Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret

To me, the DLS is a pedal that doesn't require a bunch of tweaking. Every setting I've tried seems to result in a good sound. I happen to like the V1 setting better than the V2, but both are very good. I'm actually giving it a 9.5 because I had to remove 4 screws to change from V1 to V2 and vice versa...maybe I'm just a little lazy.

I'm playing the DLS with a 2004 Les Paul Standard with BurstBuckers, a 1995 Nashville Telecaster Deluxe with a SD Vintage Stack in the bridge and DuckBuckers in the Middle and Neck positions, and a 2007 MIM Strat with Lollar Blondes. These ultimately end up in a Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue with a Jensen C12K and some light modifications or in a Super Reverb Reissue with Jensen Mod 10-50's. By itself or on one of my boards with a number of other pedals, the DLS sounds awesome. I love stacking it with my Keeley Electronics Fuzz Head and/or my Catalinbread Hyperpak...gives me exactly what I want when I want a really nasty, singing lead tone. I use either a Keeley BD-2 or the Catalinbread SCP for a boost and they both work beautifully. The last couple of shows I've spent a lot of time playing with just the DLS and a boost...no real dirt-stacking. Exceptional dynamics and just a blast to play. The DLS is a true overdrive pedal that sounds like a cranked amp. I don't do any real heavy stuff, so I can't help anyone wondering about it's super high gain capabilities. No noise.

When I first purchased the DLS direct from Catalinbread, I had an issue with the Rock/Rawk switch. I immediately contacted Nic about it. Nic said send it back and I'll take care of it. I sent it back the next day and got it back within about 10 days. I trust that Nic fixed it and I won't have any issues with it, but, just in case, I'm giving it a 9. I always have backups...no knock on the manufacturers, but nothing or nobody is perfect regardless of how good this thing sounds.

A+. Nic, Mike, and Stefanie all took great care of me when the Rock/Rawk switch issue reared it's ugly head. I received a phone call directly from Nic making sure I was being taken care of. I assured him that I was. While I waited for my DLS to be repaired, I ordered the Super Chili Picoso direct from Catalinbread. My DLS was repaired and I received a brand new SCP within their two-week window. I own 5 Catalinbread pedals and will own more...enough said.

The DLS is a phenomenal pedal for what I do. I play in a number of bars in the Nashville area 2-3 nights a week. This pedal does everything I would ever want to ask it to do. Yes, if something were to happen to this pedal I would own another immediately. I really don't want to stop playing it.

Pretty straightforward stuff
tone, volume, gain and a switch between vintage plexi or hot rodded plexi tones
plus it's purple so it's cool

using a bogner alchemist clean channel (6L6 amps), i got great marshally tones
comparing this versus my marshall plexi head, sounds pretty close to my ears
instead of lugging my multi-amp rig around, i can get a really great marshall amp tone out of my bogner with this little box and gig easy
great to stack with my tube driver and sunface, add some delay and reverb and voila! eric johnson "violin" lead tone, squishy, brown, round, sustaining gobs of tone from my strat and bogner! this is on the rock setting
have not got a chance to really play around with it yet as i got it as an marshall style amp emulator for my clean amps, and it is working fantastically
sounds great for what it is, MARSHALL AMP EMULATOR FROM PLEXI TO JCM

built like a rock, clean and good work! too new to make an judgement on how it will hold up but just by looks, it should last forever without too much abuse

never used them yet but forum boards are raving bout the service so should be fine!

i play rock music
do me a favor and check out this amp emulator pedal, anyone who needs to gig and setup a rig with marshall dirt from a clean amp should check this out
i have tried other marshall type of drives but this one (so far) comes the closest
at the price, it is a steal...

there was no manual but only three knobs: loudness, tone and gain. Switch with two settings: "rawk" and "rock"

My chain: Fender American Stratocaster > Dunlop crybaby> maxon PT999 phaser> maxon cp-101 compressor> CB - ottava magus octafuzz> MXR - classic 108 fuzz> CB - Dirty Little Secret> Ibanez TS9DX> Boss GE-7 EQ> Boss CE-2 chorus> Ibanez FL9 flanger> Boss DD7 delay> marshall MG15cd Solid state amp>

The pedal is absolutely brilliant. My single coil sounds like a humbacker. You can get the same dirty tone as Lennon or Harrison on the roof, or Jimmy Page in "Black Dog" sound or the nice and thick sound as in "Can't Stop" by Red Hot Chilli Peppers. All this on a clean channel of a solid state amp (sometimes combined with a compressor though); DLS brought it to life. I have not tried it on a tube amp but suspect it must be great on it as well.

Sounds great with the Maxon phaser in front of it and the Ibanez flanger behind it.

Just bought it... it's too soon to tell

did not deal with them

Piece of cake to use...if you know how to use your amp, you know how to use this pedal.

I play the DLS in a chain with a number of boutique pedals, both Les Pauls and Strats, into an old Traynor (which sounds like an old Marshall). I like it to sit at the end of my dirt/OD/fuzz, pre trem/delay/reverb. It accepts other pedals extremely well, and offers a whole new range of sounds above the classic tones it provides on its own.

The DLS offers you both the 70's and 80's Marshall tones at the flick of a switch. The gain and tone knobs are extremely responsive providing a wide range of frequency response and crunchy goodness.

Prior to owning the DLS I had a CM Plexitone. The CM is a fantastic pedal and a bit higher gain, but I wasn't interested in over-the-top gain settings, I want Jimmy Page! Well, let me tell you, the DLS has replaced my CM at 1/3rd of the space and the same pristine recreation of the classic marshall sound.

Another wonderful feature of the DLS is the abilit to run it at higher voltages. I run it at 16V (you can go up to 18V), and there is a noticeable difference in the response/sensitivity of the pedal compared with the 9V supply.

You will not be dissapointed with this pedal. Particularly if you like to stack dirt, or don't have an old Marshall but want that tone in your rig.

I own 3 Catalinbread pedals (super chili picoso, silver kiss and the DLS) and they are all solid, reliable pedals. Good quality components and not ridiculous in size.

Let me put it this way: I sent the boys at Catalinbread an email on a Sunday morning and got an answer back in 10 minutes. I have friends that have dealt with them and have had great experiences. Extremely nice guys, that work hard and put the heart into every pedal. I want to give these guys business!

You won't be dissapointed.