Analog Alien Joe Walsh Double Classic Compressor / Overdrive Pedal Reviews

As soon as I plugged this pedal in, I was getting that familiar tone that I've heard on so many songs. The compressor and classic amp circuit really helps dial in the tone you are looking for, whether it be James Gang, JW Solo, or eagles. I can't say it enough, this pedal does exactly what you want it to!

This pedal is extremely impressive. A very simple to use set up and the transparency of the compression and the gain stages is very impressive. Sensitive and easy to use controls to dial in some great sounds. Playing this pedal through a Michael Landau Fender Hod Rod Deville and it sounds amazing. This is defiantly going to be permanently on my pedal board.

I purchased this JWDC a couple months ago and never got to use it because of Covid 19. I went to turn on the amp section of the pedal and noticed the LED in the bottom right corner was not lit. I contacted Sweetwater & also Jack Napoli @ Analog Alien. I just rec'd the pedal back today. Turnaround time was excellent considering I live in Ohio and the Co. is base in Central Islip N.Y. I am currently in a variety greatest hits band and I explained that my first gig back was going to be on May 21st , 2022 I use the pedal mostly on Eagles & Joe Walsh tunes. We are doing Heartache Tonight and this pedal "nails" the sound totally if you are using a Fender Strat preferably. I purchased this because at the time I was in A Joe Walsh Tribute Band called "Rocky Mountain Way" that never got a chance to play out due to COVID 19. Now I am in SOBOS and the pedal is really is going to get a workout now!!!!! Kudos to Analog Alien for their quick response and fix for free. I did have to pay for shipping though. That's it. Keep Rockin' Lloyd Sarno , Medina , Ohio

I play through a Fender Deluxe Reissue, Tone King Gremlin , Vox AC 4 (handwired), and 2 Friedman amps - Runt 20 head and Dirty Shirley Mini combo. This pedal is SO simple to dial in. The compressor sounds amazing and I have never been able to dial in a compressor with the speed I can manipulate this one depending on the guitar/pups and amp. The Overdrive section of the pedal, like the compressor, sounds fantastic and is very easy to find all variations of OD with tone galore, from subtle to hard driving/classic rock, With the compressor, pre or post OD, the tones just oooz out of this pedal. I also have a Strymon Deco before the the Double Classic in my chain and if I kick in the Deco for the tape saturation effect, I can use the compressor by itself on the Double Classic to shape the Deco. The most usable tones I've ever dialed in regardless of the guitar, amp and pups involved. Really a fun pedal to plug in to. This pedal is not just good. It is the only pedal I've ever owned I would call AMAZING! I've been playing for well over 30 years and I've owned a lot of OD's and Compressors over the years and nothing comes close.

This is an incredible sounding pedal. I think most people really like the amp side which is really great but I am really impressed with the compressor. Look up some YouTube videos and listen with headphones - It will sell itself. I highly recommend it, but don't listen to me, listen to Joe Walsh who has forgotten more about guitar tone than I will ever know. This pedal is well made and the two brothers who designed and built it stand behind their product.

I own (and have owned) an extensive array of vintage amps ('55 Deluxe,'62 Princeton, '62 Super, '69 Marshall 20w, Reverberocket, '64 Vox AC4, to cite a few). The exquisite tone of those amps has been always hard to match in a roadworthy, volume-competitive and portable amp. I have a couple of Fender Pro Juniors that come close.

The JWDC has changed all of that.

The JWDC an extremely "musical" device. That is is to say, when you adjust the knobs you always maintain useable tone (like the aforementioned amps). So, many amps and effects nowadays have knobs whose range take you into a predominantly sonic wasteland.
As stated in another review, when you back the volume off on your guitar, you maintain quality sound. The JWDC provides a breadth of tone and (most importantly) maintains the character of the instrument that make it joy to use.
I'm running it through a Mesa 20/20 power amp (no preamp), into a mid-sixties Vox Berkeley cabinet wired in stereo. With all the amps I have, this is now my favorite.
Let me also note, that I have run this through a cheesy Fender Frontman 15 (I know... this anomaly in my stable was a gift) with equally splendid results.
I can't recommend this enough!

Great petal and sounds amazing. The compressor and analog options makes a really good gritty sound.

First thing I did was dial in the right amount of edge on my strat and it sounds amazing, switching to my PRS I was totally amazed that when ya roll back the volume to drop some gain it didn't loose clarity. I've owned a lot of booster pedals and they all seem to suffer from this tone loss , but not this one . I would recommend this pedal to anyone looking for a great stand alone distortion or booster .

What can I say. This will always be on my board. Use it mostly for guitar, but just got done using it on bass for practice and man did it sound sweet (compression side - don't really overdrive my base tone ever really). Records fantastic and used it on songs for two albums. Dials in perfectly for live. Can't say any more than what's already been said.

This pedal enables you to control the sound of your amp. It sweetens the tone and replaces my Boss FBM-1 Bassman pedal. Works well with EMGs, Duncan Humbuckers and Strat and Tele single coils. Compressor is subtle and adds to the tone. This pedal will help you control your sound.

I stumbled across a review of the JWDC. So I got one to see if it was "all that." I can say I have been buying pedals since the late 70s and NOTHING compares to this. True smooth tone. I mainly use it to push my Blackstar HT 40 on the classic drive channel. It really give you an early 1970s overdrive tone that rings all day. Adding the compressor in the "pre" setting smooths out the tone on my Les Pauls so it leaves the "mud" out of the sound. Never been able to do that until I got this pedal. Clean tones on the Les Paul neck pickup really make the picking sound as even as the ring - without the "pop" most pedal compressors do. Nice, even, and smooth! Get this pedal and put it first on your board chain! Worth every penny!

This pedal delivers! Need to get your Funk 49 or Rocky Mt. Way on? Compressor/Sensitivity/Ratio lets you really control the output levels. Very nice. Classic Amp switch is amazing. I ran this thru my 54 Champ and owned the Joe Walsh sound. Pre/post compression switch let"s you fine tune your desired sound. Great pedal!

Excellent. very versatile, sounds great and true bypass too! brings out different character . very very good.

I'm completely blown away by this pedal. I have many high end compression and overdrive pedals and it seems like I'm always searching for a pedal that's more believable, well I've found it! I run it in front of a Dr.Z max 38 and it does exactly what I want it to do.Exceeds my expectations in every way, worth every penny! I would also like to comment on the great service at Sweetwater and my rep Paul Rowan, extremely helpful, honest and a pleasure to do business with. I highly recommend Sweetwater and Paul Rowan to anyone that buys music gear!!

When it comes to classic tone, this pedal hits the mark. It has output to spare and the compressor is extremely tuneable. Thanks Analog Alien and Joe.

I purchased the Joe Walsh Double Classic almost a year ago and it's the most important piece of gear on my rig! I never turn off the compressor. I've yet to find a setting that is too much. The Classic Amp side is what it says it is! It's like adding another amp to your rig but without overtaking your tone. I usually set the gain about 9 o'clock and the bass treble and output to taste. Just that little boost in the signal chain really opens up my tone. I almost feel most amps sound brittle without a good ole Joe Walsh Double Classic!

I admit I bought it because it looks cool and yeah I did check out the demos because I love compressors but I can't turn it off now because it literally shapes my sound so well that I rarely go to my amp, I do all the EQ with the pedal. The PRE and POST switch is a nice touch and this is the truth; every knob and switch actually do something magically rare today--they actually work and sound great! The more you experiment with the controls the more you'll smile. One of the best pedals out there. Let me also sing the praises of the Rumble Seat which I also own, everything about Analog Alien shows how they are commited to new ideas and the player as a consumer by giving the ultimate bang for your buck.

I've looked at this pedal for awhile now. Then I actually looked at it in depth and listened. With all it offer's, it seems to me this would be an compressor's dream. The thought out control knobs and the toggle switch are more than I've ever seen. (Maybe I'm not looking at those $1,500+ units or multiple meter gauges to get the right compression. But apart from the toggle switch, sensitivity and ratio knobs offerings, then with all the other knobs for an added plus, it does what an compressor should and the added controls are something even I can understand and would wonder why not earlier? Someone did and executed this. I figure since I'm the only one commenting on this pedal only high end show musicians are quietly buying this pedal. Maybe their quietly envious; and Joe, Joe, Joe is probably buying this pedal for stock..

The compressor portion is totally decent but there are better for less. The classic amp portion adds far too much noise for my use so I never turn it on. It's humming bad when you get anywhere near unit gain. I wouldn't buy again and mine is for sale locally. Do yourself a favor and buy a used boss compressor, a used super overdrive or tc electronic spark and pocket $... I know my review doesn't match the others but I am just telling my experience. The compressor is good, the classic amp mediocre, the noise way too much for my rig and I have noise suppressing pedals

Good sounding for mild to medium overdrive ...I had to return because an audible pop when stepping on the switch ...bought a Goerge Benson Hot Rod Deluxe and the overdrive sound is just as sweet ...I would recommend if your not worried about a pop sound when turning on this pedal .