TC-X Tube Compressor

This unit presently lives on top of a 3-space SKB shallow rack with an ART Multiverb, Rocktron Big Surf Tremolo, and a Furman power conditioner, and a Tube Works 9100 with 2x12 Celestions. The Big Surf also has compression, but I don't use it anymore at all. I keep it running for the Hush noise gate and killer tremolo. The Flip series tube compressor is great! It gives me better sustain (think early Santana or Peter Greene) and levels my signal without squashing it or compromising attack. I've also used it with my vintage Traynor 1x12 all-tube combo. It eliminates the boominess of the JBL alnico speaker and provides a nice, clean boost.

I recently had a problem where it would mess up intermittently and you I had to tap it with my finger. I contacted Kevin at Godlyke (the U.S. distributor for Guyatone Flip series products) for some advice and he didn't even hesitate about asking me to send it in. It didn't mess up for him like I described but he sent me a new one immediately via USPS Priority mail. I have no reason not to believe that it was a completely isolated problem. I have, and will, gig with this unit with no further concerns but I'll knock off a couple of points because I had a problem once (or I thought I did, anyway).

It's got more knobs than I care to fool with but, after I dialed in the desired sound for my rig, I can just leave it alone.

I play a variety of styles. Blues, classic rock (Love, Tom Petty, Lou Reed), soul and funk with a 1980 Guild Starfire IV and an American Standard Telecaster. This compressor works great and the 12AX7 warms up the signal when I'm playing through the clean channel (the drive channel of my amp has a pair of 12AX7s). When I'm in the drive channel, the TC-X gives me loads of sustain and excellent string-to-string definition.