It doesn’t matter if you play blues, jazz, rock, or country, the MXR reissue ’76 Dyna Comp can help you add a new level to both your rhythm chops and your lead lines.
Some effects pedals become the standard by which all others are measured, such as the Ibanez Tube Screamer for overdrive pedals or the Boss CE-1 for choruses. The MXR Dyna Comp holds a similar status amongst compressors. While it lacked several features that pedal lovers now take for granted (power jack, LED, True Bypass switching), it had a tone to die for, and it found its way into pretty much every session guitarist’s pedalboard or rack for years (some still swear by the original Dyna Comp). So, when Dunlop (i.e. MXR) found an unused stockpile of CA3080 chips that were the basis of the original Dyna Comp, well, it seemed like a reissue pedal was in order. So, MXR is making a limited run of the 1976 Dyna Comp complete with script logo.
For those of you who don’t know, the compression pedal is one of the misunderstood and underused effects around. Ideally, a good compressor will bring evenness to the notes – loud notes get quieter and quiet notes get louder. It’s a good way to even out the dynamics and tighten up a signal. Compressors are also useful for getting extra sustain and for adding percusiveness to clean guitar tones (like many country guitarists do). I tested the reissue Dyna Comp with a Tom Anderson Classic (Strat Style) and a PRS McCarty into a reissue Fender Deluxe Reverb. Having played a few original Dyna Comps in my day, I can say that this one is right on the money. It is a thick, rich sound that adds sustain without being agressive. I was able to get all the good effects we expect from compressors (e.g. increased sustain, even dynamics, country cluck) with none of the bad (i.e. increased noise). If you’re paranoid about the lack of true bypass, don’t be. While I like true bypass on certain pedals, the whole “true bypass meme” is somewhat overrated. That’s all to say, the pedal sounds great without it.
Although the lack of certain amenities such as an LED or a power jack might turn some people off, this pedal is the real deal. It doesn’t matter if you play blues, jazz, rock, or country, this reissue Dyna Comp can help you add a new level to both your rhythm chops and your lead lines.