Compression on electric guitars

Running electric guitars through a LA3A or clone equivalent is pretty great during tracking. I do it all the time. The GAP Comp-3A is pretty great as a clone. JLM LA-500 too.

I think compression on the pedal board is more of a personal thing for a guitarist. So that's kind of a crap shoot. I don't use pedal compression when I play guitar myself, though I've been considering trying it here lately.

One thing I DO is to use the Strymon Deco. That has become an "always on" pedal for me when recording myself. It makes everything sound better when run through it. It does compression in the sense that it does the whole "tape thing". It's a seriously nice pedal and might make you not worry about any other type of compression going in.

And, of course, the Deco does other things like delay, chorus, etc. You should check it out.

In that case, a compressor pedal may help. Sometimes I use one, sometimes I don’t. When I do use one, I’ve pretty much settled on a Wampler these days. If set right, I find it can make things (whether a quiet amp or a good modeler) feel a little more like it’s got some “tube sag” going on. A little more like I’m really turning my real Vox up loud. Not perfect, but closer. And a good compressor pedal offers a nice clean boost if I want to smash the front end of the Iridium.

Other times, I like a full dynamic range better. Just depends. A good comp pedal can really help with those hot Nashville Telecaster licks. Which I can’t play, so a moot point for me.

Man, you have so many killer guitar players in your city, I would pretty much think I suck all the time. And compared to them, I would be right.

I do think a good compressor pedal can cover a multitude of sins. Especially if one of the sins is timidity.

If the guitar part is clean-ish-to-medium gain I'd feel fine using a compression pedal. I currently use the Xotic SP, but have also used the JHS Pulp n Peel. Really I don't think it matters too much which one you use, but I liked those for the blend function.

For my songs I do track the parts just how I'd play them live, so if that's with comp, the SP pedal is going into the tracking. I believe compression pedals add that final touch that makes the whole thing more pro sounding, and I actually prefer to get there with the pedal because I know exactly how much I like to dial in with that for the overall tone.

Of course, doing it with outboard or a plugin works, but why not use the gear ya got for the guitar signal?

Unless I can crank the amp, I use a compressor pedal when playing guitar in the studio. I've had good luck with the Barber Tone Press and Diamond Compressor. A little goes a long way.

I always make the amp compress by boosting into it, and attenuating it after the fact or using a master volume if it has one. Also will use overdrive pedals at low drive settings, think Tube Screamer type, to mainly compress the tone and boost the mids. Never really been a fan of "compressor pedals" on guitar.

In the mix, it's so subjective, that I would rather leave it as a mix decision. Since sometimes it works, and sometimes I might not want it there.

I guess if I owned a high end hardware compressor I would certainly think about printing it on the way in. Don't have any right now.

The comps in the AxeFX are pretty freaking killer

I have a tube amp and board compressor, but I only use it a little and think I prefer either my warm or hairball 76, like Ward above, for tracking just taking off a few dB.

I've been looking at Origin's new Stacked pedal. It seems really interesting.

Kind of the best of both worlds between the Cali76 and the Sliderig.

Compression in a guitar players chain is about the relationship of the player to what they’re hearing and trying to achieve from a part and how their hands respond to pulling it from the instrument and chain as a whole, anything in mixing stage is an attempt to modify what was originally intended or intended though not achieved by the performance of the player in the first place.
As to the question of during tracking...it becomes part of the players chain and may affect how they respond based on what’s heard in the headphones, unless you don’t let them hear it.
I.e the Electric guitar player’s entire apparatus- guitar, pedals, amp etc...is the instrument as operated by their ability to perform and intention to achieve what they’re hearing in their mind.

You could say the same thing about a singer.  But we do all kinds of things to vocals in the mix, including compression.  Sometimes it sounds better.