The Jackson Audio hour-glass is a Jackson Audio compressor pedal. Close alternatives include the Walrus Audio Deep Six V3 and the Demon FX Super Symmetry Compressor. It pairs well with the Mesa Boogie Mark Five:25 1x12 Combo and the Synergy SL2 Module.
Jackson Audio hour-glass
Jackson Audio · pedal
The Jackson Audio Hour Glass is a compact dual analog compressor built from two independent OTA circuits inspired by the legendary Ross compressor. Each side has its own Level, Sustain, and Blend controls plus selectable Fast, Medium, or Slow attack and a Flat, Medium, or High treble toggle to restore highs. The compression is warm, natural, and transparent, boosting sustain for singing leads while preserving the guitar's core tone. Players can dial one circuit for single coils and the other for humbuckers and switch instantly, or stack both for nearly endless sustain. It suits country, blues, worship, ambient, and lead playing where smooth sustain and tonal control matter, all in an unusually small enclosure.
What stands out
“Two independent OTA circuits deliver smooth, transparent compression with selectable attack times and a treble restoration toggle that counters the usual compressor high-end loss”
— from the reviews
“Its standout strength is flexible, studio-grade dual compression in a remarkably compact format”
— from the community notes
“The Jackson Audio Hour Glass is a compact dual analog compressor built from two independent OTA circuits inspired by the legendary Ross compressor”
— from the listing
“Players can dial one circuit for single coils and the other for humbuckers and switch instantly, or stack both for nearly endless sustain”
— from the listing
“Strengths are warm natural sustain, tonal transparency, and impressive routing flexibility in a tiny enclosure”
— from the reviews
Trade-offs
“the main caveats are a premium price and a feature set deeper than casual users need for simple always-on squeeze”
— from the community notes
- transparent
- compression
- compressor
- smooth
- sustain
- attack
- treble
- lead
Genres the Jackson Audio hour-glass is commonly used in
- Country
- Blues
- Ambient
- Country Pop
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Funk
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Jackson Audio hour-glass
Mesa Boogie Mark Five:25 1x12 Combo
Mesa Boogie
22% matchMesa Boogie Mark Five:25 1x12 Combo's own transparent character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Synergy SL2 Module
Synergy
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Synergy SL2 Module after Jackson Audio hour-glass
Marshall Vintage Modern 2466
Marshall
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Marshall Vintage Modern 2466 goes after Jackson Audio hour-glass in the chain
Mesa/Boogie JP-2C John Petrucci Signature 60/100-Watt
Mesa Boogie
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Mesa/Boogie JP-2C John Petrucci Signature 60/100-Watt goes after Jackson Audio hour-glass in the chain
Egnater Tweaker 88 Head
Egnater
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Egnater Tweaker 88 Head goes after Jackson Audio hour-glass in the chain
Ceriatone 2202H
Ceriatone
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Ceriatone 2202H after Jackson Audio hour-glass
Blackstar HT Club 50 Head Mk III
Blackstar
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Blackstar HT Club 50 Head Mk III after Jackson Audio hour-glass
Ampeg V-4
Ampeg
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Ampeg V-4 after Jackson Audio hour-glass
Pedals that stack with the Jackson Audio hour-glass
Beetronics Overhive
Beetronics
24% matchBeetronics Overhive leans toward transparent, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Comes later in the signal chain
Nobels ODR-1
Nobels
23% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)
Nobels ODR-1's own full character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Catalinbread SFT Ampeg Inspired Overdrive
Catalinbread
17% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (warm → bright)
Catalinbread SFT Ampeg Inspired Overdrive's own warm character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Beetronics OV-LE-Uva
Beetronics
13% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (warm → bright)
Beetronics OV-LE-Uva leans toward medium gain, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Comes later in the signal chain
Alexander Pedals Now We Are Ghosts Reverb
Alexander Pedals
12% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep Alexander Pedals Now We Are Ghosts Reverb after Jackson Audio hour-glass in the signal chain, where it won't crowd Jackson Audio hour-glass — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
T-Rex Junior Roomate
T Rex
12% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run T-Rex Junior Roomate after Jackson Audio hour-glass in the signal chain, where it won't crowd Jackson Audio hour-glass — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Universal Audio Lion
Universal Audio
9% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (warm → bright)
Universal Audio Lion's own harmonically rich character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Donner Big Mouth Distortion
Donner
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Donner Big Mouth Distortion after Jackson Audio hour-glass
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Walrus Audio Deep Six V3
Walrus Audio
66% similarityShared character: compressor, sustain, attack
Demon FX Super Symmetry Compressor
Demon Fx
65% similarityShared character: compressor, sustain, attack
Suhr Koji Comp
Suhr
65% similarityShared character: compressor, sustain, compression
Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone
Pigtronix
64% similarityShared character: sustain, compressor, attack
Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone Germanium Gold Ltd.
Pigtronix
63% similarityShared character: sustain, warm, compressor
Marshall ED 1
Marshall
63% similarityShared character: compressor, sustain, attack
TC Electronic Forcefield Compressor Effetto Compressore A
TC Electronic
62% similarityShared character: compressor, sustain, attack
Valco Under Pressure Classic Compressor
Valco
61% similarityShared character: sustain, compressor, attack
Free The Tone Silky Comp SC-1-CS
Free The Tone
60% similarityShared character: high end, compressor, attack
Wampler Ego Compressor
pedal
59% similarityShared character: singing, compressor, attack
Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone Micro
Pigtronix
59% similarityShared character: compressor, sustain, treble
Carl Martin Honey Comp
Carl Martin
59% similarityShared character: high end, compressor, compression
See all alternatives to the Jackson Audio hour-glass (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Jackson Audio hour-glass?+
The closest matches in character are the Walrus Audio Deep Six V3, the Demon FX Super Symmetry Compressor, the Suhr Koji Comp.
What pairs well with the Jackson Audio hour-glass?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Mesa Boogie Mark Five:25 1x12 Combo, Synergy SL2 Module, Marshall Vintage Modern 2466 — Mesa Boogie Mark Five:25 1x12 Combo's own transparent character is the real reason this is worth trying.
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