Keeley Electronics has given its longtime Compressor Plus a significant circuit upgrade with the new Compressor Plus Germanium. The pedal builds on the compressor design that has been a fixture of the boutique pedal world for 25 years, adding a germanium transistor as a buffer and tone-shaping stage.
Rather than using germanium strictly for fuzz or overdrive, the Compressor Plus Germanium uses the transistor to soften harsh frequencies and add warmth and touch sensitivity to the signal. Keeley says the result is less brittle high end, smoother distortion, and warm saturation as you push your amp and other pedals.
The familiar control layout includes Level, Tone, Blend, and Comp controls, allowing players to balance compression with their clean signal and shape the overall sound. A single-coil/humbucker switch also provides settings tailored to different pickup types.
Like the original, the pedal offers selectable true-bypass or buffered operation. It can also run at either 9V or 18V, with the higher voltage providing additional headroom. With the germanium stage working as both a buffer and tone-shaping circuit, Keeley is positioning the Compressor Plus Germanium as more than just a compressor.
