MXR '76 Vintage Dyna Comp review

The original compressor pedal. Revived!

  • £165
  • $220
By Trevor Curwen
( Guitarist )
published
This Custom Shop version is is faithful to the 'script logo' original

MusicRadar Verdict

Vintage features, vintage looks and, yes, vintage sound, too.

Pros

  • +

    Faithful to the excellent original model. Sounds natural.

Cons

  • -

    Basic feature set.

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Launched in 1972, the MXR Dyna Comp was the original guitar-pedal compressor, and is still available from Jim Dunlop's revived MXR line.

"This pedal shows MXR got it right from the start when it comes to guitarists' needs"

This is the more expensive Custom Shop version as opposed to the standard M-102 Dyna Comp (£74), and is faithful to the 'script logo' original - with the same components, battery-power only and no LED.

This pedal shows MXR got it right from the start when it comes to guitarists' needs: it thickens tone and gets squishy if you need to, with a note attack that can have a pronounced snap but still sound natural.

Basic facilities for sure, but it does the job very nicely.

Trevor Curwen

Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.