The Catalinbread WIIO Overdrive is an analog overdrive-preamp, described by RockBoard's PedalPedia as a "Hiwatt-inspired overdrive-preamp, particularly aimed to emulate the sound of The Who Live at Leeds"1. Like Catalinbread's other amp-in-a-box designs, it is meant to put the character of a specific amplifier, in this case a British Hiwatt pushed hard, into a stompbox that can sit at the front of any clean amp. It sits alongside the company's other amplifier-inspired drives such as the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret and the Catalinbread RAH in the broader field of overdrive pedals.
Where the circuit comes from
The WIIO is based on the Hiwatt amplifiers used by Pete Townshend of The Who, and Catalinbread voiced it with a particular show in mind: The Who's Live at Leeds performance of February 14, 19702. Aion FX, which sells a DIY reproduction of the circuit, describes the original as "an earlier circuit that was also based on the Hiwatt amplifier, but voiced for the tone of Pete Townshend"3. In other words, the pedal is not a copy of a Hiwatt in general, but of one specific player's Hiwatt rig at one specific moment.
Two versions
The WIIO has gone through more than one version. After the first, limited run, Catalinbread "overhauled the circuit to reduce the gain and tweak the EQ so it was more versatile as an amp platform"2. That second, non-limited version trades some of the original's gain for a voicing that works better as a foundation for other pedals, which is the usual role of an amp-in-a-box drive.
The first version of the WIIO was a limited release. The later V2, with reduced gain and adjusted EQ, is the non-limited version2.
Power and practicalities
The WIIO runs on 9V DC, center negative, and draws 5mA1. That is a light draw by pedal standards, so it fits comfortably on a board powered by a standard supply, and it leaves plenty of headroom on a daisy-chain output shared with other low-draw pedals.
Videos
Catalinbread Effects
Catalinbread Effects
Catalinbread Effects
Sources (3)
- WIIO Overdrive by Catalinbread, RockBoard (www.rockboard.de), 2026
- Apollo Preamp Drive Mk. I / Catalinbread® WIIO, Aion FX, 2021-02-19
- Apollo Preamp Drive Mk. II / Catalinbread® RAH, Aion FX, 2021-02-19
