Guitar Pedals · owner-verdict comparison

Boss DS-1 vs Keeley Compressor Plus: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the Keeley Compressor Plus: 61% of 69 owners recommend it, vs 33% of 57 for the Boss DS-1.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

Boss DS-1

33%of 57 owners recommend

33% recommend · 34% neutral · 33% don't

Owners praise

Considered a genuine classic and a great first pedal, cheap, plentiful on the used market, and still recommended to beginners decades after release
Owners keep it on their board for years or decades, calling it their reliable go-to distortion they never got rid of
Shines when pushing an already-cranked or breaking-up amp (Marshalls, tweed Fenders, a JCM800 with a 4x12), turning a driven tone huge

Owners complain about

EQ is criticized as too scooped, cutting bass and sounding thin, nasal, or fizzy rather than full
A vocal minority just never got along with it, calling it scratchy, one-note, or a one-trick pony and switching to a Pro Co Rat or similar instead
Weak or harsh played alone into a clean signal; owners say it needs an overdrive boost in front or an already-driven amp to sound good

Full owner report →

Keeley Compressor Plus

61%of 69 owners recommend

61% recommend · 13% neutral · 26% don't

Owners praise

Blend knob keeps pick dynamics intact while still compressing, and makes subtle settings easy
Single-coil/humbucker switch handles guitar swaps without re-dialing anything
Smooth, largely uncolored compression that owners leave always-on

Owners complain about

Audible hiss and broadband noise, by far the most common owner complaint
The noise scales with the sustain knob, so the usable sustain range is narrower than the knob suggests
Buzz is worst with single-coil guitars, where several owners called it unusable

Full owner report →

Which should you buy?

Get the Boss DS-1 if

✓Players pushing a cranked or edge-of-breakup tube amp
✓Guitarists stacking it to boost other pedals
✓Lead players wanting an aggressive, cutting distortion
✓Beginners after an affordable, iconic first pedal

Skip it if

People expecting great tone straight into a clean amp
Solid-state amp users

Get the Keeley Compressor Plus if

✓Players switching between single-coil and humbucker guitars on the same board
✓Anyone who wants an always-on compressor that can be dialed back with a blend control
✓Buyers stepping up to a first serious compressor who want simple controls
✓Players who also need a clean or lead boost from the same enclosure

Skip it if

Quiet clean playing or recording, where a raised noise floor is hard to ignore
Single-coil players who are sensitive to buzz and hiss

What Boss DS-1 owners say

“It’s a classic”
— @regortex3364 on YouTube

“Best DS1 tone”
— @bigdog517 on YouTube

“The issue is the tone control.”
— @corbinsmith6777 on YouTube

What Keeley Compressor Plus owners say

“The Keeley compressor has been on my board for a long time and it works well for me. I switch guitars between a tele and a es-135, so the simple single coil/humbucker toggle switch is a very useful feature.”
— Sensitive-Muscle2606 on Reddit

“I'll say the only reason I left the Keeley for the Wampler was because the Wampler comes in mini... Both are great. Love the pickup switch on the Keeley too”
— chancesteward on Reddit

“My compressor Plus buzzes like crazy with my single coil guitar and it drives me nuts. I find if you turn down the sustain knob it helps, but having extra sustain is kinda the point.”
— MedicineforMadness on Reddit

Boss DS-1 vs Keeley Compressor Plus: frequently asked questions

Is the Boss DS-1 or the Keeley Compressor Plus better?

Real owners lean toward the Keeley Compressor Plus: 61% of 69 owners recommend it, vs 33% of 57 for the Boss DS-1.

Who should get the Boss DS-1?

Owners point the Boss DS-1 at players pushing a cranked or edge-of-breakup tube amp, and guitarists stacking it to boost other pedals.

Who should get the Keeley Compressor Plus?

Owners point the Keeley Compressor Plus at players switching between single-coil and humbucker guitars on the same board, and anyone who wants an always-on compressor that can be dialed back with a blend control.

What do owners complain about?

The most-cited downside of the Boss DS-1 is eQ is criticized as too scooped, cutting bass and sounding thin, nasal, or fizzy rather than full. For the Keeley Compressor Plus, it's audible hiss and broadband noise, by far the most common owner complaint.