Stock vs. Keeley Blues Driver

[DankStar]

My brother has a stock blues driver and I have a keeley modded one (got on here from ArtieToo). I just wanted to see if there was a major difference through his little jcm800 & EVH 1x12" cab. I started on the normal and switched over to the keeley - you can hear how more open and driving it is. I like the original, but the keeley has a lot more punch at the same settings:

https://youtu.be/nbW1eTCSONg

 

[NegativeEase]

The Keeley is at a higher volume and higher gain (at least the way it sounds in the video). -doesnt seem like a fair fight for the ole' stock unit.

 

[DankStar]

I just thought it was interesting the keeley was louder with more gain at the same settings. Maybe that’s its big trick? I dunno. It wasn’t as obvious in the room but when he sent me the vid, it stood out.

 

[Artie]

I'm glad to see that this went to someone who could make it sing better than me.

The difference is subtle. When you distort a wave, you create high frequency harmonics that were never part of the original signal. They are generated in the circuit. Not the guitar. I "think" what Keeley may have done, is limit some of those hi-freq components so that you're hearing more of the guitar. Instead of the circuit.

Describing "tone" in words is difficult.

 

[DankStar]

I'm glad to see that this went to someone who could make it sing better than me.

The difference is subtle. When you distort a wave, you create high frequency harmonics that were never part of the original signal. They are generated in the circuit. Not the guitar. I "think" what Keeley may have done, is limit some of those hi-freq components so that you're hearing more of the guitar. Instead of the circuit.

Describing "tone" in words is difficult.

Not sure I can make it sing, but I'll definitely use it! Most of my tube amps are in limbo until I build my man closet but anxious to use it with my 60s PAs in a more bluesy fashion. I think you explained it well. There seemed to be less of the pedal holding things back.

 

[GuitarStv]

I just thought it was interesting the keeley was louder with more gain at the same settings.

This is kind of a problem with comparing guitar pedals. Pots aren't exactly precision electronics. They've got very wide variance. You can take two stock BD-2s and set the pots at the same location and get different gain and level out of them because at the same location on the sweep they are reading different values.

FWIW, I like the keeley BD-2 . . . it sounds really really close to the BD-2w. The BD-2w is not far off from the standard BD-2 though.

 

[NegativeEase]

This is kind of a problem with comparing guitar pedals. Pots aren't exactly precision electronics. They've got very wide variance. You can take two stock BD-2s and set the pots at the same location and get different gain and level out of them because at the same location on the sweep they are reading different values.

FWIW, I like the keeley BD-2 . . . it sounds really really close to the BD-2w. The BD-2w is not far off from the standard BD-2 though.

What I like to do with a mod pedal is try to match it to the original first and see where the dials on the mod ended up in relation to know if the mod can still do the old thing's sound where I like it, and then I try and try and take the mod from there.

 

[Ascension]

Never run the Keeley BD 2 but have done the Monti Allums H2O mod on a couple and really liked the results. Got rid of that nasty SPLAT on the attack at higher gains and really opened up and smoothed out the tones. Made a huge difference in the few I modded.

 

[Chistopher]

I've tried a few Blues Driver mods and my favorite one is the Galaxie Mod. I don't think the company still does it, but I'm pretty sure the parts list can be found online.

 

[Aceman]

I just thought it was interesting the keeley was louder with more gain at the same settings.

Pots vary.