“Burning Down the
House.” Simple strumming
and picking through the
Squeeze gave a shimmering,
controlled sound that
remained both clean and
balanced during heavier,
percussive playing. The
folks at Way Huge
aren’t joking when they
recommend this setting
for classic tones.
On the other end of the
spectrum, the Saffron
Squeeze can clamp down
to give a warm, ultracompressed quality to one’s
signal. Surprisingly, the
Squeeze’s recommended
“Constrictor” setting
allowed for very open,
ringing, and thick chords,
particularly those played
farther up the neck. Here
a little experiment with
the Attack knob revealed
the smoothness of this
pedal. Less attack tended
to require two or so
seconds for the signal to
rise in intensity from its
compressed to its more
“open” level. Cranking
the Attack to the right
quickened the attack, and
lent the resulting signal
more of a shimmering
quality that emphasized
the high end.
The Saffron Squeeze felt
built to last, and even
its small Gain, Tone, and
Attack knobs inspired the
sort of confidence that
lesser pedals often fail to
provide. Way Huge added
an extra convenience by
mounting the battery door
on the lower side wall of
the pedal. As nice as this
ease of access was, the
plastic tab that locks the
little door in place seemed
a bit flimsy. This is a small
concern, however, and one
that owners of a dedicated
power supply can ignore.
WHAT WE LIKE
Shimmering, controlled
compression that tends
not to dirty one’s tone;
pre-compression, inputlevel control helps to
boost a quiet signal.
CONCERNS
The plastic battery
compartment door,
although well-placed,
features a small tab
that feels as if it will
break too easily.
Although a compressor
won’t improve anyone’s
playing, it’s a tool that, like a
good spice, can distinguish
one’s playing from that of
others. The Saffron Squeeze
is just the sort of reasonably
priced, high-quality effect
that good sonic chefs ought
to include on their pedal
boards.
ToneReport.com
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