Celebrating 25 years of Keeley compressor pedals, the Keeley Compressor Plus Germanium adds a germanium transistor buffer and tone-shaping stage to the established Compressor Plus design. Rather than using germanium as an amplifier for fuzz or overdrive, Keeley employs it to soften high-frequency content and distorted signals while shaping sustain, bloom and touch-sensitive response. Level, Blend, Comp and Tone controls provide direct control over output, compression and signal balance, while a single-coil/humbucker switch adjusts the pedal's recovery-speed voicing. Selectable true-bypass or buffered operation and 9–18VDC compatibility complete a compressor designed to expand on the original without changing its fundamental role.

Germanium Shapes Sustain, Bloom and High Frequencies

The germanium transistor operates as a buffer and tone-shaping stage rather than a gain stage, allowing it to influence the compressed signal without turning the pedal into an overdrive or fuzz. Keeley uses this stage to soften sharper high-frequency content and distorted signals while giving sustain and bloom a more natural response. The circuit is designed to provide this germanium character without the added noise or loss of headroom often associated with germanium-equipped designs.

Four Controls Balance Compression, Tone and Clean Signal

Level compensates for gain lost through compression or can push the output above unity for a boost, while Blend moves between clean and compressed signals from fully clean at one end to fully compressed at the other. Comp adjusts the compression amount and increases sustain as it is turned clockwise, while Tone shifts the output from darker to brighter response. A dedicated recovery-speed switch provides single-coil and humbucker settings, giving players an additional way to match the compressor's response to different pickup configurations.

Selectable Bypass and 9–18V Pedalboard Power

Keeley's super-silent switching buffer allows the Compressor Plus Germanium to operate in either true-bypass or buffered mode, with buffered bypass selected at the factory. Holding the footswitch for 2 seconds changes modes, with the LED blinking twice for true bypass or 3 times for buffered operation. The pedal accepts 9–18VDC center-negative power and draws 25mA during normal operation, rising to a maximum of 50mA while the switching relay is active. For players who want the familiar control and flexibility of the Compressor Plus with an additional approach to signal shaping, the Keeley Compressor Plus Germanium pedal brings germanium character to the company's long-running compression platform.