Blaxx BX-Tremolo, Black Cat Mini Trem, Maestro Mariner Tremolo. Boutique upgrades: Footloose Effects Brundlefly, Caroline Guitar Company Parabola State Tremolo, Wren and Cuff Sonder.
What pairs well with the Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Hiwatt Custom DR20H, Peavey MiniMAX, Hughes & Kettner Ampman modern — Into the Hiwatt's punchy, British headroom, the StarCrash's gritty, surf-voiced tremolo pulse has room to be heard clearly..
How much does the Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder cost?+
Around $111.99 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).