Catalinbread Super Chile Picoso

It's hard to imagine a guitar pedal which is difficult to use. Fat/clean switch, Level control, On/Off switch. Very basic. Beautifully simple. It's not too big (smaller than boss), about the same size as my crunch box. This is important as one of my main aims is to keep my board small and reasonably simple. It's not as small as the serrano, which is a shame, but it's definately worth it for that fat switch.

It deserves a 10 but it gets a 9 because the power input is, rather annoyingly, on the side of the unit. I power all my pedals from my Boss Daisy Chain so this is very inconvenient for me. For the life of me I have no idea why some manufacturers are placing them there. I'm probably ignorant to something extremely obvious as to why this happens. Someone please explain to me why this is necessary.

I've seen some earlier versions of this pedal which had the power input and the In and Out sockets all on one long side of the pedal. This, for me, is better than separating everything. The normal 3 sided way with power at the top is ideal.

I play lead guitar in a pop rock band. My main sounds come from a fender Stratocaster into an Ibanez Tubescreamer-TS9 and an M.I. Audio Crunch Box. I put my Super chili Picoso in the FX loop of my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and use it as a volume boost for solos and such the like. It is bizarre to me that I have had to search so far and wide for a boost pedal that does not dramatically swallow your tone when you kick it in*. It seems to me that the task it is providing is a very basic one - more volume. But the picoso is the first pedal I've used - since owning a quadraverb - which manages the job. Extremely well. If the tone is affected in anyway it is given a very subtle sparkle which you could have never dreamed possible before owning a Super Chili Picoso. I may one day take it out of the FX loop and put it right infront of the amp cos it has a lot to offer there as well.

I dont know whether it's True Bypass or not but it makes no noise while it's not turned on and my tone still sounds lovely.

A really basic and beautiful sounding pedal. Buy one.

* Dont give me any bollocks about using my FX loop, the FX loops sounds great, I hear no difference between using it there as opposed to at the end of my pedal chain, AND REMEMBER I need it to act as a level boost for the amp overdrive channel as well as the pedals and the only way to do this is in the FX loop. So dont go on at me about the FX loop!!

It seems as well built as all my other pedals. Time will tell I guess.

I bought mine directly from Catalinbread.com. There was a slight mix up with my order as I'd used one e-mail for my paypal and a separate e-mail to register with catalinbread.com and this lead to a delay in dispatch. But their communication was excellent as it was when I asked a technical question before ordering.

A very good company who make some wonderful, practical pedals.

Great for cutting through on solos and what have you. Great boost if you need a little extra drive or... what have you.

Also, you may have noticed...... How ******* COOL it Looks!! I'm sorry but I am vain and these things are important to me. I want my board to look as good as it sounds.

Perfect pedal (nearly - Power Input! Grrr!). Buy it.

Extremely easy to use as a boost. Just set the one knob for your desired boost volume. The knob is also big enough you can adjust it with your foot, if need be.

I use the SCP mainly as a boost and as an "enhancer" on clean/picking parts. It does what it is supposed to do - it boosts your volume without ANY change to original tone, though it adds a bit of a "sparkle". Not a tone coloration. Hard to describe. It is very subtle but oh so sweet.

Tank! No problems at all.

No need for any CS contact yet.

I bought the SCP about 7 months ago and have used it on every gig since (about 4-5 times a month). It has performed flawlessly and it is reliable and consistent every night. I play in a cover band (mostly classic rock with some country, funk, and metal thrown in) and use it to boost my solos and to sparkle up my clean stuff. I set the knob at about 10 o'clock and leave it there the whole night.

Guitar->Fulldrive 2->Diamond Fireburst->Diamond Memory Lane->Super Chile Picoso->50W VVT Earthquake Head->2x12 Avatar w/30W Celestions

I highly recommend the SCP even if you are already using another clean boost pedal (RC booster, etc). It is just an awesome little pedal.

Couldn't be any easier.

I use a '62 into SCP into a 60's vox ac30 that's it.
Without the SCP the combination sounded a bit dull and muffled.
The SCP really opened up the sound even at the 0 setting.
My setup has never sounded better.

Looks sturdy. I only use it in the studio. I only wish the battery was fastened somehow, but that's easily fixed with some foam.

Don't know.

I love it because it is so simple to use and still has a dramatic effect on my sound, I never turn it off.

One knob. Even a drummer could operate it :D

Strat > Barber Ltd > Emma ReezaFRATzitz > Fulltone OCD > Small Stone > SCP > Yamaha UD Stomp > Fender Dual Showman Reverb/Pro Reverb

The SCP remains on all the time : makes everything sound fatter and more clear. Especially the Small Stone could perform magical disappearing tricks when engaged, not anymore.

Looks sturdy.

Mailed Nicolas to congratulate him on a fine product, and he responded quickly and nicely. I'm sure dealing with him in case you need support will be the same.

I've tried a clean boost with a Barber Tone Press, but this suits me better. A vital part of my setup, I'll never part with it.

One knob and one switch! Easy! There are two different outputs to choose from. The standard output allows you to boost the level whereas the other output is buffered and only allows a unity gain buffer driver. This output is not true bypass so you could use this jack if you were planning on using the pedal to buffer long cable runs and reduce some of the tone loss. You would have to keep the pedal on all the time and the volume at zero. Personally, I use the standard boost output and if I choose to run it as a buffer, I drop the volume to 0. This allows me to still turn the pedal on or off if I wanted as well as boost the signal if desired. A really versatile boost to say the least. Oh yeah, it has a power jack as well!

Great all the way around. The SCP will give you subtle boosting, drive long cable runs quietly and cleanly, or drive the front end of your amp beyond tonal bliss. It does not change the character of your tone by emphasising certain frequencies like a treble booster would. It's a flat eq response with a lot of boosting power. I believe around 30 db to be exact. You could easily use this pedal to boost single note lines and put your Tube Screamer back in the closet. The SCP rocks straight up!

I've been able to totally depend on it. No operational issues whatsoever. I gig without a backup.

Nicholas is great to deal with. He did this pedal for me in a custom order along with a Teaser Stallion. Turnaround time was about one week. Both pedals showed up roaring out of the box. I've been pleased ever since!

Overall, the SCP is a great booster with a lot of flexibility. It has a bright yellow LED which can be seen from any angle or distance. You will retain your amp and guitar tone and not lose any of the nuances of your playing. I leave it on 100% of the time as a line driver/buffer with the volume at zero (unity gain).

one knob...doesnt get any easier!

Using this with a Les Paul Platinum fitted with Bareknuckle VHII pickups, through a Catalinbread Teaser Stallion, Keeley Compressor, Crybaby Classic (the Fasel ones), American Woman Overdrive, EHX 16 Second Delay, Super Chili Picoso. (my pedalboard is very much a work-in-progress).

This is quite possibly my favourite pedal. It doesnt sound too glamorous but it adds so much to your tone-as has been said, it just makes everything sound better, and no, i dont turn it off anymore either! It just adds a fat, tube-y kind of tone, very much a classic sound. Obviously as well, it acts a simple volume boost or line bufferer. I use this thing for its tonal qualities. Even into my Line 6 Spider 212 digital Amp, it improves the sound a lot. I was worried about how it would sound with a digital amp, but i shouldnt have bothered worrying - it even makes the digital amp sound more 'valvey' if that makes any sense!
Its not noisy, but of course, depending on where you place it, it boosts all the signals coming into it so you need to be aware that it will also boost noise if you have any noisy pedals going into it.

I cant give this a 10, however, because i havent compared it enough to other similar pedals. However, it is very cheap for a handbuilt pedal, especially when compared to its rivals, e.g. the MXR Microamp which is plain, boring, has nowhere near the same amount of boost and isnt bright red with pictures of vegetables all over it!

I havent gigged with this pedal yet, so i cant say too much. However, i opened it up and the circuit is pretty simple and very well made so i have no worries about using it without a backup. The only thing that worries me slightly is that the battery is not fixed down inside it, but really, does that matter?

Construction is solid and well built, the switch is fine and sturdy and the knob doesnt wiggle around, it just rotates on its axis as it should.

Bought it in the UK, not from Catalinbread directly, but i did email Nick and he replied very quickly and was friendly too. Gotta love the small companies for actually valuing their customers!

I play rock, hard rock, some metal and some jazz. I have been doing so for 11 years. This is a great pedal. It makes my guitar sound fat and adds a real dimension to it - its not simply a volume boost. Your guitar doesnt just get louder. It acquires character and-dare i say it-soul! I've been using it to fatten up my leads on Vai's 'Boston Rain Melody', but also on some Jane's Addiction and RHCP...basically, everything!
If it were stolen i'd be really angry and get another one without hesitation.
This pedal inspires me to play, and gives me a lovely creamy smooth sound that makes me want to play more and more. I've stopped using my other pedals and just been using this and the distortion off the amp because at the moment it feels like all i need to get a killer tone. Highly recommended!

One input. One normal output, one buffered. One knob. One input for DC adaptor. A CINCH!!!

Normal setup is running this first in my chain then to a Boss GT-8 then to a Fender Twin. My main guitar is a '94 Gibson Les Paul Special Doublecut with P90s and its a rocking guitar. I've always had a few issues with the output though - it just isn't as beefy as a humbucker, the front end of the amp is getting less gain.

Not any more. The SCP has solved that - retains the glassy smoothness of the single coil P90s while boosting the output for a much sweeter yet ballsier tone. I set the dial at noon and no, I don't turn it off. Well actually I do, occassionally, to laugh at how weedy my tone is without it.

Works great running direct to board as well, I recently recorded a demo using the LP Special into the SCP into a Boss GT-8 into my soundcard over a Led Zep style backing track. Those interested in hearing it should see http://www.onlinerock.com/musicians/gary/ which is my homepage.

Well, it looses marks here because using the DC adaptor induces stupid amounts of hum into my signal path - thats with a matched 9v regulated adaptor too. Luckily the pedal eats very little battery so it's not a huge issue.

The artwork on the pedal is coming off too, I have one of the older style Picosos where it's tolex not paint, so Nicholas has corrected this problem. Other than that the workmanship inside the pedal is excellent and the switch looks to be a reliable DPDT type. Not that I need the switch ;)

Emailed him a handful of times, what a star: prompt replies and always polite. Not only is he handmaking excellent pedals (expanding range all the time, he's added 2 or 3 since the first time I went to his website) he actually gives a shit about his customers! Try getting Mike Fuller or Gibson Corp. to do that... it simply won't happen.

I play everything but jazz, to be honest. I'd use it for anything from rock to funk to pop to contemporary R&B, whatever. I've been playing seven years and I've owned stupid amounts of gear considering I'm only in my twenties. I'm a guitar nut.

Stolen or lost... wha? I can't even imagine that, I'd have to get a new one and pray the circuit is identical to the stolen one.

Buy one now. Your guitar and bandmates will thank you for it. I can't believe I nearly sold mine.

This unit is the easiest thing on the planet. One knob to tweak, and an on/off button.

great stuff

I use this with a Gibson Les Paul Studio and a Marshall AVT275 amp.

The SCP is not noisy in the slightest. Totally what a boost should be, and more.

The boost is strong, powerful, and fat. With my amp, I was trying to get a sound similar to Slash's in the intro to Sweet Child O mine, yet it was missing something. This pedal gave it that extra oomph to make my guitar sound BETTER than Slashs. Even if you have the best tone in the world, this pedal will make your regular tone sound weak and puny, guaranteed.

The tolex covering doesn't seem to be immune to proof, but apparently Nic's started painting the pedals instead. Seems I got one of the last ones with tolex. Can you say "collectors items?"

when I turn it around in my palm, I hear something loose in there (dunno if it's sposed to be). Not shaking it, I'm not an idiot, just turning it over

I would use it without a backup, it seems solid and beautiful

Scott Hager, the guy who deals them in Canada, is a wonderful man who answers all my questions and is very friendly. I never feel like I'm getting on his nerves, and he's got a sense of humor about himself, like when I called him on trying to sell me the supercharged overdrive.

Answered all my questions within a few hours and got the pedal within a few days.

I play all types of music from hard rock to funk to jazz, and this pedal can totally bring it all together. Some people say they never turn it off, and while I can see why, I bought this pedal for one reason alone: to boost my leads. If I left it on all the time, I'd still have to figure out how to get my leads louder when I needed them.

The thing I love about this pedal is that it is relatively obscure, yet it sounds incredible. Any guitarist with this in his rig instantly looks like a geargod. And apparently, mine will increase in value pretty soon as one of the earlier ones. Shwee

I used harmony-central and the guitar forum I frequent to choose a proper bass pedal, and am ultra pleased with my decision.

I love everything about this pedal, from its name to its non-popularity to its sound to its simplicity to its visible handcrafted flaws (such as the imperfect way the tolex is wrapped around the pedal).

This pedal is a beaut, and if you want a boost, or something to overdrive your tubes for a nice bluesy distortion, wait no longer.

If it was lost, I'd sell my body on the street to get enough cash to buy a new one.

BUY IT

one knob, older version with just one output

Sounds... Great! A really nice boost. I can only compare it, as far as clean boosts go, to the clean boost of my old menatone red snapper (3 knob version). It's a better boost, the snapper added some extra low end oomph which i didn't really enjoy, this one i would guess is on the warmer end of the 'transparency' scale, defenitely not overly bright or anything.

It rocks my handmade Valvetech 22 watt. For loud practicing volumes it makes my amp break up and clean up and all that good stuff, and it sounds amazing, as if i could turn the volume up on my guitar to 20. For playing a gig, it seemed to make my amp break up into a good lead guitar sound if i wanted to stand out a bit in the mix. Very musical sounding.

I like using it at the end of my chain sometimes and setting the boost to 0. It doesn't really boost anything... just seems to add back the little bit of edge that i lose via having a few pedal and patch cords in my setup sometimes. I think however, that if you are have this problem, it would be better to get a signal buffer...er and put it as close to your guitar as possible. HOwever, i'm not sweating that right now.. my version is the older one with just the normal output, non-buffered, so get the new version for extra flexibility if u want that.

It seems to play well with my other effects, fuzzes and whas and whatnot. i like it

i got mine kinda broken, so it might not be all that dependable, the knob is sticky and one of the outputs keeps going lose and losing the grounding or something, who knows how the previous owner used it.

REally freindly person, incredibly cute website, got manuals and stuff, answered some questions, i recommend.

It's cool. i'd like to try out some other clean boosts, but i can't imagine that theere's much difference between all of them. Maybe i'd get a keeley java boost or something, because it has optional mid and treble boosts, but then i dunno if the quality is as good on it. the katana looks cool, and the zvex superhard on looks cool too. For the price, this pedal was worth it. I like just using it with my amp and letting it push the amp and get those tubes barking, makes me wanna play.

One knob, LED, buffer out, true bypass out, in, and 9V jack.
Couldn't get much easier, but DAMN this thing has the most in depth manual than any other boutique pedal I've purchased so far! (And there's been too many!)

At first glance, the Super Chili Picoso (catchy name, huh?) looks like a one dimensional pedal. Boy is that misleading! With the 35 decibles of boost available, you can find a wealth of sounds from within! I mostly use the true bypass out as the last effect going into my Bogner Shiva (I also use humbucking super-strats), and I NEVER turn it off. The Shiva doesn't sound bad without it by far, but with it on I just get a more "in-your-face" sound but the same true TONE coming through. If you crank the knob all the way it will nicely overdrive any tube amp. I've got about a dozen true bypass pedals on my board and adding the SCP let me keep the pure sound from the guitar and the amp when all effects are off, but keep a nice volume level that's difficult with a long line of true bypass effects.

Solid Phase 90 sized housing with a beautiful deep red "leather" jacket applied on top. The best parts are used (true bypas, MOSFET static protection). Don't need to worry about it going belly up on me. I get lots of inquiries about this pedal for both looks and sound!

Nic replies to every email I've sent him. A true gentleman. He promptly shipped my pedal the next day after purchase and emailed me tracking information. The pedal's manual came hand signed and numbered and made out to me!! NICE TOUCH!

Before purchasing the SCP, I'd used quite a few boost pedals (Fulltone, Keeley) and they were good, but the Super Chili Picoso is GREAT! It just "breathes" out your tone. So natural in sound! I've been playing guitar for over 15 years and using Harmony Central for many years to obtain my gear. With the sound I've always heard in my head now coming from my amp, I needed to post about the effects that got me here. The SCP is certainly one of them.
At twice the cost it would be worth it. As more and more people find out about Catalinbread, this pedal will become a mainstay.

Just an update to the one below (starts 'Like all the best stomps, it's dead simple...').

Easy, one knob, plenty of variety of tone.

Guitars: Gibson SG and Squier Affinity Strat. Amp: Marshall '78 JMP 2204 w/1960a cab. Chain: Guitar -> Boss GT-5 (w/Boss DD-6 in the loop and two FS-5U footswitches) -> Amp. Dead simple setup with plenty of tonal variety for me.

Just to say I don't need anything but this and the Natural OD setting on my Boss GT-5 for my driven tones! I haven't found a set use for this yet, just combining it with various gain stages on the amp/multi FX.

It's only noisy if your gear is noisy - the GT-5 with my preferred OD settings on gets a little hissy but this is partly cos the amp is so bright. It seems to sound fantastic wherever you put the knob - from minimum for a subtle colouration of the tone right up to past three o'clock where it begins to behave like an overdrive. I run mine at about noon.

I can certainly get into that coveted Page/Hendrix tone territory with this pedal and the two guitars. Not saying I can play as good as they can, but I can get a very close sound!

I'm going to give it a 9 cos it's handmade and the workmanship is top quality. Battery life is ridiculously good too - several times I've left this pedal plugged in for days without knowing, and the battery is still going strong.

Nicholas is a great bloke, both polite and helpful. Obviously gets a kick out of doing this for a living, and rightly so!

If you want to get away from the brilliant but overused classics like the Tubescreamer without paying well over the odds, consider one of these. Less expensive than the Super Hard On, more expressive than the MXR Micro Amp, this is a boost pedal with a character all of it's own. It's going to be on my board for a very long time.

Like all the best stomps, it's dead simple. One control knob to set the level of boost, one switch to toggle on/off, one light to tell you if it's boosting or not. Powered by a standard 9v battery or power-adaptor - Boss/Ibanez size jack.

Smart paint job too (the big red chile one is my favourite).

A friend of mine bought one of these for use with his Bluesbreaker combo, and I tested the SCP with my Strat and it sounded awesome - accurately giving that 'power tube saturation' style sound at much lower amp volumes, while at higher volumes with the amp already pushed it just added to the sweetness and dare I say the dynamics.

On the strength of this I have purchased my own for use with my '78 Marshall JMP. Can't wait to hear it with my SG!

It's handmade from high quality parts so I doubt it'll ever fail. When I've had mine a few months I'll let you know - I'm notorious for not treating my equipment with due care and attention, on occasion.

You can get directly in contact with the man who makes them and turnaround on email has been a day so far - fast and polite. Try getting THAT with Boss or Dunlop products!

I play rock, blues and punk. I'm a big Jimmy Page/Angus Young devotee so I favour a well-overdriven tone with plenty of sustain/harmonics and subtle use of effects where needed. This is a great match for my equipment and tastes.

I've been playing nearly seven years now and I own a Gibson SG, Marshall JMP, red 1960a cab, Boss GT-5 and a few single stomps (Big Muff/Small Stone/Daddy O). If this were stolen or lost I'd be mortified - it's the best natural sounding boost/overdrive I've heard yet. I'd buy another without fail - heck, I like this one so much I might buy another anyway!

I love the simplicity, the paint-job and the transparency - doesn't kill or seriously alter your tone as some pedals in the 'overdrive/distortion' catagory do. What do I hate? Nothing.

The only serious alternative to this pedal is the Zvex Super Hard On. I never did like the idea of the retro 'knob crackling' effect - to me, crackly knobs mean it's time to pull out the contact cleaner. Also, what would you rather step on - something with a red, fiery paint job or a bee and flower? I stand by my choice.

Anything I wish it had? Nope, it's all there. It helps me make music because I can run guitar -> SCP -> amp and that'll get me most of the basic rock tones I love. Simplicity is the key - a big pedal chain will give you tonal variety, sure, but it always hindered my playing.

I'd like to say that the maker, Nick, is a top bloke and has made a boutique-quality pedal for working man prices - in the UK the SCP costs the same as your average Boss/MXR/Ibanez pedal, except it's handmade and handpainted!

You want a good booster without the frequency limitations of treblebooster, or without the cost of other boutique pieces, Catalinbread is the place to look.

It sounded great with my friends Bluesbreaker (straight up 10/10) so when I get my own SCP through the post and test it with my JMP/SG, I'll let you know. Can't imagine it'll score any less than top marks!

Plug it in and be ready to be blown away! Instantly solved a problem I've been having ever since starting my current band, leads not cutting through another very distorted guitar. One knob to set and forget and your off.

I'm running a Gibson Flying V, and a Les Paul Special Double Cutaway through a Boss tuner, and a Super Chile Picoso straight to a Marshall JMP 50 watt and 4x12 cab. Leads sail! Never again will I have to worry about leads not cutting through a busy mix. Actually warmed up my sound a bit. Super clean and also handles those long cable runs like a champ.

No problems after 6 months. The battery is still fine if I forget to unplug it after use.

Arrived in AZ 2 days after I ordered it with the paint still wet!
I asked to get one as soon as possible for an up coming tour, and Nicholas wasn't sure if he could get one done in time, but he came through with flying colors! Great service. Custom with my name inside.
I love that stuff.

This pedal has 3x's the boost of the MXR micro amp, and half the cost of other "botique" pedals. Outstanding value, and results. I love the vinly covering and hand paint job. The covering actually helps keep the knob where I set even kicking it around the stage night after night. In trying to find any fault with this pedal, I could find none. Well done Nicholas.

Very Easy indeed.

My setup is currently - GTR - Ernie Ball Vol pedal - SCP- '68 Vox Wah - Keeley Java Boost - Expandora - Analogman Clone Chorus - Fulltone Mini Deja Vibe - The Plex echo - Split to Dr.Z Rt 66 (or Orange AD30H) and Matchless Clubman. I bought thie pedal to use whilst gigging, to bring my Tele level up to the level of my Gibson Les Paul R9's. When I made the switch during gigs, My tele would normally sound super clean (I set my lesters to a medium tube grind, and boost this sometimes with the Java Boost or Expandora), but now I get the grind but with a tele tone.

It does not diminish the tonal range or richness of the Fralins in my tele one bit. Perfect!!!!
It sounds great as an amp booster, and in the studio I'll definitely favour it over say a Tubescreamer or an FD-2 with Fenders, but I like to add a bit more bite to the sound of a Les Paul when driving the amp (hence the Expandora or Java Boost), but even so it does sound great with humbuckers.

One added bonus with this pedal is that when it's ON, it acts as a buffered line driver, and as such removes tone loss when running long cables and though a lot of TRUE BYPASS effects. You can even use it in this way when it's off by using the second output.
This pedal sounds great - no noise except the hum that's already there with the pickups!!!

Looks and feels very well built, but I've only used it a handful of times......

Nicholas is SUPER friendly and helpful, and keen to help in any way.

This pedal does what it's meant to, and if you run a half decent tube amp, you owe it to yourself to see what it's capable of.....The SCP will let you do this (for a lot less than the Fat Boost, and with more gain). I'm of the opinion that the vast majority of players really should throw down their TS pedals or 808 clones, and just try a decent clean boost like this - you can actually hear the player, the guitar and amp and not just that (nice sounding though it is) mid rangey hump. THERE are too many of us sounding too similar!
People are currently going mad about True Bypass, but if you run a 20ft cable into FX into another 20ft cable - you NEED a pedal that works as a buffered line driver so you don't lose all your tone (just remember to use any such pedal after fuzz units). This will do that when it is on - or off (using the second output jack).
This pedal is simple, versatile, useful, great sounding, will add to the sound of any rig, made by a nice guy, which dosen't cost a lot at all.

very easy use!

I run it on max! I use it as a boost for my solos on an already
distorted channel on my mesa dual rect. (old two channel version).
It only worx nicely since I use a THD Hot Plate. So now I can take the gain on my red channel way down but still have an awesome rhythm sound with the master right up but at lower volume. the gain is on about 9 o'clock now..exactely where the picoso gives me a nice volume and gain increase!

oh yeah! worx fine!

Great guy! helps u out if u got questions/problems

I play rock music. guitar sound like "the darkness" or AC/DC..vintage, volume up gain down!

A retarded monkey could use this. Easy to get the best sound ever from your tube amp

BC RICH EAGLE - into - MXR MICRO AMP , Aphek Peanut Butter Overdrive (great!), Ibanez Phaser, Digitech X DElay, Boss V-WAH, Digitech X Synth WAH Bass, Holowan Tremolo , CaitlinBread Super Chili Picoso.

MY Fender Bassman 70 gtr. channel has never sounded this crisp and clear. I am using this pedal in it's overdrive tube boost mode, and let me say....Nothing compares to this, especially for the price. Perfect all around, Also, with my long pedal chain, this keeps the signal strong. My favorite pedal I own.

SO far so good!

Seems very friendly and supportive.

I play singer songwriter rock with some math rock influences and retro influences. (Elvis Costello, King Crimson, Buckley, Beatles...)
Thsi pedal is EXaclty what I have been looking for for my entire 13 years of playing, Thansk you!!!!!!!
I have had the Zvex SHO, the MXR Micro AMP...and others. This is still my favorite of all of them. Destined to be a classic.

One knob, one button, one light. Since I hate getting hung up on tweaking, this is the perfect configuration for me. The knob simply goes from less to more - no surprises anywhere on the dial.

A minor issue: the metal box has a leatherette skin that the knob tends to stick itself to. Not a big deal, and easy to correct. In a way, I kind of like it: the knob stays put.

Exactly what I was looking for. Pushes the fretboard way out front - adds life to every finger move, just like a good acoustic. No white noise, no wolf tones, and makes my Tele's volume and tone knobs much more functional - Sweetspot City! My main amp is a tastefully modded '90s Vibroverb RI with an extension cab and mammoth clean headroom, and it's sounding absolutely booteeky now - like I've added a presence knob to my amp.

I also tried it on my little Pro Junior, but that amp is all about distortion, and the sound turns into loud mud with SCP engaged - not why I bought it.

Bottom line, as I wrote to Nicholas, who makes 'em: the SCP fat on the fat - like buttered fried chicken!

Seems solid enough. Metal casing. We'll see...

Very friendly - Nicholas is a fanatic who seems to be getting a big kick out of selling these things. However, I haven't had to ask for customer support from him or the dealer.

My electrics are usually single coil, and my amps are usually american tube amps. I dig blues, country, and folk, and write a lot. I like natural overdrive (a.k.a the volume knob), and prefer gritty to smooth, shooting for a more emotional sound. Other pedals I've used have masked the guitar and amp, which just makes me wonder what the point is.

The SCP sound is open and textured - every finger move is broadcasted - and the distortion comes from from the amp, not the box, just like the good lord intended.

It's a simple unit, and I suspect it doesn't cost much to make, but with the sound it's giving me, it's well worth it. An added bonus: now I can sell off all my other stompers. I'm there!

One input, one knob, one input. Does it get easier?

I play a 74 Gibson SG w/ Burstbucker Pros > Ernie Ball 6166 Volume Pedal > VTP Citrus Squeezer > Aramat Green Machine > Bionix Expandora > 70s MXR 10-Band EQ > Boss CE-3 Stereo Chorus > Electro Harmonix Holy Grail > Super Chile Picoso > Trace Elliott Velocette

It doesn't matter where in the chain I have stuck the thing, it sounds great. Tried it first, tried it second to last, but I really like it where it sits now.

The SCP gives up to 35dB of volume and with the small amps I play through gives two qualities to my sound: more fullness without any tonal change and a sweet natural tube OD. I typically play with it at about 1 o'clock to 1:30

I have had easily 2-3 people at each of our gigs ask me what it is and to try it out as we were breaking down gear. I thought about contacting

Dependable? Hell yes.. solid metal.

Play without a backup? Well, I don't have a backup, so yes... but I wouldn't mind a second one! When I get a second amp to use the stereo on my stereo chorus I will buy another SCP, no question.

The only complaint is that the vinyl covering feels "tacky". Not in bad tasty, but.. i dunno, sticky I guess.

Nicholas is a very friendly guy. The night I ordered it he and I emailed a number of times. We have since as well. If I have a question, he has an answer.

I play rock. Country rock. And Rock Rock. If I lost this gem I'd buy two more. I thought about buying them to sell at gigs b/c I've had so many people ask me about it!

There is only one knob on this beauty - no instruction manual was needed. I tried it with both a 9 volt battery and my AC adapter - worked well with both.

I run a custom Strat with Dimarzio Virtual Vintage noiseless pickups through an array of effects - Teese wah > Proctavia > Micro Vibe > Superfuzz > Sparkle Drive > Jekyll & Hyde > H2O > Super Chile Picoso > Dean Markley 60 watt tube amp.

Cranked all the way up, there is no detectable noise. With the knob turned all the way off, there is still a slight effect, which is good, as it livens up the tone a bit. I have been chasing the SRV snappy neck pickup tone for a long time, and guess what? It has been found! The SCP is like taking a blanket off of your amp. You can get that grind from the bottom string, with all kinds of wonderful harmonic overtones. I found that I like having the SCP full up all the time, backing off with the volume of the Strat cleans it up acceptably. But, put the Sparkle drive or J&H overdrive in front of it, and it is incredible. Punchy, clear, articulate overdriven sound. It doesn't sound like distortion layered on top of distortion. It just sounds like your amp is fully cranked and naturally breaking up - with plenty of balls. I played along with an SRV CD and I have nailed "The Sky is Crying" tone - finally! The Superfuzz sounds like a whole new pedal in front of the SCP, too. Like the amp is ready to blow apart. Yeah!

I've only just had it for a few hours, but from what I've heard about Nicholas' products, they are well made. I will have to give a "No Opinion" here. An inspection of the interior revealed tidy, quality workmanship. I'll post another review in a few months.

I emailed Nicholas several times, and he was very helpful and responsive. I kept trying to pick one of these up used on Ebay, but they were selling for nearly what the cost is new. So I figured I'd just buy a new one. He sells them occasionally new on Ebay. It arrived within 24 hours of my order. Cannot complain about that. There is a sticker on the inside that has my name on it, and the date that it was made, and, that it was buit just for me. Talk about the personal touch! He even offered to hand deliver it (I live in the Seattle area). What a guy.

I play mainly blues/bluesy rock. When I get the itch to chunk out some metal, I have a Jackson loaded with EMG's to give me an outlet. But my Strat will always be my main love. I have good quality gear, but have never been satisfied with the sound until now. The SCP has really helped me dial in that wonderful organic overdriven sound that I've been chasing. I've been playing since 1975, and have had too much gear to list here, from old Fender amps to Marshall stacks to modern digital modeling amps loaded with built-in effects. I have come to the conclusion that nothing sounds better than a simple, clean tube amp with a few high quality analog stompers and a good wah pedal. My biggest overall influence is Ritchie Blackmore - he only had a Strat, a treble booster and his non-master volume amp. And I've never been able to replicate that sound, ha! Ear splitting volume is not practical at home. But, our tone is really in our fingers, now isn't it?

If my Super Chile Picoso were lost or stolen, I would initially be pretty bummed, but, knowing that Nicholas can build me a new one and have it to me in a day... well, that's pretty comforting. I have been researching clean boost type pedals for a while, and was leaning toward one based on the Germanium transistor design; however, from what I understand the MOSFET type transistors are more temperature tolerant and stable, which would naturally lead to more consistent sound quality. I wasn't looking for a clean boost, I can do that by putting a jumper across my effects loop and adjusting the mix accordingly. I wanted something that would push my amp into a blissful grind. Listen to Rory Gallagher live if you want to hear that tone - whoa! Or Deep Purple's Made in Japan. Just a Strat, booster, and tube amp. There is just something so pure about it, the way the various harmonics dance around your notes and chords; one has to experience it first hand to know. You cannot get this sound from a Tube Screamer or other overdrive pedal - it is not the same as actually punishing your tubes into submission. I encourage anyone who is looking to beef up there sound to check out the SCP. If you don't like it, you can sell it on Ebay for close to, if not what, you paid for it.

Also, the paint/graphics on these are way too cool. It looks like it's covered in some kind of vinyl, like an old table cloth or something. I've seen pictures of some of the older ones with fringe hanging around the edge, like a low rider car. Makes me smile just looking at it, really.

So easy. 1 knob, LED lights up when it's on, true bypass stomp switch.

Oh man, oh man, oh man! I run an ESP H-302 and a Gibson Flying V -> TU-2-> catalinbread Super Chile Picoso -> Crybaby -> Crate VFX 5212. This thing drives the tubes like crazy. It can give a suddle boost or can send your gain channels over the edge. It's sweet.. I keep mine all the way up and always on. Also, true bypass, so you don't notice a difference in tone.

Have only had it for a few weeks. It seems really rugged..

He's very nice and helpful. Always loves a good gear geek chat :) Any problems, and he's on it.

This thing is totally sick. I play all styles of music and this is always on. If someone swiped this, I'd beat them with a crappy old guitar laying around the house.. this thing's mine to keep. Maybe it'll be a collectors item someday too :)

one knob and a button. if you can't get this right, might i suggest a career in percussion?

no noise. slight click when the button is first engaged. this is of little importance, since you'll never want to turn it off. i crank it all the way up, and run a tele/paul/strat into a fender super reverb reissue. the 'verb just had WAY too much clean headroom. i wanted that fender snap, but with a touch of grit. i hate fuzzy distortion pedals. i'm in a blues band, so my tone has to be legit. this picoso it the solution. where i would normally have my amp on 7 or 8, i now crank the picoso all the way up, and put the amp on 4 or 5. it gives me just the snark i'm looking for. it doesn't scream, it just 'bites' in the nicest way.

just noticed i'm having some very slight issues with the input jack flickering the signal on and off. i'll just take off the back cover and make sure i'm not sqeezing a wire or something. no biggie i'm sure.

impeccable. the best. talk about support. no really - go on and talk to him - he appreciates it. try that with Boss!

for a rocker, this would give a nice boost to your clean solos. as a blues guy, it adds that touch of grit to a snappy clean fender amp. for a jazzer, i don't see much point, since you probably want a clean sound, and your humbuckers would be putting out plenty of signal to begin with, but who knows? could be nice for subtle solo boosts after comping chords for awhile. so glad i spent $85 on this instead of twice as much for the Fulltone.

Easiest pedal available, no exaggeration. On on/bypass switch and one HUGE knob. No manual, no need for one.

I play a '68 Telecaster through way too many pedals already:

EH Qtron+ =>
Boss Compression/Sustainer CS-3=>
Ibanez Turbo Tube Screamer=>
ProCo Vintage Rat =>
EB Volume Pedal=>
Boss Noise Suppresor NS-2 =>
Boss DD-5
Line6 DD5 =>
into my Mesa Boogie Maverick (Dual Rect.)

The SCP can go from slight clean boost to a nice warm overdrive when the one knob is turned all the way up. Sounds great on almost any setting, and really boosts the heck out of my distortions.

Looks well built. The insides look solid, and well soldered, arranged. All parts are high in quality. Feels rugged.

I live in a suburb of Seattle and Nicholas dropped the freshly built pedal off on Christmas Eve, just a few hours after I purchased it online. The paint on the case was still a little damp! How's that for delivery!?

He followed up with very friendly emails and I expect that any problems I have(I don't expect any) will be taken care of with integrity.

I play pop rock, and have searched high and low for a good, dependable, utilitarian volume boost, and though this one is my first to own, I can also say that it will be my last. I would buy another immediately if lost or stolen.

I have played guitar professionally for about 7 years and this pedal is a fine addition to my rig.

My only concern with the SCP is that I get a quite a bit of hum with and AC adapter. A 9volt battery will do just fine though.

SIMPLE!!! One knob for boost....

Sounds as good as your rig. Mine happens to be a Dr. Z KT-45. So it just gives you alittle more of your amp. Not a distortion but will drive your tubes to break up with more volume to boot. Great for solo lines or some would leave on all the time to "open" their amp up some. Boosts all freq's plus adds a hint of sparkle. Similiar to a Zvex SHO IMO.

I have not had it long but it is made of high quallity parts and has a lifetime warranty i believe. So i think you can depend on it.

Excellent!! Nick is a great guy with lots of helpful and honest info. I would definately buy from him again.

Fantastic value. Great price and product. They are also quite artful in design. Meaning the vinyl covering and graphic are very creative and well done. Like i said it sounds like alittle more of your amp. So if your in need of a clean boost for small cash this is the one.

super easy, one knob delight!

I use a Godin LGX with a fender prosonic combo. My chain is a Teese RMC1 wah- an Analogman silver modded TS-9--an SIB echodrive (digital)--the Super Chili Picoso to the amp. This thing rules! I simply DO NOT turn it off!! I feel it brings out the inner monster of my amp and makes my tone much more punchy without the tin effect that many EQ's can give you.

seems real solid, too new to tell

The most personal and effective customer support ever. Nicholas rules! He answered every question I had. (even some pretty stupid ones about the power supply)

I have been playing for about 12years and am just getting into being a pedal head. I care much more for actually playing than talking about
toys but this product and this company is so good I felt I needed to let other people know about this great pedal! I look forward to other products from catalinabread as they now have a loyal customer!

This pedal is painfully easy to use. Simply step on the footswitch, turn the one and only knob on the pedal ALL THE WAY UP, serve warm and enjoy.

Sonically, this pedal is transparent. The only way that it can sound bad is if you are using bad gear with it because you get more of what you already have. I use either a Tele or a Jazzmaster. I have an 808 modded TS-9, an old MXR Distortion+ and a Roger Mayer Mongoose, but the Super Chile Picoso is always on and always at the maximum setting. It like to drive my amp from the end of the chain and that's fine with me. It's extreme output is enough to drive the hell out of any tube amp's front end and make it really work hard. Once you play with it on for 5 minutes and then try to turn it off, you're sprung. You'll never turn it off again. The SCP seasons any flavour or style but be warned, not recommended for tube amps with heart problems/breathing difficulties.

This pedal has a rugged construction with quality components (not to mention quite a paint job). Its been banged around, kicked and dropped plenty and continues to dish out the spice.

I deal with Catalinbread on a regular basis and recieve nothing but top notch support. All my queations are immediately answered and suggestions are taken seriously.

I think thios pedal is essential for anyone with a tube amplifier. Single coil pickups benefit greatly from it and humbuckers come close to breaking the law. I would most definitely replace it with one of the same if it were lost/damaged. There are a lot of other boost pedal on the market, from the old MXR Micro Amp to the Z. Vex Super Hard On. All of which sound great but I choose this one because it really has the mojo.

The Super Chile Picoso (SCP) is easy to use. 1 knob, 1 on/off switch. The SCP does not come with a manual, you don't really need one. The only reason it's not a 10 is that there is a red skirt that goes around the entire pedal that makes accessing the jacks a little bit cumbersome. Easily able to adjust the level due to the oversized knob that you can move with your foot on stage.

When using the SCP I generally use it with either an American Strat ('91), a Les Paul Studio ('97) or a Mexi Tele ('00). Other pedals used with the SCP are a Boss OD-1, TS9 (w/808 mod) playing thru a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe tube amp. Any setup I play, the SCP is in use on my pedal board setup. It gives that little something extra that seems to be lacking at times especially with a single coil pickup/guitar. Great clean boost or when able to play loud enough the SCP really drives my tube amp the way it was meant to be played.

My SCP is only a year old but have had no real issues with it other than a loose output jack that was easily repaired.

Any questions I've had have been answered quickly by Catalinbread.

I've been playing guitar for about 12 years now and love the SCP. Regardless of what kind of music you play, the SCP will only enhance your tone. I have thought about getting a 2nd SCP (ie Zvex Super Duper 2 in 1) to use in my stage setup but funds have limited me in my gear purchasing. God forbid my SCP be stolen or lost, but I would replace it ASAP if it did. I did compare this pedal to the Zvex Super Hard On but the price is what brought me to the SCP. If you are looking for that little something extra missing in your tone, I would highly recommend the SCP.