Keeley Compressor Pedal 4 Knob

[jagex3000]

Guitar > TC Electronic PolyTune > Dunlop 535Q CryBaby Wah > MXR Script Logo Dyna Comp > DigiTech Bad Monkey > RockBox Baby Blues > Visual Sound Liquid Chorus > Boss DD-3 > Blackstar HT-5R

I've got half of these just because of PGS!

[ihventura]

Another Saturday night!!!!!

[ede93]

i have a katana, compressor, wah, ts9, bd2, ds1, fuzz, and dd5. Which order?

[callehasty]

@ede93 Comp wah katana ds1 fuzz bd2 ts9 dd5

[NadadouroDave]

One more Saturday night! Nice!

[PTRU15]

Guitar->Keeley Compressor->Empress Multidrive->Dunlop Highgain->BBE Two Timer-> Peavey Valveking. Thank you PGS for teaching me about these pedals. I really appreciate the reviews. Stay awesome guys. :)

[varfk000]

this won't add gain will it

[bulenterdem1977]

the knobs are really ugly. the original black plastic knobs look better.

[RadioActivityMusic]

@bulenterdem1977 How gives a crap what it looks like. Don't you think the sound is more important? I'm tired of people hating on me because I play a Parker (which i don't find ugly by the way) because in the end you don't see music you hear it.

PS: you are stepping on this shit aways.

[flounderize]

Any opinions in the Keeley vs Empress dept?

[spider62able]

As far pickup noise with single coils many company make noisless pickups. These are usally 2 coils stacked. I have dimarzio area t's in my Tele and love them!

[jdh0858]

best compressor pedal ever...why did you guys quit carrying it?!?!?!?!

[MrUltraworld]

Every review of this pedal is been done with single coils. I'd like to hear a Les Paul or a PRS through it.

[goldenmonkeycolor]

i never thought id hear andy play a grateful dead riff... especially a bobby riff! he was a man of awesome compressed guitar work! Let's hear your favorite mutron clone!

[Dashooter911]

2:06 "behind blue eyes!"

[t0psecretshit]

can someone explain to me what a squashed tone is? i

[phriend2spin]

@t0psecretshit Basically when you have the compression level cranked up your signal loses dynamics (soft and loud). You get stuck with this mono leveled-out tone that sounds squished together. Meaning no matter hard or soft you play, there is now a single output level....which isn't really a great sound. A good compressor will do it's job without sounding squishy.

[snoochez112]

dear pgs, i need help.

i'mm playing very contemporary metal, i'm boosting a marshall dsl100 with an ibanez ts9 in front , along with a supressor and eq in my fx loop. i want a compressor to fight the compressor. do i need to buy something this expensive or will an mxr custom shop do the job? what do you recommend? and where in my chain is it most beneficial? thanks

[JourneyAnyWay]

I find it so funny that at first it was really trendy to love the keeley compressor and now it's really trendy to hate it (I guess because of the price).

Either way it is a very smooth powerful compressor. I would recommend.

[duncanltootill]

eeewww, gross hands and riffs

[dawnofascendacy]

more high gain plz!

[timijai22]

@GuitarProtege If you want distortion with great sustain, go buy an Engl Powerball 100

[DanielOnGuitar]

@ProGuitarShopDemos well said.

[reandor]

I own this baby and if you like compressors as transparent as possible, this is your thing. Trim pot makes this pedal usable with many different output level instruments.

[octaves88]

what patch cables do you reccomend andy??

[mattiv1]

Keeley Compressor or Mad Professor Forrest Green?

[joru100]

how does this pedal compare with them 2 knob version as well as the electro harmonix black finger?

[visualmatter]

one more saturday night

:)x3

gassin for this comp.

[Guitar4blues]

I use this, paired with an MI Audio Tube Zone; love it!!

[BePlayingHard]

Is a compressor pedal worth buying?

[gabrieltsiry]

@BePlayingHard anything by Keeley is worth buying

[dashboardmenagerie]

@BePlayingHard if you are getting a round and warm enough sound out of your amp then you may not need it. But if you notice your tone sounding sort of flat and cold or artificial, you need one. Also if you're using a bunch of digital pedals a comp can make up for your tone loss and really help to give a really warm natural tone.

[ManFromNothing]

This Keeley or MXR Dyna comp for '80s metal?

[CJsoccer4]

@ManFromNothing i also dont think the dyna comp has true bypass...

[kinomex]

wow. this sounds great. must be worth its elevated price.

[sillydillydokieo]

well i've played with it a lot more and i think it sounds best/most drastic with the clipping and attack knobs, all the way up and the sustain knob at 3 o'clock. it sounds nice and punchy. not a pedal i would have on all the time, though there are settings that you can barely notice it, but when it's that subtle, the clean signal sounds better. i like it for the punchy, noticeable effect it can produce for a juicy, squeezed sound.

[AirheadEmoBoy57]

I was not a fan of this pedal at first...so...I put it first...guitar- compressor, sparkle drive, verbzila, wah, dl4 dd-3, and tuner....and it sounds good...the sustain is great and it give distinct notes coming out of the mix

[sillydillydokieo]

i bought one, and i don't know if i like it. i thought i'd give it a try, but i don't really like the thought of taking out the dynamics. it sounds better when i turn the pedal off, in my opinion. i might use it for recording rhythm guitar or something later and keep it i guess.

[prophetdude2]

Went down to the mountain i was drinkin' some wine...

Saturday Night!

[prophetdude2]

Dude, Great Grateful Dead beginning

Hey! Saturday NIght!

[prophetdude2]

Dude, great Grateful Dead beginning

Hey! Saturday NIGHT!

[XIVDock]

I've seen a few clips of Zep's 'Black Dog' guitar sound being done with compressors being pushed into distortion/clipping. Any chance normal compressors can be tweaked to do this themselves, or is it a byproduct of running multiple compressors together?

[JohnFritzler]

This or a Maxon CP-9 pro?

[camolotto]

DOES IT WORK (WELL) WITH ACOUSTIC GUITARS???? please answer me as soon as possible, thanks, it's really important

[KeeleyElectronics]

@camolotto Howdy! Yes, it works very well with acoustic guitars and the various pickups, transducers, or mics that are frequently used with them. I have a couple Martins and a Takamine that we have done extensive testing with. Very musical and inspiring.

[snapascrew]

where would I put this... current signal chain is

guitar - maxon od808 - isp decimator - peavey 5150

[simonsaidwhat]

what kind of guitar is it on the right by 0:05?

[themodernguitarist]

@simonsaidwhat

Ampeg Dan Armstrong.

[MrRG7321]

....Damn it man...I really want this pedal. And videos like these are just eye candy. You bastards PGS! Making me want to buy EVERY pedal that you guys show! lol Andy you have done this pedal justice.

[danny020384]

KEeley Compressor or White Finger Compressor by EHX?..THank you for the feedback

[rootbeerandguitar]

@ProGuitarShopDemos

Does this create any noise at high volumes? I experienced this problem severely with the EH soul preacher.

[ProGuitarShopDemos]

@rootbeerandguitar - The pedal itself is quiet, but he nature of compression is that it will bring up the level of any background noise. If you have a buzzing guitar or other noisy effects before it the compressor it will magnify that noise. If you've got a relatively quiet guitar and you put the comp first in your chain you should be fine.

[NickWeiland]

@ProGuitarShopDemos so if you add compression into the effects loop wouldnt that solve the noise problem? and change the sound?

[timijai22]

@ProGuitarShopDemos Yeah, about that buzzing guitar, how would you get rid of that? If your guitar was "professionally" wired up, what is the more common reason a guitar (a stratocaster with Texas Specials to be specific) would buzz?

I ask because I would like to get this pedal, but I don't want to magnify any noise my guitar makes.

[ProGuitarShopDemos]

@timijai22 - 60-cycle hum. All single coils hum, which is why humbuckers were invented. There are a few ways to get around this. The easiest option is probably just to get a single-coil sized humbucker for your guitar. Seymour Duncan and Dimarzio make many excellent models. Thanks!

-PGS

[villagevidiot1]

@ProGuitarShopDemos Or set the 5 way switch to the 2 and 4 positions. I have those Texas Specials on a Strat and they do buzz more than others. Check the wiring...

[jepoy0891]

@ProGuitarShopDemos HI, quick question, so would a gretsch dual coil pickup work with the keeley and dont buzz if put first in your chain? THANKS!

[Nothingtearsthebeast]

@timijai22

They do make noiseless single-coils nowadays.

[Jazzertron888]

maaaaaaan. when he played the lick after true bypass, i cried.

[rmweav11]

@Jazzertron888 you must've been on your period

[SuperDudu68]

Guyys theirs no right way in which to arrange your pedals its all about what sounds good to you!!! Keep experimenting and sooner or later your going to trigger the sound that you like!!! dont listen to anyone who tells you theirs a right arrangement for effects!!!

[949zoso]

teuer?

[Phishboy26]

The Keeley is basically a Ross Clone that costs half the price of a Ross. I have a stock Keeley 2 knob and it works as well after overdrive as it does as a clean boost before the overdrive

[Noseheros]

@Phishboy26 I prefer the analog man CompROSSor or Juicer (or both in the Bi-comp)

[MultiScoffer]

@Noseheros Why? Explain?

[buddle1587]

great demo. thank you

[ItsStephenSON]

ALRIGHT. so i have these pedals: wah, distortion, delay, and chorus. what order do they go in?

[grantsmaldone]

Guitar- Compressor, wah, distortion, chorus, delay- amp

[CjGuitarist82]

@grantsmaldone

You should try putting the compressor After the wah. I a/b'd mine about a week ago and found Wah > Compressor sounded much smoother (for clean And distortion). Think of it like this... The compressor squashes your signal, so if the wah's amplifying a certain frequency from that, it's going to sound a little thin. If the wah comes First, it will amplify the full tone of that frequency, then the compressor will even it out.

Might not work the same for everyone, but it did for me

[libertyfalls]

i would put the wah before anything else. some wah pedals dont like being behind some pedals. Mine doesnt.

[kidmoonmoon]

@libertyfalls

I know that. I think it is because the electronics of the wah device reacts to the impedance of your guitar.

So in my setup wah is always !!! first - even before the tuner - which changes the impedance of signal

[Hugoow16]

put the delay + chorus in the FX loop..

[chriscoooley]

probably the order you just named them in, chorus before delay though

[Guitarcapo38]

@ItsStephenSON I always put my Wah first, my delay second, and my overdrive or distortion last

[Guitarcapo38]

@ItsStephenSON wah, delay, chorus, distortion. thats what i do

[HalfBillion]

I love compressors and I really want this one. I straight up crank the compression to the maxxxx and try to rip on the guitar until my parents tell me to shut the fuck up.

[frets4life17]

Great guitar playin.

Great review.

[juno64]

Thanks for the great demo. SOLD!

[CrawlingKingSnakeJM]

I went down to the mountain  is was drinkin some wine

[AlDrag69]

DO u think this would be great for Mark Knopflers Tone?

[thebibleisalltrue]

Get an Analogman Juicer for great Knopfler tones.

[TheBJKiD]

No, I use a Fender Hot Rod, Boss compressor, and Full tone OCD w okko diablo and I get Knopflers tone

[unclesmith]

really nice pedal, i could use this as a clean boost

[HalfBillion]

Is it more common to put a compressor before a delay pedal or after? I personally like to put it after my delay so i think I'm going to leave it like that but i was just wondering.

[a1gold174]

@HalfBillion

Just put it in your effects loop.

[crazyfreak1919]

it's supposed to pretty much be the first pedal in your chain.

[oaeoeao]

@crazyfreak1919 I like to run my compressor after a clean boost.

[favre4ever1995]

Got a fender reverb unit, pog 2, java boost, big muff, digitech whammy, and will be buying this tomorrow from my local guitar shop... Where should I put it in my line of pedals?

[yharr666]

Right after your guitar, especially if you run a gate.

[favre4ever1995]

thanks

[FFXGuitar]

Sound is made up of several different characteristics.

EQ pedals take care of volume boosts, and how pronounced bass, mid, and treble frequencies are.

Other bases of the sound that aren't covered by an EQ pedal are the attack (percussive quality of your pick against string), sustain (sustain is a result of the balance of volume, when taming low and high frequencies to smoothen out the signal, allowing it to ring out longer, and not break up)

These bases, are covered by a Compressor pedal.

[funkaluca]

I think the EHX black finger is better all around. Tube, more options, better price, and you can actually see where your money goes, hahaha this thing looks like a matchbox. Sounds nice though, anyonw care to disagree?

[robosteven]

Does the attack mean like, the amount of "punch" to the sound? I honestly can't tell.

[sazma]

Search Wikipedia for "attack and decay" and you'll find the info you seek.

[t25dubber]

How does this compare to the MXR Dyna Comp? as the BOSS im not even going to bother with.

[PGuitarR]

Dyna Comp is a excellent choise for the money, just got mine. But in my opinion, this sound a lot of better, but it's also quite of expensive. Thatäs why i choosed Dyna Comp.

[IRONMAIDENrockinrio]

anyone knows where to buy one in germany?

[amanw89]

How does it compare to the Boss Compression Sustainer? And how well does it work with les pauls?

[Jaredrock1996]

the Boss is terrible.... its a budget piece of buzzy annoyance, the keeley is a high end boutique quite overpriced but very nice pedal. Id save up for the Keeley

[samgam69]

i agree, keeley is amazing

[HalfBillion]

the Boss one is alright for the money but the Keeley is far superior

[Mohrghoul]

The knobs work backwards?

[ado811]

Compression is only bad when people dont know how to use it. It can either be your best friend or your worst nightmare THIS IS AN AWESOME SOUNDING COMP BEST IVE HEARD

[disturbtheworlds]

well, thats my problem, i don't quite know what a comressor does..

[ASJerrell]

Really, listen for how pronounced the bass and the treble sounds are. A compressor, well, compresses them, so they are more equal with one another. Highs and lows are equal volume and pronounced. Also, if you really listen to it, the sustain difference jumps right out. I missed it at first, but now I can hear it clearly.

[ViLLZzZz]

it`s the best of the best

[tommart123]

I think this is a really good pedal, no doubt about it. But the problem i have with compressor pedals is that i feel that it is the job of the amp to do the job, and in a way it kind of undermines it.

[amarr1]

how so?

[aiwassiva]

i've always felt the same way about compression. if not used properly, it can sound really unnatural and your tone can lose character and dynamics.

If you're using a really clean, headroomy amp, a subtle bit of compression can help the amp "bloom" a little more and feel less stiff. But other than that, I would prefer an amp that compresses a little naturally.

[Tampabryan]

this compressor is incredible,my buddies got one and when coupled with a nice strat its the PERFECT compressor

[nickd444]

haha rocking the One More Saturday Night riff. im already biased about this pedal.

[chadasinrichard]

hey i cant find any vids for the 2 knob... do they still sell em?

[magnustveiten]

I love this compressor!Perfect with bothTele and Strats.

LOVELY DEMO!!

[JimmyPage968]

i not sure what compressors actually do, but do they increases your chances of feedback, cause if it does i could use one.

[PoposNewGuitarChan]

Yeah they do. I'm not sure about the Keeley compressor, but I know the boss cs-3 sure does. The pedal can be used as a sustainer to make the notes longer, or a compressor, to make the notes shorter.

[karl198]

a compressor gives you more sustain and can alter the transients of the notes when you hit them which can give a more 'clicky' sound or softer sound depending on how you use it.

[jhachey222]

A compressor limits how high your signal goes, while also boosting quieter notes. think of throwing your signal into a tube so everything is even.

[paldenno1]

Is there a big difference in quality compared to the Barber tonepress?

[mattlittlej]

Probably the best comp you can get on guitar, but don't bother using it on bass - IME it has some pretty painful low end loss.

[bolomsa]

yeah , keeley comp forever !!!! thanks guys )

[bluesdog88]

I bought the 2 knob version a couple of years ago, recently bought a bassman reissue, the compressor just brings the amp to life, and it was awesome before!

[kaldeister]

this pedal costs 2500 DK that 500 dollar!! almost as much as my guitar??

[alexdldude]

It costs 330 usd, if you buy it directly from Keeley incl shipping.

PS: little tip: the 2 knob is as good as this one and is I think 50$ cheaper.

[liaserethguitarist12]

Before you get a decant Guitar or Pedals get a good amp allways

[jcallseven]

defo

[amarr1]

get a good guitar and amp.

[ilovesmears]

is this worth the money? and i ve heard they only really work with a decent amp,so will it be worth getting one with a fender 15G amp?

[SirFightsalot]

the reason why its only good with a good amp is cause it just adds sustain to ur clean sound...with any fender it should sound really good.

[shabutie4321]

way huge fat sandwich

[OneTimer1127]

Awesome pedal, that one.

[09kitty23]

agreed, but me no breadz for now

[ManAliive]

Hey, just letting the community know. I just bought and received my Keeley 4 Knob Compressor from ProGuitarShop and I have to say it was worth every penny. True bypass, amazing clarity, one of the quietest compressors I have every used, and to top that off, pro guitar shop is one of the best places to order from due to their customer service, return policy, and speed of shipping. I was debating between tons of compressors for a while and ended up with the keeley 4 knob and I'm glad I did!

[gunmanvb2]

im getting a distortion pedal 2moz any suggestions?

[vezza94]

Hey Andy, what would u say is the best compressor pedal for giving good sustain?

[porgy08]

how much does these pedals go for ?

[iSuckAtLife10]

Around $230 I believe.

[Jst0911]

dude its 2009.... try google

[FlankinspanK]

@Jst0911 nope...its 2010

[augfive]

i have a keeley and its almost always on..

[DaniielD]

what is that song he is playing at first

[geeyouknit345]

the grateful dead

[unknownkingdom]

Specifically, the song One More Saturday Night by the Grateful Dead.

[mijguitars]

Behind blue eyes...The Who

[whatisthenork]

Yay Grateful Dead!!

[jakerowguitar]

wow, I did not know this pedal sounded so good !

[tommart123]

wow the difference is amazing! so thick and smooth! The bass really comes through perfectly.

[erosar10]

What does a compressor do? Also do you use compression with OD?

[alclassified]

In an earlier post it was said that compressors don't cut lows. Is the Keeley worth getting for a bass player? Will it level out my 5-string looow B notes so I don't have to cut the bass on my EQ? Thanks.

[nateguitarsoccer]

JM uses the keeley compressor

[beefyoriginal]

this pedal changed my life

[leftystrat62]

Why do you like it? I never understood what it really does,does it basically just give you more sustain playing that strat?

[vontetzianos]

It evens out the dynamics of your clean sound to keep your playing signal more even and balanced.

[theone2088]

You kind of have to play with it to realize how much you love it. Then, you forget its there until its gone.

[SJP444]

There has been a good quality guitar compressor on virtually every classic recording going back decades. It cleans everything up and makes every note pop.

[Piero19x]

can u please make the video about the time machine boost pedal from keeley??

[Piero19x]

price please........?

[gkountonas]

210

[plinkytx]

Try around $250 at GC.

[paulsint]

thought i heard some pantera in there for a second...

[Beelayzee]

no i mean like the very beginning

[tommart123]

its just the pro guitar shop intro tune isn't it?

[Relayer1968]

last setting was pure win!!

[knopfleberg]

I totally agree..........

[Beelayzee]

what song is that of the beginning of the vid?

[guitarchris83]

i have a keeley 4knob...i have to turn up the volume completely to get the same volume as the bypass signal...what can tha be????

[ProGuitarShopDemos]

Try turning down the amount of compression. That's why there is a volume knob, to compensate for heavy compression settings.

PGS

[guitarchris83]

thanks for the answer...i know...but i have this problems with the comp setting at 9 o´clock...

[gtrjoe68]

Is this pedal really worth it?

[stipecountry]

gtrjoe68: If you know the name Keeley, you'll know that it is worth it!

I haven't used one myself, but I've never heard one bad thing about the Keeley Compressor...or about ANY Keeley-modified pedal for that matter.

[rizniz1]

does any1 know if this pedal produces much background noise like hissing? ofcourse most compressor pedals do but is this one pretty good in that aspect?

[economuzak]

He says twice in the video that the pedal produces relatively little noise at higher compression/sustain levels.

[OnionsMcGee]

I believe Brad Paisley uses this compressor pedal.

Brad Paisley's one hell of a guitarist!

[guitardaze]

I can hear the compression.