Guitar Pedals · owner-verdict comparison

Morning Glory V4 vs Keeley Compressor Plus: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the Keeley Compressor Plus: 61% of 69 owners recommend it, vs 45% of 53 for the Morning Glory V4.

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

Morning Glory V4

45%of 53 owners recommend
45% recommend · 34% neutral · 21% don't
Owners praise
  • Holds up as an always-on low-gain drive that owners leave on the board for years
  • Adds clarity and edge-of-breakup without covering up the amp's character
  • Stacks well in front of or behind other overdrives, fuzz and boosts
Owners complain about
  • Bright and treble-forward, and the higher gain side can turn shrill
  • Thins out the low end, which shows up most on bass and on already-lean rigs
  • Not the Marshall Bluesbreaker voice some buyers expect from the circuit
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 Morning Glory V4 if
  • ✓Players who want one always-on low-gain drive that lives on the board
  • ✓Single coils into Fender-style clean amps, Strat into a Deluxe Reverb territory
  • ✓Boards where the overdrive has to stack with other dirt pedals or feed a fuzz
  • ✓Clean-to-breakup jangle and power pop, where a bit of extra sparkle helps
Skip it if
  • Anyone chasing a warm, dark, mid-heavy overdrive
  • Already-bright rigs, or humbuckers into a scooped amp where owners lose it in the mix
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 Morning Glory V4 owners say

“Morning Glory is great as a low gain always on. I forced myself to take it off my board because it was keeping me from learning how to use my other boost/tone-shaping pedals lol.”
— Professional-Net6454 on Reddit
“I've got both and right now the MG is on the board. I love them both dearly, but the MG sounds a bit gnarlier to my ear, just a touch more breakup, which is what I want right now.”
— cromulentwrd on Reddit
“I find the MG too bright, so I end up using only a small fraction of the tone control’s range.”
— LaOnionLaUnion 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

Morning Glory V4 vs Keeley Compressor Plus: frequently asked questions

Is the Morning Glory V4 or the Keeley Compressor Plus better?

Real owners lean toward the Keeley Compressor Plus: 61% of 69 owners recommend it, vs 45% of 53 for the Morning Glory V4.

Who should get the Morning Glory V4?

Owners point the Morning Glory V4 at players who want one always-on low-gain drive that lives on the board, and single coils into Fender-style clean amps, Strat into a Deluxe Reverb territory.

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 Morning Glory V4 is bright and treble-forward, and the higher gain side can turn shrill. For the Keeley Compressor Plus, it's audible hiss and broadband noise, by far the most common owner complaint.