Phil O'Keefe Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 So I've been thinking about getting another compressor to replace my current MXR Super Comp, which is okay, but since I've been kinda going all out on my new board, I might want to consider something "better" to replace it. Let's cap the price at $300 or less, with shipping. I have a few criteria. First of all, I want a small sized box, which means the HBE Compressor Retro is unfortunately out of the running - ditto that for the Analogman Bi-Comp, Janglebox, and other similar sized pedals. It has to be small in order to fit on my board. A Hammond 125B sized box or smaller would be ideal. Tonally, I am primarily after snap, pop and jangle moreso than gobs and gobs of sustain. Think Dire Straits' first album, Beatles, Byrds, Tom Petty / Mike Campbell, as well as some country type stuff - Albert Lee, Ray Flacke, etc. I LIKE lots of controls (engineers are strange ), but single or dual knob comps will be considered if they nail the tone. I've spoken with the good folks at Keeley, and they still make / have some of the 4 knob Keeley compressors, and that's currently at the top of the "consideration list", but it's not available in the color I'd really like to have - not that that's all THAT important... but before I drop the wampum on a new compressor, I thought I'd get everyone's input / opinions / suggestions... So please tell me what you think. All suggestions / comments welcome. PS - Guitars used will vary, as will amps. I have about a dozen different guitars - a couple of Strats, a Tele, a Casino, a Ric 610, a Denelectro DC-12 electr. 12 string, an Epi Les Paul, etc. Amps are primarily Fenders - a '72 Twin, a Princeton II and Super Champ, as well as a THD Univalve... I also plan on getting a new Vox AC15cc pretty soon, and of course, clients bring in all sorts of different amps. This will be for my personal pedalboard, but used primarily in the studio. Again, thanks for your suggestions / comments. Oh, and finally, this is how my board is currently shaping up: Modded Morley ABY, switches between a Boss TU-12 and... BYOC FF clone -> Crybaby GCB-95 (gonna TB mod it) -> Compressor -> HBE Germania -> Reissue TS9 (gonna 808 mod it) -> MAD DD30 -> (being built) -> HBE Power Screamer w/ Fat Boost -> Danelectro Fish & Chips EQ -> Lovetone Brown Source (either a clone I'm having built, or the original I just won on ebay - have not decided yet) -> SIB! The Treminator -> Line 6 MM4 stereo outs -> Diamond Memory Lane -> (Amp 1) Danelectro Reel Echo -> (Amp 2) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members trucks Posted March 8, 2006 Members Share Posted March 8, 2006 I have the Keeley 4 knob and love it. There are some great clips of the standard Keeley at www.steelbender.com/spotlightkeeleycomp.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members paydirt Posted March 8, 2006 Members Share Posted March 8, 2006 Hi Phil, My search differed from yours in one small but significant way. By nature I am not a knob tweaker. I like to find my settings, mark them down and leave them alone. So when it came time for a compressor I too looked at the Keeley 4-knob version. Know in Robert's own words, he felt that the other 2 knobs were unnecessary because they can be handled by internal trimmers. Well I went against his advice and purchased the most beautiful green 4-knob Keeley compressor I could imagine. And to my suprise I must disagree with Robert's assessment of the additional 2 knobs. I find them extremely useful (especially if you use different guitar/amp combos). I think that the 4-knob Keeley is the way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Blungo Posted March 8, 2006 Members Share Posted March 8, 2006 When i first read your post, i thought "taint no such thang", but on further thought, i can recomend a modded DOD 280 (mine was modified by Ed at Infinitone to give a shorter release time so it doesn't "pump").Another i've been interested in is the Demeter Compulator but alas, i've never heard/played one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Eddie Posted March 8, 2006 Members Share Posted March 8, 2006 If you promise to take great care of them -and to send them back- you can borrow my BlackBox Oxygen and EBS MultiComp. If you want I can also send you an ART Levelar. If you like it you can keep it. It's pretty good, is in MINT condition, and comes with box and papers. I just don't use it. I may get another compressor in a week or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted March 8, 2006 Author Share Posted March 8, 2006 Originally posted by Eddie If you promise to take great care of them -and to send them back- you can borrow my BlackBox Oxygen and EBS MultiComp. If you want I can also send you an ART Levelar. If you like it you can keep it. It's pretty good, is in MINT condition, and comes with box and papers. I just don't use it. I may get another compressor in a week or two. That's very nice of you Eddie. If companies can send me stuff to review and know they will get it all back, I think you'd be safe. Besides, you always know where to reach me. I'll keep your kind offer in mind and let you know. Thanks again. BTW, what are you thinking of getting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Eddie Posted March 8, 2006 Members Share Posted March 8, 2006 Yes, send me a PM in case you want them. I want to try the Vox Snake Charmer Compressor. Looks like it has just the right amount of knobs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted March 8, 2006 Author Share Posted March 8, 2006 A ratio switch instead of a seperate knob? Thhhhhp! Looks nice Eddie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaSkip Posted March 8, 2006 Members Share Posted March 8, 2006 How do you get smaller than the Janglebox,McSqueeze or Keeley? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Gainster Posted March 8, 2006 Members Share Posted March 8, 2006 I would look into the CS-2... It kicked some big boys ass's in a blind shootout I did. I REALLY like the HBE's tone. The FK-1 is cheap small and sounds great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaSkip Posted March 8, 2006 Members Share Posted March 8, 2006 Originally posted by The Gainster I would look into the CS-2... It kicked some big boys ass's in a blind shootout I did. I REALLY like the HBE's tone. The FK-1 is cheap small and sounds great. LOL.... you had to bring up that CS-2, didn't you my friend. It did sound ....well, I'll ease out of this thread at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Gainster Posted March 8, 2006 Members Share Posted March 8, 2006 Originally posted by DaSkip LOL.... you had to bring up that CS-2, didn't you my friend. It did sound ....well, I'll ease out of this thread at this point. Why....whatever do you mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted March 8, 2006 Author Share Posted March 8, 2006 The Keeley and McSqueeze are smaller / narrower than the (wider) Janglebox. This... and this... vs this... or this... Again, unless I'm mistaken, the Janglebox, HBE etc. are a bit larger boxes - Hammond 125B's (smaller) boxes vs. Hammond 1590bb's (larger). I've got a couple of BB sized boxes on the board (HBE Power Screamer, SIB! The Treminator), and a few things that are larger still (Reel Echo, Memory Lane, MM4, whichever Brown Source type pedal I decide to stick on there), but only enough room left to get a 125B sized box on there for the compressor - unless I want to completely redo a section of the board - which at this point I'd really rather not have to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaSkip Posted March 8, 2006 Members Share Posted March 8, 2006 Okay...Okay..... I picked it EVERYTIME in the comp test. I have to let you try out the four knob Bi-Comprossor. The Orange Squeezer side is my favorite. Wtf , do I know....I guess I need to get a CS-2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaSkip Posted March 8, 2006 Members Share Posted March 8, 2006 Damn Phil, you have less real estate than Rhode Island. The Jangle Box just ain't that big. It's all good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members shepherdspy Posted March 8, 2006 Members Share Posted March 8, 2006 I suggest the Keeley, the Barber Tone Press, and the Diamond compressor. The last one cause it's pretty (I've never played it). Just go for the Keeley. It is the smallest and possibly the best ever to boot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted March 8, 2006 Author Share Posted March 8, 2006 Originally posted by DaSkip Okay...Okay..... Sorry - I wasn't trying to make you mad. I picked it EVERYTIME in the comp test. The CS? I have to let you try out the four knob Bi-Comprossor. The Orange Squeezer side is my favorite. I might consider a Squeezer clone with a bit more external control options... but I'm not sure if a Squeezer alone will do everything I'd like... Wtf , do I know....I guess I need to get a CS-2. Hey, it's only money - if you have the means, I say go for it. However, if it's a case of getting your significant other's permission, just 1) Ask nice 2) Remember it's easier to ask for forgiveness than to get permission 3) Tell her one of the mods at HC said it was okay 4) Distract her with flowers 5) All of the above On second thought, let's just leave #3 out of this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Gainster Posted March 8, 2006 Members Share Posted March 8, 2006 Phil... The CS-2 records very well...I don't use it live as much as I used to...I have a Keeley and the HBE and the DBX 163x and the Peavey and....well you get the idea... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted March 8, 2006 Author Share Posted March 8, 2006 Originally posted by DaSkip Damn Phil, you have less real estate than Rhode Island. The Jangle Box just ain't that big. It's all good. The funny thing is, my board is big enough to qualify for its own Zip Code in RI - it's 48" X 18". True story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Gainster Posted March 8, 2006 Members Share Posted March 8, 2006 Originally posted by Phil O'Keefe The funny thing is, my board is big enough to qualify for its own Zip Code in RI - it's 48" X 18". True story. That's it??? My Gainster board is that big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaSkip Posted March 8, 2006 Members Share Posted March 8, 2006 I'm not mad. The Gainster used my JangleBox on his compressor test. I picked the CS-2 on every blind test. I have since purchased the Bi-Comprossor after already being on the list for the better part of a year. It is a great pedal, btw. Mike does make the Mini-Comp and peeps love it. You get the Ross and the Orange Squeezer in a small box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted March 8, 2006 Author Share Posted March 8, 2006 Originally posted by The Gainster That's it??? My Gainster board is that big. Pics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jackpotjewell Posted March 8, 2006 Members Share Posted March 8, 2006 I tried a lot of compressors, always wanting to like them, and I just kept taking them off my board. Then I recently got a Maxon CP-101. It is exactly what I was looking for. It's one you can keep on all the time and you don't really notice it, but when you turn it off, everything sounds dull. Maybe one to try out. If you are looking for an Orange Squeezer clone, I have a Pro-Tone Kompressor I'd let go pretty cheap. It works fine, but it's just too squishy for me. It's about the size of a Boss pedal. The maxon is the same size as Zvex stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted March 8, 2006 Author Share Posted March 8, 2006 Originally posted by The Gainster Phil... The CS-2 records very well...I don't use it live as much as I used to...I have a Keeley and the HBE and the DBX 163x and the Peavey and....well you get the idea... I never owned a CS-2, but back when they were current production, I played through them several times, and I don't recall anything about them striking me as particularly outstanding or unusual... but again, it's been years, and maybe my memory is off. What are they going for these days? Certainly not in SG-1 price ranges, or even PN-2 range, are they? I would have thought Boss made a zillion of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted March 8, 2006 Author Share Posted March 8, 2006 Originally posted by DaSkip I'm not mad. The Gainster used my JangleBox on his compressor test. I picked the CS-2 on every blind test. I have since purchased the Bi-Comprossor after already being on the list for the better part of a year. It is a great pedal, btw. Mike does make the Mini-Comp and peeps love it. You get the Ross and the Orange Squeezer in a small box. Yeah, the mini Bi-Comp looks interesting - but I don't think I'd want to wait upwards of a year on a waiting list to get one. The last time I waited for anywhere near that long for a MI product was for my first Mesa Boogie... and that was decades ago. Thanks for reminding me about how old I'm getting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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