Review boss blues driver pedal and keeley mod difficulty. I have dealt with many different fx companies, pedal builders and moders over. Robert keeley first made his name by doing mods on popular pedals making them much better sounding and quieter. That same month, the boss bd2 blues driver first hit guitar store shelves, targeting a different sort of player. Boss bd2 modded blues driver i use a halfway keeley modded by myself blues driver for everything to deep purple to mastodon through my tweaker 15 head.
After more than a decade of building great guitar tone from the ground up, keeley has crafted an overdrive that is destined to be a classic. I never liked spinachor broccolior boss bd2 blues drivers or stock ts9s. Imagine his surprise when he excitedly tore open the package to find an ibanez tube screamer inside. The bd2 is arguably one of the best boss pedals right out of the box, and with a few precision adjustments from the fromel laboratory, this pedal can rival the best boutique stomp boxes on the market. Keeley boss blues driver bd2 questions do i need the upgrade. About the only differences i heard was that the modded bd2 sounded a lot thinner, more ear splitting high end, and the distortion became a lot more raspy, when i could get distortion that is. Its a monster pedal and ive taken as many pictures as i could to show its condition. Modified classic overdrivedistortion units reborn from. This popular pedal provides instant access to the kind of warm overdrive and emotive distortion. Mammoth electronics boss blues driver phat mod youtube. Boss bd2 blues driver keeley phat mod kit aktivlogic. This pedal has a huge range of tone customers tell me on a daily basis, its the sound theyve been looking for for years. The company, founded by robert keeley and operating from edmond, oklahoma, also sells modifications for effects by boss and ibanez. Keeley has proposed to take a standard boss blues driver bd2 and upgrade.
It was done to give players two modes of bass response. The boss blues driver is one of those pedals that everybody has owned or at least played through once. It is meant to give an idea of where the tone can be improved or changed. A great stock pedal, the bd2 gives of great drive tones, perfect for rock and roll, blues or pop, and can get your tube amp to that special distorted spot that every player digs. 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. Keeley boss blues driver bd2 phat mod overdrive pedal. Stock its a good sounding pedal but once you apply some mods to it, such as what robert keeley has done, its like an entirely new pedal altogether.
Robert keeley has of course modified more than these three boss pedals yet i personally feel that these are the ones really worth having. Keeley bd2 boss blues driver phat mod overdrive pedal modified. 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. While grunge was going strong, the powers that be at boss realized that blues music was about to make a comeback. Boss bd2 blues driver keeley freak fuzz mod including phat mod c. 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 below. Classic blues guitar tones with tube amp simulationwarm distortion and overdriveresponds to nuance and volume changesac adaptor or 9v battery operationboss fiveyear warrantythe bd2 blues driver delivers the creamy, yet crunchy sound associated with great blues guitar. Apr 29, 2017 the boss bd2 blues driver with the mammoth keeley phat mod mammoth electronics boss bd2 phat keeley modsp.
By march of 1995, pearl jams better man off vitology had been sitting comfortably at no. Keeley vs monte allums discussion in effects, pedals. In terms of the modded ones i sometimes prefer the jhs version, and sometime the keeley one. Below are some mods that you can do to your bd2 provided by mr. The humble boss bd2 blues driver a very underrated workhorse pedal. Keeley guitar effects pedals are designed to help guitarists and musicians find the perfect tone. 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.
So if you do the keeley mods yourself, then its not an official keeley mod, youre just swapping the same parts if that has an influence on the resale value. I must admit i do have a soft spot in my heart for robert keeley as he modded both my ds1. I like the stock blues driver also, the phat mod isnt a huge enhancement. 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. Jan 25, 2020 keeley boss blues driver bd2 questions do i need the upgrade. Boss bd2 blues driveraustin bazaar is an authorized boss dealer. The modded version adds a phat switch that beefs up. News robert keeley boss mods trifecta guitar pedal x. Keeley bd2 boss blues driver phat mod overdrive 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. There used to be more keeley modded pedals around, but robert has now mostly just taken his learning from those and made his own equivalent pedals like the super phat mod version of a boss blues driver type, and a red dirt od, based on his tube screamer modifications. Review boss blues driver pedal and keeley mod justinguitar.
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. Used by mayer most notably during the trio era circa 2005. Boss bd2 blues driver w keeley mod price guide reverb. Gpx blog 12 of the best blues driver style pedals guitar pedal x. Sounds great as a warm overdrive or a glassy booster. The pedal is kind of bright after the mod so i keep the tone control down to 9. The modded version adds a phat switch that beefs up the bottom end a bit and gives a little warmth.
If you have a few extra bucks to spend, robert keeley offers a modded version of the original boss bd2 blues driver. Boss bd2 with the original robert keeley mod and phat switch. If the screamin blues is to the blues driver what the bad monkey is to the tube screamer, no. My first inroad here was bizarrely the mooer blues mood, which was based on the robert keeley phat mod version, and was long my blues driver of choice. Robert, i have dealt with many different fx companies, pedal builders and moders over the 20some years ive been playing guitar and have never experienced the kind of attention and service that you all at keeley electronics naturally provide. Keeley modded boss bd2 blues driver phat mod freak fuzz edition. Id venture to say its nearly as popular as the beloved tube screamer. Boss od3 verses keeley modded sd1 telecaster guitar forum. The new super phat mod takes off by duplicating the keeley phat mod partforpart with the exception of our new super jfets. Mar 25, 20 the ibanez ts9 vs boss blues driver bd2 pedal two classic modded pedals go head to head in this shootout. Keeleys mod seems to have done away with this completely. Keeley boss blues pedal really has quite the range after modded by keeley. And for years, robert keeley and his team at keeley electronics modified the actual boss bd2 blues driver for additional warmth, tone, and versatility. Boss bd2 blues driver modifications fromel electronics.
If you are new to robert keeley electronics sound, try this pedal. Perhaps one of the most popular pedals to modify is the boss ds1. Ibanez ts9 30th anniversary modded pedals back in stock mods, product news 1 8 years ago breathing new life in to old classics. Keeley electronics is an american manufacturer of effect units for electric guitars. One of the pedals that he was famous for improving was the the very popular boss blues driver pedal. You also see it in the keeley fuzz head and the boss blues driver. The company, founded by robert keeley and operating from edmond, oklahoma, also sells modifications for effects by boss. At the heart of this pedal is a very interesting transistor configuration that has been used in some very special pedals. Robert keeley has a huge reputation for doing modifications on some very popular basic pedals. Boss od3 verses keeley modded sd1 discussion in the stomp box started by. If the screamin blues is to the blues driver what the bad monkey. Guitar pedal x gpx blog buying modded pedals 20 of. Brad paisleys former guitar tech, chad weaver, attests to the rapidity of keeley s success. Boss bd2 blues driver overdrive w keeley mod reverb.
Keeley katana blues drive dynamically rich the all new keeley katana blues drive. Bobs blog, mods, product news 10 8 years ago limited run. Keeley boss blues driver bd2 questions do i need the. Gear diy pedal projects november 2008 boss boss bd2 mods. A great basic boss pedal and it suped up cousin, modified by robert keeley, the effects wizard.
Guitar pedal x news robert keeley boss mods trifecta. The keeley boss blues driver bd2 phat mod overdrive pedal. Keeley bd2 boss blues driver phat mod overdrive pedal modified from a boss bd2 keeley electronics. One of the first three pedals they rejigged was the infamous boss bd2 blues driver pedal. The keeley mod upgrades all the components for a warmer, more dynamic tone. I must admit i do have a soft spot in my heart for robert keeley as he modded both my ds1 and my blues driver and really did an excellent job, particurly on the ds1. Guitar pedal x gpx blog buying modded pedals 20 of the. Robert keeley graciously shared his seeing eye and ultra mods with the public.
Curious as to whether hed like the sound of truebypass, weaver ordered a keeley blues driver mod a modified boss bd2 blues driver overdrive. An optional secondary phat mod adds a switch for introducing more bass into the tone. Ibanez ts9 30th anniversary pedals mods, product news, uncategorized 2. The keeley bd2 was the first mod that had a switch. The ibanez tubescreamer has been modded by dave ulbrick and the boss bd2 blues driver. The boss bd2 blues driver overdrive w keeley mod takes midrange overdriven character of the original factory pedal and infuses it with new handselected circuitry and components for improved response and fidelity. As mentioned, the keeley mod is the fat switch now part of roberts.
Fenderbigotmay 25, it was far clearer than a stock bd the bd2 is not the same as a ts9 pedal. His treatments tend to add a higher fidelity and true bypass to otherwise pedestrian, but tried and true effect pedals. Keeley super phat mod 16th anniversary overdrive product. The bd2 blues driver delivers the creamy, yet crunchy sound associated with great blues guitar.
But in they stock configuration, they shelve off a load of low end and have a tendency to be quite noisy. Robert keeley made his name modding pedals, and one of his most beloved upgrades was to the boss blues driver. Feb 04, 2007 robert keeley has a huge reputation for doing modifications on some very popular basic pedals. Robert took the blueprint from hits own boss bd2 modification fat mod and has improved and evolved that and incorporated into his own blues driver style pedal. While many players like the sound of the stock pedal just fine, many other guitarists like the basic tone but just want it bettermore organic, responsive and dynamic. Both are nmv amps with a adequate amount of headroom,not ideal.
Let me know if you have any other questions along the way. Im using a 5 watt blackheart as my home setup,and a marshall plexi as my main rig. The bd2 that john used was modified by robert keeley altering the sound significantly from. So if you do the keeley mods yourself, then its not an official keeley mod, youre just swapping the. Im attempting to create the clean powerboost tones as well as the tube driver tones like the solo on poles apart as a example with one pedal. In praise of the humble, underrated boss blues driver. Published on mar 8, 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. No longer any point in getting the keeley modded blues driver, you may as well get this instead. This is not allinclusive in what can be done to the blues driver. The boss bd2 blues driver is one of the most popular classic overdrive designs of all time, arguably just after the famous ibanez tube screamer series. The boss bd2 blues driver with the mammoth keeley phat mod mammoth electronics boss bd2 phat keeley mods p. Boss bd2w waza vs keeley modded bd2 discussion in effects.
Boss bd2 blues driver keeley phat mod kit for nerf. Guitar pedal x news boss od200 hybrid drive indepth. With the slight boost, it was called the phat mode. This is the boss blues driver bd2 overdrive pedal modded by keeley official boss. This mod opens up the tone so your guitars natural tone remains pure and articulate. I use it as a clean boost on the clean channel of my amp or a clean lead boost stacked with my analogman sd1808 brownpushpull selector mod. Robert keeley released the super phat mod full range overdrive. I find it particularly important in getting a great tone in certain circuits. 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. Super phat mod keeley engineering keeley electronics. And we think youll enjoy this incredible tone we have crafted for you.
I was looking for an analog delay for my pedal board to replace some rack units. Im in total agreement with you dana on the keeley modded blues driver. I modded my boss compressor because i bought it with no experience about comp pedals and once i learned how to use them, i tried better pedals and started to hate mine. The phat switch is cool for thickening up single coil pickups. Or the excellent mooer blues mood which is based on the same original mod. One of the most famous modded pedals, and one which all the mod kings tackled at some stage. Oct, 2008 the boss blues driver is one of those pedals that everybody has owned or at least played through once.
I just dont want my friend buying a kit from some guy making a quick buck when i can. Keeley modded boss bd2 blues driver n stuff music product. Keeley s 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. A musically rich and dynamic overdrive for the most discriminating guitar player. All of the changes are subtle but when packaged together. That was an original design designed to meet many of the tonal characteristics of the blues driver. Guitar pedal x gpx blog robert keeley boss mods trifecta. I have purchased a boss bd2 blues driver and an sd1 super overdrive and i am debating between keeley and monte allums mods. 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. Introduced back in 1995, the boss bd2 blues driver still remains an. This kit will provide you with all of the components high quality panasonic and multicomp caps and metal film resistors you need to mod your ds1 to keeley s specs. The boss bd2 blues driver is an extremely popular overdrive pedal, set up as a competitor to the ts9 tubescreamer. Electric mudd super fuzz machine by keeley robert keeley. Oct 18, 2011 brad paisleys former guitar tech, chad weaver, attests to the rapidity of keeleys success.