The Catalinbread CB30 is a compact overdrive pedal that emulates a Vox AC30 amplifier, part of Catalinbread's Foundation series of amp-in-a-box pedals1. Released in 2011, it was designed, as Vintage Guitar put it, "to give jangly, dynamic overdriven tones like a 30-watt 'British' amp"2. Instead of a generic clipping stage, the circuit uses JFETs arranged as mu-amps to replicate the AC30's tube stages, the same approach Catalinbread used in Foundation-series pedals like the Dirty Little Secret and Formula No. 553.
The AC30 itself has long been a favorite platform for pedal users. In a Guitar Player interview, Rick Beato said of the amp: "they are very pedal-friendly and I know exactly what they're going to sound like"4. The CB30 aims to put that character on a pedalboard.
What it does to your sound
The CB30 gives you classic AC30-style amp tones in a compact pedal7. Its Treble and Bass controls are interactive: as Delicious Audio's buying guide describes, they "scoop the mids as they're turned up," mimicking the way the AC30's cut and tone controls shape the amp's midrange6. That makes the EQ more like an amp's than a typical overdrive's.
Premier Guitar's reviewer found the pedal produced "a full, throaty overdrive, similar to the native growl of my silverface amp" with humbuckers into a Fender Bassman, and noted the strong low end could beef up an otherwise thin-sounding amp5. Aion FX's technical analysis of the later version found it "nails the AC30 tone, but also has a lot more available drive than the original amp, so you can use it on its own" without other drive pedals in front3.
The enclosure is a small, dark green stompbox with a powder-coat finish and silk-screen graphics, with four premium metal knobs: Treble, Bass, Volume, and Gain5.
Five-JFET and eight-JFET versions
There are two different circuit versions of the CB30, and Catalinbread has no official record of a "V1" and "V2"1. Both PCBs are dated 20113.
| Five-JFET version | Eight-JFET version | |
|---|---|---|
| JFETs | Five 2N5457s3 | Eight 2N5457s13 |
| Topology | Two mu-amp gain stages (two JFETs each) plus an output buffer3 | Four mu-amp gain stages3 |
| How it's known | Traced by Freestompboxes.org within weeks of release, with extensive photos3 | Traced by Aion FX in 20211 |
| How common | Only one example seen, the FSB unit3 | More common, based on archived Reverb listing photos1 |
Aion FX's best theory, with no official confirmation, is that the five-JFET version was probably the one originally sent to dealers3. The 2N5457 JFETs used in the CB30 are no longer available in through-hole format1.
If you are buying a used CB30, the version matters. Aion FX reports that many people who built the five-JFET version from the Freestompboxes trace "didn't like the sound of it," which could be either a mistake in the trace or a weakness in the design, while the eight-JFET version they analyzed sounded "pretty fantastic"3.
Power and bypass
The CB30 is true bypass and runs on a 9V battery5. It can also operate via a center-negative power supply rated from 9VDC to 18VDC5, which gives you the option of higher headroom than a battery or a standard 9V supply provides.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's 2021 review was positive overall:
"Overall, the CB30 delivers an excellent emulation of the Vox AC30."5
The reviewer called it an excellent overdrive box overall, praising the smooth knobs, the powder-coat finish, and the silk-screen graphics, and noting the strong low end could add body to a thin-sounding amp5. Delicious Audio's 2024 Vox-in-a-box buying guide included the CB30 among Vox-style overdrives, at a listed price of $1696.
Videos
Catalinbread Effects
Catalinbread Effects
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Questions
Does the Catalinbread CB30 take a battery?
Yes. Premier Guitar's review notes that Catalinbread effects units are powered by a 9V battery, and the CB30 can also run on a center-negative power supply rated from 9VDC to 18VDC, so you have both options.
Is the Catalinbread CB30 true bypass?
Yes. Premier Guitar's 2021 review states that Catalinbread effects units are true-bypass, so the pedal passes your signal uncolored when it is switched off.
Can you run the CB30 at 18 volts?
Yes. The CB30 can operate via a center-negative power supply rated from 9VDC to 18VDC, according to Premier Guitar's review. Higher headroom at 18V is a common reason players run JFET amp-emulation pedals above 9V.
How do I tell which version of the CB30 I have?
Open the enclosure and count the JFETs. The earlier five-JFET version has two mu-amp gain stages and an output buffer, while the later eight-JFET version has four mu-amp gain stages. Aion FX found the eight-JFET version is far more common, and both PCBs were dated 2011.
Sources (7)
- Gaia Preamp Drive Mk. I / Catalinbread® CB30, Aion FX, 2021-05-28
- Catalinbread Revamps Drive Line, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2011-06-28
- Tracing Journal: Catalinbread® CB30, Aion FX, 2021-05-28
- Rick Beato appears at Guitar Player Presents, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2025-09-05
- Catalinbread CB30 Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2011-10-20
- The 20 Best Vox-Style Pedals & Vox-In-a-Box Overdrives In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-12-02
- New Pedal: Catalinbread CB30 Vox-Style Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2020-10-27
