Best Guitar Compressor Pedals (2024 Update)

While some claim this compressor is an optical compressor, that couldn't be further from the truth. This compressor is an OTA (operational transconductance amplifuer) design, much like a Ross or Dynacomp. That being said it is an improvement in that design. A big one. If you're into great tone does it really matter whether it is OTA, optical, flux capacitor, or glow plug? No. The bottom line is that this compressor is awesome! It can do the Ross/Dynacomp thing where it DOES squash and color your tone, or it can be as transparent as you want it to be. The key is to put that blend knob to use along with the other controls.Guitar74

I have the Mini Ego on another pedalboard and I love the sustain knob on the big brother. The pedal has phenomenal versatility. The tone control is very interactive and when switching from single coil to humbucker pickups all is needed is a tone adjustment to dial things in. Built like a tank and the footswitch is as quiet as a church mouse.stillbillsmith

I was slightly influenced by a review video made by one of my favourite guitarists Brent Mason. He spoke very highly about the pedal so that, along with other reviews and comparisons, made me decide to go for the Ego. It is a brilliant pedal and does everything I want from a compression pedal.mike k.

I bought this compression pedal to boost my acoustic signal as well as fatten the sound a bit. I love the size as it fits on my board perfectly. I leave it on all the time so it neatly fits up top. I mainly lead worship at my church and was looking to make my Martin D-15 sound more like it is supposed to plugged in.Mark

The Xotic SP Compressor is without a doubt a 5 Star product! For many years I used a 1953 Gibson ES 175 or 1966 Telecaster plugged into a MXR Dyna Comp and grew to appreciate the warm squash this device had to offer as I lost the taste for most all distortion devices on the market. The Dyna Comp was a simple two knob device that squeezed my signal rather nicely to which I still have 3 of them floating about the house. I also have the more expanded version, MXR Limiter dating from the early 80s that also does a nice job modifying my signal. The only initial down side to the Dyna Comp was a little bit of noise. However the real down side to the old Dyna Comp was sometime in the early 90s, after Dunlop acquired ownership of the MXR Product, decided to reduce the cost of production by having all the jacks, pots, and switch connected directly to the PC Board via solder bath. Not only did this process of assembly affect the durability of this classic old compressor, it also compromised the tone and performance of a one great pedal. The vintage Dyna Comps wired point to point are far superior product. If you have one, keep it! In the wake of the cheapening of the Dyna Comp came the Keeley Compressor. I bought a Keeler Compressor somewhere around 10 years ago a noticed an improvement in performance over my old Dyna Comps with less noise. And with going into great detail, every guitar, from my old 1951 L5 to any of my old Fender sound great through this compressor. So now a new and somewhat revolutionary compressor has hit in the market by way of the Xotic SP. These guys are making some of the best pedals that I?ve run across in years. By the time I got my SP I was already the proud owner of an EP Booster and SL Drive. To later I have to say it is the only distortion that has come out in the last 30 years with a decent sounding tone that does not narrow the bandwidth of your signal path. Not to mention these pedals just happen to be the cutest looking signal devices on the market. What really makes the SP Compressor outstanding is the 3 position Hi/Mid/Low switch. The versatility to this pedal via of this switch is just amazing. In the Hi mode I can match the performance of my Keeley and Dyna Comp compressors for Jazz applications. However, I have taken using the Mid position for a great Blues/Rock tone. In this position the pedal allows me to play over the top of the compressor for soaring highs. This works in great combination with my 1960 Telecaster with Barden pickups. Anyway, I highly recommend the Xotic SP Compressor with its advantage in versatility over other compressors on the market. And here?s the bonus, this pedal is priced about $100 less than the Keeley. My hat?s off to you folks at Xotic for manufacturing a fantastic compressor at an affordable price that will thousands of guitar players sound better and better. Now if you can reinvent the Sola Sound Tone Bender in one of these small bud boxes, that would be fantastic!David A

I tried the Wampler and it was too much going on and I could find a sound I like. That was my first compressor so i'm Sure it was me. With this one I set it to Humbucker setting per the manual and it was fantastic. I just made the volume a little lower so that it was the same as my OD and TS pedals so that I control the gain there not with the compresssor. I leave it on all the time now. I never realized how much better the sound would be from just this. I always thought of it just pushing down the high parts but the making the lower parts a little louder made a big difference. This is going to be on permanently. Crystal clear sound wise too.Mike CT

Studio grade compressor in a pedal. Can be as subtle or extreme as necessary. The auto switch and Hard/soft switches are very clever and really work. Very well built. Small footprint fits easily on a pedal board.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Worth big money? Yes, it is that good. Everything works like you'd think based on the 1170, and it's simple just to listen and dial in. I use it primarily on acoustic guitar in live performance, and it's done stellar work for me. High-end build quality matches the cost of entry—high dollar but also excellent results.Scott

I bought this pedal hoping to get the old Ibanez sound without spending a lot of money. Although it didn't cost much it doesn't get the old Ibanez sound. It's easy to use and fun to play with but I really wouldn't recommend it. You can get a different Behringer compressor pedal which is much better than this one. I would recommend doing that.motocross824

I have used Behringer effects for years now, and have never been disappointed. This Compressor does what it is intended to do, smoothing out the notes from guitar, and evening the output for a pleasing musicality.will_bush312

It is a great pedal except for the fact it's plastic. I wouldn't use my foot to stomp on it. But if you treat it gently it's actually really cool. Just use your hand to put pressure on its button and it will be gracious and give you exactly what you expect from a compression pedal.rmc.rtk.xrzsxdqx3

Nice boost, however it is a bit dirty. If you're interested in buying one of these I recommend reading up about it as much as you can. can't beat it for the money it's well-built. It has good controls. I bought this in Hope of using it for an acoustic guitar boost that didn't work out so well but it's fantastic for electric guitar before and after certain pedals. For conversation purpose I also have a EP booster buy exotic effects. However there are very different just to draw a distinction.cashflowkid61

Great quick shipping in original box. Absolutely like-new (cool sparkly powder-coat type finish) – sounds terrific! too bad this box (itself a re-issue) is discontinued… great to smack your pedal chain or amp with a nice clean (but edgy) boost!helix-28588

I have been on the fence about boosting effects for a while, never Really Thought I NEEDED one but at this price I decided to give it a shot. Searching and transaction were both easy, the sale was awesome-PERFECT price and shipped in practically 2 days! I love the pedal, really breaths life into my secondary set up. I'm honestly contemplating if I want to grab the dod Comp or overdrive!BUCKROGEZ87

I'd used a Boss M50B for a few years, and it had the potential to everything one could ask… but in reality I simply used the compressor function and as a tuner. I also play keyboard and guitar, and real estate on my pedal board is at a premium. So I got this and a Peterson tuner, and I have to say the compresspr has exceeded my expectations. The tube setting provides a really warm sound, and the compression is better than the Boss. All in all I sound better, and have reduced the footprint of my gear in the process. Yes, I'd buy it again. Quality seems top notch. Value… its expensive for a single stomp box, but worth every penny.maineprivateer

I’m more of a Keeley Compressor Plus fan, when you turn one of those in it’s like oh yeah! The Pulp n Peel, however is much more subtle and more of a tone-shaper. I have a Katana boost immediately after and they work well together. The dirt switch is useless for me. It has a strong bump in the midrange that colors the tone too much. Maybe if you don’t have an overdrive.. All in all it’s a great pedal, but given the choice again, I’d probably go with the Keeley again.Michael R.

First of all, I already own other Boss pedals and I can say that it is a quality brand. The pedal in question, not cheap but in an average price range, does just what it needs to do! The sound is clear, well finished on all frequencies, the dynamics improve and the overall level of the guitar sound is also raised and leveled. There is a fairly long sustain of the sound. I recommend this pedal to professional musicians.Stella B.

I usually play clean or near-clean through a Fender-ish Carvin SX-100 Combo. Until today, no matter what I did, my thin hollowbody Ibanez AFS-75 always had just a little "crud" in the tone. After reading another review talking about how they used the CS-3, I experimented around and here's what I've done. I've put the CS-3 between the guitar and the amp and run the rest of the effects including EQ through the effects loop setting the CS-3 (from Left to Right) at 1, 1, 10, 11. At these settings, my Flat Wounds have a new sparkle and equal level from string to string. There is no distortion pedal in my effects setup although I do dirty up the signal just a tiny bit using the Carvin Amp Distortion to add just a bit of life to my playing. I'm a Jazz Student (emphasis on student) seeking that organic jazz guitar sound and the CS-3 has improved the tonality and removed the crud. It's actually pretty startling.Ed

I'll directly get down to the Pros & Cons: Pros: *Good sustain *Rich & clear tone *Produce a kind of slapping & sharp tone once you increase the attack knob. *It suppresses the sound of hard strumming & boost the sound of soft strumming & produces a well balanced sound. Cons: *Creates noise, I'm not sure either my order of placing the pedal is not right or is it due to power supply kind of problem which Daisy chain that I was using earlier. But now I've shifted to voodoo lab power supply & I've started using Noise suppressor. So. overall it's a good pedal, but it creates a lot of unwanted noise too & that's the only drawback this has. I think Boss should take this into consideration. And if you buy this pedal, then I recommend you to buy a noise suppressor too & if possible buy a all in one isolated power supply like voodoo lab, etc. Thank you!!!N S.

Built like a tank. Clean sound (I have a good power noise filter). It's got many options that I like….a clean boost with the compressor turned down, makes a good smoothed signal, or make your signal percussive, can be set as more of a limitor….. If I use a digital effect, I put it in front of this, then through my tube distortion and to a tube/hybrid amp. I plugged my digital drums into this enhanced the sound as well. Like the big ehx pedals, you have more options to shape you sound than most other pedals. Their new digital octaves and delays make me wish that it could save settings, lol this a great analog comp.Anonymous

Electro Harmonix has been "Rockin the House" for decades. At first I wasn't sure I wanted this unit, bought it any way. Here is my signal chain: guitar – Bass preacher – Tascam 2488 neo. boom. ..1997 Squire 5 string P Bass – Bass preacher – Neo …boom. Ive tried a number of others, eg; dyna comp; too heavy handed. Boss limiter enhancer: quite good. This puppy is easy, effective and as heavy handed as you want it to be. Heres the thing; the toggle "attack " switch settings, makes you think. It changes your strumming and picking methods. I believe its made me a better player. MADE IN THE U.S.A..!angel

First up: You're not going to get tonnes of features for the price. What you'll get is a solid little compressor, that's a good start point for getting used to using them and understanding what they can do to your sound. Secondly: Individual pedals are much, much more intuitive and immediate to use than those multi-fx pedals, which light up like Christmas trees and have a gazillion settings. I use this as my 'mostly always on' compressor; to even the dynamics out a little before my distortion-type effects. It's not really versatile enough to use as an effect in itself (though the attack options are nice). If you want all the 'bells & whistles' you'll have to shell out about twice the price. For anyone just dipping into bass fx, on a budget or just curious, I'd recommend giving it a go.bigrichie69

Easy to use with only 2 knobs. Does exactly what its supposed to do. The level of compression is subtle between low and medium. The sustain knob controls the blend. Personally I have high compression, sustain around one o'clock. It brings out the hight notes that get lost in the mix in a live situation. Great pedal.Chris

This pedal changes your tone right off the bat… takes away the bottom.. sure you can add it on again.. but who wants rework your tone just to get to a starting point.. I also didn't like the EQ choices and you have to really push the fades for the changes to kik in. The commission was decent..Srr

I bought this compressor intending to use it with both Fender Strat and my bass guitar. I am a professional music producer and listened to the unit carefully in the studio headphones. It is a great tool if you know what to use it for. When used with a strat it makes the sound crisp and places the funky clean tone perfectly in the mix. The tone is somewhat on the colder side, with bright fluid sustain added to the sound. Think about it as a sustainer first and then compressor. Great tool in the pallette. However, there are a few things to keep in mind: – the unit makes a sub low cut when engaged even with the minimum effect added to the direct signal. Bassists bear this in mind (unless you are a hardcore punk bassist playing with distortion and a pick and don't care much about your sub bass tone). It can also be felt on the clean electric guitar sound (if it's funky tone in the band setting you would cut off the low end of the strat anyway). – with higher compression ratio settings you get more sustain but some noise is also added. – if you want to use the 9V battery with the unit keep in mind that to change the battery you need to use a screwdriver for 4 screws to remove the back panel of the unit.J

I love this pedal. I play an Epi Les Paul Classic, into my pedalboard, and into a 90's Peavey Bandit. The amp has a Jensen Mod soesker, not the original Scorpion speaker. The Bandit with this speaker has a great clean channel. I'm a long time Fender guy. Strats and Teles. I like a clear, bright fundamental tone. I found myself compensating with the LP and using the bridge pickup a lot. But still not satisfied with the clean tones from the LP. That changed when I put the Keeley Compressor Plus on my board. The conbination of the Blend control and the Tone knob gives me what I want. The Tone control is, to my ear, an exceptional circuit. I get the bright, clear tone I need and superb sustain. This pedal is a godsend for playing slide. The compressor goes before my dirt pedals with beautiful results-1-. I use a Boss SD-1 overdrive and a Donner Dark Mouse – a Rat clone. I'm very impressed with this compressor. I put all controls at about 12:00, which the manual recommends for humbuckers. Minimal tweaks from there to get what I want. I love that it doesn't squash the life out of my pick attack. It is always on. Works great with acoustic/electrics as well. Great, musical piece of gear. Well done, Mr. Keeley.Mister G.

I bought this compression pedal to boost my acoustic signal as well as fatten the sound a bit. I love the size as it fits on my board perfectly. I leave it on all the time so it neatly fits up top. I mainly lead worship at my church and was looking to make my Martin D-15 sound more like it is supposed to plugged in.Mark

The Xotic SP Compressor is without a doubt a 5 Star product! For many years I used a 1953 Gibson ES 175 or 1966 Telecaster plugged into a MXR Dyna Comp and grew to appreciate the warm squash this device had to offer as I lost the taste for most all distortion devices on the market. The Dyna Comp was a simple two knob device that squeezed my signal rather nicely to which I still have 3 of them floating about the house. I also have the more expanded version, MXR Limiter dating from the early 80s that also does a nice job modifying my signal. The only initial down side to the Dyna Comp was a little bit of noise. However the real down side to the old Dyna Comp was sometime in the early 90s, after Dunlop acquired ownership of the MXR Product, decided to reduce the cost of production by having all the jacks, pots, and switch connected directly to the PC Board via solder bath. Not only did this process of assembly affect the durability of this classic old compressor, it also compromised the tone and performance of a one great pedal. The vintage Dyna Comps wired point to point are far superior product. If you have one, keep it! In the wake of the cheapening of the Dyna Comp came the Keeley Compressor. I bought a Keeler Compressor somewhere around 10 years ago a noticed an improvement in performance over my old Dyna Comps with less noise. And with going into great detail, every guitar, from my old 1951 L5 to any of my old Fender sound great through this compressor. So now a new and somewhat revolutionary compressor has hit in the market by way of the Xotic SP. These guys are making some of the best pedals that I?ve run across in years. By the time I got my SP I was already the proud owner of an EP Booster and SL Drive. To later I have to say it is the only distortion that has come out in the last 30 years with a decent sounding tone that does not narrow the bandwidth of your signal path. Not to mention these pedals just happen to be the cutest looking signal devices on the market. What really makes the SP Compressor outstanding is the 3 position Hi/Mid/Low switch. The versatility to this pedal via of this switch is just amazing. In the Hi mode I can match the performance of my Keeley and Dyna Comp compressors for Jazz applications. However, I have taken using the Mid position for a great Blues/Rock tone. In this position the pedal allows me to play over the top of the compressor for soaring highs. This works in great combination with my 1960 Telecaster with Barden pickups. Anyway, I highly recommend the Xotic SP Compressor with its advantage in versatility over other compressors on the market. And here?s the bonus, this pedal is priced about $100 less than the Keeley. My hat?s off to you folks at Xotic for manufacturing a fantastic compressor at an affordable price that will thousands of guitar players sound better and better. Now if you can reinvent the Sola Sound Tone Bender in one of these small bud boxes, that would be fantastic!David A

I tried the Wampler and it was too much going on and I could find a sound I like. That was my first compressor so i'm Sure it was me. With this one I set it to Humbucker setting per the manual and it was fantastic. I just made the volume a little lower so that it was the same as my OD and TS pedals so that I control the gain there not with the compresssor. I leave it on all the time now. I never realized how much better the sound would be from just this. I always thought of it just pushing down the high parts but the making the lower parts a little louder made a big difference. This is going to be on permanently. Crystal clear sound wise too.Mike CT

Worth big money? Yes, it is that good. Everything works like you'd think based on the 1170, and it's simple just to listen and dial in. I use it primarily on acoustic guitar in live performance, and it's done stellar work for me. High-end build quality matches the cost of entry—high dollar but also excellent results.Scott

Worth big money? Yes, it is that good. Everything works like you'd think based on the 1170, and it's simple just to listen and dial in. I use it primarily on acoustic guitar in live performance, and it's done stellar work for me. High-end build quality matches the cost of entry—high dollar but also excellent results.Scott

Fantastic compressor with side chain. I'm using it for a live electronic setup where I want the bass synth to duck when the kick is playing. Basic really but since I'm using different machines for each sound the Emptess Comp has been a life saver. Great build and relatively easy to use although the side chain output needs strange cables. But you can get around it.Reviewed by SX Pro customer

Great compressor with LED lights to aid sound choices. Will have to be more careful with this one as the power input is a bit fragile.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Amazing compressor, super transparent but allows for some tone sculpting if transparency isn't your thing. Sidechain works a treat (you need a stereo breakout cable for it).Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.