Monterey 69 Rotary Fuzz Vibe – Custom Shop Edition

The Axis For A Bold New Tone – for only $199!

With the Keeley Monterey 69 Rotary Fuzz Vibe – Custom Shop Edition Workstation you take one step back in time and two steps forward. The Monterey is a surrealistic envelope of neo-vintage effects. It combines classic sounds with new interpretations to create a modern timbre and audio spectrum for guitarists.

This commemorative pedal marks our heartfelt goodbye to the iconic current-gen Monterey pedal that we first released on July 21st, 2016.

The Monterey 69 is limited to just 50 pieces and never to be manufactured again.

The Monterey 69 is a hot rodded take on our original Monterey circuit. We trimmed the fat and beefed up the gain with the legendary Blacktop Fuzz circuit, resulting in a wider, fully articulated fuzz signal. We kept your favorite sounds from the MOD side, expression pedal input, and handy order switch (Fuzz > Mod or Mod > Fuzz).

There’s a fresh two-tone ‘Blacktop’ treatment to the case (textured black / grey top and black backplate), and now the Monterey features premium black aluminum knobs to round out its high-octane look.

The Keeley Monterey 69 Rotary Fuzz Vibe has a vintage fuzz, rotary speaker, vibe, harmonic and auto wah, an octave up or octave down, as well an expression control to allow you to create a rich array of new and newer sounds.

There are two channels on the Monterey 69 Rotary Fuzz Vibe, and these can be configured to give you five different sounds.

The right stomp switch activates the fuzz channel. The fuzz channel has been designed to give you a rich, full, classic two-transistor fuzz sound that is accurate yet has a touch of smoothness added. It is very responsive and dynamic. It plays well in any position on a Strat or Les Paul style guitar. At the heart of the fuzz are vintage Fairchild Semiconductor transistors. These moderate gain transistors offer the perfect fuzz tone and do not have the temperamental temperature related problems that germanium devices exhibit, while still giving you incredible tone.

The modulation channel is where the fun really starts. The Monterey Rotary Fuzz Vibe offers an Octave effect with both the Vibe and Wah sounds. With those two sounds you can either have Octave Up, Octave Down, or No Octave.

Octave

In the Center Position of the Octave Control you have NO octave up or down. If you turn the Octave Control up (or clockwise), you have an increasing octave up sound. As you turn the Octave Control down, you have an increasing amount of octave down sound added. Again, if you do not want an octave effect added, simply set the Octave Control to the center position.

Rotary

The “Les Rotary” sound in the Monterey 69 is both very accurate and surprisingly new sounding. Like the original cabinet, this simulation joins both the lower drum and the upper horn into a rich, dimensional effect that generates an unmistakable chorus and tremolo soundscape. Not only is the cabinet itself simulated with very short reverberated reflections that offer a doubling effect, the Doppler Effect provides a soothing chorused sound that is clean and ethereal. The Octave Control in the Rotary cabinet simulation controls the volume of the horn or tweeter sounds. This allows you to get a very chorus-like effect with ample high-end detail when simulating a “Les Rotary” style cabinet. Set the Rate OFF for no rotation, turn the Fuzz on, and the Depth and Octave controls give you a wonderful speaker cabinet simulation. It’s fuzz with tonal control like you’ve never had before!

Vibe

The Monterey Rotary 69 features a very rich and deep vibe sound. The “Kool Vibe” setting is perfect for getting complex phaser-like sounds. It combines phasing and tremolo at key frequencies to give you incredible depth and rhythm. Not only does it match the frequency response of a vibe, it simulates the unique pulsing of a photo-cell based effect. You can add the Octave to the “Kool Vibe” for an amazing doubling effect or for an incredibly deep synth bass type sound.

Wah

The “Harmonic Wah” section combines several new sounds from Keeley in the Monterey 69. It is a fixed or cocked wah sound, an auto wah, a harmonic/tremolo wah, and even a regular foot-controlled wah when you add an expression pedal. With the Depth Control turned all of the way down/off you are in the Wah Mode. The Wah Mode gives you control over the frequency you boost by adjusting the Rate Control. If you have an expression pedal connected, it becomes a regular Wah Pedal. Turn the Depth control up a slight amount and the Monterey becomes an Auto Wah. In the Auto Wah mode, your pick attack and strength creates an envelope filter sound. After the noon/center position on the Depth Control, you have the new Harmonic Wah. It is like the harmonic tremolo on a brown face amp, but the frequencies are centered around a wah pedal instead.

Express Yourself

Add any expression pedal controller to the EXP input on the back and you have control over the Rate of the “Les Rotary” and “Kool Vibe” settings. In the “Harmonic Wah” setting, it controls the frequencies.

Want more sounds?  Well OK, head over to the input/output side of the pedal. There is an Order Switch that allows you to change the order of the Fuzz and Modulation effects! Yes, you can get some crazy noise by putting fuzz after modulation effects, but it works!  And works well at giving you insane tones that are thick and full.  Let your ears gaze at the strangeness. Alien amplitudes of gain and fuzz.  Endlessly creative.

The Monterey does not come with an expression pedal, as many players already have one they can use. We do offer the M-Audio expression pedal. It works well and is very reasonable. The Monterey is not battery powered. You will need a standard 9V 100mA supply, negative tip.

And now for a bit of history..

The Fuzz Face pedal, introduced in the mid-1960s by Arbiter Electronics, has a storied history in the realm of music. Known for its distinctive round shape and bold, fuzzy tones, this pedal quickly became a favorite among guitarists seeking to push the boundaries of rock music. Its popularity skyrocketed when legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix adopted it, using the pedal to create his signature sound on tracks like “Purple Haze” and “Foxy Lady.” The Fuzz Face’s ability to produce rich, saturated distortion made it an essential tool for musicians. As the decades progressed, the Fuzz Face pedal continued to influence genres beyond rock, including metal, punk, and alternative, cementing its status as legendary.

A Legend in the making

The impact of the Fuzz Face pedal on music history is undeniable. Eric Clapton’s use of the Fuzz Face during his tenure with Cream helped shape the heavy blues-rock sound of the late 1960s, particularly on tracks like “Sunshine of Your Love.” In the 1970s, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd utilized the pedal to create the soaring solos heard on albums such as “Dark Side of the Moon” and “Wish You Were Here.” More recently, artists like John Mayer and the Arctic Monkeys have revisited the classic tones of the Fuzz Face, proving its timeless appeal. The pedal’s influence extends beyond individual musicians, contributing to the evolution of guitar tone and shaping the sonic landscape of modern music.

Learn more about the standard Monterey here.

Monterey 69 Rotary Fuzz Vibe – Custom Shop Edition Instructions: