Please recommend a compressor pedal for bass

D

DC-XPL

New member
I switched from guitar to bass recently (after playing guitar for 22 years and having never even touched a bass!). I developed decent technique just using fingers and now I'm starting to experiment with a felt pick. We play original music in the Tom Petty vein.

My playing is still not as even as I would like. For recording bass, I've been happy with a dbx 163x, but it doesn't integrate well in my rig (Fender P/J into SWR Workingman 15). Can anyone recommend a compressor pedal to use in front of the amp? Most of the reviews of the Tech 21 Constrictor and Digitech Bass Squeeze at Harmony Central are pretty decent. I wonder if anyone has a secret weapon they'd like to share. Can you use a guitar compressor (Boss CS-3, MXR DynaComp, etc) on bass?
 
I gotta second what earworm said. While I'm sure the stomp box compressors that are out these days are pretty decent (they used to be unacceptably noisy), there's no reason NOT to use the dbx, if you've already got one. I'm pretty sure that your amp has an effects loop. Both of the SWR combo amps that I have include one (even the Workingman 10, which is the smallest amp in the Workingman series). Stick that dbx in your effects loop and consider the problem solved.

By the way, I've also had excellent results with various dbx compressors in the studio.
 
Thanks for the replies folks. I picked up an Ibanez BP10 bass compressor pedal from the '80's at a local vintage shop for $40.00. I used it last night at rehearsal and was pretty impressed. It's very transparent and tightens up the sound without noise or coloration. In fact, I could barely tell it was even on! I'll have to experiment some more, but I think it will work out fine.
 
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