Keeley Electronics' Bubble Tron pedal assembles "the vintage effect classics that never were"

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Frank Zappa-inspired guitar effect combines filter, sample and hold, dyna flange and phase

Robert Keeley and co have released one of their most idiosyncratic guitar pedal designs yet in the Bubble Tron, which combines several "vintage effect classics that never were" in one stompbox.

Inspired by the sounds of Frank Zappa, the Bubble Tron packs filter, sample and hold, dyna flange and dyna phase effects, accessed via three modes: filter, phase and flange.

The dynamic flanger and phaser respond to pick attack, which starts and stops the effect; the phaser also offers a more typical LFO-based swirl.

Kicking in the filter, meanwhile, engages keyboard-like sounds and allows players to control its different ramps or set it to a more random nature using shape and sensitivity knobs.

As you can hear in the demo above, the Bubble Tron sounds very, very cool indeed. It's available now for $199 direct from Keeley Electronics.

Michael Astley-Brown
Michael Astley-Brown

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.