Geni Swing Guitars

Effects Pedal

In addition to his own line of incredibly toneful and quality effects pedals, Robert Keeley has made a name for himself as a first-tier "modder" of effects pedals, especially Boss Pedals. What many people don't know is that Keeley actually has the blessing of Boss to modify their pedals, so you know his modifications have to be first rate. Perhaps the most popular pedal that Keeley modifies is the Boss BD-2 Blue Driver. His rework of the BD-2 is also known as the "Phat Mod," and it is the one that Keeley himself recommends for someone wanting to try his effects pedals.

First things first. The stock BD-2 is hardly a bad pedal in its stock form. As Keeley himself notes, a pedal is only worth modifying if it already has a good, basic tone, which the Boss BD-2 certainly does. However, the Keeley modifications add a great deal of musicality as well as functionality to the stock Blues Driver.

For starters, with the Keeley mods, the tonal range is far more expansive, with gritty lows and crystal clear highs. You will notice that the modified pedal now has a toggle switch below the gain control. In the "off" position, the pedal is more like its stock form, just higher overall quality. With the "Phat" switch engaged, the pedal goes into, well, overdrive, with considerable more low-end punch.

With the Keeley additions, the pedal is also much more responsive and, for lack of a better phrase, "tube-like." The gain range is also improved, which makes the pedal versatile for every style of music from country to hard rock. The modified BD-2 also makes controlling the range of sounds from your guitar's volume knob much easier.

Aside from its obvious function as an overdrive pedal, the Keeley modified BD-2 is also a quality clean boost, which can be used to push a quality tube amp into a natural sounding overdrive.

Perhaps the most compelling feature of the Keeley modified BD-2 is its adaptability. Not only is its sound incredibly versatile, it also responds well to pick dynamics and really lets the player's natural tone shine through.

What many people don't know is that the BD-2 also works great for bass guitar, due to the pedal's increased tonal range, as well as an amp simulator! The versatility of this little pedal is simply unmatched. It is a must buy pedal for anyone who requires a wide range of sounds.

By swapping out stock parts for higher quality capacitors and diodes, the modified BD-2 is even quieter than the stock pedal, despite its increased gain. All in all, the Keeley Blues Driver Phat Mod is a pedal that may very well earn a permanent spot on your pedalboard.

R. S. Rasnic is the webmaster and owner of Ray's Guitar Shop, your one source for all effects pedals and pedalboards!

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