Keeley Modified BD-2???

[Lev]

anyone have any experience with the Keeley BD-2's?

Seems to be very popular among the pros's. It's not too long to Christmas so I'm thinking about what I can put in my letter to Santa Claus.

 

[Robert]

I have a modded BD-2 that sounds great. It wasn't Keeley who modded it though, but it's basically the same mods.

 

[Lev]

How does it measure up against your other OD's Robert, anything like the Dano Cool Cat Drive? Is it still part of your rig?

 

[Robert]

Yeah, it is VERY good at it's thing. It is very transparent and gives a great tone. I switch out pedals all the time - I can never really decide which ones I like best...

 

[Spudman]

I've heard several modded BD2s and liked everyone of them. Heck, I even like the stock BD2.

Brian Wampler has a couple of mods you might want to research too. He did a BD2 mod for Brent Mason specifically the way Brent wanted it. Search the site for sound clips.
http://www.indyguitarist.com/cubecart/index.php

 

[tunghaichuan]

Heck, I even like the stock BD2.

Me too. I was experimenting with mine today and found out it sounds a lot like the Cool Cat Transparent OD with the gain backed off to around 11 or 12 o'clock.

I also like it as a clean boost, it works really well with no added distortion.

It does sound kind of funky with the gain all the way up. There is this nasty top end that is hard to dial out with the tone control.

However, one of my home brew amps loves it: the first generation AX84 P1 (Rev. 10) I built about 8 years ago. Instant low volume Marshall stack.

Brian Wampler has a couple of mods you might want to research too. He did a BD2 mod for Brent Mason specifically the way Brent wanted it. Search the site for sound clips.
http://www.indyguitarist.com/cubecart/index.php

Cool, I'll have to check those out. I always see reasonably priced BD pedals for sale on Craigslist.

tung

 

[sunvalleylaw]

How does a BD-2 related or compare to a Bad Monkey, if at all?

 

[tunghaichuan]

How does a BD-2 related or compare to a Bad Monkey, if at all?

Hmmm... Good question. I haven't compared schematics but sonically I believe the BM is a Tube Screamer clone with active tone controls. Could be wrong on that, though. The BD-2 seems to have more gain when used as an OD. When set a clean boost there is no grit, only clean gain. The BM always has some grit, when set as a boost: volume all the way up, gain all the way down, and it has a lot of hiss.

tung

 

[Robert]

Bad Monkey is way darker. The BD-2 is very transparent.

 

[ET335]

I am with Spud and Tung on the stock BD-2,it is a very nice sounding pedal just the way it is,but you may want to check out Monte Allums Mods to,just a thought....he makes some very nice kits for very little $$ also has some mp3's of the BD-2 and others as well.:AOK:

http://www.monteallums.com/pedal_mods.html

 

[birv2]

I think I'm the only one who doesn't really like the BD-2, with or without the Keeley mod. I found it really ice-picky without the mod and I wasn't crazy about it with the mod, either. I a/b'd it with my Arion Tubulator and (along with a musician friend) decided that the Arion actually sounded better: warmer and smoother.

Maybe I'm just not a blues driver kind of guy. I really tried to like it.