
The effects pioneer launches three new pedals that pair iconic drives into a single box, with circuit design that allows four variations on each pedal’s classic tones.
Every gigging musician knows this showbiz nugget: End your set on a high note. If you finish with a flourish, the audience will be salivating for your next performance.
In a way, that’s how Robert Keeley has wrapped up his 4-in-1 Series of overdrive/distortion pedals. After debuting with the wonderfully provocative Noble Screamer—a mashup of the Nobels ODR-1 and Ibanez Tube Screamer—in 2023, Keeley and his team have unleashed three new pedals simultaneously for 2024.
The troika of loveable troublemakers—the Blues Disorder, Super Rodent, and Angry Orange—continues the engineering theme and playful naming convention of the Noble Screamer. Each of the new pedals offers two independent effects featuring classic overdrive/distortion circuits. The effects are carefully paired together and allow you to mix and match their respective clipping sections and tone sections. If you wish, you can use both the drive section and tone section of circuit A exactly as it appeared in the original pedal. Same with circuit B. But the fun really begins when you experiment with mashups: You can link the overdrive section from circuit A with the tone section of circuit B, and vice versa. These “hybrid” modes offer unusual and unexpected delights. Suddenly, you have four pedals in one.
Matchmaking 101: How to Pair Iconic Pedals
The three new overdrive/distortion pedals each combine a soft-clipping classic with a hard-clipping counterpart. Angry Orange matches a carefully chosen Big Muff specimen (soft clip) and Boss DS-1 (hard clip). The Blues Disorder pairs a Marshall Bluesbreaker (soft clip) with a Fulltone OCD (hard clip). And the Super Rodent combines a Boss SD-1 (soft clip) with the venerable RAT pedal (hard clip).
The enterprise was made possible by a well-established circuit template among pedal builders that has defined the genre since its inception. “The whole series is based on a simple fact: Almost all overdrive and distortion pedals are designed with the same signal flow,” says Keeley. “They have a clipping section that feeds into a tone control.” This fundamental similarity among pedals meant that they could be combined with each other in a new, intriguing fashion.
With that in mind, Keeley relished his role as matchmaker. “I wanted to pair pedals together and thought ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to pair a RAT and a Super Overdrive?’ Their sounds are so well-known: The RAT is hard-clipping and the Super Overdrive is soft-clipping, and players love to stack these two pedals. But with the hybrid mode, players can get something that they’ve never heard before.
“The next one was the Blues Disorder: I wanted to put two extremely popular pedals together. So I opted to pair the Bluesbreaker—which attracts a similar type of following as the King of Tone and Morning Glory—with an OCD, which is one of the most popular distortion pedals ever. The Blues Disorder combines two super popular pedals, but now you can explore them in a way that’s totally new and fresh.
“For the third pedal, I wanted something really heavy. I thought that it definitely had to have a Big Muff, and I realized that no one is doing a boutique version of the Boss DS-1, maybe the most popular distortion pedal of all time. The Big Muff is a soft-clipping pedal and the DS-1 is hard-clipping, so this combination fit the identity of this pedal line. Interestingly, both those pedals share a similar type of tone control—the topology and resistors are kind of similar, but they carve out a different midrange and scoop. The other pedals in this series have radically different tone controls, like the Noble Screamer, the first pedal in this series.”
The matchmaking process resulted in some devilishly delightful surprises, with each pedal’s “hybrid” mode offering new and fresh tones. “I couldn’t have predicted how these hybrid modes would sound,” says Keeley. “That was a fun part of the discovery process along the way.”
A Man with a Plan
The unveiling of three new pedals marks the culmination of an idea that began more than two years ago. “All of these pedals were designed at the same time,” Keeley notes. “I wanted to have a soft-clipping pedal paired with a hard-clipping circuit. As soon as I settled on the concept, within a couple of weeks, Craighton [Keeley’s in-house engineer, Craighton Hale] had prototypes ready for the Blues Disorder and Super Rodent. The Angry Orange followed soon thereafter. They really came together very quickly.
“It was relatively easy to design the Super Rodent, because there aren’t many large differences between the generations of RAT pedals and SD-1s. That one was almost done even before I started. But the Blues Disorder took a lot more effort. The different versions of the OCD are all over the place. Mike [Fuller] made a lot of changes from generation to generation. For this reason, the Blues Disorder does not have identical clones of the two pedals, like the Noble Screamer. For the Blues Disorder, we tried to create the best-sounding OCD we could come up with. And for the Bluesbreaker circuit, I bought $4,000 worth of King of Tones from all different eras, so that this pedal would compare favorably with the King of Tone and the JHS Morning Glory. I wanted the Blues Disorder to be a statement piece from Keeley. You’ve got the soft-clipping Bluesbreaker that so many people love, coupled with the OCD’s tone stack—which is really hot, so it’s almost like having another gain stage pushing the mids—in the hybrid mode.”
The first in the 4-in-1 series.
However, Keeley and his team opted to debut the 4-in-1 Series with the Noble Screamer. “We decided to start with the Noble Screamer for two reasons. We wanted to put that pedal under incredible scrutiny to see how well we had managed to recreate those two original circuits. And, by focusing on one pedal, we could get our manufacturing skills together to prepare for the entire line. We were making our own, newly designed case for the first time. All these pedals were designed for the old case, but when we got the capability of building our own cases, we knew that there was no way we were going to put these out in the old die-cast enclosures.”
The Name Game
The 4-in-1 Pedal Series benefits from the cheeky names for each model. Again, Keeley and his team had a plan in mind right from the get-go: “I had a few rules I tried to follow. Whenever possible, I tried to use a word from each of the individual pedals. So the Noble Screamer got its name from the Nobels ODR-1 and Tube Screamer. The Super Rodent was really easy, because it borrows from the Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive and RAT. The Blues Disorder comes from the Bluesbreaker and OCD—obsessive compulsive disorder. The fun one is Angry Orange because it doesn’t have the word ‘Muff’ in it. That one gets its name from the orange color of the DS-1. If you look up ‘orange distortion’ on Google, it immediately comes up. And the Big Muff is kind of an angry-sounding pedal, so that’s how we got the name.”
The Angry Orange presented an additional challenge: Which version of the Big Muff and DS-1 would be used? “In choosing the right Big Muff, I considered at least five or six different variants—the op-amp Muffs, the Ram’s Head, and various transistor Muffs. As I was searching for the right Muff, I came across this very interesting and rare Sovtek Russian Civil War Big Muff. It’s this blue and grey thing—Mike Matthews had the team in Russia print both sides of the enclosure. We ended up using this transistor Muff. It sounds incredible. When it came to choosing the DS-1, I started looking at the older Japanese models that I have in my collection, but then I listened to one of the Waza Craft versions and those sound great. They’re designed totally differently from the vintage DS-1s, and we thought that they sounded better than the old ones. We went in there with our analyzers and Aaron’s ears [Aaron Pierce, a key member of the Keeley design team] and we spent a ridiculous amount of time finessing the DS-1 and Muff circuits to work well with each other. That Angry Orange pedal took the most amount of work, after getting the Noble Screamer to sound exactly like the originals.”
Some Contenders That Were Left Behind
For the sake of diversity and practicality, Keeley says that several iconic pedals were never in the mix as potential candidates. “I didn’t really want to do a Timmy pedal or a Zendrive. And I couldn’t do a Distortion+ because it doesn’t have a tone control. There were two other pedals that kept coming up in forum comments, the Klon Centaur and Boss BD-2 Blues Driver. But I couldn’t use them in this series because they use dual pots in their original design. In this series I’m already using custom dual potentiometers for both volume and tone because they’re controlling two completely separate circuits. If I were going to attempt doing a Klon or BD-2, I’d have to use a triple-stack potentiometer, and I don’t know if it would’ve even fit into the pedal.”
“I would’ve loved to put the Marshall Bluesbreaker and the Boss Blues Driver in the same pedal, but the Blues Driver’s dual pot made it impossible. And an OCD and Klon would’ve made a fun combination, because they sound radically different, but I couldn’t do that since the Klon uses a dual potentiometer in its design already.”
The Keeley Team Employs the Science of Tone … and Ears
In designing and building the new series of pedals, Keeley and his team have strived to achieve a new level of consistency and sonic precision. “We’re using several Audio Precision analyzers, and they’re so cool,” Keeley enthuses. “We can measure the frequency response, the signal-to-noise ratio, and the total harmonic distortion for any of these designs. We can create a complete ‘CAT scan’ of the desired pedal and use it to dial in the sounds of our own designs. I fell in love with these things, so we use them now on the production floor to test all of our units, so our production is much more consistent.”
But even with the increased use of measurement tools, the company’s product development process boils down to the most important factor: how these pedals sound to the human ear. And this is where one member of the Keeley team plays a particularly crucial role. “Aaron Pierce is the golden ears of Keeley Electronics,” notes Keeley. “I can change one part by 10 percent, out of 70 to 100 parts, and he’ll hear it. It’s amazing, and he consistently does it day after day. So as much as I love my analyzers, I rely on Aaron’s ears—he’s a critical factor in the development of our pedals.”
Keeley gives props to Craighton Hale as another core member on the team, and his work shines on the 4-in-1 Series. “He has designed all the Keeley circuit boards since 2012. He put in a huge amount of effort in designing the smooth, quiet switching systems so that you can go into hybrid mode or change platforms without any popping or noises.”
Looking Ahead
The 4-in-1 Pedal Series marks an important new phase in the company’s evolution. In recent years, Keeley has made major investments in his Oklahoma City manufacturing facility, moving into a brand-new building in 2021 and stocking it with advanced production machinery. The 4-in-1 Series enclosures—sleek-looking, extraordinarily durable housings—are made in-house and represent one of the most notable results from Keeley’s improved production capabilities. “I feel like this is the beginning of the next generation of Keeley Electronics. Now that we have a lot of circuit-board-making capabilities and can build our own enclosures, I feel that we can make an impact in drive pedals. In recent years, we’ve focused on reverbs and delays, but now we can re-engage with overdrives.”
Guitarists have responded very positively to the new 4-in-1 Series, and Keeley says that positivity is shared by one of the most notable voices in the pedal community. “Dan Steinhardt from That Pedal Show told me that, ‘The problem with drive pedals is option paralysis.’ There are too many bells and whistles. But with these pedals, Dan said that the problem is solved by keeping the pedals in a 3-knob overdrive format. It felt so good to hear him say that.”
With that type of validation for the 4-in-1 pedal concept, Keeley gratefully acknowledges that the bold concept was worthwhile. “As an engineer I really want to make it easier to make music. I want to help make it more inspirational. So if we can find a clever way to put drive pedals together, that makes me feel really good as an engineer to be able to offer something fun and unique.”
- Keeley Unveils the Noble Screamer ›
- Keeley Releases Angry Orange, Blues Disorder and Super Rodent Pedals ›
- First Look: Keeley Noble Screamer ›
-
Crank the heat! PG's John Bohlinger plugs into the boutique-built Sterling Vermin, a modern twist on the iconic Rat distortion. Hear it rip through Strats, Teles, and a Les Paul with classic snarl and smooth silicon/BAT41 clipping.
Sterling Vermin RAT
The Sterling Vermin was born from a desire for something different — something refined, with the soul of a traditional RAT pedal, but with a voice all its own.
Built in small batches and hand-soldered in ACT’s Jackson, Missouri headquarters, the Sterling Vermin is a work of pure beauty that honors the brand legacy while taking a bold step forward for creativity.
The Sterling Vermin features the LM741 Op-Amp and a pair of selectable clipping diodes. Players can toggle between the traditional RAT silicon diode configuration for a punchy, mid-range bite, or the BAT41 option for a smoother, more balanced response. The result is a pedal that’s equally at home delivering snarling distortion or articulate, low-gain overdrive, with a wide, usable tonal range throughout the entire gain spectrum.
The pedal also features CTS pots and oversized knobs for even, responsive control that affords a satisfying smoothness to the rotation, with just the right amount of tension. Additionally, the polished stainless-steel enclosure with laser-annealed graphics showcases the merging of the pedal’s vintage flavor and striking design.
From low-gain tones reminiscent of a Klon or Bluesbreaker, to high-gain settings that flirt with Big Muff territory — yet stay tight and controlled — the Sterling Vermin is a masterclass in dynamic distortion. With premium components, deliberate design and a focus on feel, the Sterling Vermin is more than a pedal, it’s a new chapter for RAT.
The Sunset is a fully analog, zero latency bass amplifier simulator. It features a ¼” input, XLR and ¼” outputs, gain and volume controls and extensive equalization. It’s intended to replace your bass amp both live and in the studio.
If you need a full sounding amp simulator with a lot of EQ, the Sunset is for you. It features a five band equalizer with Treble, Bass, Parametric Midrange (with frequency and level controls), Resonance (for ultra lows), and Presence (for ultra highs). All are carefully tuned for bass guitar. But don’t let that hold you back if you’re a keyboard player. Pianos and synthesizers sound great with the Sunset!
The Sunset includes Gain and master Volume controls which allow you to add compression and classic tube amp growl. It has both ¼” phone and balanced XLR outputs - which lets you use it as a high quality active direct box. Finally, the Sunset features zero latency all analog circuitry – important for the instrument most responsible for the band’s groove.
Introducing the Sunset Bass Amp Simulator
- Zero Latency bass amp simulator.
- Go direct into the PA or DAW.
- Five Band EQ:
- Treble and Bass controls.
- Parametric midrange with level and frequency controls.
- Presence control for extreme highs.
- Resonance control for extreme lows.
- Gain control to add compression and harmonics.
- Master Volume.
- XLR and 1/4" outputs.
- Full bypass.
- 9VDC, 200mA.
Artwork by Aaron Cheney
MAP price: $210 USD ($299 CAD).
PG contributor Tom Butwin reveals his favorite songwriting secret weapon: the partial capo. Watch how the Shubb C7 and C8 can simulate alternate tunings without retuning your guitar—and spark fresh creative ideas instantly.
Shubb C8b Partial Capo for Drop-D Tuning - Brass
The C8 covers five of the six strings, leaving either the low E or high E string open, depending on how it's positioned.
- Standard setup: Placed on the 2nd fret while leaving the low E string open, it simulates Drop D-style sounds—except you're still in standard tuning (key of E). You get that big, droning bass feel without retuning.
- Reverse setup: Flipping the capo allows the high E string to ring, giving you shimmering drones and new melodic options across familiar chord shapes.
- A flexible tool that lets you simulate alternate tunings and create rich sonic textures—all while keeping your guitar in standard tuning.
Shubb C7b Partial Capo for DADGAD Tuning - Brass
The C7 covers three of the six strings—either D, G, and B or A, D, and G—depending on how it's flipped.
- Typical setup (D, G, B): Creates an open A chord shape at the 2nd fret without needing your fingers. This frees you up for new voicings and droning notes in the key of A.
- Reversed setup (A, D, G): Gets you close to a DADGAD-style tuning vibe, but still keeps you in standard tuning—great for modal, spacious textures often found in folk or cinematic guitar parts.
Use it alone or stack it with the C8 for wild, layered effects and truly out-of-the-box inspiration.
PRS Guitars celebrates 40 years with the limited edition McCarty SC56. Featuring vintage-inspired design and modern innovations, this single-cutaway guitar pays tribute to Ted McCarty and his impact on the industry. With only 400 pieces available, this instrument is a must-have for collectors and performers alike.
PRS Guitars today announced the 40th Anniversary McCarty SC56 Limited Edition. With a classic PRS single-cutaway body shape and carefully chosen specifications, the McCarty SC56 is both a tribute to tradition and a reliable tool for the modern performer. Only 400 pieces will be made.
“The SC56, signifying Singlecut and 1956, model is our most recent tribute to my late mentor Ted McCarty and his impact on the guitar industry. We started with our take on a classic late ‘50s singlecut body. 1956 marks the year that Ted first had guitars made with his newly coined 'humbucker' pickups. It also happens to be the year I was born. Bringing vintage design into the modern era, we loaded this model with our McCarty III pickups, meticulously designed to deliver warm, clear, vintage tone with exceptional note separation and dynamics,” said PRS Guitars Founder & Managing General Partner, Paul Reed Smith.
Anchored by a maple top and mahogany back, the 24.594” scale length and 22-fret Pattern Vintage neck work with Phase III non-locking tuners and PRS two-piece bridge to promote its musical sustain. The PRS McCarty III pickups are controlled by a simple layout — two volume controls, two tone controls, and a three-way toggle on the upper bout.
Single-cutaway guitars are known to be heavier than their double-cutaway counterparts. The McCarty SC56 Limited Edition design incorporates weight-relief, decreasing the weight of the guitar by about 2/3 of a pound, while maintaining several points of attachment between the guitar top and back to eliminate the “hollow” sound of the cavities and promote tone transfer.
With appointments like binding on the fretboard, classic bird inlays, and a vintage-inspired nitrocellulose finish, the 40th Anniversary McCarty SC56 Limited Edition blends heritage and innovation into a timeless instrument.
PRS Guitars continues its schedule of launching new products each month in 2025.
For more information, please visit prsguitars.com.