Compression can be some players’ best friend, while others scoff at the mention of using such an effect. We love it, and have always wanted to get our hands on today’s pedal to see what the hubbub is all about. While there are many clones and variations out there, there’s nothing quite like a Ross Compressor. The original pedals, made in the 1970’s, are fairly difficult to come by, and if you can find one, fetch prices of close to $500 or more. This may be in part to the pedals’ use by Trey Anastasio of Phish, who has used one for the majority of his career since the early 80’s. Thankfully, Cameron Ross, grandson of the original founder, Bud Ross, and his partner Ben Brazil have revamped the brand as Ross Audibles, and we’ve got their Gray Compressor for you today!
The layout, look and feel of the new Gray Compressor is practically identical to the original, except for the power jack placement (up top now) and the small LED indicating that the pedal is on or off. The sound is just incredible, giving you warm compression, without being overbearing, and features the same long-lasting sustain that make the vintage units “holy grail” pedals to those who have them. This Reissue still lets your original sound come through, but enhances it perfectly, evening out those highs and low to form one of the most enjoyable and cohesive compression sounds we’ve come across. The Gray Compressor is also true bypass, something the first models didn’t feature, resulting in zero tone loss or signal degradation when the pedal is off.
These pedals are billed as authentic and faithful continuations of the original line, and the Compressor is the first of hopefully many reissues to come (the tan Distortion has been released as well; review and demo coming soon, hopefully). A ton of research and development has gone into these Ross Audible effects, including original custom enclosure design, circuit design and internal components. Though we haven’t actually played a classic Ross Compressor, this one sounds absolutely incredible – cheers to the Ross Audibles guys for getting these back into production, we can’t wait to see what other classic effects come out of your shop. Check out our demo below, and then get on the preorder list for this wonderful Compressor!
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