The 2016 Keeley Tone Workstations
Tone Workstation, Mod Workstation, Delay Workstation
Keeley 2016 NAMM – Tone Workstations
Ten years ago we built a small batch of these and they moved into the hands of famous players and collectors. John Mayer recently took two of the originals out on The Dead & Company tour. For 2016 it’s more that a re-release; it’s a completely new, re-engineered workstation. The Keeley team of engineers and designers have upgraded the tone and features and reduced the size to fit on anyone’s board.
Introducing the Tone Workstation
Your front end. This is where tone develops. The first stage of amplification is critical for a sound that has clarity and delivers expressive tone. Compression, Drive, Overdrive, Boost. You get it all in the Tone Workstation. The Tone Workstation is designed to be the first stage in your pedal board. It may be the only pedal you bring to a gig…and we designed it that way.
Starting with the classic Keeley Compressor you build a thick, fat tone full of sustain. The attack and release are set for the perfect amount whether you use humbuckers or single coils. The blend control allows for a Manhattan-style compression, keeping the sound lively and crisp as you blend in your natural guitar tone. Sustain and Level to taste…and nothing but tasty tone!
Next up is the 1962/Katana Boost section. This is may be your rock solid, core tone. British amp-style overdrive that is full and even sounding. Based on the famous Blues Breaker amp, we have juiced it up with the Katana Boost on either side adding tube-like saturation with our JFET valve simulation. Decide you just want the famous Katana Clean push, no worries, just a flick of the switch and you have it. Pure clean, tube tone. The sound people say you just can’t turn off.
Last is our Red Dirt overdrive. This is 15 years of modding tube screamer pedals distilled into one toneful circuit. Also featuring our JFET front end, the Red Dirt has the perfect amount of midrange as well as the ability to go clean or double gain, super saturated. This circuit captures every nuance of your guitar’s tone and delivers a smoking hot, silky smooth lead tone. The Tone Workstation, the final word on your front end.
See us at the NAMM show in sunny Anaheim, California! Please visit our booth.
Keeley Tone Workstation History
Here’s the very first one. Boss BD-2 and Ibanez TS9 modified boards inside snuggle up against the Keeley Compressor circuit.
The very first Tone Workstation we built hand-applied stickers and all.
Me rocking a tone workstation for Mr. Bluetone I’m sure! 😉
John Mayer’s pedal board. Jay Blakesberg owns all rights.
Here’s a review of the old KTW on Harmony Central 😉