Keeley Filaments High Gain Distortion Pedal

£179.00

Also available on — Andertons, Gear4music, Reverb, Amazon, eBay

Fresh on the menu for 2026 are the Keeley Electronics Guitar Pedals, freshly added and carefully selected. These New units are available to order online with fast, secure delivery from trusted UK retailers. Read on for full details, specifications, demos, videos, reviews, and the best places to buy the Keeley Electronics Guitar Pedals today.


Description

Fresh on the menu for 2026 are the Keeley Electronics Guitar Pedals, freshly added and carefully selected. These New units are available to order online with fast, secure delivery from trusted UK retailers. Read on for full details, specifications, demos, videos, reviews, and the best places to buy the Keeley Electronics Guitar Pedals today.

The Robert Keeley Filaments High Gain Distortion pedal can make your amp sound like a fire-breathing monster. The Filaments can cover a range of tones thanks to its wide gain spectrum.

Controls

The 4 EQ knobs (Presence, Bass, Body and Treble) lets you dial in the perfect sound. Turning up the bass and body will add more low-end to your tone, so if you’re running the pedal into a small amp then the Filaments can compensate.

Cranking the treble and presence controls adds clarity and definition, letting your guitar be heard in even the most frantic of mixes. The Bright switch also increases the amount of top-end in your signal and is another flexible option. You can add more gain and compression with the Boost and Crunch switches, letting you further adjust and harness the sound in your head.

Amp-like Tones

The Filaments’ three gain stages replicate that sought-after high gain tube amp sound, producing plenty of dynamism and character. Some digital distortion units can sound harsh or unnatural, which is why Keeley used analogue circuitry for the Filaments, providing a more genuine tone.

Low-end cab thump can be obtained with the Bass and Body controls, letting you add valve amp punch. You can further change the pedal’s sound thanks to its variable 9-18V DC. Running it maxed out will give you a more open sound with higher headroom, transforming it into a full 100W stack in a small pedal format.

Specifications

  • 9-18 VDC – Louder and More Powerful at 18 Volts
  • Ultra Low Current = 10mA
  • Center Negative Tip
  • Power Supply Required – No Battery Operation
  • True-Bypass
  • 100% Analog

Additional information

Weight 0.5 kg

Brand

Keeley Electronics

Keeley Electronics is a prominent American manufacturer of guitar effects pedals, founded in 2001 by Robert Keeley. The company has established a strong reputation in the boutique pedal industry through its focus on precision engineering and high-quality audio performance.

Keeley is renowned for its active and passive pedal designs, including iconic models like the Katana Blues Driver, the Compressor Plus, and the Delay Workstation. Keeley’s pedals are distinguished by their meticulous craftsmanship, innovative circuit designs, and reliability.

The company’s products often incorporate advanced features such as flexible EQ controls, analogue and digital hybrid processing, and extensive tone-shaping capabilities, making them favoured by both professional and amateur guitarists seeking exceptional sound quality and versatile performance.

Category

Guitar Pedals

Tags

Boost

A boost pedal does one simple thing brilliantly — it makes your signal louder, stronger, and more alive. Whether you’re pushing a valve amp into natural breakup, lifting a solo above the band, or adding a touch more presence to your core tone, a clean boost gives you extra headroom without changing your character.

Use it at the front of your chain to drive other pedals harder, or after your gain stages to raise volume without adding distortion. Subtle or powerful, transparent or slightly coloured, a boost is one of the most useful tools on any pedalboard — small box, big difference.

Compressor

A compressor pedal evens out your dynamics, smoothing peaks and lifting quieter notes so everything feels tighter and more controlled. It adds sustain, clarity, and balance — making clean chords ring longer, country licks snap with precision, and funk rhythms pop with consistency. Subtle or pronounced, compression shapes the feel of your playing as much as the sound.

Use it at the front of your chain to tighten your core tone, add sustain to leads, or keep complex passages sitting neatly in the mix. From gentle polish to unmistakable squash, a compressor is one of those foundational tools that quietly makes everything sound more professional and dialled in.

Distortion

Distortion pedals take your clean guitar signal and transform it into something bigger, bolder, and full of attitude. By clipping the waveform, they add sustain, bite, and aggression, creating that thick, compressed tone that’s powered rock music for decades. From the growling crunch of classic hard rock to the tight, saturated roar of modern metal, distortion is all about energy and presence. It gives every note weight and authority, pushing your amp to its limits and beyond.

There are countless flavours of distortion, each with its own texture and edge. Some sound smooth and creamy, others raw and gnarly like tearing fabric. It’s the sonic equivalent of turning up the heat until the sound cooks — rich, sizzling, and perfectly seasoned to taste. Whether used for rhythm muscle or soaring leads, a good distortion pedal doesn’t just add volume; it adds personality, grit, and that unmistakable sense of power under your fingers.

EQ

While Ed Sheeran primarily relies on the natural sound of his acoustic guitar and vocals, he occasionally uses EQ (Equalization) to shape and enhance his tone during live performances or in the studio. EQ pedals or onboard preamps can allow him to adjust the frequency response of his guitar signal to suit the acoustics of different venues or to achieve specific tonal characteristics. Here’s how EQ might be utilized in Ed Sheeran’s setup:

1. **Tonal Shaping**: EQ can be used to adjust the balance of frequencies in the guitar signal, allowing Ed Sheeran to shape his tone to his liking. For example, he might boost the midrange frequencies to bring out the warmth and presence of his acoustic guitar, or cut certain frequencies to reduce any harshness or mud in the sound.

2. **Feedback Control**: In a live setting, EQ can help control feedback by notching out problematic frequencies that might cause the guitar signal to feed back through the amplification system. This can be particularly useful when performing in venues with challenging acoustics or high volume levels.

3. **Room Correction**: In situations where the venue’s acoustics are less than ideal, EQ can be used to compensate for any deficiencies in the sound. By adjusting the EQ settings, Ed Sheeran can tailor the guitar tone to sound more balanced and natural, regardless of the room’s acoustic properties.

4. **Matching Gear**: EQ can also be used to match the tone of Ed Sheeran’s guitar to the sound of other instruments or equipment in his setup. For example, he might adjust the EQ to complement the tonal characteristics of his vocal microphone or to blend seamlessly with backing tracks or other instruments.

Overall, while EQ may not be a central component of Ed Sheeran’s guitar effects setup, it can still play a valuable role in shaping his tone and ensuring that he achieves the desired sound in different performance environments. Whether used subtly for tonal shaping or more aggressively for feedback control, EQ allows Ed Sheeran to tailor his guitar tone to suit his musical vision and performance needs.

New

This is brand new, fresh in, and a UK warranty is included. New Gear always comes from trusted UK music retailers.

used

Used pedals bring character, value, and often a bit of history to your board. Whether it’s a well-loved classic or a recent release looking for its next home, a used pedal offers the same core tone at a more accessible price. Fully tested and described clearly, it’s a chance to grab great gear without paying brand-new money.

Go used to explore different sounds, track down discontinued favourites, or build your setup more affordably. Sometimes a pedal with a few marks on the casing still delivers flawless tone — and might even have a story or two behind it.