Catalinbread Epoch Bias Preamp/Bias Pedal
Catalinbread added a Bias control which gives you a little more gain and body from the stock circuit by simulating out-of-spec parts in the preamp core, so that every pedal is "one of the good ones." Catalinbread played with the "early" and "later" circuits and found the differences to be a bit too subtle, so they decided to add a well-curated filter knob to take you from early to later and beyond, a tasteful hi-cut that lets you adapt the pedal to your rig, not the other way around.
The Preamp control lets you engage a gentle filtering circuit that simulates the Volume control from the original Echoplex, acting on the tone as the echo would have. The stock EP-3 circuit adds only a trivial amount of gain by itself, so they've included a Boost knob to wring as much gain from it as possible, giving you a real punch where you need it. It's certainly Catalinbread's most tweakable EP-3 offering to date, with everything you want and nothing you don't.
PREAMP
This essentially acts as the "Volume" knob from the EP-3, which is to say it's not really a volume knob at all. That control was named such because it was the mix knob for the tape echo output, mixed with some of the "loading-down" of that echo side. At its core, it is a wet-dry mix control. But because there's no echo here, the knob pans between "nothing" and the preamp. And when this knob is all the way down, that's exactly what you hear: nothing. It sounds like a volume control until noon, and beyond that, it imparts some subtle frequency enhancement, on account of the loading simulation circuit. The loudest point on this knob is at about 2 o'clock.
BOOST
Adds extra gain and volume to the circuit. When this control is set all the way down, it simulates the stock EP-3 circuit.
BIAS
The original EP-3 pre circuit had a fixed gain and volume, dependent on one resistor value in the circuit. But because part tolerances were all over the place at the time of the EP-3's release, there was quite a bit of variance in the overall gain in the preamp. This knob lets you dial that value in, to run the circuit hot or cold. Think of it as a gain control and a body enhancer. This control also makes light crackling noises as it is being turned, this is normal.
FILTER
The first few hundred EP-3 units that came off the assembly line featured a slightly different preamp circuit than the rest, a little brighter than stock. And when Catalinbread says "a little", they mean it. The Filter control adds a tastefully-designed and gentle hi-cut filter that purposefully exaggerates the differences a little more than either mode, for a more refined, bluesier tone that sounds great regardless of knob position.
Q & A
Reviews
Protect your investment with the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty
A warranty can be a very important factor when making a buying decision. Because repairs can be very expensive in terms of parts and labour costs, manufacturers usually only provide one year limited warranties that generally only cover items that malfunction due to a manufacturer’s defect. With an important purchase such as a musical
instrument or piece of studio gear, however, many people want to have the peace of mind in knowing that their investment will be protected should the product no longer be performing at 100%.
Because of this, Long & McQuade provides our customers with a FREE one-year Performance Warranty on most of our products. The Long & McQuade Performance Warranty supplements the manufacturer’s warranty to ensure that our customers receive complete “no hassle” warranty coverage within their first year.
How does the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty differ from most manufacturers' warranties?
- Performance Guarantee: Normal wear and tear is covered, so your product will be performing as well as the day you purchased it for the entire duration of the coverage. Band and Orchestral Performance Warranty does not include replacing pads or cleaning for woodwind instruments, unless deemed necessary by our repair staff. Ultrasonic cleaning for brass instruments will be provided if deemed necessary by our repair staff, but is not routinely offered under the Performance Warranty.
- Product Replacement: If your product cannot be fixed or costs too much to fix, we will replace it with the equivalent model for no additional charge. If this is not possible, a full refund will be provided.
- No Lemon Policy: Your product will be replaced should the same problem occur multiple times.
- Convenient: Easy drop off and pick up of the product at any Long & McQuade location.
- Guitar Setup: Guitars purchased at Long & McQuade come with 1 free setup, to be redeemed within 1 year for new guitars and 90 days for used guitars.
- Loaners Available: A loaner product may be given while the product is being repaired.
- Power Surge Protection: Your product is covered even if damaged from a power surge.
- Accessory Coverage: Any peripheral devices or accessories that come with your product (i.e. foot pedal, case) are also covered.
- Commercial Use Coverage: Music and recording professionals who purchase gear for “heavy-use” commercial purposes will still be covered.
Long & McQuade reserves the right to restrict the purchase of additional years of Performance Warranty. Used products come with a 3-month Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Some products (i.e. computers, software, cymbals and other items) are covered only by the manufacturer‘s warranty. Consumables (i.e. strings, reeds, drum sticks, batteries, tubes, cross faders) are excluded as they are designed to be replaced. Cosmetic Damage, Accidental Damage, or problems caused by Humidity or Temperature Issues are not covered. Speakers damaged by overpowering are generally not covered. Our coverage does not provide compensation for loss of use. As of June 2018 the Performance Warranty is no longer transferable. The warranty is only valid in Canada.
Purchasing additional years of coverage
Some manufacturers provide warranties for longer than 1 year; however, these are usually limited warranties that do not provide the same coverage as the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Customers interested in more complete and convenient (but not necessarily longer) coverage are still able to purchase additional years of the Performance Warranty.
If you are interested in receiving this coverage for longer than one year, you have the option of purchasing additional years of the Performance Warranty. The pricing is as follows:
- NEW products: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year.
- USED products: 4% of the current new selling price to increase the warranty from 3 months to 1 year. 4% for each additional year.
- GUITARS: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year. $45 maximum. An additional free setup is not included with additional purchased years of Performance Warranty.
- BAND and ORCHESTRAL instruments: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year.
Great Additions
Reserve in Store
| Product | SKU | Qty |
|---|---|---|
| Epoch Bias Preamp/Bias Pedal | 803578 |
