A couple of Emails with Ryan at at CAB established that (a) The Hepcat was indeed very transparent, (b) he had one in stock and at a great price, and (c) Ryans a top bloke who replied to emails while away on tour...probably when the rest of the band are partying
anyway
Its blue....with nice white lettering etc. gain and volume knobs (they're white too)
The tone is the same as you put in to it with a small himid/treble boost, maybe +2dB or so at 4 k
With the gain low its almost a clean boost...with the gain at full its a driven as a tube screamer.
Throughout the range the tone remains true to the instrument. This is the most transparent drive Ive heard. Every change you make in picking or tone controls or pickups is faithfully maintained....you could almost say the pedal has no sound of its own..in a good way tho.
Ive used it with both single coils -which is what Fran intended - and with a big warm humbucker gat on the neck pickup..in this combination the slight treble boost worked really well...no "cow tone" as Ozzy calls it.
The build quality is great...overall a very happy chappy.