Catalinbread Naga Viper

The Naga Viper by Catalinbread is a modern take on the Dallas Rangemaster treble booster. The original idea is simple: filter out bass frequencies and boost what remains so the treble cuts through a cranked amp with more presence and edge. Catalinbread keeps that core and adds enough control to make it useful across different rigs and pickup types.

Four independent knobs (input attenuation, output volume, gain character, and frequency range) let you run it as a subtle chime boost in front of a clean amp or push it into a dirty, full-frequency stomper. The Hefty Bite preset (heat at 7, range at 3.5, boost at 5, attn at 8.5) shows how much attitude is on tap when you let the heat knob run.

Controls

The panel reads left-to-right, top row first: Heat (gain), Range (bass frequency filter), then Boost (output level) and Attn (input attenuator) on the bottom row.

Heat adds gain and color. Range determines how much bass the circuit passes: turned up it narrows the signal toward classic treble-boost territory; backed off it opens the low end and the pedal behaves more like a full-frequency boost. Attn controls how hot your guitar hits the input stage, which affects how hard the circuit works before any output knob is in play.

In the demo above I’ve set up sweeps for all four knobs. The Boost sweep holds heat at 0 to isolate volume from gain. The Attn sweep holds heat at 10 so the input-level relationship is easy to follow.

How It Sounds

The Rangemaster tradition is built for driving an amp that’s already on the edge. Boosted treble stiffens the attack and makes individual notes jump out. Chime Boost (heat 5, range 7, boost 8, attn 4) demonstrates the gentler side: range open, heat moderate, the result a bright articulate push that tightens without overwhelming.

Cutting Focus (heat 10, range 7.6, boost 10, attn 8) takes everything to the far end. Heat and boost both maxed, range at 7.6, and the pedal becomes an aggressive focused drive that shoves harmonics forward. It stays spiky and present rather than compressed and smooth.

The Range sweep is the most instructive setting in the demo. With range fully closed, bass is stripped away and the signal tightens into classic treble-boost territory. Opening it gradually reintroduces the low end until it sounds like a wide full-range boost instead.

Naga Viper vs Two Stroke

The Orange Two Stroke is the natural comparison on this site: a dual-parametric EQ and clean boost, transparent by design, no added harmonic character. You pick a frequency center, decide how much to cut or boost, and it does exactly that without coloring the tone.

The Naga Viper operates from the opposite philosophy. The Rangemaster circuit brings a particular transistor character and a gain stage that adds harmonic texture when you push it. Range shifts how prominent that color is, but you can’t dial it out entirely. Transparent and surgical: Two Stroke. Colored and character-driven: Naga Viper.

Who It’s For

Classic rock and blues players running an amp that loves a hot front end will get the most out of this. The Rangemaster tradition works best when there’s some natural amp grit already present: the boost and harmonic character compound what’s already happening. The Catalinbread SFT in the signal chain below is running relatively clean, and you can hear how the Naga Viper does more as it interacts with that light breakup.

The Range control extends the usefulness beyond strict treble-boost territory: back it off and the pedal becomes a full-frequency dirty boost that works with humbuckers and darker rigs. Players who want completely transparent EQ and volume boost should look elsewhere. Everyone else will find the Naga Viper covers a lot of ground.

Specs

• Circuit: based on the Dallas Rangemaster treble booster design, with modified transistor for increased output and extended control ranges
• Controls: Heat (gain), Range (bass frequency filter), Boost (output level), Attn (input attenuation)
• Bypass: foot-operated stomp switch
• Power: 9V to 18V DC (center negative) or 9V battery; do not use AC or center-positive supplies
• Warranty: 3 years

Signal Chain

• Fidelity Guitars Stellarosa Lite II with Lollar Firebird pickups (bridge pickup)
• Naga Viper
• Catalinbread SFT set relatively clean, because a boost needs to boost something
• Mixwave Benson Chimera Plugin*
• A bit of room-like reverb from the Valhalla Vintage Verb plugin

Where to Buy

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Buy through these links and support Loopy Demos at no extra cost to you.

Get detailed specs on Catalinbread's website

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