-VISE GRIP-
COMPRESSOR
USER’S GUIDE
Congratulations on your purchase of the Seymour Duncan Vise Grip Compressor Pedal
The Vise Grip is a studio-grade, classic compressor in a user friendly 4 knob format.
Our unique Blend knob and 3 way mini-toggle switch allow you to select the frequency
range of the original uncompressed signal as well as infinitely adjust the amount of “wet”
versus “dry” signal that is routed to the output.
It’s often best to put a compressor at the beginning of your effects chain, but sometimes
it can work more efficiently when placed after effects such as a wah or envelope filter.
You won’t do any damage by putting your effects in the so-called wrong order, so feel
free to experiment and find what works best for your sound.
The Vise Grip can do all of the following and more:
• Add natural sounding sustain to both chords and single notes
• Add extra sparkle to top end of chords and melody lines
• Soften harsh overtones and smooth out dynamics in your playing
Battery Door (on back panel)
HOW IT WORKS
1
Blend – Determines how much of the original
signal is blended back into the compressed
signal. This control allows you to play above
the compression threshold to bring the natural
snap back to individual notes or a riff when you
really dig in.
2
Mid/Full/High Switch – Determines whether
just the mids or highs are blended, or the full
frequency spectrum. Experiment with the
settings to discover very different tones.
3
Sustain – This knob is the heart and soul of the
Seymour Duncan Vise Grip Compressor as it
determines the length of sustain. It’s easy: the
higher the setting the longer your notes will
ring out.
4
Attack – This crucial control regulates how quickly
the compressor reacts to your initial pick attack
with the circuit acting to compress the input signal.
For increased dynamics, a higher setting will give
a late attack that allows your pick dynamics to
come through before the compression kicks in.
1
5
11
2
6
7
10
9 8
3
4
5
Volume – Always important, this knob can
be used to achieve the desired level
balance between the sound though the
compressor and the bypassed sound.
Balance this with the sustain knob to
provide as natural an effect as possible.
Alternatively, to use the Vise Grip as a
clean boost, set the output to a higher
setting and lower the amount of sustain.
6
Status LED – Indicates when the Vise Grip
Compressor is active. LED is on when the
unit is engaged, off when in true bypass
mode.
7
True Bypass Footswitch – Removes the
circuit from your guitar’s signal via a
hardwired connection from the input jack
to the output jack.
8
Input Jack – Plug in your guitar
or other pedal cable here.
9
Output Jack – Run a cable to
the input of your amp or to the
next effect in your chain.
10
Power Jack – We designed this pedal to be
convenient. You can use any 9Vdc regulated
adapter (negative polarity center terminal).
11
Easy Access Battery Door – When pedal is
not in use, save your battery life by removing
your guitar cable from the input jack.
LET’S GET STARTED!
1. Start with the unit in bypass mode (LED off). Set Blend knob all the way counter
clockwise (off) and all other knobs set at 12 o’clock.
2 Turn on the Vise Grip Compressor by pressing the footswitch – the LED will light up red
when it’s active. Adjust Volume knob and your amp level to achieve desired overall volume.
3. Experiment with Sustain and Attack knobs to get desired “wet” or compressed tone.
4. Select frequency range on mini-toggle switch and gradually bring up Blend knob to
re-introduce the dry signal to the compressed signal. Blend “wet” versus “dry” to taste.
5. Enjoy a smoother, more manageable tone.
SAMPLE SETTINGS
Compression is a subtle effect, so try out some of these example settings as a way of
finding the best tone for you.
Keepin’ It Clean
Neither too much nor too little, this will allow your chords to ring and
sustain naturally, just as Seymour intended. Adjust the Blend to taste
to further increase transients and keep it going without ever sounding
forced or artificial.
Sustain For Days
This will give you more than enough time to go away and have a bite:
you'll certainly still be hearing this one. Great for chords and better for
single notes, this flub-free, musical and silent sustain can seemingly go
on forever…
Funky Chops
Rev up your bridge single coil and get that picking hand working.
Give your rhythmic chops and single-note melody lines a rounded
edge that sounds great on the three treble strings and adds muscle
to those disco flavored stops.
Lo-Fi Thinning
Especially effective when using humbuckers, try this to wildly change
your tone from warm and full to scratchy and toppy at the press of a
footswitch. Want to recreate that garage band feel? If you have a use
for a skinny humbucker tone, try this little trick for starters.
Clean Solo Emphasis
You don’t want any additional drive with a clean boost, and this
setting gives you just that. Adjust the Volume knob to the output of
your amp and balance the Blend to the tone of your guitar: your clean
solos need never be buried again.
SPECIFICATIONS
General Description – A low noise, low distortion soft-knee compressor/sustainer pedal
with very wide-range compression, exceptional sustain, and simple, intuitive control of
compressor dynamics.
Compression Ratio: Soft-knee, adjustable from 1:1 to > 20:1
Maximum Compressor Gain: +50dB
Attack Speed: Adjustable from 2.0ms to 50ms
Input Impedance: 1 Megohm
Output Impedance: 2.75K ohms maximum
Maximum Input Level: 3 Vrms
Distortion: < 0.3% at 300mV RMS output at 1 kHz
Noise referred to Input: -110dBV, 400 Hz – 20 kHz, input shorted
Compressor Type: Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA)
Power: 9V battery or 9V to 18 Vdc regulated adapter, center pin negative polarity
Current Consumption: 21mA operate, 19mA bypass
Dimensions: 2.60" wide X 5.0" long X 1.45" high
Weight: 0.67 lbs.
LIMITED WARRANTY
Seymour Duncan offers the original purchaser a one-year limited warranty on both labor and
materials, from the day this product is purchased. We will repair or replace this product, at our
option, if it fails due to faulty workmanship or materials during this period. Defective products
can be returned to your USA dealer, international distributor, or sent direct to our factory
postage prepaid along with dated proof of purchase (e.g., original store receipt) and RMA
number. Call or email our factory for an RMA number, which must be written on the outside of
the box. We reserve the right to refuse boxes without an RMA written on the outside. As you
might expect, this warranty does not apply if you’ve modified the unit or treated it unkindly, and
we can assume no liability for any incidental or consequential damages which may result from
the use of this product. Any warranties implied in fact or by law are limited to the duration of
this express limited warranty.
DISPOSAL GUIDELINES
In the unlikely event that you ever need to dispose of this product, it must be disposed of
properly by handing it over to a designated collection point for the recycling of waste electronic
equipment. Please contact your local household waste disposal service or the shop where you
purchased this product for those locations. Thanks for helping us conserve natural resources
and ensure that it is recycled in a manner that protects human health and the environment.
PERSONAL SETTINGS
USER NOTES
USER NOTES
USER NOTES
USER NOTES
PERSONAL SETTINGS
We stand for great tone:
It’s the heart.
The soul. The essence.
The core of the sound.
We stand for musicians.
Because soul matters.
Spirit matters.
Music matters.
We stand for quality.
We’re an American original.
An industry leader.
And we’re always innovating.
We stand by our work.
Our passion. Our history.
It’s in everything we build.
In everything we touch.
We stand for great tone.
Music. Power. Heart. Soul. Tone.
It’s who we are. It’s what we do.
We are Seymour Duncan.
seymourduncan.com
5427 Hollister Ave
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
(805) 964-9610
© 2015 Seymour Duncan. All Rights Reserved.
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