The Return of an All-time Compressor Classic
Designed and constructed by JHS, the legendary Ross Compressor is back in all of its vintage-accurate glory! From raw squish to elegant Trey Anastasio-style infinite sustain, this pedal is a spot-on sonic re-creation of the original, with a few modern enhancements thrown in for good measure. First up, the Ross Compressor now boasts a side-mounted switch that gives you access to both the original’s unmistakable tone (Vintage mode), in addition to a clearer, more articulate variation of that same tone (Bright mode). Moreover, a soft-touch bypass, LED indicator, and drastically reduced noise floor take the Ross Compressor’s rustic 1970s roots straight into the world of 21st-century pedal building. It’s all topped off with a faithful replica of Ross’ iconic slanted top and recessed knob enclosure, resulting in a world-class compressor pedal that grants you the best of Ross’ vintage-style sound and JHS' meticulous pedal-building expertise.
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Swap between Vintage and Bright modes
The original Ross Compressor was a straightforward pedal, steeped in the 2-knob compressor tradition. This modern iteration captures the colorful and squishy OTA compressor vibe of the original but adds another voice to the mix via a side-mounted push-button switch.
- Vintage mode: From slammed country chicken pickin’ to elegant Trey Anastasio-style infinite sustain (especially when paired with a screaming tube-style overdrive), this setting offers the exact sound that made the original Ross Compressor such a legendary pedal. It’s by no means a “transparent” compressor sound — subtlety is not the name of the game here, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
- Bright mode: This mode is in line with Vintage mode, only with a significantly enhanced clarity and treble response. When testing the Ross Compressor out at Sweetwater, we found Bright mode to be perfect for livening up a dark-sounding amp or adding some sparkle to an overly warm pickup tone.
Myriad modern enhancements
From their iconic slanted enclosures to their recessed control knobs, JHS’ line of Ross pedals spares no expense when it comes to vintage authenticity. Of course, this comes as no surprise, considering Josh Scott’s status as one of the world’s foremost guitar pedal historians. That being said, the original Ross designs have pushed well into retirement age at this point, so JHS saw fit to make a few modern functionality upgrades to pair with the line’s thoroughly vintage-accurate tone. Each pedal now sports a soft-touch bypass and a drastically lowered noise floor for a much cleaner operation overall. Additionally, each and every pedal in the Ross lineup comes equipped with an alternate JHS-style voice, accessed by the click of their side-mounted switches.
Josh Scott’s Ross renaissance
The story of Ross pedals begins in the early 1960s with the birth of Kustom Amplification, Charles A. “Bud” Ross’ solid-state line of distinctive tuck-and-roll amplifiers. These amps would make waves in the hands of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Johnny Cash, and The Jackson 5. By the time the mid-1970s rolled around, the ever-restless Bud experimented with the still-growing market of guitar effects pedals. He ultimately chose Ross as the moniker for his series of stompboxes. While the pedals were by all accounts top-notch, Bud eventually sold the company and exited the music business for good. By the ’90s, Ross was all but a footnote in pedal history.
Thereafter, Ross pedals were relegated to cult-classic status — until 6-string virtuoso Trey Anastasio of Phish achieved his idiosyncratic sound courtesy of an old grey-boxed Ross Compressor. Since then, the demand for vintage-style Ross pedals skyrocketed, with precious little supply. Luckily for guitarists everywhere, JHS’ Josh Scott has teamed with Bud’s grandson, Cameron Ross, culminating in a complete relaunch of the Ross lineup! Each pedal is manufactured in JHS’ Kansas City, Missouri-based facility to the same exacting standards as the company’s own products, and to the same sonic specs that defined Ross pedals in their heyday. After decades of non-production and exceedingly rare reissues, Ross pedals couldn’t be in better hands.
Ross Compressor Pedal Features:
- A vintage-accurate re-creation of the original Ross Compressor, designed and built by JHS in Kansas City, Mo.
- Perfectly captures the colorful and squishy OTA sound of the original Ross Compressor, taking your sound from a slight squash to vocal-like infinite sustain
- Ultra-simple 2-knob operation, including a Level and Sustain knob
- Side-mounted 2-position switch gives you the classic Ross Compressor sound (Vintage mode) and a more articulate variation for dark-sounding rigs (Bright mode)
- Several modern functionality upgrades, including a significantly lowered noise floor and soft-touch bypass
- Vintage-correct slanted enclosure and recessed knobs
