Analog Man Juicer Compressor

One knob, although you have to open it up to adjust the level of compression.

This is the 1st compressor I've ever owned, although I've been playing for about 17yrs. I've never liked the way compressors tend to kill your tone, although I've always been aware of the potential benefits they bring. I was attracted to this as it was described as a deviation from the usual compression tone. It leaves some frequencies untouched, retains brightness, definitely wouldn't say it kills my tone, although it definitely tightens up the sound of my strat. Playing my strat at a high volume, I wouldn't wanna be without this. I have have a Musicman Sub guitar - I tend not to use the Juicer with this, as it doesn't bring many obvious benefits (it's quite a bassy sounding guitar).

I'm playing in a funk band now, and this is essential. I can't compare to the other high quality compressors on the market such as (the dynacomp) as I've never owned any others, but I can't complain about this. Plus it's kind of original (especially in UK, you don't see these around), definitely the coolest looking pedal in my rig.

Looks solid.

Quick email comms and quick delivery to UK.

However, when I first placed the order, I ordered a power supply to be delivered with pedal. A day later I changed my mind and emailed Mike to say don't send it and refund me the $15. But he recommended I keep the power supply because of the pedal's incompatiblity with other power supplies - so I agreed.

When the pedal arrived with power supply, I realised I had overlooked the order form tickbox where you request a powerjack input to be installed on the pedal. So obviously there is no way of plugging the power supply into the pedal - it runs on batteries only. He must have known he was sending me an essentially useless power supply but he never thought to raise this me.

See above

I didn't even touch the internal bias. It was more a case of calibrating my playing to the amount of compression.

This is a very interesting pedal. None of the swell you get with the Boss CS pedals. It's more subtle than that. It also fattens up the tone quite a bit but in a very pleasant way. Used with a Strat with low output single coils (Bare Knuckle Apaches) and just a bit of gain on my Fender Blues deluxe reissue, it opened a totally new tone and style of playing. I normally rely on picking hard and almost popping the strings to get the tone I want with mild gain but with the OS, you can pick more gently, make the OS do the work for you and get some glorious clean fat sustaining notes. Likewise with rhythm work, your playing becomes more even. You start to strum less hard and just let the strings reverberate, knowing the OS will keep the volume up for you. The real magic is the way it does this without the swell of some other compressions. That almost borders on sheer magic and alchemy to me. It's not something I'd use all the time, but it has opened the door to another way of playing, another feel to how to play. I love it. I also tried it with a Digitech Bad Monkey and my PRS. This could get you to the edge of feedback and was good fun, but not really my thing. For the Strat though, it's a perfect match.

Only had it a short time but feels well made. Slight pop sometimes on switching but not intrusive. Very quiet unless you crank the gain up. No probs with the optional 9v socket being used. (some say it hums with this in use)

Good e-mail comms and fast delivery from the Analogman in the US.

Have really enjoyed exploring the possibilities with this pedal. For something that seemingly does so little, it has actually made a profound difference to my clean and lower gain rhythm and solo work. Would buy again immediately if lost. I'm on the waiting list for a Bi-comp but I'm not sure I need it now.

Opening the back w/ screwdriver to adjust bias pot is very easy. Turned bias pot nearly full counter-clockwise for bright compressed tone: going for shimmering golden rock notes / chords w/overtones - i.e. when amp is turned up and my Tele w/ EMG85s (active pickups) vol and vol is barely on vol 2 to 3. Once done it's good to go w/o any more adj.

Note: playing at a club with Fender Twin amp - loud / clean amp and the above Fenter tele w/ EMG 85s. Sound can be dark on neck pickup that I like to use (rock / blues / chords played as double-stops).

Fender Tele w/EMG 85s / Sunlion / Juicer / Amp.

Juicer can be noisy if placed first in chain. Playing 60's covers w/ funk blues rock edge. Great sound when amp is up / vol on gtr is low (active pickups.

SunLion
Boost = 10 AM
Vol = 2 PM
Fuzz = 1 pm
Bias = 11AM

Juicer (internal bias turned nearly full clockwise)
9 am

Yes. Quality is excellent.

Mike answers emails. Says it all.

Play rock w/blues edge. Rhythm guitar / arpeggiating chords. Occasional blues pentatonic riffs / solos.
Need rockedge open sound w/shimmer + crunch.

Does the job A+.

simple as can be ??? one volume and one bias. The only thing that???s a slight nuisance, is that you have to remove the back plate to get to the bias. That makes it almost impossible to change settings during a gig ??? something that would add to the versatility of the pedal. On the other hand, the set and forget aspect make it extremely easy to use, and it does that one thing you set it to do extremely well. There's an awful lot of volume on tap - great if you want to use it as a boost, which I dont. Unity gain obviously depends on how you set the bias, on mine, it's with the volume around 9 o'clock.
I wish it had a battery hatch, so I wouldn't have to remove the base plate to change it.
The Bias and battery things make it a bit less easy to use on the fly than I'd like, but if you have time to tweak, it's self explanatory.

As good as any I've tried. It fattens the sound somewhat, and in a sense that is hard to put into words, it seems to bring out more nuances in the sound. I like the way it colours the sound, but I doubt it's for those that seek the ultimate in transparency.

I set the bias on mine for a bit more squeeze than what it came with from AM. because of the colouration I find it more useful as a solo boost/sustainer than as something I'd keep on at all times. It performs equally well with my strats and 335 style semis, adding sustain and dimension to lead sounds. I really love the smoothness it adds to my Bassman's grittier sounds.

Had it about a year - gigged with it a good bit. never a problem.

Never had to deal with the company besides ordering from them. the purchase went smoothly enough.

Very very good sounding pedal - it's a tone enhancer as much as a compressor. I would certainly get it again if this one was lost or stolen. Been playing for 20 years and have had quite a few compression pedals. This one does it's own thing: I haven't tried an original Dan Armstrong to compare with, but none of the ones I've had (Boss CS3, Marshall Ed, Dyna Comp, Carl Martin) sound as good as the Juicer when used as sustainers/lead boosts. They have other fortes though that the Juicer can't compete with, e.g. the transparency of the CM.
I suppose that it's a lot more versatile than my use of it allow for IF you have the time to tweak the Bias between songs. I don't. As it is, i've gotten a pedal that does one thing extremely well, and that's fine by me.

1 Knob cant get more basic than that

Superb, Delicious, Juicy. Clear, ,makes my strat Pop. Im using a Standard Mexican Strat 2003 Model,they sound better than the new Mex Strats and Play better as far as Im concerned. I have that going into a Fender Woody Junior Custom Exotic. This Compressor Kicks Major Crevice, You know what I mean fellow musical life forms. I have it set around 11:00 so that the amp volume and compressor volume match. I cant say enough about Analog Mans Products. Top Notch all hand Made with the finest components. Well Worth the Money.

As reliable as they come

I have been Dealing with Analog Man for almost a year, no problems, always there to answer my questions.

I play Funk, Blues, Classic Rock, Pop, Top 40. Been playing for 26 years. I currently have a ToneBone Plexitube, with an Analog Man Juicer and Standard Chorus. I have an Electroharmonix Stereo Memory Man(Incredible Analog Delay and Inexpensive to)a Standard Mexican Strat and a Fender Woody Junior Custom Shop Exotic. I use Lava ELC Guitar Cables which are great. To complete my rig, I just want to get a good Phase Shiter and Flanger. There is one more thing on my wish list, an original 60's Fender Deluxe Reverb, best clean amp I have ever heard bar none.

It should be easier than it is!
1 knob & one trim pot.

The design of the pedal is great, but that's where it ends.
I've been in search of a good compressor for years.
I have tried most compressors & due to the great reviews on this site,
I pulled the trigger & bought a Juicer direct from AM.
I play thru a TopHat Super Deluxe with an SG Jr & SG Standard.
2 of the easiest guitars in the world to dial in.
I know what compressors do & how they are supposed to operate.
Here's my problems with this pedal.
1. There's far too much volume on tap.
2. You can not adjust the volume to get the proper compression.
without being about 10 to 20 db louder than your amp settings.
3. When you adjust the trim pot to bring the volume down
for more compression your low notes sound like poop!
4. For High register solo's this pedal rules. (not a problem)
5. If you have any amount of overdrive on your amp this pedal
is useless.
I have more issues I with this pedal & I'm sure you get the picture.

It does have moments of good tone, but nothing consistent.

I had an old school DOD compressor that was more useable than this pedal.

AM pedals will last forever.

When you pay $185 for a pedal there should be some kind of
return policy. I get the feeling that Mike & others at AM
don't like to take returns. In fact they go out of their way
to make it difficult.

I have no issues with the quality of products at Analogman.
I still think that the Beano Boost is the Best Treble Boost ever made.
That being said when it's apparent that a customer is not at all satisfied you should try & work with that person.
I've been playing guitar for over 30 years & 25 of that as a pro type musician. Recording, Touring & all the other band dealings.
I think that this pedal is still being produced because of the other quality pedals that AM puts out. Every pedal can't be a gem.
This one is a complete turd.
I would never buy one again, in fact I would never pay $10 for one.
As it is I took a $70 hit on this selling this pedal on Ebay.
It was worth the hit just to get rid of it.

Maybe I got a bad one? I doubt it!

One volume knob. Pretty simple.

This is a very nice pedal. I use this pedal exclusively for playing lap steel slide on my Asher steel. It has a nice gritty tone. It is kind of hard to decribe, but it does fatten the sound and boosts things. I have noticed that at high volumes it can hiss and this hiss is increased when used with other pedals. However, it is the perfect compressor for slide guitar. It adds something to the sound that is soulsy and bluesy. It is hard to describe, but it just works. I tried this one and the Keeley compressor. The Keeley was pretty perfect, but this was better for my slide work and so I kept this one.

Mike's pedal are very well put together. I can't imagine needing a back-up.

Mike is very good at communicating. He emails almost immediately unless he is at NAMM or something. I am sure he would stand-by this pedal if there was a fault with it.

I have now reviewed two pedals - this and the Deluxe Memory Man. I own the Deluxe Memory Man, the Analog.Man Mini Bi-Chorus, the Xotic AC Booster, and now a Sole-Mate Reverb pedal. I have had too many pedals to count, but recent pedals that I have liked but have sold or traded have been the Wizard Wah, the Analog.Man Fuzz Face, and the Zvex Lo-Fi Loop Junky. I have been playing lap steel and octave mandolin almost exclusively lately. I play mostly in church or for myself. Although I have been in bands now and again. I have played drums for thirty years and have only picked up these stringed instruments in the last decade or so. Anyway, this pedal ranks up there as one of my all time favorites. I like the cool orange color, the ability to add that special indescribable something to my slide tone, and the fact that this pedal is hand man with some of the best components available. It is a keeper.

I've struggled with compressors because I tend to have a heavy hand and consequently, it's been difficult to avoid alot of squash and the loss of dynamics that are common to just about all units. The interior trim pot on the Juicer is critical for me. As set by Analogman, it did NOT suit my style. However, after turning the trim pot quite a bit (clockwise), the pedal has become like icing on cake. It beautifully evens the output, adding punch without wrecking the dynamics when I want them. This is the only trick to the pedal. The exterior knob is simply an output volume knob. This could be used as a booster but I set it just a hair above unity which, with the interior trim pot adjusted to my liking, is 9:00. I'm rating this an 8 only because it's a drag to adjust. Once it's set where you want it, you'll never have to mess with it again.

I run the Juicer >Prescription Electronics Germ > Boss DM3 delay > Keeley modded Boss TR2 tremolo > Fender 63 stand-alone reverb > Dr. Z Z-28 2x10 combo (w/Airbrake). I don't use the Juicer all the time. Anything close to country music really benefits from it. It's also very handy to goose the Germ pedal with it as well for added sustain, especially for playing slide. Noise is minimal on its own and obviously adds some when combining with OD. I ordered mine with AC jack for power and it does not work well at all w/my Boss power supply & daisy chain (way too much hum). Mike warns about this on his website. I expected the Boss to cooperate better but no luck. Batteries last a long time, so I'm not very dissapointed. You may want to save the extra $15 and order it w/out the power jack or consult Mike about what power supplies will power it w/out hum. The overall sound of the unit as I've adjusted the trim pot is great. I've had other compressors (Dynacomp, Boss CS2 & CS3, and the dreadful WD reissue of the Orange Squeezer) and none come close to the Juicer.

I also own the Sunface unit. Never any troubles. Great stuff. Have an extra battery just in case. Also, the LED does not dim as your battery fades. You begin to hear the unit breaking up, especially when hitting the low strings.

Not much to say here that has not already been said. Mike & crew are top-notch. E-mails always answered promptly. The US needs more small businesses that deliver great support and service like Analogman.

I had thought I'd never get along w/compression aside from that naturally produced by an amp. Always too much squash and detracting more than adding to my sound. The Juicer has made me change my mind. I guess I just like less than many others. But that little bit REALLY makes my rig shine. From reading other postings/reviews on compressors, I don't think I'm unique. This pedal is well worth a try. With the way Analogman's pedals hold their value, you can't go wrong. I'm only giving it a 9 because it's on the pricey side. The good stuff always is.

One knob, season to taste

You can flat out nail Steve Gaines "Honkey Tonk Night Time Man" lead tone with this box and VH "Finish Whatcha Started"
I'm running this box with a Carvin Bel-Air or a Carvin 3200/w 4-12 Marshall cab, most always with my Strat, along with a little bit o delay from a Boss DD-2. I love the tone. If you are after that poppin' country tone, this box is a must have. It also makes for a nice lead boost on the dirty channel and allows for some nice sustain. Great pedal, period.

Had it for a month, it looks and feels high end.

I had a Paypal adress screw-up that was my fault and all emails I sent to Mike were answered the same day, gotta love that.

Great compressor, my only other compressor experience was the Boss CE-3, not really even in the same zip code as the Juicer. I'm very happy with this compressor and dont mind shelling out top dollar if this is the tone quality I can expect from Analogman. I'd buy from them again.

One knob. C'mon, how difficult is it to use one knob? Turn it until you find the sound you like. Keep it there. Play! Any simpler and it'd have acne, poor diction and be working in a McDonalds drive-through. The wee pot inside is obviously more tricky to get at than th eoutside knob but it's not that tricky now, is it?

Definitely imparts its own charcater on your sound to my ears. Compared to the Maxon CP101 and the Teese FK-1, it has a bit more bottom end and middle, it brings the sound up a bit. Now some people like that, other people don't. I admit that I prefer a compressor that doesn't colour the sound unless I 'command' it to do so, I like to have full control over my sound, probably because I've spent a lot of time with the compressors on things like the Focusrite channel strips and like having a great deals of hands-on control. The juicer isn't that compressor for me, one knob does limit the control you have over it. I liked using it for rhythm guitar, not so much for more janglesome moments where the CP101 does a good job now. Overall, on applications to where the sound of the Juicer is suited, it scores very highly so I'll pop a 9 by its name.

By all accounts, Analogman gear is solid. This has been to Canada and back to the UK, I've had it a couple of years, it's survived flightcases, airline staff, two kittens... no worries here, superbly built.

Never used them, again by all accounts it's excellent. No grade here.

I'll give this 9 in terms of reviewing it for the job it does and how well it does it. It's a great compressor, I've used this one, the Teese FK-1 and the Maxon CP101 and they all have different qualities. I wouldn't use this as my 'first' compressor, I like something that's tonally neutral like the FK-1 or the CP101. In my rig, I tended to set this up after the CP101 to act as a booster for solos etc rather than the first line of compression. I'm actually selling this pedal on the UK Ebay now, not because it's bad but because I need the money and I need to downsize my rig. Come and see!

Overall: for the right application, it's the right compressor. Not the most flexible compressor ever and it doesn't cover all my needs but it is very, very good at what it does. In the future I intend buying the Analogman Comprossor once I graduate from university and splurge a serious amount of cash on post-degree congratulations... and maybe a Janglebox too as that really does jangle :)