NAMM 2024: “I don't have anything in my sonic world that's anything like it”: Keeley Electronics has released a new signature overdrive for Andy Timmons – and it’s left the virtuoso in “tone heaven”
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NAMM 2024: Keeley Electronics has announced details of its new Andy Timmons Muse Driver signature overdrive pedal.
Defined as a workstation rather than just a pedal, it can orchestrate a suite of overdrive functionality, from clean boosts to tube amp-pushing and square-wave, germanium fuzz tones.
The pedal is the result of a second collaboration between Robert Keeley and versatile virtuoso Timmons. It was developed to cover a broad spectrum of overdrive needs and continues the Keeley-Timmons partnership, which produced the Halo Dual Echo pedal back in 2022.
Underneath the hood there’s a Keeley-modded, three-control blues driver circuit, and two germanium diodes. The pedal also brings together JFET saturation, diode clipping and op-amp clipping for tones rich in harmonics. That essentially gives players two tone control circuits to choose from.
Controls for tone and drive are accompanied by switches to activate either Andy Timmons or Robert Keeley voicings, allowing players to further alter the pedal’s personality. Timmons’ voicing beneath the tone dial cuts out lows for greater clarity, whilst Keeley’s mode contrasts that by boosting the power of the low end.
That Yin/Yang approach is continued with the switch beneath the drive control. The AT mode offers asymmetrical LED and silicon diode clipping, with the RK mode bringing those dual germanium diodes to the fore for a softer, smoother and almost fuzz-like tonality.
Setting the pedal to AT/AT recreates Timmon’s Super AT Mod tone, bringing, according the Timmons, “The right amount of breakup available at your dynamic command.
“The crazy thing about this mode,” he adds, “is that it also sounds great with the gain turned up, providing an incredibly cool Marshall-esque crunch tone.”
The pedal has been optimized for the needs of both recording and hard-touring guitarists with Timmons, who fits both those categories, crucial in its creation. By simply adding the pedal to your 'board, Keeley says, “Will make your rig sound better.”
Made in Edmond, USA, the pedal can switch between nine and 18-volt operation for diverse dynamic range and plenty of headroom. The professional grade overdrive can also be switched between true-bypass and buffered bypass at any time. This is made smoother by Keeley’s smart noise-free switching system, allowing players to switch on the fly without tone loss.
“We design, engineer, and manufacture the Keeley Electronics/Andy Timmons Muse Driver in Oklahoma City,” says Keeley Electronics. “Everything about the Muse Driver is geared towards the professional musician and their quest for an inspiring tone when performance demands it.”
“The Muse Driver is the ultimate expression of the clean/slightly broken-up tone I’ve been going for over the last several years,” adds Timmons.
The guitarist’s reaction to the pedal – as captured on video by Keeley – is a little more candid.
"Holy shit, that's insane!" he shout. “When we crank that drive up with the germanium engaged it's a super smooth, singing lead tone. I don't have anything in my sonic world that's anything like it.”
“The real hidden gem here,” Timmons’ official and curse word-free statement continues, “is Robert’s new modification that utilizes germanium diodes instead of the original silicon for a new kind of clipping that works insanely well on its own or as a boost for my lead tone. It has a lovely way of further taming the low-end that I really love. I’m in tone heaven!”
It’s available to order now and costs $199.
For more information about the Muse Drive, head to Keeley Electronics.
Keep up to date with all gear releases ahead of NAMM 2024, head over to our guide to the latest NAMM 2024 news.
