4 of a Kind - Keeley Super Phat Mod
This episode marks a rather unique set of circumstances - where all 4 candidates are from the same brand - indeed these are essentially 4 evolutions of Robert Keeley’s Super Phat Mod - which Mod first appeared onboard the Boss BD-2 Blues Driver - before Robert started making his own variants. All 4 ones pictured are now in the reference collection.
The first listed is the most recently added to the reference collection - the ’20 for 20’ (2020) Boss Blues Driver Blue Sparkle Edition. I spotted one for sale in the UK very recently - and of course paid way over the odds for it - I REALLY wanted it though - and as the original Keeley Freak Fuzz Modded BD-2 is still my favourite overdrive of all time - I really wanted to complete my Keeley derivations set too - the 20 for 20 was the final piece in the middle row - which Blues Driver-ology Visual has been updated to reflect the changes - as below! :
In my main Blues Driver-ology visual as above - the only variety I'm still missing is the Soul Power El Diablo Modded edition - which I've still to track down. There are a couple of older references on Reverb.com which are long since sold - I'm hoping another one will spin around before too long.
As for the Keeley Super Phat variant quartet - the very first of these I acquired was the Keeley Retro Super Germanium Phat Mod back in 2018. The Super AT Mod was added in 2023, immediately upon release, and the Muse Driver right at the start of this year (since re-named the MK3 Driver).
I love each one of these for different reasons - while each variant adds something different along the way. I'm delighted that I have all 4 now. All were acquired at full price - except for the 20 for 20 one which was roughly double its original asking price.
All of them have 4 controls in common - Level, Drive, and Tone knobs, alongside that essential Phat Mod toggle-switch!
Here follow the individual details! :
Super Phat Mod '20 fo 20' Boss Blue Edition - $179 when new
Controls - Level, Tone, Drive, EQ switch : Flat / Phat
So, as mentioned, the Super Phat Mod is Rob'c circuit recreation of the Boss BD-2 Blues Driver - incorporating his celebrated 'Phat Mod'. My second and favourite Blues Driver - the Freak Fuzz Modded Edition has of Robert's Mods on it - of course including the classic Phat Mod, but also a second Freak Fuzz setting achieved via the completion of 2 further Germanium Transistors - but which are used more as Clipping Diodes than core Gain Stages as far as I'm aware.
In any case the Freak Fuzz BD-2 is my favourite overdrive of all time - which I why I felt it essential for me to stage a Super Phat Mod edition which best reflected the essence of that - hence the 20 for 20 edition acquisition. Sometimes the desire for a particular pedal can defy further rationale, and can even break some unwritten rules - in terms of max ceiling / price multipliers etc. For limited and select editions you don't really have too many options - beyond paying the asking price - or opting out. Negotiation is not always possibly as you someone else can snap up the pedal while you're still waiting for a response on your offer - so if it matters you do a little internal soul-searching and mental calculations / justifications - before you hit the trigger as quikcly as you can!
In any case I love the Phat Mod - it really beefs up the bottom end and adds further textures to the already impressive breakup character. Im still in the honeymoon phase for my 20 for 20 edition - while my Scandinavian quality to value sensibilities could kick in at any time!
Retro Super Germanium Phat Mod - $179 when new
Controls - Level, Tone, Drive, EQ switch : Flat / Phat
This one was the first of these I actually acquired - back in 2018 - Robert further modified his circuit to include an additional Germanium Gain Stage at the start of that circuit. This results is some beautiful additional textures and harmonics - where this really balanced circuit delivers all kinds of Fuzzy-Drive sounds - I really love everything about this pedal - including its aesthetics. I always thought this was a dark blue pedal - on account of how it reflects the light - while it's actually a Black variant - there's just a lot of blue in that colour mix, and in certain lights the pedal can definitely look a dark blueish hue!
Super AT Mod - $199 when new
Controls - Level, Tone, Drive, EQ switch : AT / Phat
You will surely have picked up by now that I am a huge Andy Timmons fan - and really love his use of this circuit - even though we don't exactly apply the pedal in the same way. Instead of having the stock Boss EQ to the left of the switch - we now have a slightly more elegant AT flavour - which gets you directly to Andy's favourite tones. I still tend to use rather more Phat Mod - but it's nice to have options, and I really like the Andy Timmons Mod / Mode too - I just use the Phat Mod more!
Muse Driver / MK3 Driver - $199
Controls - Tone, Tone switch : AT / RK, Drive, Drive switch : AT / RK, Level.
This further variant is kind of a Super Phat Mod Deluxe - where you have 2 switches with Andy Timmons and Robert Keeley Mods via the Tone and Drive Profile switches. The Andy Timmons Mods tend to be more on the elegant side of things - while we still have the Tone Phat Mod present, and for Robert's Drive Mod - he's introduced a somehat Fuzz flavour for that voicing - I guess in part harking back to his own Freak Fuzz Mod - where the Winnipeg Electric Co Homework Series Blue - also has a Fuzz voicing onboard. The Fuzz Voicing for me is a fantastic companion flavour for sure!
This pedal obviously started off as the Muse Driver - which is the version I own, which name rather fell foul of copyright laws - as per the Muse Band Entity - which holds musical devices copyrights in that name - to avoid confusion and legal wrangles, the name was swiftly changed to MK3 Driver. So it may have a. new name - but it's the same pedal as before!
