The Keeley Electronics 1962 British Overdrive is an overdrive pedal built to put British amp-style drive tones in front of a smaller rig. In a review for Pedal of the Day, Mike F described a range of tones from a "singing, soaring lead tone, with what seemed like sustain for days, to a Cream-y, Green-y crunch", placing the pedal's character in the territory of a Marshall stack or Bluesbreaker rather than a typical American-flavored drive1.
What it does
The pedal is an overdrive in the British amp tradition: the reviewer's description of Cream-like and Green-like crunch and a Marshall stack or Bluesbreaker-like sound from a small rig points at a pedal intended to push an amp into that style of breakup without needing the stack itself1. For a player with a modest amp at home, that is the appeal: the 1962 aims to deliver big-cab lead sustain and crunch at living-room levels.
Build quality
The review was emphatic about construction. Mike F wrote that "this pedal from Keeley Electronics oozes quality", adding "It's solid, well bit and the finish is flawless." He contrasted it with what he called "imported tin build", positioning it as a sturdily made pedal rather than a lightweight enclosure1.
Where it sits in Keeley's range
Keeley Electronics makes a number of overdrives alongside the 1962 British Overdrive, including the Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive, the Keeley Super Phat Mod, the Keeley D&M Drive and the Keeley Electronics 1962x. The 1962's British-amp voicing is what sets it apart within that line1.
Videos
Lance Seymour
Mike Hermans
Dreamlab Production
Sources (2)
- Keeley Electronics 1962 British Overdrive, Pedal of the Day (pedal-of-the-day.com), 2015-08-16
- Keeley Electronics 1962 British Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2015-07-28
