The Keeley El Rey Dorado is a compact analog gain pedal that puts late-Sixties Marshall Plexi tone on a pedalboard. It was designed around a very specific reference amp: Robert Keeley's own Marshall JTM45/100 full stack, a reissue fitted with custom-made vintage recreation speakers and dual transformers12. Keeley's announcement pitched it as a distortion delivering '60s Marshall Plexi tones3, while other coverage, including Gearnews and Delicious Audio, calls it a British-sounding overdrive45. Either way, the aim is the same: cranked Plexi grind without the full stack.
The pedal wears a gold and black color scheme that matches its inspiration6, and it is made in the USA2. It launched in 2018 at a street price of $1491.
A Plexi-style drive in a pedal
The El Rey Dorado's whole reason for existing is one amp. Guitar World's reviewer described the design goal plainly536:
"This pedal is designed to provide pure, unadulterated late-Sixties Plexi tone, specifically of the JTM 45/100 variety6."
Guitar.com's review, by Richard Purvis, characterized the sound in lo mode at a low drive setting as "gleefully ferocious, like a vintage Marshall with the bright channel cranked," with "smooth harmonic saturation with a shamelessly fizzy top end"2. Delicious Audio's writeup said the pedal "hits the core tone bullseye" of a wide range of 1960s Plexi amp tone5.
The pedal is one of a crowded field of Plexi-in-a-box units. Gearnews noted that it competes with existing units like the Suhr Mini Riot, Bogner's La Grange and the Radial Hot British4. Players comparing distortion pedals in this vein will find the El Rey Dorado's distinguishing feature is its two-mode Power Toggle rather than a single fixed voicing.
The controls and the Power Toggle
The control set is minimal: Volume, Gain and Tone knobs, plus the Power Toggle52. Guitar World described it as "drive, tone and level knobs plus a lo/hi gain switch for dialing in coveted Plexi tones"6.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the output level5 |
| Gain | Sets the amount of drive5 |
| Tone | Shapes the treble response5 |
| Power Toggle | Selects between the Low Power and High Power gain modes, controlling the compression and harmonics75 |
The Power Toggle is the pedal's signature control. As Keeley puts it, "With the Power Toggle switch you have control over the compression and harmonics"1. It is a lo/hi mini toggle switch on the enclosure62, and it effectively gives you two related Plexi voices in one box.
Low Power and High Power modes
The two modes are voiced as two different eras of the same amp family. according to RockBoard's PedalPedia, "The High Power mode has more compression, more harmonics, and a tighter, more defined tone," while "Low Power mode is louder, has more girth, and has fewer harmonics for a more old-school tone"7.
Guitar.com's review mapped the modes onto specific Marshall models: the 'hi' mode targets the 100-watt Super Lead Plexi tone, while 'lo' is meant to sound more like the relatively civilised JTM452. The reviewer found hi mode "a more tight and strident version, and that's a great option to have at hand," with more midrange bite and a fuller low-end response2.
Delicious Audio summarized the split as "super lead tones in the High Power mode" and "old school crunch in Low Power mode"5.
From a Riff City limited edition to the regular line
The El Rey Dorado began as a collaboration. Keeley's announcement described it as "a collaborative effort with our friends at Riff City Guitar in St. Joseph, Minnesota," with Riff City's Joe Leach asking for black and gold Plexi tone1. The maker's own page preserves the request in Joe's words: "I want black and gold Plexi tone"7.
The timeline of the release:
- The first 100 units were hand built and sold out quickly over the weekend of April 20, 20181.
- A new batch was ready for sale by May 1, 2018, according to Gearnews4.
- The full production run became available on May 4, 2018, at a $149 street price1.
- Initial availability was exclusive to RiffCityGuitarOutlet.com, Andertons.co.uk, and RKFX.com1.
Delicious Audio later noted that what was "born as a limited edition fruit of a collaboration with Minnesota store Riff City" then became a staple of the Keeley roster5.
Power and setup notes
The El Rey Dorado runs on a 9V DC center negative supply drawing 10mA7, which is modest enough for any standard pedalboard power brick. It is also 9V battery compatible, though the battery is not included5. Guitar.com's review lists it as "powered by 9V mains supply or battery (not supplied)"2. With true bypass2, the pedal drops out of the signal path entirely when switched off.
The power spec is 9V DC, center negative7. Players using older Boss-style daisy chains should check their supply's polarity before plugging in.
Videos
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Questions
Does the Keeley El Rey Dorado take a battery?
Yes. The pedal is 9V compatible and runs on a 9V battery or a 9V mains supply, though the battery is not included with the pedal. Its power spec is 9V DC with a center negative plug, drawing about 10mA, so it is also easy to run from a standard pedalboard power supply.
Is the El Rey Dorado true bypass?
Yes. Guitar.com's review lists true bypass among the pedal's features, so with the pedal switched off the signal passes through without active buffering. It runs on a 9V mains supply or a battery, neither of which is supplied with the pedal.
Is the El Rey Dorado an overdrive or a distortion?
Both descriptions appear in press coverage. Keeley's announcement called it a distortion delivering '60s Marshall Plexi tones, while other coverage, including Gearnews and Delicious Audio, describes it as a British-sounding overdrive. In practice it is a Plexi-style gain pedal that sits in the overlap between the two categories.
Which Marshall amp is the El Rey Dorado based on?
It is inspired by Robert Keeley's own Marshall JTM45/100 full stack, a reissue with custom-made vintage recreation speakers and dual transformers that served as a reference point for the tone. Guitar World describes the target as late-Sixties Plexi tone of the JTM 45/100 variety.
How much current does the El Rey Dorado draw?
The maker's product page lists a current draw of 10mA at 9V DC, center negative. That is low enough to share an isolated output or a daisy chain with plenty of other compact analog pedals on a typical board.
Sources (7)
- Keeley Electronics Launches El Rey Dorado Distortion, Premier Guitar, 2018-04-27
- Keeley El Rey Dorado Distortion & Aria Compressor Review, Guitar.com, 2018-10-11
- Keeley Electronics has a new distortion pedal, Guitar.com, 2018-04-30
- How close does Keeley's new El Rey Dorado get to the 'Marshall Plexi' tone?, gearnews.com, 2018-04-29
- Keeley El Rey Dorado Plexi-Style Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2021-03-08
- Review: Keeley Aria and El Rey Dorado, Guitar World, 2019-03-12
- El Rey Dorado by Keeley Electronics, RockBoard (www.rockboard.de), 2026
