The Keeley Loomer is a fuzz and reverb in one enclosure, made in the USA by Keeley Electronics and designed by Robert Keeley1. It is a band-and-album style multi-effects pedal: MusicRadar reported at launch that it follows the Keeley Dark Side Workstation (David Gilmour) and Keeley Monterey Rotary Fuzz Vibe (Jimi Hendrix) in pairing a fuzz with other effects in a single box, this time aimed squarely at shoegaze2. Gearnews described it as "a huge fuzz tone with a large wash of reverb that aims to sound like My Bloody Valentine's epic" album Loveless3.
The concept is simple and unusual: a Big Muff-style fuzz feeding a multi-mode reverb, with the two sides usable separately or stacked. MusicRadar's Alex Lynham called it "a fuzz into a reverb, with some additional tone options on the fuzz and reverb patches geared toward dream-pop"4.
A Big Muff-style fuzz into a reverb
The fuzz side is where the Loomer's character comes from. MusicRadar notes that where other pedals in this class offer a choice of clipping circuits, "the Loomer cuts through the middle of these options and selects the Big Muff as its clipping circuit"4. Pedal of the Day agreed, writing that "the distortion produced is reminiscent of a Big Muff-type sound, perfectly setting you up for shoegaze-ish bliss"1.
Guitar.com's Huw Price heard it a little differently, writing that "it sounds as if it's based on a Fuzz Face or Roger Mayer-style pedal," and that "it cleans up pretty well, and with the guitar flat out it's raucous, growling and clear"5. For comparison, the fuzz in the Dark Side is described by the same reviewer as a smoother, more velvety take on the Big Muff theme with tighter lows, voiced for Gilmour's legato style5. The Loomer's fuzz is the more aggressive half of the pair.
The fuzz side carries Level, Fuzz and Filter (Tone) controls, plus a toggle switch with three voicing options: Flat, Full or Scoop1.
| Control (fuzz side) | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Output volume1 |
| Fuzz | Fuzz amount1 |
| Filter (Tone) | Tone shaping1 |
| Voicing toggle | Flat, Full or Scoop fuzz voicing1 |
Keeley's own description of the pedal, quoted by Pedal of the Day, gives a sense of the intent1:
"A stoned, morning floaty, messed up, thrill machine is what it is. Washes of reverb in new ways you've not heard in a stomp box before and a fuzz that's like a cigarette burn on your forearm. It rages."
The reverb side: Hall, Reverse and Focus
The reverb side offers three modes: Hall, Reverse and Focus1. Each is a distinct effect rather than three flavors of the same reverb, and the Decay and Depth controls change function depending on the mode1.
| Mode | What it does | Decay does | Depth does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hall | Ambient reverb with an octave feedback loop1 | Sets reverb time5 | Introduces a harmonizer effect on the tails, two octaves above the fundamental5 |
| Reverse | Reverb via a delay line, each repeat swelling up so it sounds backwards5 | Sets the interval between repeats5 | Sets the intensity of a pitch bend effect that responds to the guitar signal envelope5 |
| Focus | Dense reverb using two delays in parallel, one set for 250ms and one for 380ms1 | Sets the number of repeats; time is pre-set5 | Contributes a swirly vibrato5 |
Guitar.com's Huw Price described Focus as "a series of close echoes over reverb that repeat in a seemingly random and arrhythmic manner," fairly bright and bathroom-y but grainy and lo-fi5. The Reverse mode is based on the Yamaha SPX90 and Alesis Midiverb II rack units from the 80s and 90s1, and its Decay control has eight decay time settings: 150ms, 200ms, 250ms, 300ms, 350ms, 400ms, 450ms and 500ms1.
The remaining controls are shared across the pedal: Blend, Warmth (a tone control), and Depth, which controls pitch or modulation depth in all modes1. Beyond the three named modes, Pedal of the Day noted "there are also aspects of Delay, Modulation, Pitch Bending and more, making this one an experimenter's dream machine"1.
Can the Loomer get My Bloody Valentine tones?
That is the design brief. MusicRadar's launch coverage framed it as a pedal that "crams My Bloody Valentine's Loveless tones into a single pedal," and Gearnews described the whole box as a huge fuzz with a large reverb wash aiming at that album's sound23. Delicious Audio called it "a wall of fuzz-drenched in a wash of reverb"7.
One caveat is worth knowing. In a 2023 Guitar.com interview, Kevin Shields said much of the sound on Loveless was created using minimal or no effects, relying instead on careful mic placement, amps cranked to the max and the Jazzmaster's tremolo8. The Loomer gets you the aesthetic in one box, but the original was as much about amps and technique as pedals.
What reviewers said
Guitar.com's Huw Price reviewed the Loomer alongside the Dark Side and summed up the two sides' relationship52:
"Individually, the two sides may not quite set the world on fire but the real magic happens when they're combined to create a wall of ambient distortion that undeniably captures the shoegaze spirit."
That is the honest verdict on the pedal: the fuzz and reverb are each competent, but the Loomer's reason for existing is the combination5.
Later versions and related pedals
Keeley has kept the Loomer in its range. A 21st Anniversary Edition version of the Loomer was referenced by Robert Keeley on the company's own site in 20239. The fuzz circuit lineage also continued in later Keeley pedals, including the Keeley Moon Fuzz and the Keeley Moon Op Amp Fuzz, both derived from the Dark Side's fuzz circuit, and the all-analog Keeley Octa Psi Transfigurating Fuzz with pitch shifting and octave generation.
Videos
Keeley Electronics
Keeley Electronics
Keeley Electronics
Questions
Can you use the Loomer fuzz and reverb separately?
Yes. The Loomer is a fuzz and a reverb in one enclosure, and each side can be engaged on its own. Reviewers found the two sides usable individually, though Guitar.com's reviewer felt the real payoff comes from running them together for a wall of ambient distortion.
Does the Keeley Loomer have an expression input?
Yes. The Loomer has an expression pedal input, listed among its features by Guitar.com. It is powered by a 9V center-negative power supply, so it is a pedalboard pedal rather than a battery-powered one.
Is the Keeley Loomer true bypass?
Yes. MusicRadar lists the Loomer's bypass as true bypass. Later Keeley pedals such as the Muse Driver overdrive offer switchable true and buffered bypass, but on the Loomer the bypass is true bypass.
What fuzz circuit is in the Keeley Loomer?
The fuzz side is built on the Big Muff as its clipping circuit, according to MusicRadar, with three voicing options: Flat, Full and Scoop. Pedal of the Day describes the distortion as reminiscent of a Big Muff-type sound suited to shoegaze.
Can the Loomer get My Bloody Valentine tones?
It is aimed that way. Gearnews described the Loomer as a huge fuzz tone with a large wash of reverb that aims to sound like My Bloody Valentine's album Loveless. Note that Kevin Shields has said much of Loveless was made with minimal or no effects, relying on mic placement, cranked amps and the Jazzmaster's tremolo.
Sources (9)
- Keeley Electronics Loomer Fuzz Reverb, Pedal of the Day, 2020-12-23
- Keeley's Loomer multi-effects crams My Bloody Valentine's Loveless tones into a single pedal, MusicRadar, 2016-10-14
- Keeley's Loomer: My Bloody Valentine's 'Loveless' in a pedal?, gearnews.com, 2016-10-15
- 5 great multi-function guitar effects pedals you need to try, MusicRadar, 2022-01-05
- Keeley Loomer & Dark Side Review, Guitar.com, 2017-03-30
- RhPf Electronics Mosrawr review: a noise-bringer, Guitar.com, 2026-01-26
- The Best Reverb Pedals With Modulation Or Fuzz/Distortion In 2023, Delicious Audio, 2023-01-30
- Kevin Shields: Fender were among the first ever to ask me to do a signature pedal, guitar.com, 2023-06-22
- 21st Century Realizer, Keeley Electronics Guitar Effects Pedals, 2022-09-29
Kevin Shields
