i’d say get the bmptw, lpb-1, small clone, and soul preacher.

the small clone is really quite a wonderful device, i recently gave mine to the other guitarist in my band because i hadnt much use for it since i got my polychorus. i immediately regretted it, the little guy pumps out some of the most incredible chorusing you will ever hear and it’s cheap and it’s tiny.

the soul preacher is actually my favorite compressor. i had a black finger and i currently have a white finger, they are great for that subtle studio compression but IMO if you are going to get a compressor go with either the white finger (the sensitivity control allows you to get more ‘dynacomp-esque’ tones() or the soul preacher (smaller, cheaper, and you can turn the sensitivity control down for tones fundamentally similar to the white finger). all three have their own personalities and one will probably stand out for you, for me it’s the soul preacher. the black finger sounds divine but it’s incredibly subtle on even the most extreme settings. i would go so far as to call it a ‘non-effect,’ it just helps you sound better.

the others boil down to whether or not you have a use for them… my experience with the micro pog was underwhelming, i missed the added features of the fullsize pog. however, if all you’re after is simple octaves that track perfectly then you can’t do much better. my favorite was running the flanger hoax into the micro pog – no matter how crazy the hoax got, the pog was there adding it’s octaves. super cool, but not quite cool enough for my $200+.

the little big muff was fun but i got rid of it in favor of a NYC full-size; now im thinking on ditching the NYC muff for a tone wicker because that looks like the only big muff a person would ever really need. i found the little big muff to be a bit trebly for my tastes, but back when i had it i was using a twin reverb set for ‘surfy cleans’ (that’s code for crazy treble) and the lbm is a fair bit fuzzier/brighter than the NYC big muff. SO: it’s gone, i don’t miss it much but my friend uses one before a vox 847 wah and it is the best fuzz/wah pairing i have ever heard in my life. jimi and eric can eat their heart out.

the lpb-1 is what it is and you know what’s up with the muff’n so i dont have much to say about them.

anyways, i hope that’s what you were after… one man’s opinion on some boxes you are looking into. hope it helps!

it depends, stompbox compressors have their own sound that you may or may not like (because a compressor emphasizes the attack and increases sustain at the expense of dynamics). I’m still convinced that you can decipher dynamics through a comp, though – strings sound differently when you hit them hard vs. when you hit them soft, it’s not just a matter of volume.

my favourite thing about EHX compressors is that they distort just the TINIEST bit, giving it a sound akin to a cranked clean amp on the verge of breaking up. i used to use it to get that sound on my twin reverb, which i only ever turned up past three once. however, i recently traded in my twin for a 50w bassman that can give you ‘that sound’ at a reasonable volume for practice and jamming, and i haven’t used a compressor since.

In 15-16 years of playing I’ve had zero need for compressors.

Whatever you get get the BMPTW and the original chasis small clone, the two best pedals IMO.