The Keeley Tube Drive Twin Triode Dual Overdrive is a dual overdrive pedal that puts two different drive circuits in one box: a high-voltage tube stage on one side and Keeley's Super Phat Mod, a Blues Driver-derived transistor circuit, on the other. Each side has its own footswitch and its own controls, and you can run the tube side, the transistor side, or both together1.
The tube side is the headline. The pedal generates 168 volts internally, with over 100 volts at the anode, which is far beyond the 9-volt supply most pedals run on and is what gives the tube stage its high-voltage feel1. Guitar Pedal X describes that side as delivering "warm, touch-sensitive grit," while the Super Phat Mod side carries what the same writer calls the "legendary Keeley overdrive voice with punch, body, and sustain"2.
The two sides: tube and Super Phat Mod
The left side of the pedal is what Guitar Pedal X calls "a proper Tube Drive," running a real 12A7-family tube at high voltage. The right side is the Super Phat Mod, which Gearnews identifies as a Blues Driver with a sound all its own, a circuit Keeley released as a standalone pedal roughly ten years before the Tube Drive1. Guitar Pedal X sums up the pairing as "a Super Phat Mod / Blues Driver on the right" alongside the tube drive on the left2.
Because each side has a separate footswitch and dedicated controls, you can use them independently or stack them. Gearnews notes that running both gives "a wide range of sonic options, from gentle and warm to brutally distorted"1.
| Side | Circuit | What the press says it does |
|---|---|---|
| Tube Drive | High-voltage 12A7 tube stage, 168 volts internal | "High-voltage tube feel with warm, touch-sensitive grit"2 |
| Super Phat Mod | Transistor-based, Blues Driver-derived | "Legendary Keeley overdrive voice with punch, body, and sustain"2 |
Stefan Karlsson at Guitar Pedal X, who spent time with the pre-release edition, came away calling the combination of the two drive sides "pretty much a perfect combination for me"2.
"Pretty much a perfect combination for me."
Controls and swapping the order
Each side carries three controls: Level, Gain, and Tone2. Beyond that, the pedal has one trick that most dual overdrives do not. Holding down the Drive footswitch for two seconds swaps the order of the two sides, from Drive to Tube or Tube to Drive1. In practice that means you can choose whether the Super Phat Mod feeds the tube stage or the tube stage feeds the Super Phat Mod, two stacked-drive flavors that can sound quite different depending on which circuit hits which first.
The bypass is also selectable. You can decide between true bypass and buffered bypass, which Keeley calls Keeley Silent1, so the pedal can run clean when off or act as a buffer in a longer signal chain.
Versions and tubes
The Tube Drive has shipped in several editions, each with a different tube. The story starts with a limited pre-release run of 100 pedals, an RKFX.com exclusive with a brushed gold gloss finish, carrying a genuine 1950s Sylvania 12AT7WA tube, burned in and fully tested2. That run sold out very quickly on the day of release, Friday, August 7, 20262. Gearnews describes what followed: "What initially seemed like a limited-edition model that sold out quickly is now available for everyone!"1
At general release on September 1, 2026, the pedal arrived in two versions12:
| Edition | Tube | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-release, August 2026 | 1950s Sylvania 12AT7WA | Run of 100, RKFX.com exclusive, brushed gold gloss, sold out August 72 |
| Standard black | Keeley-made 12AX7 | The standard model1 |
| Gold limited edition | 1987 Philips JAN 12AT7WC | Strictly limited, 300 made worldwide1 |
Guitar Pedal X also notes a Gold K Tube Shield on the Dealer Edition, where the Dealer Edition has it in gold2. The two accounts of the edition lineup line up on tubes and finishes: Guitar Pedal X calls the September 1 release a Gold Dealer Edition with a 12AT7WC and a Standard Edition with a 12AX7, while Gearnews describes a black standard version and a gold limited edition of 30012.
Power, warm-up, and bypass
The pedal runs on 9V DC at 500mA2. That current draw is high for a single pedal, and it reflects the internal circuitry that generates the 168 volts the tube stage needs1. This is not a battery pedal, and the 500mA requirement is worth checking against a power supply before building it into a board.
The Tube Drive needs about ten seconds after power-up before it really kicks into gear, according to Gearnews. The tube stage has to come up to operating voltage, so expect a short delay when you first power your board1.
Gearnews also makes a point about the pedal's character as a whole: "something that's so fully analog also delivers a fully analog response"1.
Prices
Gearnews lists the black version with the Keeley-made 12AX7 at $429.00, with Sweetwater showing $399 for the same version, and the gold limited edition with the Philips tube at $466.001. Guitar Pedal X called the pre-release edition "well priced at $500 and equivalent"2.
Where it came from
The Tube Drive is a Keeley design, built in Oklahoma City, with each pedal of the initial run of 100 numbered on the faceplate2. It pairs two pieces of Keeley history: the Super Phat Mod, a circuit the company released as a standalone pedal about a decade earlier1, and the company's first high-voltage tube pedal platform. The pre-release sold out within minutes of going on sale on August 7, 2026, and the general release followed on September 12.
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Questions
How long does the Keeley Tube Drive take to warm up?
Gearnews reports you have to wait a good ten seconds after turning it on before the Tube Drive really kicks into gear. That is the tube stage coming up to operating condition, so plan for a short delay between powering the pedal and playing through it.
Can you change the order of the two sides on the Keeley Tube Drive?
Yes. Holding down the Drive footswitch for two seconds swaps the signal order, from Drive to Tube or Tube to Drive. That lets you feed the Super Phat Mod side into the tube side or the other way around without rewiring anything.
Is the Keeley Tube Drive true bypass or buffered?
It is selectable. You can choose between true bypass and buffered bypass, which Keeley calls Keeley Silent, so the pedal can sit at either end of a long board depending on how you want it to interact with your other effects.
What tube comes in the Keeley Tube Drive?
It depends on the edition. The standard black version carries a Keeley-made 12AX7. The limited gold edition uses a 1987 Philips JAN 12AT7WC tube, and the earlier pre-release run of 100 pedals carried a genuine 1950s Sylvania 12AT7WA, burned in and fully tested.
What is the Super Phat Mod based on?
The Super Phat Mod is Keeley's take on the Boss Blues Driver, a transistor-based overdrive circuit with what Guitar Pedal X calls a sound all its own. Keeley released it as a standalone pedal roughly ten years before the Tube Drive combined it with a tube stage.
How much does the Keeley Tube Drive cost?
Gearnews lists the black version with the Keeley 12AX7 at $429.00, with Sweetwater showing $399. The gold limited edition with the Philips tube is listed at $466.00. The earlier pre-release run was priced around $500 by Guitar Pedal X.
Sources (2)
- Keeley Tube Drive Twin Triode Dual Overdrive: Dual Tube Overdrive Now Available for Everyone!, gearnews.com, 2026-09-02
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-08-10
