Guitar Journal: Keeley Tube Drive 12AT7WA & More
Plus, JHS Boost-A-Drive-A-Fuzz Kit and guitar prodigy Nene Royal
5,0 / 5,0 | 
This week, we look at the Keeley limited-run tube-powered Tube Drive launched last Friday, in a blink and you’ll miss it online exclusive. Next up, we looks at the JHS Pedals Boost-A-Drive-A-Fuzz Kit which has just launched. Finally we check out the playing of Nene Royal, a 16-year-old guitar prodigy from Phuket, Thailand.
Guitar Journal
Tube Drive
The Keeley Tube Drive 12AT7WA RKFX.com Exclusive limited-run was hyped up and sold out almost instantly. It is a dual overdrive setup with dedicated Level, Gain, and Tone Controls on each side, along with two footswitches labelled Tube and Drive.
A general release version is going on sale from 1 September, and we will let you know more about that version when it officially drops.
The design offers a high-voltage tube preamp and the Keeley Super Phat Mod drive circuit in one tube-driven pedal with a vintage Sylvania tube doing all the work. They also have true-bypass or Keeley silent buffered switching, so perfect for tone chasers and making the design very pedalboard friendly.
Vintage Sylvania Tube
This highly limited release of 100 pedals came in a brushed gold gloss finish and each unit cam with an original 1950s 12AT7WA tube fitted. Of course, the tubes were all burned-in and fully tested, so you knew that they would work.
Switchable Effect Order
They have a switchable effect rrder and this allows users to stack Tube into Drive or Drive into Tube, so pretty versatile for such a simple pedal layout.
It powers from a 9VDC center-negative supply and requires 500mA to operate. I like that Keeley added a remote switch jack option (on tip and ring) on the back, so it can be part of more complex rigs is required.
Collectible
Each one was built in Oklahoma City and each pedal comes with a numbered faceplate, so collectors will love them, no doubt. Priced at $499, this was a premium drive option and still sold out quickly.
Boost-A-Drive-A-Fuzz Kit
JHS Pedal’s Josh Scott has launched the new Boost-A-Drive-A-Fuzz Kit as a collboartion with Coppersound. It follows hot on the heels of his recent Notadümble V2 DIY kit, but this new kit will take a more experienced builder to assemble it.
3-in-1
The DIY circuit features hard clip distortion (comparable to a RAT), silicon fuzz (comparable to a Silicon Fuzz Face), and single transistor overdrive (comparable to an Electra Distortion). Therefore, offering lots of options in one tidy pedal enclosure, each accessible via a three-way mini toggle switch. Then, Volume, Gain, and Filter controls adjust the pedal as required.
Not for beginners
Unlike the JHS Pedal kits which are simple, plug and play assembly, this one requires soldering skills and proper equipment to make it work. If you need to practice your soldering skills, start with cable and read our handy guide on what to do here.
The price of $119 is very competitive and so if you can solder, this one could be perfect for you. The kit can be purchased direct from Coppersound Pedals website.
Nene Royal
Nene Royal is currently very much in the eye of the world, as this 16 year old from Phuket, Thailand, has some awesome guitar chops for their age. Check out their rendition of Hysteria by Muse on America’s Got Talent.
Guitar & Bass Combined!
Armed with an Ibanez MC300 and a Line 6 amp modeler, the teenager expertly tackled Matt Bellamy’s lead vocals and guitar solos while seamlessly weaving in Chris Wolstenholme’s iconic bassline, all at once.
I’d alos highly recommend checking out this Metallica cover on Reddit, which is where I first saw Nene Royal playing.
It is fantastic to see such young musicians covering classic songs and doing a great job, all without any high-end music equipment or AI assistance. Playing live, rather than just streaming videos of perfected performances, is a whole different ball game.
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2 responses to “Guitar Journal: Keeley Tube Drive 12AT7WA & More”
How can the Keeley design “offer a high-voltage tube preamp” from 9v? Keeley’s website says ‘high powered feel’ which is a very different thing, more likely a starved plate design like the BK Butler Tube Driver.
Scratch that – looks like they’re using watts law to trade current for voltage.