The Calico Effects Pounce Preamp is a preamp booster pedal with a single knob. Pedal of the Day's 2021 review describes it as based on the DOD 210 FET Preamp, and notes that it is not a transparent, clean boost: as the knob is turned to the right it adds sparkle, character, power and breakup to the tone1.
What it does
The Pounce's lone knob is the whole pedal. Pedal of the Day describes how it "adds sparkle to your tone, as well as character, gaining in power and breakup as its lone knob is turned to the right"1. In use, the reviewer found it "slowly adds volume and dirt into your signal path, until you hit that sweet, sweet point of no breakup return"1.
That behavior gives it two roles on a board. Pedal of the Day sums them up: "Use it with a clean amp, or to boost your already broken up valve tone instantly"1. With a clean amp it pushes the signal toward breakup on its own; with a valve amp already on the edge, it acts as an instant kick into overdrive territory. Players weighing it against other options may also want to look at Boost Pedals, Overdrive Pedals and Preamp Pedals more broadly.
"The simplicity you might expect from a one-knob pedal, regardless of genre, can sometime be deceiving."
The reviewer's point is that one knob does not mean a neutral circuit. The Pounce colors the signal as it lifts it, which is the opposite of a transparent clean boost1.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's verdict was positive on both sound and simplicity. The reviewer called it "an extremely useful and excellent-sounding one-knob pedal," signing off with "Cheers to Calico Effects on an extremely useful and excellent-sounding one-knober"1. On the broader lesson of simple pedals, the reviewer wrote that "you don't always need a thousand bells and whistles to produce incredible tone"1.
Pedal of the Day's reviewer found the Pounce's simplicity could be deceiving, noting that "The simplicity you might expect from a one-knob pedal, regardless of genre, can sometime be deceiving," and that it is not a transparent clean boost but the opposite1. The same review called it "an extremely useful and excellent-sounding one-knober," adding that "you don't always need a thousand bells and whistles to produce incredible tone"1.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Harsh Tones, Inc.
Questions
Is the Calico Effects Pounce Preamp a clean boost?
No. Pedal of the Day's reviewer is explicit that the Pounce is not a transparent, clean preamp booster, and that the simplicity you might expect from a one-knob pedal can be deceiving. As the knob is turned to the right it adds sparkle and character to the tone, gaining in power and breakup, so it colors the signal rather than passing it through untouched.
What is the Pounce Preamp based on?
According to Pedal of the Day's 2021 review, the Pounce is based on the DOD 210 FET Preamp. The reviewer describes it as a preamp booster that slowly adds volume and dirt into the signal path until reaching the point of breakup, and notes it can be used with a clean amp or to boost an already broken up valve amp tone instantly.
Sources (1)
- Calico Effects Pounce Preamp, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2021-08-25
