The Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Red Mod is a limited edition, hot-rodded version of Catalinbread's plexi-style Dirty Little Secret overdrive pedal, announced in July 2019 with a run of only 100 units worldwide1. It came in a red enclosure2 and carried a list price of $189.99 at launch3.
Where the standard Dirty Little Secret emulates the tone and gain structure of vintage Marshall plexi amplifiers in pedal form, the Red Mod takes that circuit and pushes it further. Gearnews described it as "a hot-rodded version. Featuring a more refined set of gain stages that cuts through the low-mids of the original and brings extended punch and clarity"1. Guitar.com reported "a sliver of gain added to both Super Lead and Super Bass drive voicings"4.
The controls: Super Lead and Super Bass voicings
Like the standard Dirty Little Secret, the Red Mod carries two distinct voicings, "Super Lead" and "Super Bass," switchable via an internal slider switch1. That means changing modes requires opening the pedal rather than flipping a switch on the outside.
The two voicings trace back to the two amplifiers the DLS circuit emulates. In the original pedal, Super Lead mode was voiced, in Catalinbread's own product text, "specifically to make humbucker-equipped guitars really rock with clean to scream all from the twist of your guitar's volume knob," while Super Bass mode "gives you the tone and gain structure of a Marshall Super Bass (which is very similar to a JTM45 or JTM50/100)"5. On the Red Mod, both voicings get the added sliver of gain4.
On top of the voicing switch, the Red Mod carries a three-knob EQ and a hidden internal trim control61:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Treble | Part of a three-knob EQ that reproduces the tone circuits of the Super Lead and Super Bass amps1 |
| Middle | Reproduces the tone circuits of the Super Lead and Super Bass amps1 |
| Bass | Reproduces the tone circuits of the Super Lead and Super Bass amps1 |
| Presence trim-pot | Hidden inside, accessible by removing the bottom plate; fine-tunes the amount of presence or high treble frequencies1 |
Both the Super Lead / Super Bass slider and the Presence trim-pot are inside the enclosure on the Red Mod. Players who want to flip voicings mid-gig should note that later Catalinbread versions moved this switch to an external toggle.
How the Red Mod differs from the standard DLS and the MkIII
The Red Mod is Catalinbread's modded version of the standard Dirty Little Secret MkIII, their "already super popular 'Plexi-style' overdrive pedal"1. The differences are in the circuit and the finish:
- Modified circuitry: Gearnews described it as "Catalinbread's DLS circuitry that has been modified to give you more of everything you love about the original pedal, think a Plexi Plus"1.
- Refined gain stages: Guitar World reported "a more refined set of gain stages that cuts through the low-mids of the original"3.
- More gain: A sliver of gain added to both Super Lead and Super Bass drive voicings4.
- Red enclosure: The finish that gives the pedal its name2.
- Limited run: 100 units worldwide, against the MkIII's ongoing production1.
The MkIII itself, the third revision of the Dirty Little Secret circuit, remains the standard version in the range7.
History and versions
The Dirty Little Secret line began as Catalinbread's pedal emulation of Marshall amplifiers. The Mk. II, the second version, was replaced in 2013 by the Mk. III, a full redesign8. When the MkIII arrived, Catalinbread's launch announcement said the redesign expanded on everything the company liked about the MkII9.
An earlier detail from the original pedal: where later versions use an internal slider, "in the original it used a 4PDT toggle for the Super Lead/Super Bass switch"5.
The Red Mod sat alongside this lineage as a limited edition. In November 2019, Catalinbread followed it with the DLS Red, an updated, hot-rodded version of the Dirty Little Secret released on November 28, 2019, which Premier Guitar described as having "a touch more blistering, amp-smashing gain across both modes, as well as a more hi-fi EQ section"6. Guitar.com noted that this later version, like the Red Mod before it, came in a red enclosure2. In 2023, Catalinbread launched the Dirty Little Secret Deluxe, which began as a fourth version of the flagship DLS circuit and moved the Super Lead / Super Bass switch to a toggle on the outside of the pedal10.
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Questions
How many Dirty Little Secret Red Mod pedals were made?
The Dirty Little Secret Red Mod was a limited edition release of only 100 units available worldwide, announced in July 2019. It shipped in a red enclosure and sold for $189.99. Once those 100 units were gone, the run was finished.
What is the difference between the Dirty Little Secret Red Mod and the standard DLS?
The Red Mod is a hot-rodded version of the standard Dirty Little Secret. Catalinbread modified the DLS circuitry with a more refined set of gain stages that cuts through the low-mids of the original and brings extended punch and clarity, plus a sliver of gain added to both voicings. Gearnews described the result as a Plexi Plus.
Where is the voicing switch on the Dirty Little Secret Red Mod?
Inside the pedal. The Super Lead and Super Bass voicings are selected by an internal slider switch, so you have to open the enclosure to change them. There is also a hidden Presence trim-pot, accessible by removing the bottom plate, for fine-tuning high treble frequencies.
Does the Red Mod have more gain than the Dirty Little Secret MkIII?
Yes. The Red Mod adds a sliver of gain to both the Super Lead and Super Bass drive voicings, and Guitar World reported that its more refined set of gain stages cuts through the low-mids of the original. Premier Guitar described the related DLS Red as having more amp-smashing gain across both modes.
How is the Red Mod different from the Dirty Little Secret MkIII?
The MkIII is the standard production Dirty Little Secret, the third revision of the circuit. The Red Mod is a limited edition, hot-rodded take on that pedal with modified circuitry, more refined gain stages, extra punch and clarity, and a red enclosure. Only 100 Red Mod units were made.
How do I switch between Super Lead and Super Bass?
On the Red Mod, the two voicings are switchable via an internal slider switch, which means removing the back of the pedal to change modes. Later Catalinbread versions, such as the Dirty Little Secret Deluxe, moved this switch to a toggle on the outside of the enclosure.
Sources (10)
- Catalinbread Limited Edition Dirty Little Secret Red Mod, gearnews.com, 2019-07-03
- Catalinbread gives the Dirty Little Secret an upgrade, Guitar.com, 2019-11-26
- Catalinbread Announces New Limited Edition Dirty Little Secret Red Mod, Guitar World, 2019-07-03
- Catalinbread’s Dirty Little Secret gets a limited-edition mod, Guitar.com, 2019-07-03
- Guitar FX Layouts: Catalinbread DLS MKIII, tagboardeffects.blogspot.com (Guitar FX Layouts), 2013-04-27
- Catalinbread Unveils New Dirty Little Secret Red Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2019-11-28
- Dirty Little Secret Deluxe, Catalinbread Effects
- Triton Preamp Drive Mk. II / Catalinbread DLS V2, Aion FX, 2020-11-23
- Catalinbread Launches Updated Dirty Little Secret, Premier Guitar, 2013-02-06
- “A fully customizable amp-in-a-box experience”: Has Catalinbread's Dirty Little Secret Deluxe just redefined amp-like overdrive pedals?, Guitar World, 2023-09-07
