Keeley Electronics

First off, we need to establish what this pedal is and is not. This is pretty much two wah circuits inside this box. You can adjust them individually, and you can create all kinds of effects where the wah would be in a static position. It also has knobs and switches to allow you to adjust the envelope filter in this and more. It's not really a normal auto wah, and it's not meant to be used that way. The pedal features individual knobs for each wah circuit. It also has a switch to select between different voicings for the pedal. UTILIZATION The pedal is housed in a nice, sturdy enclosure. It's something that'll never fail, even with the most intense touring. That's a good thing as this is going to be stomped on more than other pedals, most likely. It's a very useful pedal if you know how to use it, but I'll get to that in the sound portion. The knobs are easy to get at, and settings are a breeze to figure out. The manual gives you some help as to what everything does, but the pedal is simple enough to figure out on its own. The real cool thing about this is that it's true bypass. You no longer have to worry about your effects sucking tone. Just be sure you have a buffer if you have a long string of TB pedals. SOUND QUALITY The pedal is not an auto wah, and it's really not meant to be used as one. Instead, you get two individual wah effects that you can taylor to your liking. It's great for those old school, vintage style tones. The best use I found with this, however, is by using it like a cocked wah left on all the time. If you've never heard Michael Schenker's tone, you'll know what I'm referring to. It's a great way to cut through even the most dense mix out there, and it works great for those 80s riffs. However, I couldn't find a use for it to keep it on my pedal board, so off it went. OVERALL OPINION If you're looking for an auto wah, look elsewhere. While this can do a similar effect, it's not the same. This is more for those guys looking for independent wah style pedals with individual manual filter controls and all that jazz. It's kinda hard to explain, but once you try it out, you'll understand what this pedal is all about. If you're not sure if you'll need it, you probably don't.

A lot of people don't know how to use compressors or when to exactly use them. Considering today's high gain amps, it's really no surprise. Most people don't really need them. However, if you're a country or funk guy, I'm pretty sure you know exactly when to use them. That's on your clean and low to mid gain tones. To me, the perfect compressor is very transparent sounding and not overly "characteristic." The Keeley does that tone great, and it's one of my favorite compressors out there. This has two knobs to dial in the compression that you're looking for. UTILIZATION The pedal is housed in one of the best housings you can buy. There's no way this pedal is going to be breaking any time soon. It's a solid housing that'll withstand even the fattest monster you can find smashing all his weight on this thing without any issues at all. The pedal is true bypass, so you never have to worry about this thing sucking tone. However, you do have to worry about long runs of true bypass pedals; you'll want some sort of buffer if you have a bunch. It's super simple to set up, and you don't need a manual for this pedal. I mean, there are two knobs. Just turn them until it sounds good. SOUND QUALITY I really like to use compressors on the clean tone the most. It can take away from that annoying peakyness and help make them a bit more consistent. It also adds something to the tone to help make it stand out a bit more, in my opinion. A few guys like to run this in front of a high gain amp to give that super saturated sound, and while it works, I only enjoy using them that way for lead tones as it tends to get noisy and a bit too much. If you ever wondered how country players get their insane clean picking licks from, this is the secret. Put this in front of a clean amp and pick away. OVERALL OPINION This is a great pedal. It can be a bit pricy, but it's worth it. I still recommend buying used. In my opinion, the best model is the four knob compressor as you have all four knobs right there at your finger tips without any hassle. It's more versatile and gives you more sounds, but some prefer this 2 knob version. Try both if you can, but if you can only get one, I'd recommend the four knob.

Fuzzes were never truly my thing. There are a few times that I use them, but it's mostly for that old school 70s music or some sort of avant-garde/experimental industrial kind of sound. I never found a big use for them when it came to my normal style of music. However, when I go to grab a fuzz pedal, I normally reach for this one as it's one of my favorite sounding fuzz pedals out there. It takes the standard fuzz pedal and adds an almost modern twist to it to help give you some of that cool overdrive sound. Very trick. You have two knobs and a switch to help shape the way you want this thing to sound. UTILIZATION The pedal is housed in an extremely sturdy enclosure. This thing is not going to break, period. I could throw thing down on the ground with all my might, and it'll only get scratched. These things are simply built to last, just like all of Keeley's pedals. The cool thing is that this is a true bypass pedal. That means you don't have to worry about nasty FET buffers or tone sucking occurring in your tone. Once this is off, it's completely out of the signal path. I never read any of Keeley's manuals, so I can't say how well written they are, but this really doesn't need a manual because it's so simple to use. SOUND QUALITY The fuzz on this sounds great. You have that old school, organic germanium style tone that is really ripping. You can get that famous Hendrix sounding fuzz without any issues at all. However, that's not all. You also have the ability to use it like a booster/tubescreamer, and that's what I really love about this pedal. I like using this on my Mark IV and boosting the R2 channel. It gives it some extra depth and helps make the thing seem more alive. I'm normally not a fan of the standard R2 channel, but this brings some real life and depth to it. The way to switch between these two different modes is to simply use the toggle switch on the front of this. That switches between the different diodes. OVERALL OPINION This is probably my favorite fuzz pedal because it's A) small B) easy to use and C) very versatile for what it is. Since I'm not a huge fuzz user, something like this is a huge plus as I can get both tubescreamer and fuzz sounds with just the flick of a switch. I recommend buying these used as Keeley can be a touch expensive at times, but his quality of work is worth it.

This is a compression pedal from Keeley Electronics. I haven't tried to many of their pedals before, but I think that it's safe to say they are probably a really good company based on this pedal. There are 1/4" inputs and outputs, as well an input for a power supply, and a switch to turn the effect on or off. It is a 100% analog pedal. It has no digital qualities, and is not capable of computer enhancements. UTILIZATION The effects editing on this pedal is relatively easy. It has four knobs, one for sustain, one for level (output), one for attack, and one for clipping. This makes it a decently versatile compressor. The manual will explain the pedal in detail, but that isn't really necessary assuming you know how a compressor works. If not though, it'll definitely get you going. Setting this up is also pretty easy. SOUND QUALITY This is a really smooth compressor, so I like to use it on my clean tones more than the heavy distortion. Don't get me wrong though, this thing goes great with really heavy tones for leads, but they generally aren't the kind of sounds I'm looking for. Besides, with my Big Muff my distorted sounds have all the compression they need. I think that I like this best with my Strat and Twin combo. I really like the way it rounds out the levels and really allows the sound to get nice and thick. OVERALL OPINION Overall, this is a solid compressor. It's a little pricey but it's nice, because there are no noise issues (unless you're Thurstoon Moore, in which case, that's a good thing), and it's got a great, versatile sound. I really like this pedal a lot and would recommend it to many people who are looking for something nice in terms of compression, without going to outboard or rack gear.

The Robert Keeley Electronics Phaser is an analog effects pedal that is suitable for any electric instrument, but that I've got experience using in the recording studio for recording electric guitar. It's got standard characteristics in terms of the basics, consisting of 1/4" connections for input and output and requiring nine volt power from a power supply. It isn't rack mountable in any way as it is a stomp box. UTILIZATION Using the Robert Keeley Electronics Phaser isn't as easy as using an MXR Phase 90, but it still isn't difficult. It does have a good amount of control available over your sound, as I find it to be quite versatile in terms of the different sounds that it is capable of getting. The pedal has got parameters for edge, ramp, slow, fast, and a switch for tap tempo/ramp to choose from. There are then two buttons - one for tap tempo or slow/fast depending on how you set the tempo/ramp switch, and one to engage the effect. While these aren't your typically named parameters for a phaser pedal, after some brief use I was able to see that it is pretty easy to figure out how to use. SOUND QUALITY The tone quality of the Robert Keeley Electronics Phaser is simply outstanding. It's absolutely up there with the best phaser pedals that I've used, even though I don't have as much experience with this one as I do others. I've used the pedal for only a single recording session where I was the engineer and not the player. I don't remember what kind of guitar he was using, but we were sending the signal to a '65 Fender Deluxe Reverb amp and then to a Neve 8108 console. This was a very good judge of how the pedal sounds, as this chain I knew before hand was a very good sounding one. It's possible to get a wide array of tones with this pedal, but I like it best for getting that subtle phasing effect that you almost don't know is there until you listen closely... OVERALL OPINION While Robert Keeley Electronics is mostly known for doing modifications, they do have a rather impressive line of their own pedals that includes this Phaser pedal. It definitely isn't a cheap phaser pedal when compared to other pedals out there, but that's the price you're going to pay for a handmade, top tier phaser pedal like this one. Because of this high price I can't say that I would recommend it to everyone looking for a phaser pedal, but if you're at a professional or semi-professional level and are looking for a top end phaser to use a lot, the Keeley Electronics Phaser needs to be in the conversation.

SOUND: This is a fuzz for fuzz lovers… and definitely not for the faint of heart (or those who dislike fuzz). With the Bias down low (less agitation or burping) and the Fuzz as low as it can go, you start off with a good dose of fuzzzzzz (the extent depends on how low or high the Bass and Treble knobs are). Some fuzz pedals are more subtle, and they add some warmth, saturation or grain to an already clean or slightly dirty channel, e.g., David Gilmour’s tone. The Fuzz Bender, on the other hand starts off noticeably and simply continues to climb into thick and boisterous proto-metal, psychedelic doom. And because the Fuzz Bender has both Silicon and Germanium gain stages, you get a more subtle fuzz tone when the Fuzz knob is turned more toward the left, whereas you get a thicker and more saturated tone with the Fuzz knob turned toward the right. There is an increase in volume as you crank the Fuzz knob, but nothing excessive (which is good, and which means you don’t have to constantly adjust the Level knob every time you tweak the Fuzz knob). The Bias knob increases the spit to the point of splatter – so much so that the Fuzz Bender almost sounds gated as you riff out some choppy double-stops while in that position. The two tone knobs, Bass and Treble, add some great impact in the overall tone, from thick heavy bass to a sizzling treble, and definitely add to the volume (they act as boosters to the main signal). I suspect there is such great range in the Bass and Treble (from fully off to up fully) to accommodate muddy vs. thin pickups, but also to accommodate bass guitars. The Fuzz Bender offers some serious tone sculpting and unique, wide- ranging fuzz sounds from smooth to breaking-up obliteration. OVERALL IMPRESSION: A 3-transistor hybrid fuzz with bias control, I consider this pedal to be an ‘over-the-top’ fuzz when you want some thick, massive tones, whether smooth or broken-up (via the Bias). Even with the Fuzz turned all the way down (and the pedal engaged) there is an obvious moderately-heavy fuzz tone, which only accentuates as you crank up the levels. The only way to keep it subtle is to keep the Bass and Treble controls low and while dialing back on your guitar’s volume. The Bias offers anything from ‘off’ (no effect) to slight breaking up, to a splattering and almost gated type effect, making it ideal for choppy syncopated rhythms. The Tone controls are fabulous, in that you can get that searing trebly fuzz tone or that deep and heavy Doom metal type of quality. There is a massive amount of headroom with this pedal, and you can feel the air being pushed – particularly as you crank up the Volume and Bass. Robert Keeley is known for making quality pedals (at great prices) that sound darn good, and the Fuzz Bender is no exception. At $149 this pedal is both affordable and a must-have for Fuzz aficionados. I have tested, played and reviewed several fuzz pedals and the Fuzz Bender has carved its own niche for sound, diversity and uniqueness. GENERAL USE: Volume or output is controlled by the Level; turn it down when first engaging the Fuzz (and powering up your gear). The Fuzz Bender has a lot of headroom, and so I find keeping the Level around 9-10 o’clock sufficient in most cases. The quality or nature of the Fuzz is relative to where you place the Fuzz knob – the more you turn it counter-clockwise, the more subtle the fuzz flavor, whereas the more you turn it clockwise, the more saturated and heavier the fuzz. Obviously there is a mixing and meshing of the two, with the extent depending on where you dial in your sound. The Bias offers a lot of splat, and it produces a breaking-up quality even when turned up slightly to about 8-9 o’clock, and then burps like crazy from 12-noon onward. The Bass and Treble knobs are awesome; you get sizzling bright fuzz that cuts through the mix, but also a super heavy Doom and Gloom fuzz that is dark, but still defined in its character (or anything between). The heaviness of the Bass becomes apparent around 12-noon and beyond, whereas that cutting-edge Treble seems to hit hard at 3-o’clock. Of course, these specs are based on a thick and warm preamp (The Countess V4 by Victory) and the Petrucci MESA 4x12 cabinet (which is considered ‘dark’) that I used in the demo. OTHER DETAILS: A medium-sized pedal the Fuzz Bender measures 112 mm (L) x 90mm (W) x 55mm (H) with knobs (4.4 x 3.5 x 2.16 inches). The heavy duty chassis has a feel of steel (by its weight), although it could be aluminum. It has a powder coated white paint job with orange lettering/graphics. Coupled with the extra large knobs (the Level and Fuzz seem large enough to turn with a foot) the pedal definitely has a retro vibe to it, as though working with an old transistor radio. The footswitch produces a solid click when the pedal is engaged and disengaged. All five knobs, controlling Level, Fuzz, Bass, Treble and Bias are heavy plastic and could withstand any foot stomping that may drift in their directions (adding a ‘tallboy’ Barefoot Button would have a foot tower over the knobs). All knobs have good quality pots (smooth and solid when turned). The cable input and output, as well as the power input is located in the back, which saves on pedalboard space, but also keeps them in a more secure location. The Fuzz Bender does not work via battery power and requires a standard 9VDC (center -) power supply, while consuming only 15mA of power.

SOUND: A great Plexi Tone pedal that is ‘rich’ in tone, the El Rey Dorado certainly other descriptors, like grainy, defined and robust. The El Rey Dorado has two channels or selections – Lo and Hi. Even on Lo, and with the Drive down as far as it can go, there is plenty of energy for moderate rock riffing. Once you get to 9-o’clock and upward of 1-o’clock the pedal hits a sweet spot (same is true for the Hi setting); it still sounds good past that point, but more saturated and thicker (with less definition). The Lo setting is more full-bodied and ideal for crunch rhythm or some moderate lead whereas the Hi setting is make for lead as it has more harmonics and compression. Different amps and cabs will produce different results, but the demo included in this review uses the Victory Countess V4 Preamp (clean channel) into an Axe-Fx II (Petrucci MESA 4x12 cabinet). The Countess preamp has a very warm and thick tone, whereas the Petrucci cab-sim is a bit on the dark side, as opposed to a Marshall 4x12. Consequently, my resultant tone is very thick and chewy, although you still can hear plenty of note definition. Overall, this is one of the best sounding drives/distortions I’ve heard and its sound/quality encourages a guitarist to play. OVERALL IMPRESSION: A fairly aggressive pedal (although on low settings it may behave with some higher-gain amp channels, the El Rey Dorado definitely was made to rock a clean channel. If you ever wanted a Plexi tone, but may have been disappointed in the past, then you need to investigate the Robert Keeley El Rey Dorado, aka The Golden King. This pedal produces some of the best crunch and lead tones I’ve heard in a pedal and definitely brings to life a clean amp channel. The distortion/drive is so grainy and badass that it is not meant for light rock in the least, but will find its home with higher energy Rock and even some genres of Metal. The Lo setting produces some thick crunch while remaining ultra clear and grainy, whereas the Hi setting produces that unmistakable compressed super lead. At $149 the El Rey Dorado not only is a fair price, but also produces one of the best overdrive tones for the money (although results will vary depending on your amp and cab). GENERAL USE: Start with the Drive knob turned all the way down if you want only a modest amount of drive. There is a serious amount of gain to be had even at that setting (more so with the Lo setting than the Hi setting). The sweet spots for either Lo or Hi ranges between 9-1 o’clock, which means you get the full robustness and note detail in that range and before the signal becomes more saturated or compressed. The Tone knob offers a very good range, which seems to be most notable with the Lo setting (very deep, almost muffled, to relatively high, yet not shrill). The Tone affects the Hi setting less, but still to good effect nonetheless (not as much muffle with a lot of bass). With the Hi setting, particularly for lead playing on the bridge pickup, you can get a very deep and mellow tone with the knob turned full counter-clockwise, e.g., more bass (it sounds as though playing on the neck pickup); conversely, with a lot of treble (knob turned fully clockwise) you get a very clear and cutting tone that does not sound brittle. Overall, not only is the El Rey Dorado a fantastic sounding pedal, but if it could have one extra thing I would suggest a second footswitch – one to turn the pedal on and off and the other to switch between the two channels (Lo and Hi). Certainly this would increase pedal size and the cost, but the El Rey Dorado’s Lo sounds so good for crunch/rhythm, whereas the Hi sounds so good for Lead, you may find yourself stooping a lot to make the switch. OTHER DETAILS: A standard sized pedal made of heavy duty, lightweight aluminum with a gold powder coated paint finish, the black and red graphics on the chassis has a great Aztec/Mayan/Inca vibe to it (the legend of El Rey Dorado does not seem to specify the exact Central American civilization). Measuring 112 mm (L) x 60mm (W) x 50mm (H) (4.4 x 2.36 x 1.97 inches), the footswitch produces a solid click when the pedal is engaged and disengaged. The small toggle switch (to select Lo and Hi settings) is small enough and located among the three knobs that accidental stomping/breakage is very unlikely. The three knobs controlling Level, Tone and Drive all have good quality pots (smooth and solid when turned). The cable input and output are located along the sides of the unit, whereas the power input is located in the back. Consequently, modest care is required to prevent a stomping foot from striking either ¼-inch cables and causing damage to the unit. The El Rey Dorado can work on a standard 9V battery or via a standard 9VDC (center -) power supply. The user manual does not indicate the mA power consumption, but since it can work on a battery it likely is relatively low, e.g., 10-20mA of power.

Ever want to have a boost pedal that had that old school classic tubescreamer sound but could also go into some modern saturation when you wanted it? If so, this is the pedal for you. Keeley decided to create a bit of a mix of new and old all in one pedal with two different switches to select between them. The pedal features knobs for volume per channel, intensity, toggle switches for "eras" of boosts and a warp drive switch to really bring this thing into a new dimension. UTILIZATION The housing on this is a bit big for my liking, but I can see why he needed something like this. It's almost like two pedals in one, and you need to have the foot switches spaced far apart enough to where you can switch them without accidentally hitting the other. The switches on these are high quality and should last for years and years. Speaking of years, the pedal itself is housed in a crazy strong enclosure that can withstand an atomic bomb. It's super reliable, and I doubt you'll ever experience any failures or issues with this thing. The paint on this looks fantastic as well. SOUND QUALITY The vintage side is basically a germanium booster. These are old school boosters that work great for amps like Voxes and Marshalls. They can also help give Fenders some new life. You also have two different types of germanium style boosts you can choose from, so it's not like you're limited like the old ones were. The modern side, however, is the real reason to buy this, in my opinion. It's a FET based boost, and it adds this harmonic richness to your tone that is almost unbeatable. It's almost like having the Katana built into this pedal, but it's slightly different. Very cool sounds! OVERALL OPINION If you're looking for a very versatile pedal that can mix both new and old all in one pedal, this is for you. Its combination of germanium and FET style boosts is a genius design, and it can really give you tons of versatility with a low to mid gain amp. With a high gain amp, it's not really necessary, and I find that it only adds to the compression instead of changing the actual tone. I don't like this as a booster like tubescreamers, but that's just me.

FET boosters are a bit of a new thing today. In the past, people have been experimenting with FETs and utilizing them for diodes in the clipping section for awhile. However, some people started taking the old school approach and trying them as an almost quasi-treble booster style pedal. What I mean by that is, they simply have a knob that allows you to dial in the amount of FET boost you're looking for, and it's a pretty ingenious way at helping give you a great sound without much actual knob fiddling. The pedal features only one knob, and honestly, that's all it needs. UTILIZATION There's not much going on here, and that's a good thing. There's no real need to be switching all kinds of different resistors/caps/diodes in and out of the signal path because it's already great as it is. All you need to do is dial in the amount of FET boost you're looking for, and the pedal will do the rest of the work for you. It's a small pedal, and it'll fit on pretty much any pedalboard out there. I'm a big fan of these smaller pedals because I need as much real estate on my board as possible for other effects. The pedal is also true bypass, so there's no need to worry about your tone sucking when it's turned off. SOUND QUALITY There is one knob. Turn it up for the effect to be more prominent and turn it down for more subtly. It's really that simple. Most people are wondering exactly HOW is sounds. Well, imagine a thick, juicy steak. That's really what FET boosters are like. They add this warm, complex and fat sounding boost that is awesome for mid gain. They can work on high gain as well, but once you start compressing the tone real hard, the effect gets to be a bit less prominent. You can use this as a booster for your clean tone, but you'll probably want to watch your volume levels just in case. OVERALL OPINION There are a few FET boosters out there today, and this happens to be my favorite pure FET booster. I normally enjoy FET diodes in my signal path when I'm boosting mid gain amps as they add tons of character, but I don't use them that much when I'm playing death metal and the such as the amps are already so compressed that this just doesn't add anything extra to the tone.

Ever want that old school 60s/70s treble booster sound? Ever want it in true bypass form, more refined and a bit more modern? Well, Keeley has made the pedal for you. This is not really a normal booster. We're talking that kind of Brian May old school treble boosted Vox kind of sound. It's not for everyone, and it can really be an acquired taste, but if you're looking for the ultimate treble booster, this just may be it. The pedal features a tone and level knob, along with true bypass, a special switch to select between voicings, true bypass and more. UTILIZATION Keeley did a great job at packing everything in this pedal. Normally, treble boosters are just one knob machines. You turn the knob up, and you get more of the effect. This is great if you're just wanting that old school, basic sound, but for today's world, we need a few more options. Keeley wonderfully provided us with a three way voicing switch that allows you to select between three different styles of treble boosting. There is also another knob to allow you to choose exactly how much of that treble effect in the treble boost you want. The pedal is true bypass, so there's no worrying about your tone when it's bypassed. On top of that, he also built this in one of the most hardcore, rock solid enclosures out there, so no issues about this failing any time soon. SOUND QUALITY This is rated down slightly because, quite honestly, I couldn't find a use for that old school treble booster sound. I'm a product of the 80s/90s, and my main genre is death metal. While I play other things like fusion and blues, I never really got into that 60s/70s style rock. However, that doesn't mean this is a bad pedal. In fact, it's one of the best treble booster I've ever had the pleasure of using. I loved it when boosting an old school Vox for that Brian May style tone. I also liked the extra versatility in this to allow me to select between the voicings. OVERALL OPINION If you're in need of a great treble booster, take a hard look at this. It's an awesome pedal. Although it's slightly pricey, it's one hell of a great treble booster. I recommend buying used since you'll save some money, but that's just for the penny pinchers out there.

The Robert Keeley Electronics Framptone Talk Box is a pedal put out by legendary guitarist Peter Frampton. It's not exactly designed by Robert Keeley Electronics, but is distributed by them. It doesn't come with it's own tube, as you can use a tubing of any size for getting different types of sounds. The pyramid shaped pedal has 1/4" connections and isn't rack mountable. UTILIZATION It's not at all hard to operate the Framptone Talk Box, as it just has a button for engaging the effect. Your tubing goes on top of it and playing it is really what takes getting used to. It's not any different than playing with any other talk box, and all it takes is a little practice to get the hang of it. I haven't had access to a manual nor have I thought of looking one up. SOUND QUALITY The Framptone Talk Box is by far the best sounding talk box I've ever used. A studio that I briefly interned at had one of these and while I only got to use it a few times, it was enough to leave me wanting to come back for more. This will give you the classic Peter Frampton talk box sound for sure, but of course a lot of it has to do with his technique. What I'll say is that it gives you to tools to make it possible. If you have one it's definitely worth it to have a few different sized tubings to go with it, but I've only used one of about a standard size. This is as good a sounding talk box possible... OVERALL OPINION You simply can't go wrong with the Framptone Talk Box. It's the best talk box available to the public and approved by the man (Peter Frampton of course), although I'm not sure exactly the amount of input he had here even though it does bare his name. It's costly at $400 US dollars, but it really is the ultimate talk box. If you're a professional or semi-professional or just can't get enough of the talk box sound, the Framptone Talk Box will give you endless hours of fun and an incredible sound.