Catalinbread RAH Royal Albert Hall (Hiwatt Custom 50) Preamp Overdrive/Distortion Pedal

Catalinbread RAH Royal Albert Hall (Hiwatt Custom 50) Preamp Overdrive/Distortion Pedal

The Catalinbread RAH Overdrive/Distortion Pedal captures the magic of Jimmy Page's Hiwatt Custom 50 Amplifier from Led Zeppelin's fabled Royal Albert Hall performance.

"On January 1970 Led Zeppelin hit the stage of London's historic concert hall, Royal Albert Hall. At this performance Jimmy Page expressed himself masterfully with a broad pallet of tones and GIANT dynamic range. Of course this has a lot to do with Page's playing technique and Gibson Les Paul. His backline amps, custom Hiwatt heads into Marshall cabinets filled the entire hall with a cornucopia of colors at levels ranging from a mouse whisper to rave ups louder than a jumbo jet taking off only inches over your head. At Catalinbread we love the RAH performance, but we hadn't considered the possibility of capturing it to put into a pedal… One day our friend Charlie got ahold of Catalinbread's chief circuit designer Howard Gee to ask if we could do it. Charlie said that he'd been trying to get this tone for years and told Howard, if anybody could do it would be Catalinbread.

Having proven his ability to capture the essence and experience of famous amplifiers, Howard began experimenting with what is now the RAH. This overdrive effects pedal features the specific three-knob tone circuit straight from the custom “Jimmy Page” model Hiwatt. Like most traditional amp EQ circuits, the knobs are interactive, meaning turning one can alter the behavior of the other. The magic is getting the Mid and Bass controls dialed in together. Tweak those until you get the right tone for your guitar and amp. You’ll notice that the Treble knob is fairly subtle, adding a bit of bite as it is turned up. If you scoop the Mid and turn up the Bass however, the Treble knob will seem a lot more active. The RAH is designed to deliver guitarists an incredible dynamic range that responds to picking hand and/or volume knob. Like a good amplifier the RAH is VERY uncompressed, which means there is little to "hide behind". This pedal is for players who appreciate the rewards and experience of a WIDE dynamic response. Plug the RAH into a clean(ish) tube amplifier, leave the pedal on all the time accessing clean tones by rolling back your guitar's volume knob, or turn it on and off as your "gain channel". We're including a HERCO pick, use the nubby edge for chirpy articulation.

MASTER controls output volume. For best response, set it just past unity volume - usually around noon. (Unity volume means the volume with pedal on is about the same as with the pedal off.)

GAIN controls corresponds to the “Input Volume” control on the actual Page amp. The sweet spot for this control is from 3:00 to max for the best Zep-like response. But for a cleaner response or if your guitar has really hot pick- ups you may want to try lower gain settings.

TONE CONTROLS: The Three Tone Controls (Bass, Mid, Treble) represent the exact circuitry of the Jimmy Page Hiwatt and will act the same and provide the same tonal response. As with most “passive” amp tone circuits, the three controls are highly interactive - changing the setting of one may affect the behavior of the other knob. Tone circuits like these are NOT active circuits designed to function like your home theater, car stereo or PA. Tone circuits like these are designed to provide fine tuning over the range of the guitar spectrum as well as being the actual voice of any specific amp."

Shipping Policy

Flipside Music ships items within 2 days of purchase. UPS, FedEx or USPS will be the parcel carrier used to ship your purchase, if you have a preference for another shipping service provider, please contact Ike or Dylan and we will work with you and the company you choose.

International orders may be subject to destination countries sales, VAT or import tax. Please contact your country's duty center, prior to purchase for more information regarding these fees. Flipside Music will not reduce listed price to avoid said duties, taxes, or export/import fees.

Return Policy

New Items:

We honor a 14 day return window on all new items.

If you feel the need to return an item, it must be in the sellable condition, no paint chips, scratches or broken parts. Sellable Condition means that the product(s) is in exactly the same condition as it was when you received it. The item must have all the original packaging, included accessories owner’s manuals and blank warranty card, no sign of wear or abuse.

Used and Vintage Gear:

We honor a 3 day return window on all used and vintage items.

All our used gear is tested for functionality prior to being available for purchase and therefore only carries a 3 day approval period. If you would like to make a return just let us know within the 3 day window.

Damaged or Defective Items:

We visually inspect all items before shipment. If you believe you have received a damaged or defective product, please contact us immediately so we can work through the issue. Guitars, basses, and other equipment returned to us with pick marks, "buckle-rash", or any other damage or evidence of use may be subject to a 20% restocking fee, repair charge or disqualification of return. All items must be returned to us in the same condition they were when shipped to qualify. We reserve the right to refuse any return if we determine the item has been misused, modified or damaged by the purchaser. If the item turns out not to be defective upon inspection, we will have to deduct the cost of shipping from your return credit.

Shipping Charges incurred through the return of an item:

You will be responsible for the shipping charge for the return of your item, and if your item qualifies for Free shipping on its way to you, this shipping charge will also be deducted from your refund. If your item is determined to be defective, we will pay the shipping charge, equivalent to ground service.