Line 6 Constrictor

The Line 6 Constrictor is one of the very rugged and extremely durable ToneCore series pedals. It's got a solid build and seems relatively indestructible. Standard input and output with a 9V adapter for powering. It has a very nice LED that is green when the pedal is engaged and turns red when there is a lack of power and it is unplugged. It has a Level knob that controls the overall level making this a good pedal if you want to use it as a boost. It has a sustain knob which controls the amount of sustain and compression you want. From lightly compressed to chicken pickin' squash. It has a gate knob that cuts down some noise but can further compress your signal making there be a bit of tone loss. Not so much so that I don't like this pedal though. Lastly there is a switch that changes the "compression dynamics", ranging from compact to squeeze to mellow. There are different levels of compression, I thought this was a cool switch, helps dial in exactly what you want.

UTILIZATION

It's pretty easy to set up. The manual is clear on how to get certain sounds. You can get some nice variations of compression out of this pedal and it really surprised me. I use it to get a little boost and liven up my clean tone. It works wonders for that. I play a lot of ambient stuff and like a lot of clean leads so this works extremely well for that. Very happy with the pedal in that aspect.

SOUND QUALITY

I use the pedal for my electric guitar only, but I'm sure it could handle other stringed instruments really well. It has a wide range of compression so it's fairly versatile in that sense. Obviously if you crank the sustain knob and gate knobs you'll be at a loss of tone. But that's what squashy compression does. This thing nails that and also much subtler "tone sweetening" compression. The only problem I have found sonically is that the pedal is very noisy when used in a daisy chain. I have it plugged in by it's own 9V adapter and it solved that problem for the most part. I couldn't be happier for the price of this pedal.

OVERALL OPINION

The pedal is built like a tank. It is very reasonably priced and it sounds pretty dang good. I've tried a few other compressors and this is definitely one of my favourites. It may not be the best, but it surely does what I need it to do. For the price you can find these pedals used, you would be hard pressed to find something better. I'd definitely recommend them to someone fairly new to compression.

The Line 6 Constrictor is a digital compression pedal that is designed for use with the electric guitar. It has a 1/4 inch input and output and is powered by either a nine volt battery or a nine volt power supply. It is not a rackable unit as it is a stomp box.

UTILIZATION

Using the Line 6 Constrictor is a really easy thing to do as it only has a few parameters. It has a switch to choose between three different modes - compact, squeeze, and mellow and then has knobs for level, gate, and sustain. This is more than enough to get a variety of nice compressors sounds for all different situations. I don't have the manual for the Line 6 Constrictor, but it isn't necessary as the pedal is an easy one to figure out.

SOUND QUALITY

The sound quality of the Line 6 Constrictor is pretty awesome overall, as this will certainly add a tone of sustain to your sound if that is what you are looking for. It can also give you a great crunch sound as well as all types of basic compression for lead and rhythm guitar. I usually use the Line 6 Constrictor with a Fender Stratocaster and a '76 Fender Twin Reverb and I'm very happy with the sound that I get when I use this combination. The Line 6 Constrictor has a very impressive sound that is perfect for live shows.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using the Line 6 Constrictor for about two years and I have to say that it is one of the better compression foot pedals that I have used. For live gigs this pedal works great and is even useful in the studio. The price of the Line 6 Constrictor is very reasonable and makes it a legitimate option for players on all levels and price ranges. Having the three different modes makes this pedal a versatile one in addition to its overall great sound. If you are looking for a good sounding guitar compression pedal that isn't too expensive, the Line 6 Constrictor is a great way to go.

The constrictor is a form of compressor pedal. It has three settings: volume (output level), compression ratio and noise reduction. Selector instead, gives you a choice of three compressor emulations (in the order 70 years, 80 and 60). Note the presence of a power supply or battery (9 volts). The weight is impressive, which inspires confidence and prevents the foot from sliding on the floor. One may regret the absence of an adjustment of the attack and tone as the compressor boss.

UTILIZATION

Operation is very simple, but I deplore some details. First, if opening the door for plaice is clever, I find that the effect is not always easy to initiate or stop. It often takes them back twice, especially if you wear big shoes. Then, the selector type compreseur could also be larger in order to facilitate its use. The manual (in French) is satisfactory. Finally, I find that the buttons move too easily, they do not oppose enough resistance.

SOUND QUALITY

The sounds are beautiful and realistic. It is nice to change the type of compression, which makes the pedal more versatile than many others. When I use a modeling amp, I find it does not compress enough (but it is a matter of taste). On a tube amp is better, since there is a natural compression. It is best to listen to the demo on the Line 6 site. I use it with various electric guitars, amps and modeling lamps.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for a month before I had a boss who became noisy. I like its solid appearance, versatility, but I wanted to just over compression (without going overboard) and a foot pedal to trigger more flexible. I think it is, nevertheless, a good compressor pedal. Warning! It seems impossible to connect a Line 6 pedal with other pedals (Line 6 or not) on a single adapter (with a garland, for example) without having a big buzz. It is very stupid!