Guyatone ST-2

Very easy to use. Level and sustain controls, on/off footswitch, and a cool direct in/out switch.

I run this direct into any one of my Mesa amps. Without a doubt, one of the best compressor/sustainers out there. I always have the direct switch on. This blends a dry signal along with the compressed signal and the sound is AWESOME. All the picking dynamics are there along with compression and sustain, but not "squashed" like other compressors. It also adds a really nice low resonance to the sound. Very, very nice. I've retired a Boss Comp/Sustainer because of this little guy. Oh yeah, the size is awesome, very compact and in / out jacks on top allow for more space on my floor board.

I've only had it a few weeks.

Don't know yet.

I play hard rock,progressive, blues, and funk (all at once and seperately : ) ). I love this pedal. More musician's need to be aware of comp/sustainers. They are always over looked. In my mind, they are indispensible. they won't make you play better, but your sound will be more polished and articulate. I've been playing for over 17 years and I own several PRS and MesaBoogie amps. My distortion comes from my amps, not any pedals. This Guyatone compressor adds the cherry on top of sound for me. I can run my gain very low (or clean) and just let the guitar sing. Great pedal, great size, great price.

There's not more simple thanx this : 2 knobs, a micro-switch and an electronic foot-switch... no-brainer here !!
There's a manual, but I don't need it anyway !! This unit is very intuitive.

hmm ... as my multi-effect (i.e KORG AX1500G) does not have a Compressor/Sustainer for distorted sounds, I was forced to get one ...
My setup : Washburn WG580 (C#-tuned) > KORG AX1500G > GUYATONE ST2 > Crate TD70 TubeDriver > Marshall 4x12 150W Cabinet...
ST2 creates a little noise when using (non-played) distorted sounds, wut I does not really matter : a supply Noise-Gate ( Guyatone NR2 ? lol) will erase any bothering noise !!
This unit, small for size, is really a micro GIANT. It has really and immediatly a rich and very big sound !! Really big compression ... Lillte tip : just turn to "on" the "Direct" switch to have a doubled-sound that will make you be heard very well and any lick or solo !!

OF COURSE it's reliable !! Metal-chassis, silent electronic-footswitch (so no "click" if you activate/desactivate the compressor) ...
If it was stolen/broken, I think I'll turn very mad... I'll certainly buy another ST2 !!

I never dealt with, but I heard that Customer Support was really good ... so I put a 10 !

I'm playing black metal in a band called EREBOS (NU-metallers ?? KILL THEM, WITH THEIR F*CKING BABYSOUNDS !!) ... Compression is an essential effect, as we play (almost) everything in tremolo-picking ... So a reduced dynamic-range is essential.
Things I love about this compressor is the features an power ... in fact, the most cool feature is the "direct" sitch that blends a non-compressed boosted signal to you compressed signal, that produces a natural feel and a doubled-thick sound !! Works very well !!

The ST-2 is very easy to operate and get a good sound out of it.

This compressor is very transparent and quiet, except for extreme settings, which I do not use anyway. I use several Robin guitars (strat style, tele style and LP style) and all sound good with this compressor. the effects chain I use: guitar into the ST-2 into a Keeley-modified TS9DX into a Boss EQ into a Rat, with chorus and delay in the loop of a Mesa Boogie Stuio 22+.
The direct switch does seem to allow for a more natural sound.

I have had it only a week, but it seems sturdy. I also have a MD-2 digital delay from Guyatone for a few years that I have had no problem with.

Have not dealt with them.

I play a variety of rock, country and worship music. This pedal is an excellent value, far better than most of the Boss and Ibanez comps I've tried. The small size of the pedal is a big plus. The sound quality is excellent. I would consider buying it again if it were lost or stolen. It really helps my sound, particularly with the strat and tele style guitars.

I was not able to get a good sound out of this effect. I tried several guitars (an ASAT Classic semi-hollow, Guild Starfire 4, DeArmond M77-T) and a few amplifiers (homebrew P1, Tweed Deluxe, Vox AD60 valvetronix). It was easy enough to twirl the 2 dials and to flip the switch that mixes the dry signal with that of the compressed one.

There is no manual. It comes with a generic sheet of paper that documents the entire Guyatone line of micro pedals. The ST-2 part consisted of one paragraph that told you what the two knobs do and what the switch does.

Ease of use? Well, it is a compressor and it is easy enough to use. No tone control. Knobs are labeled well and though small, they are easy enough to turn!

I tried the effect with several guitars and amplifiers (ASAT Classic semi-hollow, Guild Starfire 4, DeArmond M77-T; homebrew AX84 built P1, Tweed Deluxe clone, Vox AD60VT Valvetronix).

The unit is not noisy on any setting. The mix switch appeared to have no effect. Although the effect did compress the guitar signal, it made them sound like I had placed the amplifier into the basement of my house while I listened to it from upstairs. Big muffled sound. It sounded terrible. The compressor on my valvetronix and on my DG Stomp do not alter the tone of the guitar in such a radical way. There was no setting that did not make the effect sound in any way musical (unless you have 8 pounds of wax buildup in your ears already). In short, I hated it. So much so that I think it may have been defective. At any rate, I returned it to the retailer.

Well, like I said above, either this is one really bad sounding compressor or it is defective. Like all of the micro effects from Guyatone, the bottom of the stompbox is held to the top of the unit using a rubber gasket like thing. It looks like it would take some care not to break it. Over time I can't imagine that it would not become brittle. But, for $70 what do you expect?

I was disappointed in the sound of the unit. Since I did not keep it I have to rate it low overall. I still want a compressor so I guess I'll have to try something more expensive or maybe try another sample of the ST-2. These are a little hard to come by locally so it may be a while before I can give another one a try. I would suggest trying before buying with these units. Like I said above, mine could have been a dud and others may not sound so muffled.....

It does not get any easier than this.

I am using this with Marshall combo amps, Fender Strats, and various distortion pedals. If you need more information about my rig, check out http://www.geocities.com/mariotorresguitar/. The ST-2 is not noisy at all, very transparent. It does not change the sound of your axe, it just makes it bigger!

Not sure how reliable the ST-2 is, this is the first pedal I have purchased from Guyatone. I like this pedal so much I am buying another one.

Have not dealt with Customer Support, don't know.

I have been playing over 20 years and play all styles of music. If the ST-2 were stolen I would buy another one. I consider the ST-2 a must have pedal, it's amazing what it can do for your tone.

Absolutely a no-brainer here! An idiot could operate this unit without any trouble. Has a manual but I doubt you would need it!

I used a Peavey Classic 30 combo with the 112E extension cabinet, A vintage '63 VOX AC-30 and the brand new VOX Cambridge 30 Reverb. Guitars were 1996 50th Anniversary Stratocaster, A Fender Custom Shop Relic Strat and a Custom one-of-a-kind PRS. I didn't have any problem dialing in the sound I wanted or needed at anytime.

Guyatone products look and feel well-built and solidly designed.

Kevin at Godlyke is amazingly nice and informative if you call for ANY reason. [or problems for that matter]. This is one "stand up" company for sure, they really care about you! Wish I could say that for more musical gear manufacturers or distributors! Most of them have a lot to be desired.

As I already posted a review of the beyond fabulous Maxon CP-101 compressor this week, I thought it would be only fair to compare it to another compressor product found in the Godlyke Distributors product range, the Guyatone ST-2 ?micro-effect? series compressor/sustainer.. Since I am a diehard fan of great country guitar picking, a compressor is a must to really nail that pedal steel quality that is so evident on most of today?s great country guitar recordings that have come out of Nashville in the last decade or so.
Compression is also a very useful thing to employ when playing slide, too, in example. This is easily demonstrated from Bonnie Raitt?s smooth and soulful slide tone representing one side of the sonic spectrum while quickly reeling to the extreme opposite side, as found in any of The Hellecasters recordings of their completely trademarked over the top, insane musical fretboard mayhem!

In this instance, I will compare the Boss CS-3 against the tiny [but mighty] ST-2 ?micro-effect? from Guyatone of Japan. I played through the [Taiwan made] Boss CS-3 for quite some time, and while the Boss unit did its job, it didn?t really set me aflame either! One of the biggest problems was the vampire-like ?tone sucking? of the CS-3. It turned out to be a very non-transparent sound and did its damnedest to alter the true tone of your instrument all the while. Both the CS-3 and a few other devices I had tried were either too noisy or too ?squishy?---unacceptable in my book when I know that there are some great studio units out there that do this task a whole lot better! Unfortunately, most of the expensive upper-end stuff is way out of the price range budgets of the average weekend musician [or bedroom picker/hobbyist for that matter].

The thing(s) I love about the Guyatone ST-2 compressor is that it has a couple of features which make it unique amongst the competition; one being a ?direct? control which allows you the ability to have the compressed portion of your overall signal to be blended in with the straight uneffected signal , OR by a simple adjustment of the slider, you can go to ?all compressed mode? if you like! Another thing that is nifty about this micro giant is the fact that it doesn?t have a tone control! Why you might ask? Well, I can think of two reasons. First, it?s designed well enough not to really require it in the first place! This unit has a real immediate BIG and RICH sound [which doesn?t impede your guitar?s sonic personality in the least]. A Strat will sound like a Strat and this is a very good thing because TOO many compressor/sustainer devices have a tendency to twist the sound of any instrument into a permutation that doesn?t even resemble the true tonal character of the guitar used in performance [as it is being processed through the amplifier?s speakers]. Now, please keep in mind that if you WANT that really creamy, liquid Chris Issak-type of guitar compression when used in conjunction with a delay for example, the ST-2 will have absolutely no objection in handing you that particular sound on a silver platter and THEN some. So far, I have been VERY impressed by the Guyatone effects range as a whole and I can also state that I would have no problem if I ever saw a Boss effect pedal again for the rest of my musical career! This is a statement that I do not take lightly nor would I make too often for that matter. For the low asking prices and utter sonic authority that these excellent units provide, the ?Foot control central? section of your gigging rigs will have more than enough room to spare for a few of the larger things that require more acreage and space for their ?residential rights? on your current pedalboard.