The Catalinbread Epoch Boost is a compact boost and preamp pedal that recreates the preamp section of the Maestro Echoplex EP-3, the solid-state tape echo whose input stage became a prized tone secret in its own right. Catalinbread bills it as a "Reproduction of Early Model EP-3" with up to 20 dB of boost on tap1. Where a generic clean boost just makes your signal louder, the Epoch Boost runs your guitar through an EP-3-style preamp first, so it colors the tone as well as raising the level.
Guitar World reported at launch that Catalinbread built the pedal with "the same circuitry as the EP-3 itself, from its NOS Orange Drop capacitors to the output mixer stage that acts as a rudimentary frequency selector"2. Gearnews described the result as up to 20 dB of what Catalinbread calls a "crystal-clear" boost, in a "pocket-sized" chassis built in the USA3.
What the two controls do
The Epoch Boost keeps things to two knobs, Preamp and Boost6, and each does more than its name suggests.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Preamp | Not a standard volume control. It pans between two signal paths: a volume control over the first half of its rotation, and a rudimentary frequency enhancement over the second half. Above noon it gently pushes different frequency bands, with the most perceived loudness halfway between 2 and 3 o'clock5 |
| Boost | Sets the gain level of the preamp. Fully counterclockwise is unity gain; rolling it up adds sparkle and volume5 |
The Preamp knob is the heart of the EP-3 character. Because it pans between two signal paths rather than simply attenuating, its second half works as a frequency selector, letting you dial in how much of that Echoplex preamp color sits on your signal5. MusicRadar summarized the layout at launch as one knob for the level of EP-3 preamp in your signal and one for the boost4.
The buffer and where it goes in your chain
The pedal includes a switchable internal hi-Z input buffer1. GuitarPlayer noted that it exists for players who want to use the Epoch Boost as a stompbox only, rather than as an always-on preamp7.
That distinction matters, because Catalinbread described the Epoch Boost as a "mastering pedal", something always-on at the end of your signal chain8. Used that way, the EP-3 preamp conditions the whole rig, the role the original Echoplex preamp played for players in the 1970s. Used as a conventional booster, the buffer can be switched in so the pedal behaves like a normal stompbox in a chain719.
Power and connections
The Epoch Boost accepts 9V DC center-negative power only, and Catalinbread sells the supply separately. There is no battery option, so plan on a pedalboard power supply15.
Current draw is just 2 mA1, light enough that it shares easily with other pedals on a supply. Input impedance is 750K with the buffer off and output impedance is 100K5.
Where it came from: the EP-3, the Epoch Pre, and the Mini
The Echoplex EP-3 was released in 1970 as a solid-state update to the earlier tube-based Echoplex designs10, and Stompbox Book notes the solid-state units introduced in the 1970s were more reliable and less expensive than what came before11. Players noticed that the EP-3's preamp flattered any guitar plugged into it, and that preamp became the template for a whole family of pedals.
Catalinbread's own EP-3 lineage runs through several pedals:
- Epoch Pre EP3 Preamp Buffer (reviewed by Pedal of the Day in 2019): a preamp buffer pedal emulating the EP-3 preamp circuit, with Boost, Bias and Balance knobs, Buffer and Early/Later push-buttons, and a second Boost footswitch612
- Epoch Boost (2020): a more pedalboard-friendly build on the Epoch Pre's success, with the controls pared back to Preamp and Boost13
- Epoch Bias (2024): a twist on the Epoch Boost that adds Bias and Filter controls8
- Epoch Boost Mini (2025): a two-knob Mini edition carrying over the same Preamp and Boost controls, running on 9V DC center negative at 18 mA1415
The Epoch Pre itself offered a choice of EP-3 voicings: the Early voicing, from the first 400 units, had a tighter bass and more upper midrange boost, which Pedal of the Day said made it "perfect to enhance big cranked up Marshalls"12. The Epoch Boost reproduces the early model EP-31.
How it differs from the alternatives
Against other EP-3-style pedals, the Epoch Boost sits in the middle of the control-count range. Guitar Pedal X called it "the most granular of those" when compared with Dunlop's one-knob Echoplex Preamp and Xotic's EP Booster, because it splits the EP-3 voicing across two controls instead of one6. The Epoch Boost Mini offers the same two controls in a smaller box14.
The Epoch Bias goes further: it keeps the Preamp and Boost controls but adds Bias and Filter, for four knobs total. MusicRadar noted that with its Boost dial fully counterclockwise, the Epoch Bias acts as an emulation of a stock EP-3 circuit8. Delicious Audio described the Bias as combining the Epoch Boost's sonic detail with extra preamp options16.
What reviewers said
Press coverage at launch was positive on the concept and the price. MusicRadar pitched it as a way to "sweeten your tone and boost your signal", at £149 / $149.994.
"And for a boutique pedal built in the USA, I think it's priced very well, especially as it uses good quality components"
In Delicious Audio's best pedals of 2020 roundup, the Epoch Boost landed in 26th position with one point172.
Videos
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Questions
Does the Catalinbread Epoch Boost have a buffer?
Yes. The pedal has a switchable internal hi-Z input buffer. Catalinbread positions it for players who want to use the Epoch Boost as an always-on preamp at the end of their chain, and the buffer can be switched in for those running it as a straightforward stompbox booster.
Where should the Epoch Boost go in my signal chain?
Catalinbread described the Epoch Boost as a mastering pedal, meaning something always-on at the end of your signal chain, where the EP-3 preamp colors the whole rig. Players who prefer a conventional boost can instead use it as a stompbox, switching the internal hi-Z buffer on for that role.
What is the difference between the Epoch Boost and the Epoch Bias?
The Epoch Bias is a twist on the original Epoch Boost. Both share Preamp and Boost controls, but the Bias adds Bias and Filter controls, giving four knobs instead of two. With its Boost knob fully counterclockwise, the Epoch Bias emulates a stock EP-3 circuit.
Is the Catalinbread Epoch Boost the same as the Xotic EP Booster?
No, though both draw on the Maestro Echoplex EP-3 preamp. Guitar Pedal X called the Epoch Boost the most granular of the Echoplex-style preamp pedals when compared with Dunlop's one-knob Echoplex Preamp and Xotic's EP Booster, because it splits its EP-3 voicing across two controls, Preamp and Boost.
Can the Epoch Boost run on a battery?
No. The pedal accepts 9V DC center-negative power only, and Catalinbread lists the power supply as sold separately. There is no battery option, so it needs a spot on a pedalboard power supply.
Sources (17)
- Catalinbread Epoch Boost, Catalinbread Effects
- Catalinbread unveils the Echoplex EP-3-emulating Epoch Boost preamp/buffer, Guitar World, 2020-09-14
- Catalinbread Epoch Boost: A modern take on an old tone secret, www.gearnews.com, 2020-09-11
- Sweeten your tone and boost your signal with Catalinbread's Epoch Boost, MusicRadar, 2020-09-15
- Epoch Set (B-Stock), Catalinbread Effects
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-03-01
- Catalinbread Debuts New Epoch Boost Preamp, Buffer, GuitarPlayer, 2020-09-14
- “We thought of a couple extra variables you could use to craft your perfect EP-3 experience”: Catalinbread adds the versatile Epoch Bias preamp pedal to its Echoplex-inspired lineup, MusicRadar, 2024-03-05
- Catalinbread Epoch Boost, Catalinbread Effects
- Ares Vintage Preamp / Echoplex EP-3 Preamp, Aion FX, 2019-10-18
- Echoplex, Stompbox Book (stompboxbook.com), 2019-03-03
- Catalinbread Epoch Pre EP3 Preamp Buffer, Pedal of the Day, 2019-07-19
- NAMM 2020: Catalinbread gets monstrous with the Giygas fuzz and Epoch Boost, Guitar.com, 2020-01-22
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-10-17
- Epoch Boost Mini by Catalinbread, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Catalinbread Epoch Bias Preamp, Delicious Audio, 2024-02-28
- The Best Guitar Pedals Of 2020 according To The Internet Experts, Delicious Audio, 2021-01-21
