Got to A/B the Keeley and Analog man BD-2's today...

John E · July 1st, 2003, 03:04 PM

I posted this on the Weber site also... I went to Rob Distefano's to drop off some axes getting work done and I have the Analog Man and he has the Keeley.

They actually sounded pretty similar, and they both sound great. I really like the BD-2 to begin with and the modded ones to me are worth the cash... I hear a huge difference in Clarity, overall gain, and the tone knobs are much more useable in the mods... also the gain is not so buzzy when you turn it up.

Here's the rig I used:

Strat with Texas Specials ---> BD-2--> Fender MusicMaster Bass amp W/Weber Cali(Volume set between 3 and 4)

Both sound really good, very similar except the Keeley was more "gainy" overall... even with the gain knob all the way down on both pedals, with level and tone at 12 o'clock the AM was a bit cleaner and clearer which I liked better about it. The Keeley still did a great job of boost it's just a hair more dirty, for a bigger amp that might be less of an issue, thru the small MusicMaster it was noticeable. The fat switch on the Keeley is very cool... very subtle but very cool, it sounded the best to me when using the Bridge pup, fattened it up nicely. I would say the AM's tone falls somewhere right between the Keeley's Phat switch being on and off.

Conclusion: I'd be very happy with either, the AM I used gets the nod for just a tad more clarity, but the fat switch on the Keeley was very cool, and I totally dig the Blue LED...

RKeeley · July 10th, 2003, 07:34 AM

Thanks for the nice review. I opted for slightly more gain because the BD-2 is very interactive with the volume control on your guitar. Hoping that people would utilize that attribute I opted for more gain. If you listen to the very high end of the pedal you should notice a sizeable difference in the pedals. The massive amount of silver mica caps we install makes a great difference in the harshness.
Thanks again!
rk

John E · July 10th, 2003, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RKeeley

I opted for slightly more gain because the BD-2 is very interactive with the volume control on your guitar. Hoping that people would utilize that attribute I opted for more gain.

Thanks Robert, I think that's what I like most about the BD-2, as I play typically with the vol knob on my guitar at between 1/2 and 3/4, then turn up for leads or crunchier rhythms.
In fairness the amp I used was pretty small, and I use the neck pickup 90% of the time... for a bigger amp slightly more gain would be a non-issue for me. Both pedals are really excellent.

Joe Neri · July 10th, 2003, 10:15 AM

I've had the Analogman BD-2 and now have Keeley's. Both are great pedals and a definite improvement over the stock BD-2. But I like the Keeley pedal a little better...a little more gain without having to turn up the volume, and that PHAT switch...ooh boy!

Rob DiStefano · July 11th, 2003, 07:54 AM

Both the Analog and Keeley mods are improvements on a basically greay pedal, IMO. I like that phat switch!

July 1st, 2003, 03:04 PM	#1 (permalink)
John E Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,396	Got to A/B the Keeley and Analog man BD-2's today... I posted this on the Weber site also... I went to Rob Distefano's to drop off some axes getting work done and I have the Analog Man and he has the Keeley. They actually sounded pretty similar, and they both sound great. I really like the BD-2 to begin with and the modded ones to me are worth the cash... I hear a huge difference in Clarity, overall gain, and the tone knobs are much more useable in the mods... also the gain is not so buzzy when you turn it up. Here's the rig I used: Strat with Texas Specials ---> BD-2--> Fender MusicMaster Bass amp W/Weber Cali(Volume set between 3 and 4) Both sound really good, very similar except the Keeley was more "gainy" overall... even with the gain knob all the way down on both pedals, with level and tone at 12 o'clock the AM was a bit cleaner and clearer which I liked better about it. The Keeley still did a great job of boost it's just a hair more dirty, for a bigger amp that might be less of an issue, thru the small MusicMaster it was noticeable. The fat switch on the Keeley is very cool... very subtle but very cool, it sounded the best to me when using the Bridge pup, fattened it up nicely. I would say the AM's tone falls somewhere right between the Keeley's Phat switch being on and off. Conclusion: I'd be very happy with either, the AM I used gets the nod for just a tad more clarity, but the fat switch on the Keeley was very cool, and I totally dig the Blue LED...

July 10th, 2003, 07:34 AM	#2 (permalink)
RKeeley TDPRI Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 54	Thanks for the nice review. I opted for slightly more gain because the BD-2 is very interactive with the volume control on your guitar. Hoping that people would utilize that attribute I opted for more gain. If you listen to the very high end of the pedal you should notice a sizeable difference in the pedals. The massive amount of silver mica caps we install makes a great difference in the harshness. Thanks again! rk __________________ Email: fx@robertkeeley.com Honk if you own a Telecaster!~

July 10th, 2003, 10:15 AM	#4 (permalink)
Joe Neri Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 232	Just got my Keeley BD-2 I've had the Analogman BD-2 and now have Keeley's. Both are great pedals and a definite improvement over the stock BD-2. But I like the Keeley pedal a little better...a little more gain without having to turn up the volume, and that PHAT switch...ooh boy! __________________ The blues is my business, and business is good.

July 11th, 2003, 07:54 AM	#5 (permalink)
Rob DiStefano Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Park Ridge, NJ Age: 62 Posts: 4,674	Both the Analog and Keeley mods are improvements on a basically greay pedal, IMO. I like that phat switch!