The Catalinbread Tribute Low Gain Overdrive Vari-O-Boost is a Catalinbread overdrive pedal, currently around $179.99. Close alternatives include the JAM Pedals TubeDreamer 58 and the Strymon Riverside. It pairs well with the Friedman Dirty Shirley and the Blackstar St. James 100.
Catalinbread Tribute Low Gain Overdrive Vari-O-Boost
Catalinbread · pedal
The Catalinbread Tribute Low Gain Overdrive with Vari-o-Boost is a boutique overdrive pedal from the Portland builder combining an expressive high-headroom low-gain drive engine with a fully parametric one-band EQ boost stage. The Vari-o-Boost allows cut or boost of up to 12dB across a frequency range from 70Hz to 1.4kHz, enabling precise tone shaping alongside the Tribute overdrive circuit. The combination delivers a versatile, genre-spanning drive tool with surgical tonal control. Suited for studio recording, producers, and players who demand flexible parametric EQ control alongside their overdrive.
- low gain
- eq
- frequency
- studio
- drive
- recording
- boutique
- expressive
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Catalinbread Tribute Low Gain Overdrive Vari-O-Boost is commonly used in
- Indie
- Blues
- Country
- Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Rock
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 Tribute Low Gain Overdrive Vari-O-Boost
Friedman Dirty Shirley
Friedman
25% matchThe low gain tone has headroom to spare — Friedman Dirty Shirley gives it high gain to fill it with
Blackstar St. James 100
Blackstar
22% matchThe low gain tone has headroom to spare — Blackstar St. James 100 gives it high gain to fill it with
Synergy SL2 Module
Synergy
tonal matchSynergy SL2 Module's high gain fills in what this low gain tone doesn't make on its own
Friedman BE-Mini Head
Friedman
tonal matchFriedman BE-Mini Head's high gain fills in what this low gain tone doesn't make on its own
Hughes & Kettner Warp 7
Hughes & Kettner
tonal matchHughes & Kettner Warp 7's high gain fills in what this low gain tone doesn't make on its own
EVH 000
Evh
tonal matchThe low gain tone has headroom to spare — EVH 000 gives it high gain to fill it with
Hughes & Kettner Coreblade
Hughes & Kettner
tonal matchThe low gain tone has headroom to spare — Hughes & Kettner Coreblade gives it high gain to fill it with
Ceriatone 2202H
Ceriatone
tonal matchCeriatone 2202H's high gain fills in what this low gain tone doesn't make on its own
Pedals that stack with the Catalinbread Tribute Low Gain Overdrive Vari-O-Boost
Greer Black Mountain
Greer
22% matchGreer Black Mountain's fuzzy fills in what this low gain tone doesn't make on its own
Greer Royal Velvet
Greer
22% matchThe low gain tone has headroom to spare — Greer Royal Velvet gives it fuzzy to fill it with
Heavy Metal FX HMFX Phase Riot Factory Second
Heavy Metal Fx
12% matchKeep Heavy Metal FX HMFX Phase Riot Factory Second after Catalinbread Tribute Low Gain Overdrive Vari-O-Boost in the signal chain, clear of Catalinbread Tribute Low Gain Overdrive Vari-O-Boost's own gain stage
Ampeg Opto Comp Compressor
Ampeg
11% matchRun the Opto Comp's smooth compression ahead of the Tribute for even dynamics before the low-gain drive's own EQ reacts.
Red Witch Titan
Red Witch
8% matchKeep Red Witch Titan after Catalinbread Tribute Low Gain Overdrive Vari-O-Boost in the signal chain, clear of Catalinbread Tribute Low Gain Overdrive Vari-O-Boost's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Boss DD-2 Digital Delay
Boss
8% matchKeep Boss DD-2 Digital Delay after Catalinbread Tribute Low Gain Overdrive Vari-O-Boost in the signal chain, clear of Catalinbread Tribute Low Gain Overdrive Vari-O-Boost's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Suhr Eclipse
Suhr
tonal matchSuhr Eclipse's own voicing points at a clean amp's front end, and Catalinbread Tribute Low Gain Overdrive Vari-O-Boost delivers it
Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz
Black Arts Toneworks
tonal matchCatalinbread Tribute Low Gain Overdrive Vari-O-Boost leans into a clean amp's front end, precisely the platform Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz wants
Cheaper alternatives
Dunlop MXR Timmy Overdrive, sold as Dunlop CSP027
Dunlop
70% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, boost, natural
Behringer OD300 Overdrive Distortion
Behringer
69% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, crunch, boost
Carl Martin DC Drive V3
Carl Martin
69% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, crunch, boost
Catalinbread Tribute Parametric Overdrive
Catalinbread
69% similarityShared character: high_frequencies, high_gain_settings, studio
MXR Super Badass Distortion
MXR
68% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, crunch, boost
Dunlop MXR GT-OD Overdrive
Dunlop
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Boutique & premium upgrades
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
JAM Pedals TubeDreamer 58
Jam Pedals
74% similarityShared character: individual_pedals, high_gain_settings, crunch
Strymon Riverside
Strymon
70% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, studio, boost
JHS Morning Glory
JHS Pedals
68% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, crunch, boost
Empress Dist
Empress
97% similaritysimilar tone character
Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII
Benson Amps
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Silktone Overdrive Plus
Silktone
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Catalinbread Tribute Low Gain Overdrive Vari-O-Boost?+
The closest matches in character are the JAM Pedals TubeDreamer 58, the Strymon Riverside, the JHS Morning Glory. Budget picks: Dunlop MXR Timmy Overdrive, sold as Dunlop CSP027, Behringer OD300 Overdrive Distortion, Carl Martin DC Drive V3. Boutique upgrades: JHS Colour Box V2, JHS Colour Box V2 10th Anniversary, Dophix Perseo.
What pairs well with the Catalinbread Tribute Low Gain Overdrive Vari-O-Boost?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Friedman Dirty Shirley, Blackstar St. James 100, Synergy SL2 Module — The low gain tone has headroom to spare — Friedman Dirty Shirley gives it high gain to fill it with.
How much does the Catalinbread Tribute Low Gain Overdrive Vari-O-Boost cost?+
Around $179.99 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).