The Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive is a Keeley overdrive pedal, currently around $160. Close alternatives include the Strymon Riverside and the Fulltone OCD. It pairs well with the Blackstar St. James 100 and the Friedman Dirty Shirley.
Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive
Keeley · pedal
The Keeley Red Dirt is a Tube Screamer based overdrive that bakes in two of Robert Keeley's most popular mods, the baked mod and the mod plus, along with a unique FET input stage that authentically simulates a valve amp breaking up. It delivers thick, mid-rich overdrive with striking string articulation and dynamics, but retains clarity better than a modded 808 and goes dirtier. A lo and hi mode spans a near-clean boost to fat, syrupy, harmonically rich overdrive, while the tone control moves from soft and thumpy to aggressive and cutting. Its distortion sounds more authentic and organic than a stock Tube Screamer, making it a fully realized graduate of the Tube Screamer school. It suits blues, rock, and country players who want a more refined, clearer, and more dynamic take on the classic mid-boosted overdrive voice.
- rich
- thick
- mid
- articulation
- clean boost
- organic
- clarity
- cutting
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive is commonly used in
- Blues
- Country
- Rock
- Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Blues Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive
Blackstar St. James 100
Blackstar
30% matchThe St. James' versatile, gigging-ready headroom gives the Red Dirt's thick, articulate midrange drive plenty of room to open up.
Friedman Dirty Shirley
Friedman
29% matchInto the Dirty Shirley's vintage, British crunch, the Red Dirt's thick, articulate midrange drive has a genuinely raw amp voice to push into.
Magnatone Lil Viper
Magnatone
20% matchKeeley Red Dirt Overdrive takes that crunchy character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Mesa Boogie Triple Crown TC-100 Head
Mesa Boogie
20% matchFeed a high gain signal into Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Magnatone SL100 Slash 100 Watt Head Black
Magnatone
19% matchKeeley Red Dirt Overdrive takes that crunchy character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Blackstar ID:Core Stereo 10
Blackstar
19% matchWhat Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive brings here leans toward full — that's worth building a pairing around
Blackstar HT Stage 100 MK III Head
Blackstar
18% matchKeeley Red Dirt Overdrive takes that high gain character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Synergy Engl Savage Module
Synergy
18% matchStack Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive on top and a high gain tone tightens toward mid-forward
See all 12 amps that pair with the Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive →
Pedals that stack with the Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive
Tycobrahe Octavia
Tycobrahe
38% matchThe Red Dirt's rich, thick mid-drive stacks with the Octavia's transistor-driven octave-fuzz lead.
Cusack Music Screamer
Cusack Music
35% matchPush the Red Dirt's thick, syrupy midrange after the Screamer's smooth TS-style drive for a fatter, more articulate stacked gain.
Great Eastern FX Co. Small Speaker Overdrive
Great Eastern FX
30% matchKeeley Red Dirt Overdrive's own full character is the real reason this is worth trying
EarthQuaker Devices Hizumitas
EarthQuaker Devices
29% matchStack the Hizumitas' massive, sludgy fuzz after the Red Dirt's thick, syrupy drive for a heavier wall of gain without losing that midrange clarity.
JHS Smiley
JHS Pedals
29% matchBoost with the Red Dirt first and the Smiley's compressed fuzz gets a fuller, more articulate midrange to bite into.
Ibanez TS9 40th Anniversary
Ibanez
28% matchKeeley Red Dirt Overdrive leans full right where the thin tone needs it
Airis Effects 51-Filthy
Airis Effects
28% matchPush the 51-Filthy's tight, hard-rock distortion with the Red Dirt's thick, articulate midrange boost and the crunch stays focused instead of muddy.
Ibanez TS9DX Turbo Tube Screamer
Ibanez
26% matchKeeley Red Dirt Overdrive's full voice suits Ibanez TS9DX Turbo Tube Screamer's own full character
See all 27 pedals that pair with the Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive →
Cheaper alternatives
Nobels ODR-1
Nobels
75% similarityShared character: tube_screamer, voicing, fat
Fulltone Fulldrive 2 MOSFET
Fulltone
72% similarityShared character: tube_screamer, tone_control, boost
Boss OD-3 Overdrive
Boss
72% similarityShared character: voicing, fat, boost
DOD Carcosa
Digitech
72% similarityShared character: fat, articulation, boost
NuX Drive Core Deluxe MKII
Nux
70% similarity“R.Dirt (based on Red Dirt overdrive)”
Electro-Harmonix Spruce Goose
Electro-Harmonix
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Boutique & premium upgrades
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Strymon Riverside
Strymon
72% similarityShared character: boost, pedal, thickness
Fulltone OCD
Fulltone
72% similarityShared character: fat, boost, thickness
Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer
Ibanez
72% similarityShared character: tube_screamer, tone_control, boost
Way Huge Electronics Green Rhino MkII Overdrive
Way Huge
72% similarityShared character: tube_screamer, fat, boost
Wampler Hot Wired V2 Brent Mason Signature
Wampler
71% similarityShared character: fat, pedal, articulation
Caroline Guitar Company Pizza
Caroline Guitar Company
71% similarityShared character: pedal, fat, articulation
See all alternatives to the Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive?+
The closest matches in character are the Strymon Riverside, the Fulltone OCD, the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer. Budget picks: Nobels ODR-1, Fulltone Fulldrive 2 MOSFET, Boss OD-3 Overdrive. Boutique upgrades: Blackstar HT-Metal, ThorpyFX Electric Lightning.
What pairs well with the Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Blackstar St. James 100, Friedman Dirty Shirley, Magnatone Lil Viper — The St. James' versatile, gigging-ready headroom gives the Red Dirt's thick, articulate midrange drive plenty of room to open up..
How much does the Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive cost?+
Around $160 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).