Keeley Oxblood

A Keeley Response to the "Klones," Designed with Jack Orman

The Keeley Oxblood Overdrive belongs to the large family of overdrives inspired by "Klon" circuits, sought after for their ability to boost an amp while maintaining definition, or to generate rich and articulate saturation. Keeley takes the concept further with two ways to saturate the signal via carefully selected diodes, and an EQ that highlights playing without muffling the guitar. Development was carried out by the Keeley team with the help of Jack Orman, a major figure in the effects world, to create a pedal capable of "surpassing" the traditional Klon approach in versatility and feel under the fingers.

For Which Guitarists and Styles?

The Oxblood is an ideal overdrive pedal if you are looking for an expressive drive that respects attack, guitar volume, and right-hand nuances. It suits both intermediate guitarists (who want a simple but very high-quality pedal) and advanced players (who need a reliable gain tool to sculpt their sound). In blues, rock, pop, country, worship, indie, and light hard rock, it excels as a boost (to push a tube amp), as a primary overdrive on a clean channel, or as a second stage after another pedal to thicken sustain. On a pedalboard, it easily integrates as an "all-around" overdrive: punchy rhythm, singing lead, or slightly fuzzy grain when pushing the gain.

Controls and Features: Simple but Deadly Effective

The Keeley Oxblood gets straight to the point with three potentiometers and two selectors. The Drive control covers a wide range, from slightly gritty clean tones to generous and sustained saturation. The Tone knob adjusts the highs to shift from a soft, rounded top end to a sharper sound, useful for adapting to different amps and pickups. The Level control offers a significant volume reserve: perfect for pushing an amp's input without losing definition. The PHAT switch shapes the low-end response: depending on your guitar and cabinet, you can get a more present bass or a tighter, mid-focused sound. Finally, the Clipping selector changes how the pedal saturates: more dynamics, more sustain, and a different "responsive" feel under the fingers. All this is complemented by true bypass to preserve your signal when the pedal is off.

The Sound

The Oxblood's sonic signature is a blend of rich mids and clarity, with saturation that remains clear even on chords. It can act as a thick clean boost that beefs up presence, or as an overdrive with a more pronounced grain, capable of approaching an almost fuzz-like texture depending on settings and clipping mode. Dynamics are a strong point: lowering the guitar volume easily cleans up the sound, and playing harder makes the pedal react with natural bite. Whether you're using single coils or humbuckers, the Oxblood maintains great articulation and a very pleasant "amp-like" feel, particularly effective for singing leads and rhythms that need to stay upfront in the band.

Technical specifications

Effects	Distortion / Overdrive / Fuzz, Overdrive	Type	sector
Technology	Analog	Use	electric guitar
Format	Pedal	Color	White
EQ	Tone

Model	KEELEY ELECTRONICS Oxblood Overdrive	Input	6.35 mm jack mono
SKU	KOX	Output	6.35 mm jack mono
Country of manufacture	USA	Dimensions	112 x 68 x 51 mm
Bypass	True Bypass	Weight	277 g
Enclosure material	metal	Included accessories	documentation
Controls	Drive, Tone, Level	Power supply	9V battery or optional 9VDC power supply
PHAT switch	adjusts the bass response	Polarity	center-negative
Clipping switch	more dynamic sound and increased volume	Power consumption	223 mA