Catalinbread Formula #5

[bigben55]

I've been listening to dirt pedal clips all day. I keep coming back to this one. Who's got one and how's is it with a tele through a loud, clean Fender amp? I would assume it would "mush out" if you hit it with a clean boost, but does it if you put a clean boost after it? Does it mush out with a neck P90? Tell me all about it.

[looney77]

I've had one for a few months now and it's great for what it is. It is not an od, it is a distortion, even with the gain all the way down it's still pretty nasty. I run it with a dirty little secret behind it and the two together at low gain are really nice. I have a single channel tube amp and I sometimes use the formula 5 as my gain channel. It's great for rythmn riffs, kinda tom petty-ish. At higher gains it has a little fuzz character to it that's kinda nice. I don't use a boost but I always have a dano eq (set very sparkly and clean) and the two play together nicely. It's not marshall-y or transparent or modern sounding at all but it is really cool. I have single coils and humbuggies but no p-90s so I can't help you there. Hope it helps.

[martin82]

I think it's a great pedal. I run it right after a compressor pedal. I don't agree that it is not an OD pedal. It's designed to emulate a fender amp that is being overdriven. It has replaced my Bad Monkey and BBE Green Screamer as my No. 1. Also looking to get a Catalinbread SFT.

I run a boost pedal after it in the chain. No problems there.

Don't Have any p90 guitars. Sorry, can't help with that.

[bigben55]

If you had to pick the DLS or #5 for tele(with pretty hot s/c pickups)use only, which would it be and why? I would have a Fulldrive 2 behind it and a Boosta Grande in front of it. I play blues, rock and rootsy alt country type stuff.

[martin82]

I have a Boosta Grande after the Formula 5

[bigben55]

Might have said that wrong. Amp>delay>CE-2>Boosta>?????>FD2>SoulVibe>wah>TU2>guitar. I might lose the delay. I just never use it.

[martin82]

This is how I string them

Guitar
Tuner
Compressor
OD
Boost
EQ
Chorus
Phase
Tremolo
Delay
Amp

[Suicideking]

I want the #5 BAD, from what I have heard a lot of their pedals seem really nice cant decide if I want the #5 or SFT the #5 sounds better on papper, but the sound samples of the SFT playin Keef tones are amazing. Brown Rabbit is high on my list too have played a buddies a bunch and really like it a lot. Too many pedals too little money..

[looney77]

I would never use it as an od, due to it's voicing. The dls works better for that. If I had to pick between the two, I'd pick the #5, just because it's so unique. I could replace the dls with something pretty similar, but I'd never find anything like the #5 (except an old 5e3 cranked). My chain goes like this: guitar-tuner-dynacomp-danoeq-wickermuff-#5-dls-danecho-cathedral reverb-amp. If I use the comp with the #5, I can soften it up some, but it still isn't a transparent od at all. There is a fair amount of gain you can't get rid of. It was designed to replicate the fender 5e3 circuit cranked. It does that really well. You should have no problems with running other od's and boosts with it.

[gmann]

I have one and I really like it. It does the cranked Fender thing really well. It replaced the LovePedal Les Lius on my board. I run it before my KLON and it works really well. I just put my DLS back on my board but I really haven't spend much time with it yet.

[bigben55]

Originally Posted by looney77

I would never use it as an od, due to it's voicing. The dls works better for that. If I had to pick between the two, I'd pick the #5, just because it's so unique. I could replace the dls with something pretty similar, but I'd never find anything like the #5 (except an old 5e3 cranked). My chain goes like this: guitar-tuner-dynacomp-danoeq-wickermuff-#5-dls-danecho-cathedral reverb-amp. If I use the comp with the #5, I can soften it up some, but it still isn't a transparent od at all. There is a fair amount of gain you can't get rid of. It was designed to replicate the fender 5e3 circuit cranked. It does that really well. You should have no problems with running other od's and boosts with it.

Thanks. That helps. I've always loved cranked tweed tone but have never owned a tweed. I'm looking for a tele dirt pedal and plan to use it for dirt. Does the #5, in your opinion, have enough gain on tap to do the classic hard rock stuff, ala Zep/ACDC/ZZTop? My max necessary gain level is "if you absolutely NEED humbuckers to play it, I don't play it." But I still need to cover my bases so to speak.

[ChipOnly]

I have one and really dig it. Definitely holding on to this one.

To echo what others have said, yes, even at the lowest possible gain setting, it's still pretty dirty. The tone control seems to interact with the gain, as well, but you can't dial in just a little hair, no matter what. Slightly overdriven tweed is not on offer.

I suppose everyone draws the OD/Distortion line in a slightly different place, but the fact that it's borderline for a lot of us gives you an idea, this a rather aggro pedal. At full bore, it's almost fuzzy sounding.

[Durango Twango]

I had one and had mixed feelings about it. It does an excellent cranked 5E3 tone, which is what it's aimed at. It responds just like a cranked tweed - cleans up only if you roll the guitar's volume pot down. Did a great job of getting old Larry Carlton Steely Dan tones and Ry Cooder slide tones. While it was cool, I found it a little too much of a niche pedal for my needs. I also found that I could get my Skreddy Screw Driver to sound VERY similar - since the Skreddy can cover a whole lot of other tones, it stayed and the F5 went.

[looney77]

It is very much a niche pedal. It does what it does really well, but that's about all it does. I kinda like that though, because it becomes a set and forget. For the Zep, AC/DC type stuff, I prefer a marshall sound and this pedal is far from that. But for the cranked tweed tone and a very good Black Keys kinda thing it is really good. It probably won't be your only od/distortion. But it is a great "flavor" to have available.

[Soopajeanmi]

The #5 is mean and nasty in a very vintage way. I never heard another stomp box with that tone and it's definitely worth having.

[JesterR]

I do not think, that formula n5 can be called distortion. Yes, it's pretty high gain, but not in distortion feel. More like fuzz face, because still has all dynamics and not as aggressive. I like to have some pedal after it, because you had all that dynamics and feel right. WIIO for "bigger" sound, DLS for more tight and mid-focused.
And also, I think, that this pedal LOVES single colis, and tele. Before 12:00 it's nice crunch like black crowes. After it's Billy gibbons style even on tele, and I can say, that it's more Gibbons style on tele, then with humbuckers. But not for AC/DC, because they have more focused marshall crunch, which not a FN5 type sound.
So, I do not say, that this pedal for everyone and every sound, but if you like that type of sound, you will love it. And should try it for classic rock.

Also you can check it's sound on tele with gain on 3 o'clock:


P.S. Tomorrow I'll try to put p-90 in neck position of my tele, and I'll write about my impressions.

[Agitator]

I love it. Playing a Tele custom (Humbucker neck pickup) into a super-clean MusicMan amp and it sounds amazing. Perfect (IMO) for those sloppy Keef/Neil toanz. Even better at 18v.

[looney77]

It is really good for Neil Young types of tones. Also, I agree it seems to prefer my tele. It think that it responds really differently depending on placement as I am still trying to find the best spot for it. Where in the chain do you guys think it goes best?

[Gringo13]

I love this pedal. Even at it's lowest gain, it's still a nasty booger! I think it works great with single coils and it is extremely sensitive to guitar controls and pick attack. I haven't used it with P-90s, but I typically use a pretty hot single coil bridge pup and it's a very sweet Tele tone. I mostly have the gain and tone between 8 and 1 o'clock and I can grab some excellent Black Crowes and Stones sounds. Most of the music I write falls into that category, so this is my favorite OD pedal. With that said, If you play choppy and sloppy, it can really get away from you! I really comes alive based on your style. ; )

[sjturbo]

Does the F5 sound good with humbuckers and semi hollow's?