Can You Use Guitar Pedals for Keyboards?

Yes, Yes, and Yes! Although guitar pedals were not intended to be used with keyboards, incorporating a guitar pedal into the signal chain of your keyboard can open up a wide range of sonic and tonal possibilities. 

Music legend Stevie Wonder is a good example. Stevie uses guitar pedals all the time with his keyboards. We actually met Stevie when he became interested in using our Rumble Seat pedal when he was looking to take the sound of his Clavinet keyboard in a whole different direction. Stevie got that funky tone on his Clavinet for “Superstition” when he plugged into a vintage 60’s Marshall Plexi. The Rumble Drive on the Rumble Seat is a mixture of a Marshall 69′ Plexi and Orange Rocker 30. Stevie loved the sound of the Rumble Seat so much that he used it on the Beatles classic, “We Can Work It Out” for his performance on the TV Special, “The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles!” Stevie has been using the Rumble Seat ever since. 

Loren Gold, the keyboardist for The Who, also uses the Rumble Seat. Loren wanted to add a different tonal color to his Hammond B3 organ during his performances with The Who on stage. Loren used the Rumble Seat throughout The Who’s 2019 tour and continues to use it to this day. 

When deciding on which pedal to use, always keep in mind the style of music you are playing and what effect you think would complement that style. That is the approach that Stevie and Loren take, and it works. One of the advantages of using guitar pedals is that you can create a sound that no one else has. It can be your own unique signature sound that is totally original and all your own. Another cool advantage is that you can have the pedal or pedals at your feet, so you can switch them in and out when you need them. This leaves your hands free to play, just like a guitar player would. So, by incorporating guitar pedals into your signal chain, you will not only come up with unique sounds all your own, you can also take your playing in a whole new direction.  

So yes……you can and should experiment and use effects pedals with your keyboard. We highly recommend it. 🙂

Check out Clyde Lawrence playing Stevie Wonder using Analog Alien pedals:

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