Intended for electric guitar players, the Electro-Harmonix Tone Corset is an analog compressor pedal with four knobs and an organic tone. It's useful for evening out your overall dynamics-a practice which can come in handy when plucking out rhythmic funk parts, chicken-pickin' licks, full-on solos, and more. In fact, the use of compression during lead-breaks can lend quickness to your left hand, as hammer-ons and pull-offs will ring as loudly as plucked notes, and thus, let you move around the fingerboard with more alacrity and less effort. Some might call this cheating; others might advise you to seek advantages wherever possible.

The Sustain knob controls amount of compression you're applying to signal, while the Volume knob determines your output level. You can also use the Volume control to give yourself a level boost. The Attack knob adjusts how quickly the compression will take place after the circuit detects a suitable signal; this control allows you to tailor the onset of compression to your particular needs.

If you prefer parallel compression, the Blend knob will facilitate the technique, allowing you to blend clean tone with processed signal. Finally, a Pad switch can attenuate the input signal, should your humbuckers run a little hot. Use this switch to prevent unwanted distortion from creeping into your signal.

When disengaged, this pedal provides true-bypass circuitry to ensure your signal stays pristine. The Tone Corset ships with a 9V battery.