Keeley Verb O Trem

The Keeley Verb O Trem is a dual effects pedal that combines reverb and tremolo in one box, made by Keeley Electronics. It was announced in two versions, a compact standard-sized pedal and a larger-chassis Workstation, both released on 15 November, with the compact priced at $149 and the Workstation at $299¹². Both pedals use separate effects engines for each effect, one for reverb and one for modulation, and Keeley describes the results as "studio-quality sounds"¹².

The design had input from session player Eddie Heinzelman, who worked with Keeley on both versions¹³. Keeley later carried the collaboration further with the Keeley Eddie Heinzelman Signature Vibe o Verb Workstation, which MusicRadar's reviewer Trevor Curwen called a definitive tremolo and reverb pedal⁴.

Reverb and tremolo modes

The compact Verb O Trem keeps its controls simple: four straightforward knobs, including a fixed, amp-style reverb control, and a toggle switch that provides three modes with different models³⁵. Each mode pairs a reverb with a tremolo type rather than letting you mix and match freely.

The three variations on the compact pedal are¹:

• Vintage-style reverb and tremolo
• Mack: tube amp pitch vibrato and spring reverb
• Harm: harmonic tremolo and spring reverb

Delicious Audio describes the three tremolo flavors as Tube Bias style, Magnatone pitch-style vibrato and Harmonic Tremolo, which map onto the same three modes³. For a player, that means the compact pedal covers the classic amp-style tremolo sounds, the pitch wobble of a Magnatone-style circuit, and the smoother harmonic tremolo associated with vintage brown-face amps.

One thing the compact pedal does not do is let you turn the two effects on independently. Premier Guitar describes it as Keeley's "simpler, less-expensive Verb o Trem, which lacks independent switches for the two effects"⁶. The reverb and tremolo run as a paired combination, switched together.

Compact and Workstation versions

The two versions share an identical color and some features, but the Keeley VoT Workstation is produced in a larger chassis and is aimed at players who want more flexibility in terms of reverb and tremolo³⁵. Where the compact pedal has three fixed pairings, the Workstation's reverb and modulation sections each provide eight different sounds⁵.

The Workstation's reverb list covers 2 spring, 3 spring, plate, hall, chamber, room, fugue and slapback, while its modulation list runs from sine wave and square wave tremolo through harmonic and dynamic harmonic tremolo, pitch vibrato, ramp trem, a 'Les' rotary speaker model and a u-vibe model¹². Gearnews notes the mod department includes a Univibe and a Leslie model, and that the Workstation also offers a tap-tempo option and more control options in terms of sound shaping⁵.

The modulation side of the Workstation goes beyond what most reverb-plus-tremolo pedals attempt. Pitch vibrato, a rotary speaker emulation and a Uni-Vibe emulation sit alongside the tremolo types, which makes the larger box closer to a combined reverb and modulation platform than a simple two-effect pedal⁵⁴¹.

Where the Verb O Trem sits in Keeley's line

The Verb O Trem was not Keeley's first pairing of these two effects. Both the Verb O Trem and its companion pedal feature separate effects engines for each effect, reverb and modulation², so each side of the pedal processes its own effect rather than sharing one engine. The Verb O Trem became available from 15 November².

A 2023 Guitar.com review of the Catalinbread tremoL8 suggested the Verb O Trem at £178 as an alternative for players comparing tremolo pedals, noting it as a tremolo and reverb pedal in the same price bracket⁷.

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