catalinbread [WEB-only clearance sale] GALILEO

[WEB Exclusive Inventory Clearance Sale]
Please note that clearance items may include store display models, slightly damaged items, or items with damaged packaging.

Back in the day, the most exciting thing for a guitarist was turning up the gain on their amp. When the amp didn't have enough gain, a treble booster would push it.
Let's take a look at two guitarists who built legendary tones using treble boosters: Brian May (Vox AC30 + treble booster) and Tony Iommi (Laney Super Group + treble booster). Their sounds are completely different, but their tonal techniques are almost identical. Both of them increase the gain on their amps and keep their treble boosters constantly on. And they adjust the tone using only the guitar's volume and tone controls.

At Catalinbread, we began developing a pedal that combines this beautifully simple configuration into a single unit. It combines an amp-in-a-box with an optimally tuned treble booster circuit. Treble boosters, which can produce the best tone when mastered, are sometimes avoided due to their difficulty in handling. With this design, you can always get the best tone without worrying about balance or excessive volume. Just plug in the pedal and play, and that sound will be revived.
That's how Catalinbread Galileo and Sabra Cadabra were born.

There's something special about the Vox AC30 and a treble booster. Hitting the AC30 with a treble booster produces an incredibly sharp and resonant sound. The midrange creates a superb distortion, and the harmonics blend beautifully. Turning down the guitar's volume opens up an even wider world of Vox amps. It's an aggressive, roaring sound, yet simultaneously possesses a bell-like resonance. The Catalinbread Galileo MkII can create that compelling sound.

Brian May's tone has been studied by many players for years. The combination of a Dallas Rangemaster and a Vox AC30 is considered the starting point, and it has been said to be difficult for players without an AC30 or Rangemaster to recreate that sound.
The Catalinbread Galileo MkII has overcome that challenge. This pedal combines the tones of a properly tuned Rangemaster and AC30 to produce a tone that is truly Brian May's.

The AC30's preamp circuit, with the vacuum tubes replaced by JFETs, is also used in the Galileo MkII. A fully tuned Rangemaster-style circuit then hits that preamp circuit. This is the secret to the Brian May tone. The two circuits react to each other, resulting in a complex amp tone that's like a midrange jungle.

●For those seeking a more Brian May sound
Brian May's tone is not something you can easily achieve by simply connecting a commercially available AC30 and Rangemaster pedal. The Galileo MkII goes a step further than many pedals have come in recreating Brian May's tone, but there are setups that can bring you even closer to Brian May's tone.

*This section delves into a more in-depth world. It contains information unnecessary for anyone other than players who absolutely must replicate Brian May's sound.

First, let's consider Brian May's setup. Brian May uses three AC30s, two of which are used for chorus and delay respectively, splitting the signal into three. With this setup, he always keeps the Range Master ON to create Queen's magnificent lead tone. And when the Brian May Red Special and Brian May's own picking technique are combined, that's the tone you get.

If you can get your hands on the exact same equipment, then there's nothing to think about, but if not, you can get close to the legendary tone with a regular guitar, three clean amps and a Galileo MkII, a split-out device, and a stereo delay.

Specifications
Powered by a 9-18V DC power supply or a 9V battery.
Current consumption: 5mA
Controls: Gain, Tone, Volume