best compressor pedal for electric guitar

THESE 8 Best Compressor Pedals For Electric Guitar Rock!

Need a good compressor for your rig?  Take a look at these best compressor pedal for electric guitar options.

Quick Links To Our Best Pedal Compressors For Electric Guitar

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Looking for more?  Take a look at these best rated compressor pedals as well.

Our Best Electric Guitar Pedal Compressor Reviews

Our Top Choice – Keeley Compressor Plus

Robert Keeley’s original 2-knob compressor, released in 2001, was one of the first in today’s flourishing boutique pedal market.  The “Plus,” the most recent version of his compressor, has four knobs and now includes sustain and expansion.

The Keeley, like the BOSS, has sustain and tone settings, albeit the tone control is a little more of a treble-boost.  The sustain control, like the BOSS, is more of a wet-dry mix.  So, what exactly does the blend knob do?  This is where the Keeley truly shines.  The mix knob adjusts a specific expansion circuit that boosts the signal’s gain in direct proportion to its compression.  On top of that, there’s a single coil/humbucker toggle, which alters the signal decay period in ways that damage the pickups.

The Compressor Plus is a significant upgrade over Keeley’s original classic, offering a wide range of choices from subtle to over-the-top at an affordable price.


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Boutique – Keeley Aria Compressor Overdrive

Keeley pedals are known for making boutique guitar pedals that are dependable, hardworking, and, most importantly, consistent.  That’s why the Keeley Aria Compressor Drive has easily made our list of the finest compressor pedals.  This pedal combines the Keeley Compressor and the iconic Keeley Red Dirt overdrive, which are both highly regarded Keeley pedals.

Tone and Blend settings are independent on the compressor circuit.  This means you can switch between humbucker and single coil pickups with ease, making it easier to produce a consistent tone.  The Tone control functions as a treble booster, while the Blend control allows for parallel style compression.


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Compressor / Limiter – Electro-Harmonix Freeze Sound Retainer

The EHX Freeze is more of a sustainer than a traditional compressor.  By adopting characteristics from delays and loopers, it can literally sustain each and every note you play.  It differs from other compressors in terms of the effect it produces.  EHX will automatically capture your tones and play them as a background whenever you press the pedal and start playing.

The features of this playback can be controlled using three modes: in Fast mode, sustain appears as soon as you press the footswitch and continues until you release it; in Slow mode, the signal comes through gradually, begins to sustain, and then fades away (the duration of the fade is adjustable); and in Latch mode, the signal sustains even after you release the footswitch.  Effect Level, which controls the output level, is another knob on this pedal.

If you’re looking for a compressor that’s a little more daring than its competitors, the EHX Freeze is the way to go.


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For Lead Guitar – TC Electronic HyperGravity

The TC Electronics HyperGravity compressor is a versatile pedal that stands out from the crowd thanks to an unusual compression algorithm.  You may download certain preset setups from the official website, much as with the other TC Electronic pedals.  You can also use the TonePrint editing software to create your own effects, which you can save and share with the rest of the world.

There are three compressor modes on the HyperGravity.  The default compression mode is Spectra.  Vintage: a la Ross, get right into old-school compression tones.  You receive all of the squeeze and squash that comes with traditional stompbox compression with this level.  It’s ideal for percussive country tones, tight funk sounds, or Gilmour’s beautiful sustain.  The fact that you can switch the bypass to true bypass or buffered mode is one of my favourite features of this pedal.

But what sets this digital compressor pedal apart is that it employs a multiband compression algorithm, which divides the input signal into three frequency zones and compresses each one differently.  This opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

While remaining inexpensive, this pedal offers a lot of features, excellent quality, and complete dynamic control.


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For Rock Guitar – MXR M102 Dyna Comp Compressor Pedal

The MXR Dyna Comp compressor pedal was first released in the 1970s and has subsequently been imitated by a slew of other manufacturers.  Because it deepened the tone of single-coil guitars like the Fender Telecaster, it was an instant hit among Nashville guitarists.  The CA3080 OTA chip was used in the original design.

The MXR M-102 Dyna Comp Reissue is based on the original design, however it has been updated to include some current features.  Although the old CA3080 has been replaced with a better OTA, the sound quality remains amazingly similar to that of the original.  To put it another way, it adds the same tone colouring, with a small bass roll-off about 60 Hertz.  Despite this, the M-102 may be found on the pedalboards of many well-known guitarists.

The M-102 adds an LED and now allows complete bypass in addition to the traditional output and sensitivity controls that made the original so intuitive.  With a maximum compression of 36 dB, the attack is hard-wired at 5 milliseconds and the release at 1 second.

The construction is robust, and the parts are of great quality.  A 9-volt battery or an external power supply are used to power the M-102.


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For Stratocaster – Fender The Bends

We knew the Fender The Bends compressor pedal was a good pedal for any performer looking for a compressor pedal with more tweakable options to meet varied scenarios as soon as we saw it.

It’s difficult to deny the appeal of this pedal in your setup.  Drive, recovery, blend, and level are among the four controls on the black shell.  It also has a real bypass switch and a Fender Amp Jewel LED light.

Each knob has a backlighting LED.  You can, however, turn it off to save battery power.  A 9V battery or a power adapter are required to operate the pedal, which can be inserted into the magnetic latch box.

The Bends compressor pedal gives you more control over sound quality by allowing you to tweak it further.  The compression level is determined by the drive, whereas the sustain level is determined by the recovery.  When you require a blend of your natural guitar sound and the wet compressed sound from this pedal, the Blend control is appropriate.  The whole volume is controlled by the level.

Unlike other pedals in its price range, this one combines modern and classic designs into a single unit for your pedalboard.  It works well in a variety of stage settings.  This gadget will bring the best out of your guitar, regardless of your playing style.


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For Pedal Steel – Xotic Effects SP

The Xotic SP Compressor pushes tone shaping to new heights.  It has all the power you need with four internal switches, two outside knobs, and a toggle switch.  Let’s start with the knobs on the outside:
Blend helps you locate a silver lining between dry and compressed signals, while Volume improves your tone.

Toggle controls how much compression is applied to your sound.  When it comes to internal dip switches, you have even more options: Attack/Release accelerates the attack and release times, giving you some country music rhythm.  The High Cut Filter definitely brings out the best in your sound.
When you dial in loud tones on your instrument, the Input Pad dip switch ensures that the signal is not cut.

Since it uses the same OTA (operational transconductance amplifier) technology as the Ross Compressor, the Xotic SP Compressor stands out among its competitors.  This ensures high-quality audio and well-balanced compression.  In the tuned-off position, this pedal’s true bypass means it won’t interfere with other signals.

You might like these best mini compressor pedal options too.


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Micro-Sized – Wampler Mini Ego Compressor

Many guitar players choose this Wampler pedal because it evens up sounds without making them sound dull or muddy.  If you want additional color, you can tweak the blend of compressed and uncompressed notes to your liking.

It also provides the proper settings for making this the one pedal you’ll always carry with you.  The slow or quick attack, as well as the ordinary or brighter tone pedals, stand out.  A sustain switch is also included for adjusting the compression level.

You may use the Wamplers Ego pedal with anything from country to silky soul to funk to bright pop boost thanks to the various settings.  It can be left on all the time or used as an effect to increase your notes without distorting your sound.  At a high setting, it does, like many compressors, produce hissing background noise, so be aware of that.

This pedal is more expensive than many others, but it’s versatile and adjustable, so you get the most bang for your buck.


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Some Other Electric Guitar Compressors:

  • Soul Preachers
  • Joyo JF10 Dynamic
  • JHS Whitey Tighty
  • Empress Effect Compressor
  • Boss CS3 Compressorsustainer Pedal

Also check out:

In Conclusion

If you are looking for the best electric guitar compressors origin effects, any of these above options are excellent choices.