Budget Compressor for Clean Shoegazey Stuff?

[blacktiger]

I don’t know a damn thing about compressors, but someone suggested that they were helpful with clean gaze-y tones. One reviewer said something like “they’re the overdrive for your clean tone.” I’m basically looking for something to give my clean tone a bit more oomph. I am playing a Jazzmaster through a Marshall Class 5, and will likely be using the compressor mostly with delay, reverb, and/or chorus and probably rarely with any kind of dirt. Definitely more a Cocteau Twins or Slowdive sound than a fuzzy MBV sound. I’d like to keep the price under $100, if possible, and I’m fine with buying used.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

[marqueemoon]

Barber Tone Press

[MrShake]

Kokko Compressor. Or some variant under another brand - Nux, Twinote. 3-knob compressor, $20, and used for exactly what you say you need it for. My compressor needs are miniscule, but it or a DynaComp would be my vote, and the Kokko is cheaper

[tequila_in_teacups]

Mosky does a 4-knob Keeley clone for peanuts. Planning to get one myself. I have a Mosky DOD copy and it sounds great.

[UlricvonCatalyst]

Mosky also does a one-knob Dyna Comp clone. Haven't tried it yet myself, but simplicity is an attractive feature in this kind of pedal.

[blacktiger]

Thanks for the suggestions! I nearly pulled the trigger on either the Kokko or one of the Moskys, but decided that I really wanted the option of running it on a battery, since I don’t have a pedalboard/power supply (not yet, at least), and I already have a few pedals that are power supply only. I ended up finding a Digitech Main Squeeze for $31, which seemed to get pretty glowing reviews, so I jumped on it.

[panoramic]

there's a cheap DOD reissue one floating around reverb

[Fozzie Guillen]

Been pretty happy with the Mooer Yellow Comp

[mekhem]

Maybe not in the cheap/budget category but i really like the Keeley GC-2. It doesn't color the sound and has a very useful threshold range. I set a level and run it in front of fuzz - which is a sound I like.

[marqueemoon]

Compression is not a category I would personally go to cheap on. Because of what compressors do they increase your signal to noise ratio no matter what, so I would want a compressor that’s going to add as little of its own noise as possible and has a few sensible controls to adjust meaningful parameters.

I really like parallel compression (being able to blend in unaffected signal with compressed). That enables you to keep some of the initial attack of the note.

I would stay away from anything with a ton of controls or elaborate metering. A compressor pedal is an *effect* and should be tuned for guitar out of the box and able to be adjusted by ear

[cestlamort]

I agree with Mark E Moon here- compressors are kind of the last ingredient and bad ones can sound really disappointing. I personally wouldn’t bother with them unless I was using a 12 string (where one is arguably necessary) as there are more drastic and exciting ways to spend effects money.
That said, I have a diamond comp (Mooer yellow comp is supposedly close) on all the time with a Marr Jaguar as simply a “more” pedal.

[andy_tchp]

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Probably in the minority as I see a lot of folks 'must' have one, but: Pretty much a waste of time.

[shoegaze_head]

Can't say that I am the most knowledgeable about compression, but I was using a keeley compressor plus before switching to the keeley compressor mini just to save space and honestly if you decide to update they wouldn't be bad options. Simple to use, the plus had a blend knob which I kinda miss but the mini works fine.

I haven't really heard about using compression for 'gazy tones, I typically just leave mine on becaue when I want a lead tone/my clean signal to stand out it gives it a little more pop. I feel like it helped me more wtih my midwest emo playing than anything.

[cestlamort]

Another thought: maybe track down an old Yamaha FX500 (should be less than $150) and try the compressor on there / use the other effects too (good reverbs, good modulation, in addition to the famous patch).

Or super budget: whatever Danelectro diner pedal compressor is actually ok and will either confirm that you want to explore compressors more or (more likely) it’s not worth the effort / investment / space to do so.

An authentic 90s Shoegaze experience is to get some Boss compressor pedal, realize that it just adds/amplifies the noise in your signal chain, and then put it in a drawer for 10 years.

[JSett]

An authentic 90s Shoegaze experience is to get some Boss compressor pedal, realize that it just adds/amplifies the noise in your signal chain, and then put it in a drawer for 10 years.

This was my initial thoughts...I don't relate Shoegaze with compressed clean guitar tones. Well, not OG Shoegaze anyway. Maybe whatever people are calling 'Shoegaze' these days has it but I wouldn't know as I'm not "down with the kids" anymore. The term has been misappropriated somewhat in recent years, same as 'midwest emo'.