The Keeley Noble Screamer Overdrive and Boost is a 4-in-1 overdrive and boost pedal that combines a Tube Screamer-style circuit with a Nobels ODR-1-style circuit in a single enclosure12. One side is inspired by the Nobels ODR-1 Natural Overdrive, the other by a Tube Screamer circuit, and each side offers two variations, giving you two familiar drive circuits plus two new amp-like overdrive and distortion tones3. Keeley launched it on September 19, 2023 at $1993, and it is currently listed at $199.991.
The idea, as Keeley puts it, is to let you combine your favorite parts of different overdrive and boost pedals and create hybrid sounds. Keeley describes it as almost like pedal modeling, except the circuits are 100 percent analog and you choose which tone control or clipping section you play through1.
Two classic circuits in one pedal
The Noble Screamer is Keeley's first 4-in-1 Series pedal, pairing Nobels ODR-1 and Ibanez TS808 circuits5. Gearnews described the result as four drives in one device: two legendary green overdrive pedal circuits, each with two variations, producing two very familiar drive circuits and two brand-new, amp-like overdrive and distortion sounds4.
Development involved direct comparison against original pedals. In Sweetwater's demo, Robert Keeley explained the process6:
"we developed a little special switcher that allowed us to compare to our pedal to a variety of odr ons"6
That testing was done with new analyzers at the shop, comparing the pedal against a variety of ODR-1s before release6.
The controls
The pedal keeps the layout of the circuits it draws from: three knobs and two mini toggle switches47. Premier Guitar called it a simple and easy to use three knob overdrive8.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the amount of gain3 |
| Tone | Shapes the EQ, behaving differently depending on the tone toggle position3 |
| Level | Sets the output volume3 |
| Tone toggle (OD) | A "Spectrum" type tone control, from a flat EQ to an EQ with boosted treble and bass1 |
| Tone toggle (TS) | Makes the tone dial behave as a low pass filter, rolling off high frequencies as you turn it up3 |
| Clipping toggle (OD) | Hard diode clipping, an edgier, more aggressive tone1 |
| Clipping toggle (TS) | Soft clipping, a smoother drive3 |
The two toggles are independent, so you can pair either tone control with either clipping style. That is what produces the four combinations: the two familiar circuits, plus two hybrids. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer found the OD+TS combination to be "a beefed up Screamer - More Treble, More Bass - sounds immense!"5
One practical note from Premier Guitar's demo: the TS mode has a lower volume than the OD mode, so you will have to adjust the Level knob a bit when toggling between them7.
Bypass and the buffer
The Noble Screamer can run as true bypass or buffered, switched on the fly. To change it, press and hold the footswitch for two seconds: the LED flashes twice for true bypass and three times for buffered bypass13. In buffered mode it uses what Keeley calls the Vitamin K Infused Buffer, designed for noise-free switching with no tone loss1.
Power and build
The pedal takes 9V to 18V from a pedalboard power supply3. It is entirely manufactured at Keeley Electronics in Oklahoma City, USA14, and it debuted a new proprietary aluminum enclosure shape, manufactured by RKFX in the US13. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted that the high-quality, USA-built pedal "is a more flexible solution that takes up half the space" of the two original pedals it replaces9.
What reviewers said
Keeley describes the Noble Screamer as a compact all-analog stompbox, and the pedal runs on 9V to 18V from a pedalboard power supply3. In TS mode, the tone toggle gives you a narrow focus filter control: the tone dial behaves as a low pass filter, rolling off high frequencies as you turn it up3. The pedal carries a list price of $1991.
In Premier Guitar's demo video, Tom Butwin walked through the modes, noting that "when you're in the OD drive mode this is your hard clipping more aggressive Overdrive"10. The demo also covers the three-knob layout and the selectable true bypass or buffered switching.
Sweetwater's demo with Don Carr and Robert Keeley goes deeper into the development story, including the comparison testing against original ODR-1s6.
The Noble Screamer and the Muse Driver
The Noble Screamer is built with an all analog signal path and carries a list price of $199.991. Keeley prices the pedal at $199 and describes it as a compact all-analog stompbox1. Power comes from a pedalboard supply, with the pedal accepting 9V to 18V3.
Videos
Premier Guitar
Keeley Electronics
Questions
What is the difference between the TS and OD clipping modes on the Noble Screamer?
The clipping switch under the Drive knob selects between two diode clipping styles. In the OD position you get hard diode clipping, which Keeley describes as an edgier, more aggressive tone. In the TS position you get soft clipping and a smoother drive. The two modes also differ in level, with the TS mode running quieter than the OD mode.
Can the Noble Screamer run at 18V?
Yes. The pedal takes 9V to 18V from a pedalboard power supply, so it works with a standard 9V supply and can also be run at higher voltage for additional headroom.
How do you switch the Noble Screamer between true bypass and buffered bypass?
Press and hold the footswitch for two seconds. The LED flashes twice when true bypass is activated and three times when buffered bypass is activated. The pedal's buffer, which Keeley calls the Vitamin K Infused Buffer, is designed for noise-free switching with no tone loss.
Is the Keeley Noble Screamer analog?
Yes. The signal path is all analog, and Premier Guitar's reviewer described it as an all-analog pedal. Keeley compares its switchable tone controls and clipping sections to pedal modeling, but with 100 percent analog circuits rather than digital processing.
Where is the Keeley Noble Screamer made?
It is manufactured entirely by Keeley Electronics in the USA, in Oklahoma City. It was the first Keeley pedal in a new proprietary aluminum enclosure shape, manufactured by RKFX in the US.
How is the Noble Screamer different from the Keeley Muse Driver?
Both are 4-in-1 Keeley overdrives with the same control layout of three knobs plus tone and clipping toggles, and both were priced at $199. The Noble Screamer pairs Nobels ODR-1 and Ibanez TS808-style circuits, while the Muse Driver, developed with Andy Timmons, is built around a Blues Driver-style circuit and replaced Keeley's Super AT Mod.
Sources (10)
- Keeley - Noble Screamer Overdrive and Boost - 100 out of 100, West Coast Pedalboard
- Keeley Electronics Muse Driver & Noble Screamer, Pedal of the Day, 2024-02-01
- Keeley Electronics launches the Noble Screamer Overdrive and Boost, a four-in-one pedal that offers ODR-1 and TS flavours and lets you mix and match, MusicRadar, 2023-09-19
- Keeley Noble Screamer Overdrive: Classic Overdrives Combined, gearnews.com, 2023-09-20
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-08-27
- Keeley Noble Screamer: Legendary Dirt & Drive, Distinctly Modern Musicality, Sweetwater, 2024-03-12
- Keeley Noble Screamer, Premier Guitar, 2023-09-19
- Keeley Noble Screamer, Premier Guitar, 2023-09-19
- Keeley Noble Screamer Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2023-12-04
- Keeley 4-in-1 Pedal Series Demo of Blues Disorder, Angry Orange, Super Rodent & Noble Screamer, Premier Guitar, 2024-05-07
