Keyztone’s pickup-modelling pedal lets you turn single-coils into humbuckers (and vice versa)

While guitar brands compete for dominance over the amp modelling market, French company Keyztone seems to be going after a different space: pickup modelling. Here’s what to know about the Exchanger PRO.

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The Exchanger PRO digitally recreates pickup styles in eight distinct modes: single-coils, hot rails, modern humbucker, P90s, vintage single-coils, ’50s-style humbuckers, rockabilly (Filter’Tron-esque) and metal humbuckers.

Selecting a sound is as simple as using the centre dial and engaging the footswitch, but should you need to make frequency and resonance adjustments, there’s the Tweak control knob.

Keyztone has also shared some rules to getting the most magic out of the pedal…

1. Place it first in your pedal chain, just after the guitar
2. Use only with passive pickups (will act as an EQ on active pickup)
3. Cables only, as wireless systems will render the pedal as an EQ
4. No treble bleed on the guitar
5. Keep your volume knob at full

The Exchanger PRO is the successor to the Exchanger, which came out in 2019. Unfortunately, Keyztone hasn’t uploaded a demo of the new version just yet. But in the meantime, you can get an idea of how it works in Mike Herman’s demo of the original.

The Exchanger PRO is available to pre-order now at an intro price of €200  (usually €232.50) and is expected to ship in March. Learn more on the Keyztone website.