Fredric Effects Zesty Comp

The Fredric Effects Zesty Comp is a compressor pedal from UK maker Fredric Effects. It takes as its starting point the Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer, a compressor the maker describes as highly regarded and much recorded. Where the original Orange Squeezer had just a single volume control, the Zesty Comp adds an input gain control and a further boost stage¹.

What it does

Fredric Effects is upfront that this is not a transparent compressor. The maker describes it as doing "squashy, pronounced and distinctive compression like no other", compression used as an effect in its own right rather than invisible level control¹. Players who want that squeezed, pumping character will recognize the intent; those after invisible leveling may want to look at other compressor pedals.

The input gain knob is the main addition over the Orange Squeezer. The maker explains its use¹:

In practice, turning the input gain up pushes more signal into the compression stage for a super squishy effect, while lower settings suit stronger output pickups. The added boost stage on top of the compression is the other departure from the original circuit, which offered only a volume control¹.

Demo

The maker's page features a demo by Christian of Magnetic Effects¹.

Videos

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