kittycasterFX introduces new look for its just released Meerkat Wide Range Boost

So Howard Gee is no longer at KittyCasterFX - since the end of November last year - and the brand is currently in some sort of transition - where it will supposedly come to be known as KCFX at some stage in the very near future.

The first move in that transition seems to be this new Meerkat modern RangeMaster Treble Booster - based on a Silicon Transistor. The first of the kittycaster FXCORE Series :

"The FXCORE Series reimagines classic pedalboard essentials that have redefined the worlds of music + tone."

The enclosure seems to be the same as before, but KCFX has pivoted to somewhat standard knobs and linear typographic artwork for their FXCORE Series. We’ve lost the finesse of the previous 3 pedals - with their striking and memorable swirling psychedelic style artworks - and with very smartly selected knobs.

I guess the change in look is supposed to partly signify a more accessible price point! What is fairly evident though is that this is an incongruous move which clashes with what came before. Catalinbread did something similar with its CB Elements series - but with a more typographically interesting font. I’m not sue I particularly like either of those typographical implementations / executions / approaches.

I don’t mind the tone-on-tone knobs and overall theme of the pedal - while the looks of the former ones were far higher quality and more impactfu - just every way superiorl.

Even with a budget range - you would typically look to tie that in with the overall brand look in some way - for a more immediate brand recognition and recall. The fact that the new design is so divorced from the old make it a very disjointed affair - and one that loses significant amounts of brand equity in the transition as far as I’m concerned.

I feel this is also a vehicle for marking the separation with Howard Gee to a degree, but it only amplifies how essential Howard was to that brand - I’m pretty sure that look would not have passed muster with Howard still at the helm.

I’m honestly a little surprised by this stark break from the norm - even on the website the pedal is incongruous - with its product photograph starkly at an angle - and quite different in feel to all the others.

Controls - Boost, Gain, Smooth (Shaping), Range (EQ).

There are some aspects of the Meerkat that I don’t mind - including the tone-on-tone aspects - and as a Treble Booster circuit it certainly works well - while I’m not convinced by the new packaging here! I think if you owned the previous 3 - you would likely be disappointed with the comparative looks of the new Meerkat - I feel they could have done that so much better - and be able to retain some of the flavour of the original 3. Do let me know what you all think! And whether there is some other strategy at play here that I’m not party to yet!?

The Meerkat Wide Range Boost is available for orders courtesy of the kittycasterFX Webstore - where it goes for $179 / £147.