Keeley Bootlegger Custom Shop Overdrive Reviews
The Keeley Bootlegger Custom overdrive pedal is a Sweetwater-exclusive version of their Red Dirt overdrive, but with a germanium transistor instead of silicon for extra vintage vibe. Noted pedal-design guru Robert Keeley essentially combined the awesome sounds produced by his original Mod Plus and Baked modified pedals, then added refinements found exclusively in his custom pedal line. A germanium transistor instead of silicon gives the Bootlegger Custom more growling lows and subtly smoother top end. The result is so dynamic and organic, that many of us guitarists here at Sweetwater thought we'd died and gone to pedal heaven. Put amazing overdrive in your pedal chain: the Sweetwater-exclusive Keeley Bootlegger Custom overdrive.
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Highest Rated Reviews
Bootlegger pedal
A great pedal that provides a healthy boost that is needed for solos. It does not color my sound which is a plus. The pedal is well constructed.
Keeley Bootlegger is now legal in Colorado.
I originally had the Keeley Red Dirt and it was very nice but a bit bright.
The Red Dirt had Silicon transistors...So I saw that Sweetwater had the Bootlegger (very close to the Red Dirt) with it's Germanium transistors and I new it would be warmer. I was right.
I use it two ways; 1) as a boost into another OD and 2) a nice OD by itself.
Good job Sweetwater. It's staying on my board.
Best Keeley OD, IMHO.
If you thought the Red Dirt was great...........
I also have the Keeley Red Dirt, and it soon became my favorite Tube screamer type pedal. When I saw the Bootlegger I knew I had to have it. I was expecting a Red Dirt "Deluxe", but what I got was waaaaay better. The best I can describe the sound is that it sounds like a combination of my MXR re-issue Distortion+(w/germanium diodes) and the Red Dirt. You get the TS style mid hump with the smooth highs only a Germanium diode/tranny pedal can do.
Skip if you already have a Keeley mod TS
This pedal is basically Keeley's in-house version of the mods that they've been putting into Tube Screamers (mod plus and baked mod). I compared this with a Keeley TS-9DX Flexi 4x2 modified TS that's been on my board for a few years. I'm keeping the Flexi and I'm returning the Bootlegger.
The Bootlegger has good tone that is comparable to the Keeley Flexi, and the germanium transistors do slightly warm up the tone (the primary reason that I ordered it). However, in comparison, I felt that the Bootlegger boosted mids more than necessary, dropped more bass out of the signal than I like, and did not have the clarity that I prefer (note - I used both a Tele and a Music Man Petrucci into both a Mesa Mark V and a Dr Z Maz 18 NR; same opinion towards the pedals on each variation).
In short - it's a very good pedal if one is looking for a modded Tube Screamer clone at an okay price point. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Keeley fan. But, if you already have a modded TS, it's probably not worth the addition to your pedal board. If you don't already have a modded Tube Screamer, I'd definitely consider this or the Red Dirt.
OCD is better
This pedal might be ideal for "leads" but the overall quality for chord/rhythm is not very appealing. This pedal has way to much "mids" and I found that I loose some of my bottom end.
I much rather prefer my Fulton OCD in comparison to this pedal!
