Blues driver in a tuxedo this is keeley s take on the boss bd2 pedal. Keeley boss bd2 blues driver overdrive guitar effects pedal p10976. Just picked up a keeley phat mod boss blues driver, whats peoples thoughts on this pedal. Keeley bd2 boss blues driver phat mod overdrive pedal modified. The keeley boss blues driver bd2 phat mod overdrive pedal if you are familiar with the original boss bd2, you probably wont notice any difference from just taking a quick look at the outside besides the added phat switch and the blue led and thats to be expected as most of the magic in the mod takes place on the inside.
The drive remains dynamic and touchsensitive all the way up the dial, thanks to keeleys trademark exclusion of clipping diodes. Jul 19, 2018 keeley boss blues driver for mac download plus, we add our phat switch to allow even more of your natural low end through for those times when you need a little more beef. All of the changes are subtle but when packaged together offer a nice improvement. Waza pedals are true bypass and have top components, vs keeley modded ones. Robert was never big on bass boosts in general so the switch on this pedal is mild in its effect on your tone. The original pedal was a great design that features tubelike amp stages, tube amp tone stacks, and a variety of tone shaping circuits to. I sent a bd2 and a ts9 into robert at the same time, in 05 or 06 maybe, so i used the two together all the time when i got them back from keeley. Keeley electronics releases the katana blues drive 2014. When it comes to customer relations, you all surpass the others and go above and. Most of the modified pedals are currently out of production, but a fair few turn up regularly on reverb. Like all switches and knobs on this pedal, it feels solid and moves smoothly. Nov 26, 2011 the keeley mod fixes those issues, and it also gives you some additional tone controls to help further shape the tone. The ocd has a reputation as one of the best stackinastompbox overdrive pedals. This popular pedal provides instant access to the kind of warm overdrive and emotive distortion usually reserved for 30yearold tube amps.
Boss pedals have long been staples on many a pedalboard, and one that i always found to be a real standout is the bd2 blues driver. With the slight boost, it was called the phat mode. Fenderbigotmay 25, it was far clearer than a stock bd the bd2 is not the same as a ts9 pedal. Crafted with an ear for highly refined sound, the bd2w takes the classic blues driver grit to a new level with alldiscrete analog circuitry. Thinking of a blues driver as clean boost telecaster. It works best when you want that transparent sounding overdrive to help push the amp just a touch but dont want that tubescreamer flavor sound.
Jan 25, 2020 keeley boss blues driver bd2 questions do i need the upgrade. Blues guitar has never sounded better than through a blues driver bd2. I have a sparkle drive and a keeley blues driverused to gig with both. Keeley boss blues driver bd2 questions do i need the upgrade. Keeley electronices katana blues drive tone report. For those wanting to set their amp on fire but not change the tone of. The boss bd2 blues driver is an extremely popular overdrive pedal, set up as a competitor to the ts9 tubescreamer. Edmond, ok september 22, 2014 keeley electronics today announced it is shipping the katana blues drive effect pedal. Clean chord work, blues, blues rock, rock overview keeley has proposed to take a standard boss blues driver bd2 and upgrade several of its components, change its clipping saturation simulation characteristics, and widen its frequency range to be more transparent. The bd2 blues driver delivers the creamy, yet crunchy sound associated with great blues guitar. Keeley modded boss bd2 blues driver n stuff music product. Keeleys phat mod added some low end to the mostly fullrange blues driver and, despite the boss pedals reputation as a transparent overdrive, the restored beef was deemed a welcome addition.
It was done to give players two modes of bass response, with the slight boost it was called the phat mode. Keeley modded boss bd2 blues driver for windows 7 how would you why not just give keeleys a call. That same design is also available via the micro toggle on the super phat mod. Apr 28, 2020 in addition to the expected volume, drive, and tone knobs, theres the nineway selector switch. The keeley bd2 was the first mod that had a switch. It is meant to give an idea of where the tone can be improved or changed. Kinda like a blues driver or ocd along side a tube screamer or klon. Keeley electronics is an american manufacturer of effect units for electric guitars. Jan 10, 2019 i quickly realized i should get some dirt too and i knew john mayer used a keeley modded bd2 on the trio album which i loved that tone so i thought i should start there. An optional secondary phat mod adds a switch for introducing more bass into the tone. The blues drive is the latest pedal in the keeley katana range and boy is it an awesome pedal. First is the od1, which is actually a boss circuit from 1977. As guitarist for japanese hardrock trio ningen isunot to mention a worldrenowned fx connoisseurshinji wajima is the perfect candidate to put bosss eight waza craft models through their paces. Sometimes i miss my keeley modded blues driver a lot.
If you are familiar with the original boss bd2, you probably wont notice any difference from just taking a quick look at the outside besides the added phat switch and the blue led and thats to be expected as most of the magic in the mod takes place on the inside. Boss bd2 blues driver keeley electronics phat mod pedal of the day. Based on the famous blues breaker, the 1962 stage has been amplified by our katana boost on either side, adding tubelike saturation with our jfet valve simulation. When the humble boss overdrive isnt occupied with wailing blues licks. The parts added will increase the warmth of the pedal and add a level satisfaction to your playing. For single coils the bd with the fat switch on was miles above the sparkle drive, imo. The pedal you have now is the culmination of many ideas and modifications that robert keeley had made to the pedal over the years. What distortion it does put out is extremely transparent and silky smooth.
Boss bd2 blues driver keeley electronics phat mod the switch is in a nice location bozs where you can select it easily, but it wont be knocked by accident. Guitar pedal x news robert keeley boss mods trifecta. The blues driver responds well to picking dynamics, too. Boss bd2 blues driver w keeley mod price guide reverb. The bd2 that john used was modified by robert keeley altering the sound significantly from the stock model. Passionately designed by the master engineers at boss in japan, the waza craft bd2w delivers a premium stomp experience that fans of customized pedal tone will love. He also offered an optional phat mod, adding a small toggle switch under. This is the boss blues driver bd2 overdrive pedal modded by keeley official boss bd2 pedal website. In addition to the expected volume, drive, and tone knobs, theres the nineway selector switch. In praise of the humble, underrated boss blues driver.
The keeley boss blues driver bd2 phat mod overdrive pedal. On a boss sd 1 for example the analogman mod sounds better to me and on a boss blues driver the keeley sounds better. Skip to main content skip to footer site51500000007142 site51500000000007279 new j32467 keeley tone workstation overdrive guitar pedal site51500000007142. If you want a little more, the mod also includes the addition of a phat switch. Boss bd2 blues driver overdrive w keeley mod reverb. May 01, 2017 and for years, robert keeley and his team at keeley electronics modified the actual boss bd2 blues driver for additional warmth, tone, and versatility. Hey guys marty schwartz here again with another thursday gear video. And for years, robert keeley and his team at keeley electronics modified the actual boss bd2 blues driver for additional warmth, tone, and versatility. It might be a good idea to turn the phat switch off under loud situations if there is too much low end in your sound. After over years of making great guitar tones from the ground up, the katana blues drive offers a musically rich and dynamic overdrive that truly captures the sound, feel. I have featured both the keeley freak fuzz modded bd2 blues driver and twilight zone modded mt2 metal zone on this site several times before. Keeley tone workstation overdrive guitar pedal guitar center.
That wider use also colluded with a growing pedal mod movement, as the bd2 was a prime candidate for tweaking due to its affordable price and solid tone. There is a slight bass increase felt when notes are played on the open e and a strings. This bd2 has been modified by keeley electronics to include a gain switch to add more low end, making the pedal sound more organic while giving it a more tube amplike sound. In praise of the humble, underrated boss blues driver reverb news. Gpx blog 12 of the best blues driver style pedals guitar pedal x. Boss bd2 blues driver keeley electronics phat mod posted by pedal of the day on wednesday, november 25, 2015 in boss, keeley electronics, overdrive distortion boss pedals have long been staples on many a pedalboard, and one that i always found to be a real standout is the bd2 blues driver. Boss bd2 blues driver mods robert keeley this is not allinclusive in what can be done to the blues driver.
I still have the keeley ts9 flexi, but kinda wish i still had the bd2 also. Sep 11, 2018 keeley modded boss bd2 blues driver for windows 7 how would you why not just give keeleys a call. Very warm, round, no breath and very balanced in the equalizer. Keeley guitar effects pedals for sale in stock ebay. Keeley boss blues driver for mac download plus, we add our phat switch to allow even more of your natural low end through for those times when you need a little more beef. The original pedal was a great design that features tubelike amp stages, tube amp tone stacks, and a variety of tone shaping circuits to bring out the best in any guitars pickups.
The first blues driver i had was the diminutive mooer blues mood in fact a mooer mini clone of the keely blues driver mod which added a fat switch to boost the lowend frequencies and upgraded some of the cheaper components to give a more rounded and even tone profile. Though it is specific to the amp to a point, cranked gain stages of the katana blues drive remind me of a jtm 45 run to the hiltwhich is a welcome, serendipitous slice of sonic life. Among others, the mod includes changing several of bd2s inside components and adding a phat switch which activates a lower frequency booster for a somewhat bassier or fatter sound. Robert keeley first made his name by doing mods on popular pedals making them much better sounding and quieter. Keeley tone workstation overdrive guitar pedal musician. I only had a keeley katana and i my wallet hurt from that investment at the time. Dec 11, 2014 the drive remains dynamic and touchsensitive all the way up the dial, thanks to keeleys trademark exclusion of clipping diodes. Perfect for players of strats and teles that wanted just a small push without being muddy. Im going to have a play around with it now, i have it plugged into my classic 50 and a cp 60s strat. D3 change this 1ss3 to a different 1n4002 diode for asymmetrical clipping. To me better is a smoother and wider od range less of the harsh rattiness. Super phat mod keeley engineering keeley electronics. The boss bd2 blues driver overdrive w keeley mod takes midrange overdriven.
Its a very violin like quality when turned up to full gain. Modified classic overdrivedistortion units reborn from. Phil gates takes you on a guided tour of the bd2 blues driver. I quickly realized i should get some dirt too and i knew john mayer used a keeley modded bd2. The blues driver not only quickly captured its targeted audience, but its versatility and character helped it to transcend genres equally as hastily. The mod does exactly what the final intention was, boss pedals have long been staples on many a pedalboard, and one that i always found to be a real standout is the bd2 blues driver. Keeley boss bd2 phat mod blues driver pedal n stuff music. I dont anymore, but i had no trouble stacking it with a tube screamer both pedals at moderatelow drive, order did not matter to get great boostsustain. Keeley super phat mod full range transparent overdrive pedal. Sparkle drive vs blues driver telecaster guitar forum. The 100% handbuilt katana drive is a unique and modern circuit that delivers layers of rich overdrive tone at a very low noise level.
This pedal should really be used as a clean style boost, in my opinion. One of the pedals that he was famous for improving was the the very popular boss blues driver pedal. Theyre both on the shelf at the moment, as i currently favor a mini tube screamer as an alwayson pedal. Keeley super phat mod overdrive andertons music co. Keeleys phat mod added some low end to the mostly fullrange blues driver and, despite the boss pedals reputation as a transparent overdrive, the restored beef was deemed a. Boss bd2 distortion guitar effect pedal w keeley electronics. Its a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at. Enjoy the lowest prices and best selection of keeley switch effects pedals at guitar center. There is a normal and fat position switch at the top of the pedal. The bd2 phat mod does not partly because of the style that i play with my band, but honestly, it is the equal of these pedals.
Robert keeley made his name modding pedals, and one of his most beloved upgrades was to the boss blues driver. Robert keeley has of course modified more than these three boss pedals yet i personally feel that these are the ones really worth having. The difference in analogman and keeley mods is the keeleys always sound way more compressed and have more gain. The keeley super phat mod is our famous mod now perfected with amazing sounding jfets that emulate old tube amps in a unique way. It was done to give players two modes of bass response. Boss bd2 blues driver overdrive effects pedal wkeeley phat mod modded modified. The pedal you have now is the culmination of many ideas and modifications that i have made to the pedal during the course the years. Strum those strings while moving the switch back and forth to get an initial feel of the possibilities.
I put the blues driver gain control at basically how much distortion i want to get when turning guitar volume all the way up for a particular style of music. It takes the spirit of bosss muchloved od1 and sd1, but adds gain, edge and bite to emulate a cooking valve amplifier. The company, founded by robert keeley and operating from edmond, oklahoma, 1 also sells modifications for effects by. The rich harmonics and responsive controls make it a great overdrive for capturing that hallowed classicrock sound of an amp pushed to 11, while its hplp switch affords it considerable versatility. Recently, keeley introduced the super phat mod full range overdrive, a pedal with the same clear boss heritage, but with all the keeley touches that improve the pedal dramatically. Blues driver keeley mod vs waza craft vs katana blues drive. As far as controls go, the blues driver phat mod keeley boss blues right in oeeley with your average overdrive pedal.
The fat switch is based on the boss blues driver with the legendary keely mod and really opens up the full tonal range of the pedal. Back in 2009 or so, i started my guitar tone quest. As mentioned, the keeley mod is the fat switch now part of roberts own super phat mod pedal, while brian wamplers and mike pieras. The keeley mod upgrades all the components for a warmer, more dynamic tone. Boss bd2 blues driver keeley electronics phat mod pedal. He then changes 6 electrolytic capacitors capacitors for. Between the keeley bd2 and the waza, that i own, the waza has more range and openness even on the classic switch, the custom side is similar to the keeley fat switch, but the gain is smoother, and again, more range increase and just better. Strat players often get on well with the blues driver, because the pedal tends to gently balance out the strats toppy sound.
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