The keeley blues driver and the mxr are not true bypass, though the latter is hardware bypass. I also use a butler tube driver and a lovepedal eternity. Keeley electronics releases the katana blues drive 201409. Donner blues drive minipedal demo mean mini machine. Our famous mod to your pedal with the added benefit of a 3pdt true bypass footswitch.
Imagine his surprise when he excitedly tore open the package to find an ibanez tube screamer inside. With true byass, there is no change in function when on, but when off the input is connected directly to both output jacks for true bypass on both jacks. Review boss blues driver pedal and keeley mod justinguitar. Well be offering mods for the bd2, ds1, ts9, and more. Overdrive pedals can also be used to boost an already cooking amp into further. A great basic boss pedal and it suped up cousin, modified by robert keeley, the effects wizard. The keeley bd2 was the first mod that had a switch. Sep 22, 2014 like all of keeley electronics designs, the katana drive is handbuilt in the usa using the finest components and construction techniques. Buy donner blues drive classical electronic vintage overdrive guitar effect pedal true bypass warmhot modes. Its also touch sensitive, so the pedal is activated as soon as you put your foot on it it really is cool and made it onto my pedalboard right away.
Its kind of like a more transparent tube screamer with a flatter eq response. It is an analog pedal and has a 14 inch input and output. Crafted with an ear for highly refined sound, the bd2w takes the classic blues driver grit to a new level with alldiscrete analog circuitry. For one thing, whether you go for the higherend waza version or the standard offering, the blues driver is a pedalboard staple. Super phat mod keeley engineering keeley electronics. Robert keeley katana blues drive guitar pedal andertons. With the slight boost, it was called the phat mode. Our famous mod to your pedal with the added benefit of a 3pdt truebypass footswitch. 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.
Blues driver in a tuxedo this is keeley s take on the boss bd2 pedal. With the super phat mod, you now have all of our refinementsthe very best of toneshaping electronics and modern features like true bypass. Gazing into the glowing blue electric eye of the katana blues drive is like having a staring contest with a focused tonal master. Donner blues drive classical electronic vintage overdrive guitar effect pedal true bypass warmhot modes boss bd2 blues driver guitar effects pedal bundle with blucoil power supply slim acdc adapter for 9 volt dc 670ma, and 4pack of celluloid guitar picks. Oct 24, 2010 after the super boutique bb preamp and the more mundane boss sd1, the next tube screamer alternative to be featured on guitar tone overload is somewhere in the middle born in the boss factories and modified in the workshop of mister keeley, the boss bd2 blues driver overdrive is not a tube screamer copy but a different machine as you will gather from the demo videos b. Who uses a blues driver for boost with the gain down. So ive been looking at the keeley phat mod and the true bypass mod. The donner pedal also has a hotwarm toggle switch that comes in handy and is true bypass.
Keeley guitar effects pedals are designed to help guitarists and musicians find the perfect tone. Strat players often get on well with the blues driver, because the pedal. It seems like analogman and keeley act like true bypass isnt that important, but on some pedals keeley acts like its very important if its not, why does he make the ad9 by ibanez true bypass. Im more curious about true bypass than the 5 phat mod, but i think the phat mod would be fun and worth while. The blues drive is the latest pedal in the keeley katana range and boy is it an awesome pedal. A traditional tube screamer can be made true bypass, but by the time you pay for the mod, you might as well buy one of the pedals above. If you want more bass, included are instructions for his phat mod. It was originally designed for legendary tones for the time machine boost but then became an independent product under the keeley name after the compressor came out. Keeley super phat mod transparent overdrive in its most refined state.
Oct 18, 2011 brad paisleys former guitar tech, chad weaver, attests to the rapidity of keeleys success. What pedal will give me the boss blues driver tone, but more gain and true bypass. Set the gain high and let your guitars volume control or your pick attack do the work. We use a 4pdt switch and a special switching jack to allow it to work just like stock but with true bypass. It was perfect for players of strats and teles who wanted just a small push without being muddy. Dec 11, 2014 robert keeleys vision of the perfect boost pedal has begotten an overdrive so transparent and dynamic, one might think of this new baby blue box as an extension of the amplifier. It takes a 9 volt battery or can be powered by the boss tu2 tuner pedal if you have the power supply and daisy chain. This way i can combine them and really get over the top if thats what i want to do.
The sonic dna from the original katana boost is clear and strong with the katana blues drive. Get a new drive pedal with the keeley super phat mod overdrive from andertons music. I use a blues driver and ts808 bothmodded by keeley and they work well. The boss bd2 blues driver is an overdrive guitar pedal.
I find the boss footprint dead easy to stomp on every single time without much thought and my size nines struggle to hit the small foot switches of true bypass pedals accurately and thats not what i want when im just about to take a lead break. Keeley electronics super phat mod full range overdrive youtube. 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 and responsiveness of tubes, without the flakiness. A thorough comparison of the classic boss bd2 blues driver overdrive, its waza craft version, and two other pedals based on the famous phat mod done by robert keeley the keeley super phat mod. It was done to give players two modes of bass response, with the slight boost it was called the phat mode. Blues driver keeley mod vs waza craft vs katana blues drive. The blues drive is allegedly donners take on a keeley modified boss bd2 blues driver. From country pickin, to blues and rock wailing, the phat mod is the choice for those not. Isaac installs clickless true bypass into boss ds1 pedal duration. Boss bd2w blues driver waza craft guitar effects pedal. The boss sd1 is an overdrive that sits somewhere between a bd2 blues driver and the full on ds1 distortion. True bypass, low noise floor could be lower, but is pretty good. What pedal will give me the boss blues driver tone, but. Keeley super phat mod overdrive andertons music co.
Jul 01, 2014 the blues drive is a small, userfriendly and well built pedal from china, with no compromises in the sound department. Gets all the great thick blues sounds of the bd2 and then some phat mode. I bought the donner blues drive because i loved the donner yellow fall delay that i had picked up previously. With the super phat mod you now have all of our refinements, the very best of toneshaping electronics, and modern features like true bypass. Importance of true bypass to ts9 effects and processors. Ulbrick modded ibanez ts9 vs keeley modded boss br2 blues driver duration. Thinking of a blues driver as clean boost telecaster. The katana circuit is robert keeleys first guitar effect design for keeley electronics. 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. Mar 31, 2016 the blues drive is allegedly donners take on a keeleymodified boss bd2 blues driver. Waza pedals are true bypass and have top components, vs keeley modded ones. This pedal gives you true bypass for any wah pedal that you place on it. The ce1 is not a true stereo pedal like our analog man chorus, but it can sound cool.
From country, to blues and rock the phat mod is the choice for those not. Keeley boss bd2 blues driver guitar effects pedal p10830. Keeley electronices katana blues drive tone report. Its not true bypass, but the boss buffers are pretty good, and depending on what you run on your board, a wellplaced buffer can be a benefit, aiding your loaded signal on its merry way to your preamp. Keeley super phat mod full range transparent overdrive pedal. This popular mod from keeley makes the sd1 into a hard rockers dream, turning the pedal into a gainer and more open ts style overdrive that can reach distortion territory when dimed ou. But if you like the boss bd so much i doubt youll think the ocd or blues boy sound a lot like it. It was done to give players two modes of bass response. What distortion it does put out is extremely transparent and silky smooth.
How important is it that i get my ts9 changed to true bypass. I use more than one because i keep them at low gain except for the ts808. So ive got a blues driver, ive been looking for something a little bit more unique with more options. It is housed in a beautifully powdercoated and rugged enclosure, includes true bypass switching, and features a 2year limited lifetime warranty with worldclass keeley customer support. Blues boy, barber, keeley moded bd and those 1st 3 are excellent pedals to be sure. 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. Its a very violin like quality when turned up to full gain. Keeley blues driver mod page down toward the bottom of the page keeley suggests some mods for the blues driver. Jan 16, 2011 the blues driver is very warm and touch responsive and very fenderish to my ears. Curious as to whether hed like the sound of true bypass, weaver ordered a keeley blues driver mod a modified boss bd2 blues driver overdrive. A thorough comparison of the classic boss bd2 blues driver overdrive, its waza craft version, and two other pedals based on the famous phat mod done by robert keeley the keeley. Mar 08, 2019 a thorough comparison of the classic boss bd2 blues driver overdrive, its waza craft version, and two other pedals based on the famous phat mod done by robert keeley the keeley super phat mod.