An elegant, economical comp classic made miniature.
Fender Jazzmaster and Fender Vibro Champ
Various output and sensitivity settings. The attack switch on until 1:09. Attack switch is off from 1:09 to 2:18.
The first compressor I ever bought was an MXR Dyna Comp. I picked one up because I was obsessed with Roger McGuinn’s super-squished, liquid, and explosive Byrds-tones, and it seemed like the closest I would get on a tight budget. At the time, I was also diving into my first home recording projects, and I quickly came to understand how the little red MXR could massage fuzz tones to fit more readily into a mix or add subtle pop to rhythm tracks. When I started to play live a lot more, I came to rely on it to extract extra sustain and body from the single-coil pickups I tend to use. Let’s say I got my money’s worth.
MXR’s new Dyna Comp Mini doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to tone or functionality, but in its smaller enclosure, it adds practicality to the elegant simplicity of the original. That’s bound to thrill working players with streamlined, fly-date boards and pedalboard maximalists trying to eek every possible square inch out of their real estate.
Tiny and Tough
The Dyna Comp was my first MXR box and, like many first-time MXR customers, I remember the sense of heft and brick-like solidity of that unit. The Mini is a lot less hefty, but it still feels as sturdy as stone.
The whole of the Dyna Comp Mini’s interior is taken up by a very streamlined and orderly printed circuit, which is dominated by the presence of a Intersil CA3080 “metal can” operational transonductance amplifier. This component was a fixture in the ’70s-vintage MXR Dyna Comp, the Ross Compressor that inspired it, and many boutique versions. MXR says they are using NOS versions of the component, and the Intersil website suggests it is no longer manufactured. Whatever MXR’s source, it would seem to be a finite supply for now.
Ratings
Pros:
Clean, transparent compression. Wide output range. Effective attack switch.
Cons:
Some players may miss heavier vintage-style coloration and squish.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
$79
MXR Dyna Comp Mini
jimdunlop.com
Clean It Up
It’s hard to know exactly how much the CA3080 adds to the tonality of the Mini. But the Mini sounds different than most Dyna Comps I have used. In general, the Mini is cleaner, more transparent, less noisy (a big plus), and less ham-fistedly squishy than the older block Dyna Comps I have known.
For a lot of players, these improvements will be welcome. The Mini’s transparency and headroom are certainly assets when working with other effects. The Mini can also feel a little more dynamic than older Dyna Comps. And there’s no question it colors the intrinsic tone of your guitar less. Some players, like myself, may miss the overt squish and coloration from vintage models. It really comes down to whether you tend toward the musical artificiality of ’60s compression or cleaner, more transparent studio compression. There is no wrong answer, and personal preference—and the make-up of your rig—should be your guide.
One notable addition to the Mini is the attack button, which switches between slow and fast preset attack speeds. In slow attack mode, output from the MXR seems to bloom a little bit more. The fast mode is much more in your face and the output is hotter. There’s also a touch more sustain at the highest sensitivity levels (though sustain is excellent in both modes).
The Verdict
In any form, the Dyna Comp is the essence of pedal economy. In its new, more miniscule design, it economizes even further while adding a useful function via the attack switch. I suspect that most players will dig the greater clarity that the Mini brings to the party, though guitarists who like extra coloration in some vintage compressors might find this version a little too clean. No matter what side of that fence you’re on, it’s hard not to appreciate the miniature enclosure and equally diminutive price.
This reader solicited the help of his friend, luthier Dale Nielsen, to design the perfect guitar as a 40th-birthday gift to himself.
This is really about a guy in northern Minnesota named Dale Nielsen, who I met when I moved up there in 2008 and needed somebody to reglue the bridge on my beloved first guitar (a 1992 Charvel 625c, plywood special). Dale is a luthier in his spare time—a Fender certified, maker of jazz boxes.
Anyway, we became friends and I started working on him pretty early—my 40th birthday was approaching, and that meant it was time for us to start designing his first solidbody build. If you stopped on this page, it’s because the photo of the finished product caught your eye. Beautiful, right? The 2018 CCL Deco Custom: Never shall there be another.
Old National Glenwood guitars were my design inspiration, but I wanted a slim waist like a PRS and the like. We used a solid block of korina to start, routed like MacGyver to get the knobs and switches where I wanted them. Dale builds all his own lathes and machines (usually out of lumber, y’all), as the task requires. This beast took some creativity—it’s tight wiring under that custom-steel pickguard. Many were the preliminary sketches. Four coats of Pelham blue, 11 coats of nitro. Honduran mahogany neck, Madagascar ebony fretboard with Dale’s signature not-quite-Super-400 inlays. He designed the logo; I just said, “Make it art deco.”
We sourced all the bits and bobs from StewMac and Allparts and Reverb and the like, mostly to get that chrome look I so adore. Graph Tech Ratio tuners, Duesenberg Radiator trem (had to order that one from Germany), TonePros TP6R-C roller bridge. The pickups were a genius suggestion from the builder, Guitarfetish plug ’n’ play 1/8" solderless swappable, which means I have about 10 pickups in the case to choose from: rockabilly to metal. And both slots are tapped, with the tone knobs serving as single- to double-coil switches. I put the selector on the lower horn to accommodate my tendency to accidentally flip the thing on Les Pauls—definite lifesaver.
Reader and guitar enthusiast, Cody Lindsey.
Dale offered to chamber this monster, but I said what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It weighs in at 11 pounds, if it’s an ounce. We carved the neck to match a ’60s SG, so it’s like the mini bat you get at the ballpark on little kids’ day. Easy peasy. 1 11/16" nut, 25" scale, jumbo frets, just 2 1/8" at the 12th fret.
Delivery in its lovely, hygrometer-equipped Cedar Creek case actually happened a month or two shy of my 41st, but hey, you can’t rush these things. We ended up with a studio Swiss Army knife; it does a bit of everything and does it effortlessly. A looker, too. Dale didn’t spend his career doing this kind of thing—he was in IT or some such—and I imagine he’s winding this “hobby” of his down these days, enjoying retirement with a bottle of Killian’s and a lawn chair at Duluth Blues Fest. But this guitar will live on as a marker of his skill and otherworldly patience. It sits at the head of the class in my practice room, welcoming any visitors and bringing a smile to my face every day. And Dale, my friend, I’ll be 50 before you know it....
Cody requested that Dale design an art deco logo for the guitar’s headstock.
Tailored for Yngwie Malmsteen's signature sound, the MXR Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive is designd to offer simple controls for maximum impact.
Working closely alongside Yngwie, the MXR design team created a circuit that delivers clarity, expressive dynamics, and rich harmonics—all perfectly tailored for his light-speed arpeggios, expressive vibrato, and big, bold riffs. The control setup is simple, with just Level and Gain knobs.
"Want to sound like Yngwie? Crank both knobs to the max."
“This pedal is the culmination of 45+ years developing a sound that’s perfect in every possible way,” Yngwie says. “I present to you: the MXR Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive. Prepare to be amazed.”
MXR Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive highlights:
- Perfectly tailored for Yngwie Malmsteen's signature sound and style
- Simple control setup tuned for maximum impact
- Boost every nuance with superior clarity, expressive dynamics, and rich harmonics
- Dig into light-speed arpeggios, expressive vibrato, and big, bold riffs
The MXR Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive is available now at $129.99 street/$185.70 MSRP from your favorite retailer.
For more information, please visit jimdunlop.com.
Voltage Cable Company's new Voltage Vintage Coil 30-foot guitar cable is now protected with ISO-COAT technology to provide unsurpassed reliability.
The new coiled cables are available in four eye-grabbing retro colors – Surf Green, Electric Blue, Orange and Caramel – as well as three standard colors: Black, White and Red. There is also a CME exclusive “Chicago Cream” color on the way.
Guitarists can choose between three different connector configurations: straight/straight plugs, right angle/straight and right angle/right angle options.
The Voltage Vintage Coil offers superior sound quality and durability thanks to ISO-COAT treatment, a patent-pending hermetic seal applied to solder terminations. This first-of-its-kind airtight seal prevents corrosion and oxidization, a known factor in cable failure and degradation. ISO-COAT protected cables are for guitarists who value genuine lifetime durability and consistent tone throughout their career on stage and in the studio.
Voltage cables are hand made by qualified technical engineers using the finest components available and come with a lifetime warranty.
Voltage Vintage Coil features include:
- Lifetime guarantee, 1000+ gig durability
- ISO-COAT treatment - corrosion & oxidization resistant cable internals
- Strengthened structural integrity of solder terminations
Voltage Vintage Coils carry $89.00 USD pricing each and are available online at voltagecableco.com, as well as in select guitar stores in North America, Australia, Thailand, UK, Belgium and China.
About Voltage Cable: Established in 2021, Voltage Cable Co. is a family owned and operated guitar cable company based in Sydney, Australia. All their cables are designed to be played, and built for a lifetime. The company’s ISO-COAT is a patent pending hermetic seal applied to solder terminations.
Featuring dual-engine processing, dynamic room modeling, and classic mic/speaker pairings, this pedal delivers complete album-ready tones for rock and metal players.
Built on powerful dual‑engine processing and world‑class UAD modeling, ANTI 1992 High Gain Amp gives guitarists the unmistakable sound of an original "block letter" Peavey 5150 amplifier* – the notorious 120‑watt tube amp monster that fueled more than three decades of modern metal music, from Thrash and Death Metal, to Grunge, Black Metal, and more.
"With UAFX Dream, Ruby, Woodrow, and Lion amp emulators, we recreated four of the most famous guitar amps ever made," says UA Sr. Product Manager Tore Mogensen. "Now with ANTI, we're giving rock and metal players an authentic emulation of this punishing high gain amp – with the exact mic/speaker pairings and boost/noise gate effects that were responsible for some of the most groundbreaking modern metal tones ever captured."
Key Features:
- A complete emulation of the early '90s 120‑watt tone monster that defined new genres of modern metal
- Powerful UAFX dual-engine delivers the most authentic emulation of the amp ever placed in a stompbox
- Complete album‑ready sounds with built‑in noise gate, TS‑style overdrive, and TC‑style preamp boost
- Groundbreaking Dynamic Room Modeling derived from UA's award-winning OX Amp Top Box
- Six classic mic/speaker pairings used on decades of iconic metal and hard rock records
- Professional presets designed by the guitarists of Tetrarch, Jeff Loomis, and The Black Dahlia Murder
- UAFX mobile app lets you access hidden amp tweaks and mods, choose overdrive/boost, tweak noise gate, recall and archive your presets, download artist presets, and more
- Timeless UA design and craftsmanship, built to last decades
For more information, please visit uaudio.com.