Sweetwater Takes the Keeley Manis Overdrive for a Ride

From the get-go, Sweetwater dives straight into the Keeley Manis Overdrive, asking the burning question, “Is it a Klon or not?” Well, this ain’t just your average Klon clone. The Manis Overdrive brings versatility to the table, with more tonal options that let players shift gears from classic Klon sounds to those that are uniquely its own. Right off the bat, you can tell this pedal isn’t just riding on the coattails of its predecessors. It’s carving its own path, standing out in a crowded market of overdrive pedals.

Sweetwater gives a solid overview of what makes the Keeley Manis a beast in the overdrive realm. The pedal takes the K-Circuit and flips it on its head with two tone stack options and clipping variations. Get ready to play mad scientist with tone, drive, and level controls that are oh-so-familiar if you’re down with Keeley’s Noble Screamer or Blues Disorder. The ability to switch between germanium diodes and germanium transistors is a game changer, adding a different layer of saturation and compression that feels almost magical. What’s more? There’s a bass boost option that, instead of dumping low-end mud, gives a sweet 3 dB boost, evening out any mid-bump without shaking the walls.

The Keeley Manis Overdrive has a wild card up its sleeve: it can run anywhere between 9 and 18 volts. While the old K circuit might want to phone a friend when going over 12 volts, the Manis just powers through, offering increased headroom and flexibility. This ain’t your grandma’s overdrive; it’s packed with the option for true bypass or silent buffered bypass just by a simple footswitch press. Sweetwater takes us on a journey with various guitars and amp combinations, showing how each rig can change the overdrive game completely.

Sweetwater orchestrates a full-on sonic tour with the Keeley Manis, throwing it into different rigs to showcase its full potential. First, they run a Heritage H150 through a Marshall 1959 Modified, followed by a 1956 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue where this pedal’s magic really shines. They don’t stop until they’ve run it through a lineup that would make any gearhead’s heart race: a Fender Deluxe Reverb paired with an Xotic XSC-1 California Classic, amongst others. The meticulous exploration highlights how the pedal responds to different amp and guitar pairings, revealing its adaptability. It’s like taking a scenic sonic drive through tonal landscapes you didn’t know you needed to visit. The switch options alone unveil voices and textures that morph the player’s experience from one setup to the next. Sweetwater nails it by showing how this piece of gear ought to be used, emphasizing the different shades it can add to a player’s sonic palette.