The Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection is a Catalinbread tremolo pedal. Close alternatives include the Maestro Mariner Tremolo and the Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder. It pairs well with the Fender Super Reverb and the Milkman Sound Pint 10W.
Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection
Catalinbread · pedal
The Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection is a collector-edition finish of the Valcoder, a tremolo pedal recreating the tube-driven tremolo circuits of 1960s Valco amplifiers -- the Chicago maker behind Supro, National and Gretsch amps, known for low-powered designs with rich natural tube breakup. Speed and Depth controls run from a soft, bubbly, watery pulse to a deep, hard-chopping stutter, while a JFET input stage and independent output control add up to 10dB of warm boost, letting the pedal push an amp into gritty, compressed breakup alongside the modulation. Running at 9V yields more compression and grit with a softer pick attack; at 18V it is louder, cleaner and less compressed with a more immediate attack and a stronger, choppier tremolo. Players describe the result as convincingly vintage, close to a driven tweed amp. Built by Catalinbread in Portland, Oregon.
- vintage
- tremolo
- gritty
- breakup
- compressed
- compression
- tube
- boost
Genres the Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection is commonly used in
Amps that pair well with the Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection
Fender Super Reverb
amplifier
38% matchCatalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection leans into Fender-style amps, precisely the platform Fender Super Reverb wants
Milkman Sound Pint 10W
Milkman Sound
38% matchMilkman Sound Pint 10W's own voicing points at Fender-style amps, and Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection delivers it
Magnatone 280
Magnatone
34% matchThe Valcoder's gritty, compressed tremolo pulse plays especially well after the Magnatone 280's own vibrato-rich, driven voicing.
Fender Sidekick Bass
Fender
24% matchPut Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection after Fender Sidekick Bass in the signal chain, clear of Fender Sidekick Bass's own gain stage
Carr Super Bee Combo
Carr
24% matchCarr Super Bee Combo leans into Fender-style amps, precisely the platform Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection wants
Mojotone Tweed Princeton Style 1x8 Cabinet
Mojotone
23% matchCatalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection is voiced for Fender-style amps — Mojotone Tweed Princeton Style 1x8 Cabinet gives it exactly that
Tone King Imperial MKI 1x12 Combo Guitar Amplifier
amplifier
21% matchInto Tone King Imperial MKI 1x12 Combo Guitar Amplifier, Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection is right at home: it's built around Fender-style amps
Milkman Sound One Watt Plus 10W 1x12 Combo
Milkman Sound
20% matchCatalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection's own voicing points at Fender-style amps, and Milkman Sound One Watt Plus 10W 1x12 Combo delivers it
See all 13 amps that pair with the Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection →
Pedals that stack with the Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection
Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
Dallas
16% matchRun Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster after it and the warm edge settles into something more bright
MXR Distortion+
MXR
14% matchMXR Distortion+'s bright balances out the warm tone
Boss DD-200 Digital Delay
Boss
8% matchBoss DD-200 Digital Delay's analog warmth voice goes after Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection's own gritty character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Caroline Guitar Company Meteore
Caroline Guitar Company
8% matchPut Caroline Guitar Company Meteore after Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection in the signal chain, clear of Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Boss EQ 200 Graphic Equalizer
Boss
tonal matchBoss EQ 200 Graphic Equalizer's bright balances out the warm tone
CALIFORNIA WUB Continuum EQ Galaxy Man Edition
California Wub
tonal matchCALIFORNIA WUB Continuum EQ Galaxy Man Edition leans bright right where the warm tone needs it
Friedman Plexi-Drive Mini Overdrive
Friedman
tonal matchFriedman Plexi-Drive Mini Overdrive's bright balances out the warm tone
Fuzzrocious Baxtabber
Fuzzrocious
tonal matchFuzzrocious Baxtabber's bright balances out the warm tone
Alternatives
Maestro Mariner Tremolo
Maestro
76% similarityShared character: pedal, rich, grit
Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder
Catalinbread
74% similarityShared character: tremolo, preamp, modulation
Cts Crazy Tube Circuits Memphis
Cts
72% similarityShared character: boost, tremolo, preamp
Electro-Harmonix Nano Pulsar
Electro-Harmonix
72% similarityShared character: pedal, tremolo, modulation
Catalinbread Valcoder Vintage Tremolo
Catalinbread
72% similarity“is a collector-edition finish of the Valcoder”
Spaceman Voyager II: Dynamic Tremolo
Spaceman
72% similarityShared character: pick_attack, tremolo, modulation
Wren and Cuff Sonder
Wren And Cuff
71% similarityShared character: tremolo, warm, rich
Caroline Guitar Company Parabola State Tremolo
Caroline Guitar Company
71% similarityShared character: boost, tremolo, stage
Black Cat Mini Trem
Black Cat
71% similarityShared character: grit, boost, tremolo
Collision Devices The Ranch
Collision Devices
70% similarityShared character: pick_attack, tremolo, pedal
Fulltone Supa-Trem ST-1
pedal
70% similarityShared character: preamp, boost, pedal
Footloose Effects Brundlefly
Footloose Effects
70% similarityShared character: grit, tremolo, modulation
See all alternatives to the Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection?+
The closest matches in character are the Maestro Mariner Tremolo, the Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder, the Cts Crazy Tube Circuits Memphis.
What pairs well with the Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Fender Super Reverb, Milkman Sound Pint 10W, Magnatone 280 — Catalinbread Valcoder '70s Collection leans into Fender-style amps, precisely the platform Fender Super Reverb wants.