Guitar Pedals · owner-verdict comparison

Electro-Harmonix Soul Food vs Keeley Compressor Plus: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food: 72% of 61 owners recommend it, vs 61% of 69 for the Keeley Compressor Plus.

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

Electro-Harmonix Soul Food

72%of 61 owners recommend
72% recommend · 15% neutral · 13% don't
Owners praise
  • Widely trusted as an always-on clean boost and gain stage
  • Stacks well in front of tube screamers, SD-1s, OCDs and fuzzes, adding definition instead of mud
  • Loud, with a drive range owners find musical and easy to keep subtle
Owners complain about
  • A mid-forward color, described as honk or boxiness, that fights the amp's own voice and thins single coils as the drive comes up
  • Divisive as a standalone overdrive, with several owners using it only as a boost or taking it off the board
  • Hardware gripes vary unit to unit: hiss, a loud pop on switching, and one that would not pass signal in bypass
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 Electro-Harmonix Soul Food if
  • ✓Players who want an always-on gain stage sitting under their main drive
  • ✓Anyone stacking overdrives or fuzzes and looking for a lead push with more definition
  • ✓Blues rock and humbucker players who want subtle grit that roars when the drive is cranked
  • ✓First klon-style pedal for someone curious about the circuit without boutique money
Skip it if
  • Players who want a boost that leaves the amp's midrange untouched
  • Single-coil strat players who need the low end intact at higher drive settings
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 Electro-Harmonix Soul Food owners say

“This pedal really shines when you stack it with something like a tube screamer or OCD. It produces this super “chewy” (best way I can describe it) sound that I love. Great pedal”
— BackcountryAZ on Reddit
“It’s a great pedal especially for that price. Nice lead boost tone.”
— DuckDouble2690 on Reddit
“Sounds great but I could not tame the loud click it made turning on and off. Tried a bunch of recommendations but nothing worked.”
— Shirtarm on Reddit

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

Electro-Harmonix Soul Food vs Keeley Compressor Plus: frequently asked questions

Is the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food or the Keeley Compressor Plus better?

Real owners lean toward the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food: 72% of 61 owners recommend it, vs 61% of 69 for the Keeley Compressor Plus.

Who should get the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food?

Owners point the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food at players who want an always-on gain stage sitting under their main drive, and anyone stacking overdrives or fuzzes and looking for a lead push with more definition.

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 Electro-Harmonix Soul Food is a mid-forward color, described as honk or boxiness, that fights the amp's own voice and thins single coils as the drive comes up. For the Keeley Compressor Plus, it's audible hiss and broadband noise, by far the most common owner complaint.