Compression and delay for country

[postjob62]

Can anyone help me understand what compression does to an otherwise very clean tone? Not from a technical stanpoint necessarily, but more how it impacts the clean amp's tone.

Also, is it normal for someone new to effects to confuse delay and reverb? They sure sound a lot alike to me. They wouldn't ordinarily be used at the same time would they?

[vjf1968]

Delay is basically when a direct signal repeats. It also called Echo. You can get a reverb effect from a delay pedal but the two are different. Reverb is a delay based effect but the effect is the same as if you were in a large hall or a tiled bathroom. You do not here clear repeats but a sound with dimension.

Compression is basically taking a signal and leveling the loud and quiet signal and even them out. It also increases sustain by getting louder as the signal fades after the initial attack. But adjusting various parameters on the pedal you can achieve aything from a subtle copression effect to a really squashed sound. It can change your tone somewhat. You have to try one and see what works for you. Start with the Dunlop DynaComp since it's inexpensive and very easy to use. Just remeber that a little goes a long way.

But the best way to hear compression is by listening to "Bluebird" by the Buffalo Springfield. The acoustic guitar is heavily compressed which gives the instrument a bell-like tone. You can also here an example of compression by listening to Jimmy Page's "White Summer" from the last Yardbirds album "Little Games". Or any Byrds album, Roger McGuinn was a big fan of compression on his 12 string Rickenbacker.

[garytelecastor]

A sound wave is just that a wave form. A comp will take the top of the wave and the bottom of the wave and move it to the center.
The stronger the amount of compression the thinner the tone. Teles especially are single coils mainly and your pu noise will also increase.
I don't use a lot but I always put a little on.
Set a little delay on slapback and it will enlarge your tone.

[FirstBassman]

Originally Posted by postjob62

They wouldn't ordinarily be used at the same time would they?

The previous posts seem to be very good explanations to me.
But since your question above wasn't answered, I'll take a stab.

Caveat - there are a million better guitar players on this forum than I am so take what I say with a grain of salt. But yes, both can be used at the same time.
A "typical" country sound on a Tele could have some reverb and some delay.

A trick I use to hear what an effect sounds like is to heavily mute all the strings and then make a hard strum. Do that with just reverb. Then do it with delay. You should hear a big difference between the two.

Delay is the note being repeated (and decaying) with a specific force and with a specific timing of repeats.

Reverb is an attempt to reproduce the sound that occurs in a large room, hall or arena.

[Ocean]

Off topic, but man, garytelecastor's avatar creeps me out way more than that other picture...

[guit30]

compression, overdrive and delay are found on most country pickers pedal board.
Jim
PS- just getting a Nashville hot boost(by Eden Analog) sent to me to use for my new Big squeezeoff, between the Keeley Comp and The Homebrew CPR
Jim