Manx Loaghtan
Catalinbread Manx Loaghtan. The Manx Loaghtan appears to have been available from Catalinbread from 2011 to 2014. It is still not that difficult to find used examples for sale online. After the pedal had been released for a time, Catalinbread changed their pedal graphics from a label to a hard surfaced paint-and-ink coating. As a result, markings on used Manx pedals that you find online today could look distinctly different. The newer pedal markings can also be seen in the Owner's Manual, linked below.
It's pretty clear that Catalinbread took the liberty of naming the pedal "Manx Loaghtan" so as to be able to put the image of a ram's head on it. If the connection still isn't clear, please read on...
The Catalinbread Manx Loaghtan is no longer being made.
- Thermionic Studios has one(1) Manx Loaghtan available for rental.
Controls
- Knob 1 - "Treble": Adjusts the Treble frequencies of the fuzz with fully clockwise being maximum treble.
- Knob 2 - "Bass": Adjusts the Bass frequencies of the fuzz with fully clockwise being maximum bass.
- Knob 3 - "Level": Adjusts the Volume level (output) of the pedal, with fully clockwise being maximum volume.
- Knob 4 - "Sustain": Adjusts the Distortion/Fuzz of the pedal with fully clockwise being maximum distortion/fuzz.
- Footswitch 1 - "On/Off":
The Manx Loaghtan Fuzz employs what is known as a Baxandall tone stack. With a Baxandall, it's possible to dial in a frequency spectrum hump in the midrange, to have a flat EQ response, or to set a moderate scoop in the mids, depending on your settings. The Owner's Manual goes into some detail in explaining the function of a Baxandall tone stack.
Bypass:True
The Catalinbread Manx Loaghtan is True Bypass.
General Information
A "Manx Loaghtan" is a breed of sheep native to the Isle of Man in Great Britain. Given the "Rams Head" motif of the pedal, it would not be incorrect to conclude that the Manx Loaghtan is Catalinbread's homage to the "Rams Head" Big Muff Pi pedal from Electro Harmonix.
The tone controls are a novel innovation, enabling greater tone variation than what is otherwise usually possible with a conventional Big Muff. A variety of reviews can be found online extolling the virtues of both the pedal, and its reworked tone stack.
History
Scraped from the original (now gone) Catalinbread Manx Loaghtan product page:
"Goals (possibly written in psychobabble): We wanted HUGE low end that wouldn't wolf out with the neck pickup. We wanted a flute like sing with nice upper harmonics ringing through. We wanted violin like sustain. We wanted to be able to use this into a hot amp if you wish to, so when you lower the bass nice mid range content can cut through without getting lost in the mix. We wanted it to not be a compromise between too bright and too bassy, but also be capable of doing either or both with a nice mid range scoop in order to sound HEAVY for chunky chords. We also wanted the SUSTAIN range to be usable all the way throughout the dial. Some of the tones we referenced range from Gilmour to Black Keys to J. Mascis to Dead Meadow to Thurston Moore to Adrian Belew."
Pedal Manual
Phase Inversion: No
From our examination of the schematic below, the Manx Loaghtan does not appear to invert phase on the output as compared with the signal that goes into the pedal.
| Schematic ID | Electronic Part | Action | Phase State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 2N5088 | Inverts | Inverted |
| Q2 | 2N5088 | Inverts | Reverted |
| Q3 | 2N2222 | Inverts | Inverted |
| Q4 | 2N5457 | Does not invert | Inverted |
| Q5 | 2N2222 | Inverts | Reverted |
This will need to be borne out by testing and observation.
Schematic
Artists
We are currently unaware of any artists actively using the pedal now, or who have in the past.
- Additional Sources
