Catalinbread RAH: Foundation Overdrive

Catalinbread RAH: Foundation Overdrive

RAH: At a Glance

• Overdrive inspired by the 1970 Royal Albert Hall performance.
• Authentic 3 knob tone stack from the "Jimmy Page" Hiwatt.
• Designed to give incredible dynamic response with your pick attack and your guitar's controls.
• Includes a Herco pick for chirpy articulation.

Royal Recreation

Authentic Tone Stack & Dynamics

This overdrive effects pedal features the specific three-knob tone circuit straight from the custom “Jimmy Page” model Hiwatt. Like most traditional amp EQ circuits, the knobs are interactive, meaning turning one can alter the behavior of the other. The magic is getting the Mid and Bass controls dialed in together. Tweak those until you get the right tone for your guitar and amp. You’ll notice that the Treble knob is fairly subtle, adding a bit of bite as it is turned up. If you scoop the Mid and turn up the Bass however, the Treble knob will seem a lot more active.

The RAH is designed to deliver guitarists an incredible dynamic range that responds to picking hand and/or volume knob. Like a good amplifier the RAH is VERY uncompressed, which means there is little to "hide behind". This pedal is for players who appreciate the rewards and experience of a WIDE dynamic response. Plug the RAH into a clean(ish) tube amplifier, leave the pedal on all the time accessing clean tones by rolling back your guitar's volume knob, or turn it on and off as your "gain channel". We're including a HERCO pick, use the nubby edge for chirpy articulation.

Control Surface

• The MASTER controls output volume. For best response, set it just past unity volume - usually around noon. (Unity volume means the volume with pedal on is about the same as with the pedal off.)

• The GAIN control corresponds to the “Input Volume” control on the actual Page amp. The sweet spot for this control is from 3:00 to max for the best Zep-like response. But for a cleaner response or if your guitar has really hot pick- ups you may want to try lower gain settings.

• The three TONE controls represent the exact circuitry of the Jimmy Page Hiwatt and will act the same and provide the same tonal response. As with most “passive” amp tone circuits, the three controls are highly interactive - changing the setting of one may affect the behavior of the other knob. Tone circuits like these are NOT active circuits designed to function like your home theater, car stereo or PA. Tone circuits like these are designed to provide fine tuning over the range of the guitar spectrum as well as being the actual voice of any specific amp.

Epic Inception

Led Zeppelin at Royal Albert Hall

In January 1970 Led Zeppelin hit the stage of London's historic concert hall, Royal Albert Hall. At this performance Jimmy Page expressed himself masterfully with a broad pallet of tones and GIANT dynamic range. Of course this has a lot to do with Page's playing technique and Gibson Les Paul. His backline amps, custom Hiwatt heads into Marshall cabinets filled the entire hall with a cornucopia of colors at levels ranging from a mouse whisper to rave ups louder than a jumbo jet taking off only inches over your head.

At Catalinbread we love the RAH performance, but we hadn't considered the possibility of capturing it to put into a pedal… One day our friend Charlie got ahold of Catalinbread's chief circuit designer Howard Gee to ask if we could do it. Charlie said that he'd been trying to get this tone for years and told Howard, if anybody could do it would be Catalinbread. Having proven his ability to capture the essence and experience of famous amplifiers, Howard began experimenting with what is now the RAH.

Foundation Placement

Stacking with the RAH

Think of the RAH as your virtual pre-amp. And let's think of your actual guitar amp as your "power amp". With that in mind, what types of pedals do most guitarists normally plug into the front of their amp? "All Pedals!" is the quick answer. But some types of pedals might work better in the effects loop of the amp or even fed from the amp mic. So, pedals that you would normally plug in front of an amp, you'd plug in front of the RAH. Pedals that you might prefer to run in the "effects loop" would go between the RAH and your amp.

Technical Specifications

• 2.34" x 4.39" pedal
• Battery operation or 9v Negative Tip DC Power
• 4 mA draw