Catalinbread Formula No. 55 Vintage Tweed Deluxe Pedal
Turn your amp into a 100 watt tweed Deluxe!
Well no, but that’s what it’ll feel like when you plug into your new Catalinbread Formula No. 55! Big and powerful, yet refined, the Formula No. 55 melts into your amp, transforming it into a wide ranging tweed monster capable of everything from smokey, clean Grant Green jazz tones all the way to full on raging Crazy Horse excursions!
The old amps from the 50s were primitive beasts and the 5E3 Deluxe was no exception. Its preamp section let a lot of low frequencies through but then it would encounter an output section (power tubes, output transformer, and speaker) that couldn’t handle all that low end, often resulting in a flubby response, especially if you turned the Volume up. In fact, if you look at the manual from an old 50s tweed, it advises you to “turn down the Volume should you experience any distortion”. Of course, a lot of guitarists ignored that advice and cranked it up anyway, much to Leo’s chagrin, and the sound of rock was born. The Formula No. 55 gives you that huge low-end response but was specifically voiced for touch-sensitive dynamics and a fat, but tight and punchy sound. You can play a palm-muted boogie-woogie rhythm pattern, for example, and if you don’t bear down too hard with your picking attack you’ll get a big chunky, woody sound, the kind of sound that you’d think would flub out if you suddenly started strumming harder. But start thrashing away and the response will get tighter instead of flubbing out! You just have to try it for yourself to see!
The Formula No. 55 is a Foundation Overdrive that reproduces, in exacting detail, the preamp section of the classic Fender™ tweed 5E3 Deluxe using an all-discrete JFET-based signal path. The Volume and Tone controls replicate, part for part, the circuitry of the 5E3, giving you authentic tweed amp response. The output section is designed to give you lots of punch and volume with a low output impedance to drive your amp perfectly. Set the Hi-Lo button to “Lo” for the cleaner response of a vintage tweed. “Hi” is like hot rodding your amp by swapping in higher gain tubes.
Like all Catalinbread pedals, no SMD parts are used for audio circuitry. Only through-hole components selected for tone and response are used such as carbon composition resistors and premium capacitors. We hand-build them and we tone-test each one to ensure you get the best we can offer.
CONTROLS:
Volume: From warm fat jazz clean to thick horn-like barking overdrive.
Tone: Noon for flat. Turn down for warm, smokey tones. Turn it up to boost upper mids and cut through the mix.
Presence: Adjusts ~ 5khz range. Set to noon to start. Turn it up for more bite! Turn it down to warm things up.
Master: Sets output level. Lots of boost on tap.
Hi-Lo Button:
Hi/Red: Like swapping in hotter tubes, for more gain, overdrive and attitude.
Low/Green: Low gain mode from clean to overdrive
Payment Terms - Orders Internet orders may be paid for using the following methods: VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and PayPal. For phone or mail orders you may pay money orders and cashier's checks by mail. Just call us at 773-525-7773 to place your order. All non-credit-card orders are subject to a 10-business-day hold. We do not accept international credit card or PayPal payments from international accounts. For international security reasons, please call the store to arrange a Bank Wire: +01-773-525-7773.
Shipping Charges - Taxes and Title Separate charges for shipping and handling will be shown on your order form. As a security precaution, initial orders and orders shipping to alternate addresses may be held for extended verification. We reserve the right to make partial shipments, which will not relieve you of your obligation to pay for the remaining deliveries. All items purchased from Chicago Music Exchange are made pursuant to a shipment contract. This means that the risk of loss and title for such items passes to you upon our delivery to the carrier. The published rates are for US domestic shipping only. Contact us directly if you wish to place an international order. For more information on our shipping policies, including rates, delivery times, and delays, please visit our website at chicagomusicexchange or call us at: 773-525-7773. If applicable, a separate charge for taxes will be shown on the invoice. We are required to collect sales tax on all orders shipped to Illinois.
3-Day / 15-day Return Policy If you are not completely satisfied with any product, return it for a full refund of the product purchase price, full credit, or exchange of your choice. We give you 3 days from the shipping date on Vintage instruments, and 15 days on New instruments. Credit card returns are issued a credit for purchase price. Refunds are made for product value only, excluding shipping and handling charges. New, Unopened items: You may return most NEW, untouched, unopened items within 15 days of delivery for a full refund. if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.) we'll also pay the return shipping costs. AmEx credit cards: Note that if your order was paid using an AmEx card we may pass on a 3.5% fee of the purchase price to process your refund. Vintage, Used items: We have to evaluate vintage and used guitars, amps, and other items on a case by case basis. We spend a lot of time with you and the item before your purchase to try to avoid any surprises after your purchase. AmEx credit cards: Note that if your order was paid using an AmEx card we may pass on a 3.5% fee of the purchase price to process your refund. You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, we strive to issue your refund sooner. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days). Send your return to: Chicago Music Exchange 3316 N Lincoln Ave Chicago, IL 60657 The following items are returnable only if defective OR unopened or unused: strings, harmonicas, microphones, cleaners, polishes, and polishing cloths. Software/soundware, cassettes, CDs, DVDs, and videos may be returned for credit only if they are in their original, sealed packaging. If defective, these items will only be exchanged for the same product. For complete details on our guarantees, shipping, and return policies, please contact our Customer Service Department at 773-525-7773; fax us at 773-525-2775; visit our website at www.chicagomusicexchange.com, or write us at Chicago Music Exchange, 3316 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60657.