Back to navigation


Holster Up with Catalinbread’s Next-gen Sidearm 70 Overdrive!





This article was


Written By





Our Product Research Team





Get to know them!





The Sidearm 70 overdrive pedal is the fresh-faced green overdrive you’ve been pining for! While honoring the original 1979 circuit’s sound, the Sidearm 70 overdrive’s expanded gain range offers more breakup than ever, while lower gain settings clean up with exceptional saturation and clarity, much like a colored boost. Expanded EQ in the form of Tone and Mids controls increase the Sidearm 70’s tonal range, which far exceeds vintage units; Sweetwater guitarists appreciate being able to tailor drive tones to specific rigs rather than adapting entire rigs to the overdrive. Rhythm players in heavy or down-tuned genres are sure to value the body that the Sidearm 70’s Mids parameter brings to high and low power chord voicings, while the tilt-style tone control’s airy character is perfect for preserving highs and addressing the enduring “mid-hump” conundrum that sometimes leaves tone feeling inorganic. Kick on the Sidearm 70, and faces are sure to light up as you nail your finest riff with the right balance of clarity, grit, and mix-cutting punch!





Related Videos: Sidearm 70 Overdrive Pedal - Starcrash 70 Collection


Tilt-style tone control





The Sidearm’s tilt-style Tone control is a fast solution for shaping core performance, and it boosts highs while cutting lows, or vice versa. The Tone control’s center frequency uniquely sits at 1kHz ? significantly higher than that of vintage units ? which adds hi-fi sheen to this classic circuit without the absentee highs or squeezed tones that are gasping for air. Clockwise turns of the Tone knob add openness and width, while counterclockwise adjustments are perfect for adding body to your amp’s brighter channels.





Nimble midrange





Turning up the Mids boosts frequencies at 720Hz, while turning it down cuts the same band for a tight and crunchy scoop. The Sidearm’s Mids control sits at 720Hz, the typical frequency of most green overdrive pedal tone controls. However, the circuit greatly expands your upper-midrange control by rolling off decibels at frequencies greater than 1KHz instead of 720Hz. If your style favors the center of the fingerboard or genres that rely on driving midrange, then the Sidearm 70 is the overdrive you’ve been waiting for. Your old dirt pedals will go green with envy!





Catalinbread Sidearm 70 Overdrive Pedal Features:


A fresh take on classic green overdrive flavor with impressive tone control expansions


Perfect for mix-cutting leads as a dirty boost or as an always-on foundation


Expanded gain control packs more dirt than classic units and cleans up nicely at lower settings


Mids knob provides cuts or boosts at 720Hz


Tilt-style tone control shapes highs and lows ? great for preserving treble or thickening up brittle tones and bright amp channels