Pigtronix Philospher’s Tone Compressor/Sustainer

So after looking at some of the responses from yesterday’s community question regarding compressor pedals, I noticed that the Pigtronix Philosopher’s Tone Compressor/Sustainer was mentioned a couple of times. I’ve heard of this pedal, but I wanted to take a closer look. At first glance, it seems like a versatile pedal allowing for sustain, treble boost/cut and diode clipping distortion. Pretty interesting!

Here is the official description of the compressor:

The Philosopher’s Tone Compressor/Sustainer is an ideal front end to any guitar player’s pedalboard. It can also serve as the perfect companion to the Pigtronix Mothership Guitar Synthesizer or any other pitch-tracking musical equipment, delivering more accurate tracking and increased note duration. As a bonus, the Grit control mixes a layer of smooth, diode-clipping distortion into the effect.

Unlike the many compressor clones and their variations that have become so popular in the past 10 years, the Pigtronix Philosopher’s Tone is not based on a CA3080 chip. The result is more sustain and less noise. The dynamic range, touch sensitivity, overall transparency, and outright sustain of the Philosopher’s Tone is unparalleled in the crowded world of compressor pedals.

Pigtronix Philospher’s Tone Compressor/Sustainer Guitar Effects Pedal Features:

* Adjustable threshold and ratio controls
* Blend control for parallel compression
* Smooth, diode-clipping distortion
* Treble boost/cut
* Ultracompact design
* Circuit design by Howard Davis
* Pigtronix 15VDC adapter included
* True bypass

I found a couple of great videos. This first one is by premiereguitar at the 2009 Winter NAMM

This next one is by gearwire, and also from the 2009 Winter NAMM show:

You can pick up the Pigtronix Philospher’s Tone Compressor/Sustainer for $169.00 at Musican’s Friend.

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