Keeley Compressor Plus
The gold standard.
£162 at thomann.de | £149 at guitarguitar.co.uk
The Keeley Compressor Plus has become a staple in the pedalboards of many guitarists. It is one of the most popular compressor pedals ever made with over 100,000 units sold since 2001. The pedal is based on the legendary Ross Compressor circuit offering additional features and a significantly improved signal-to-noise ratio.
Same as the Ross Compressor, the original Keeley Compressor came with sustain and level controls. The Compressor Plus added blend and tone controls, as well as an attack/release switch. The sustain control sets the duration and amount of gain added to fading notes. It is perfect for adding sustain to lead lines and smoothing out the sound of chords. The volume control lets you make sure the dry and compressed signals are the same volume or use the compressor as a boost for solos.
The blend control is an essential feature of the Keeley Compressor Plus. It lets you mix your dry and compressed signals together. This allows you to add sustain and smooth out your playing while retaining the original playing dynamics. The blend control is perfect for players who want the benefits of compression without sacrificing articulation.
The tone control lets you bring back some of the higher frequencies that tend to get lost in compression. It can be very useful, but turning it up a lot will result in some added noise. Overall, the tone control is a great addition to the original Ross formula.
The humbucker/single-coil switch is another great feature of the Keeley Compressor Plus. It sets the amount of attenuation applied to louder signals and the gain added to fading ones. Humbuckers tend to have more output than single-coils. This can lead to over-attenuation and a lack of dynamics. The two settings are tuned very well for their respective pickup types. If you feel that your single-coil pickups are getting attenuated too much and too quickly, give the humbucker setting a shot.
My favourite setup for the Keeley Compressor Plus is to have all the knobs at 12 o'clock, but the pedal sounds incredible with almost any settings. It produces very little noise, even with a distortion pedal behind it – something Boss should take note of with the CS-3. The Compressor Plus sounds great for all genres from funk to rock and metal. I like it both as an always-on effect to make my sloppy playing sound like a professional recording, as well as a solo boost with lots of added sustain. The ranges of each control are finely tuned to get the desired effect quickly and effortlessly.
The build quality is excellent. The controls are responsive and easy to adjust. The pedal operates quietly and without any noticeable noise or hum, indicating that only the highest quality components have been used.
In this price range, the only comparable pedal in terms of features and sound quality is the SP Compressor by Xotic. The Xotic is a great choice for a compact pedal board, but the Keeley is the better overall buy due to additional features and a lower noise ratio.
Bottom Line
You would be hard-pressed to find a “Best Compressor” list without the Keeley Compressor Plus taking the #1 spot. Its most standout features are the low signal-to-noise ratio and the versatile blend control. The Keeley Compressor is a versatile and high-quality pedal that offers the best-in-class compression at a very reasonable price.