The PRS Mary-Cries Compressor is a PRS compressor pedal, currently around $149.99. Close alternatives include the Jackson Audio Bloom EQ Boost Compression and the Demeter Compulator. It pairs well with the Orange Rockerverb 50 MkIII 2-Channel 50W Head and the Carr Bel-Ray.
PRS Mary-Cries Compressor
PRS · pedal
The PRS Mary Cries is an optical compressor pedal based on one of the most revered optical compressor circuits, designed to thicken tone, rein in signal peaks, improve sustain and add an organic boost while preserving clarity and definition. Its optical compression is smooth and responsive, sounding natural even at heavy settings and staying largely transparent rather than adding the obvious squish of many compressors. A simple two-knob layout of Compression and Output Gain makes it fast to dial in, even mid-song, and it works as a compressor, a clean boost, or both at once. Praised as exceptionally quiet and musical, it is made in the USA from high-quality components and suits nuanced lead playing, clean rhythm and always-on tone shaping.
What stands out
“Players describe it as one of the quietest, most transparent optical compressors around, valued for natural, musical compression that improves sustain and evens dynamics”
— from the community notes
“A simple two-knob layout of Compression and Output Gain makes it fast to dial in, even mid-song, and it works as a compressor, a clean boost, or both at once”
— from the listing
“Smooth, natural optical compression that stays remarkably transparent, evening out dynamics and boosting sustain , so it effectively disappears into the tone”
— from the reviews
“The PRS Mary Cries is an optical compressor pedal based on one of the most revered optical compressor circuits, designed to thicken tone, rein in signal peaks, improve sustain and add an organic boost while preserving clarity and definition”
— from the listing
“Praised as exceptionally quiet and musical, it is made in the USA from high-quality components and suits nuanced lead playing, clean rhythm and always-on tone shaping”
— from the listing
Trade-offs
“release and ratio controls that players wanting deep”
— from the community notes
- compressor
- clean boost
- transparent
- musical
- smooth
- optical compression
- optical
- boost
Price updated Oct 23, 2026
Genres the PRS Mary-Cries Compressor is commonly used in
- Country
- Blues
- Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Country Pop
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Electronic
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 PRS Mary-Cries Compressor
Orange Rockerverb 50 MkIII 2-Channel 50W Head
Orange
18% 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)
Orange Rockerverb 50 MkIII 2-Channel 50W Head's own full character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Carr Bel-Ray
Carr
10% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
Carr Bel-Ray's own crunchy character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Fargen Micro Plex Full Stack
Fargen
10% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
Fargen Micro Plex Full Stack's own full character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Peavey Valveking Combo 50
Peavey
9% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
Peavey Valveking Combo 50's own crunchy character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Pignose 7-100
amplifier
9% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
What Pignose 7-100 brings here leans toward crunchy — that's worth building a pairing around
Comes later in the signal chain
Bad Cat Rubicon 2-Ch 25-Watt Lunchbox Head
Bad Cat
9% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
Bad Cat Rubicon 2-Ch 25-Watt Lunchbox Head leans toward high gain, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Comes later in the signal chain
Traynor YCV40/50 20th Anniversary Combo
Traynor
9% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
What Traynor YCV40/50 20th Anniversary Combo brings here leans toward crunchy — that's worth building a pairing around
Comes later in the signal chain
Crate FlexWave 65/112 3-Channel 65-Watt 1x12"
Crate
8% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
What Crate FlexWave 65/112 3-Channel 65-Watt 1x12" brings here leans toward crunchy — that's worth building a pairing around
Comes later in the signal chain
See all 9 amps that pair with the PRS Mary-Cries Compressor →
Pedals that stack with the PRS Mary-Cries Compressor
Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler
Dr Scientist
21% matchWhat Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler brings here leans toward fuzzy — that's worth building a pairing around
Comes later in the signal chain
JHS Smiley
JHS Pedals
20% matchJHS Smiley leans toward fuzzy, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Comes later in the signal chain
Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive
Fulltone
16% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive's own op-amp character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Fjord Fuzz Fjaer Spring Reverb
Fjord Fuzz
15% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
Fjord Fuzz Fjaer Spring Reverb's own fuzzy character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
EarthQuaker Devices Hoof Hybrid Fuzz
EarthQuaker Devices
15% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
EarthQuaker Devices Hoof Hybrid Fuzz's own fuzzy character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi
Electro-Harmonix
14% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi's own fuzzy character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Wren and Cuff Eye See Pi Fuzz
Wren And Cuff
14% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
Wren and Cuff Eye See Pi Fuzz leans toward fuzzy, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Comes later in the signal chain
Dunlop JHM S1
Dunlop
13% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
What Dunlop JHM S1 brings here leans toward fuzzy — that's worth building a pairing around
Comes later in the signal chain
See all 35 pedals that pair with the PRS Mary-Cries Compressor →
Cheaper alternatives
BBE OptiComp
Bbe
63% similarityShared character: peak, compressor, natural
MXR M102 Dyna Comp
MXR
62% similarityShared character: compressor, boost, compression
MXR Super Comp M132
Dunlop
57% similarityShared character: compressor, compression, transparent
Albuquerque's Flat line compressor
Albuquerque S
57% similarityShared character: compressor, compression, transparent
Mojo Gear Orange Compressor (Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer Clone)
Mojo Gear
57% similarityShared character: compressor, compression, simple
TC Electronic Forcefield Compressor Effetto Compressore A
TC Electronic
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Boutique & premium upgrades
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Jackson Audio Bloom EQ Boost Compression
Jackson Audio
65% similarityShared character: compressor, boost, compression
Demeter Compulator
Demeter
64% similarityShared character: definition, compressor, boost
Spaceman Ixion
Spaceman
63% similarityShared character: boost, transparent, gain
SolidGoldFX Compression Machine
Solidgoldfx
62% similarityShared character: compressor, natural, simple
T-Rex Neo Comp Compressor
T Rex
62% similarityShared character: compressor, compression, simple
Jackson Audio Bloom MIDI V2
Jackson Audio
62% similarityShared character: compressor, boost, compression
See all alternatives to the PRS Mary-Cries Compressor (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the PRS Mary-Cries Compressor?+
The closest matches in character are the Jackson Audio Bloom EQ Boost Compression, the Demeter Compulator, the Spaceman Ixion. Budget picks: BBE OptiComp, MXR M102 Dyna Comp, MXR Super Comp M132. Boutique upgrades: Wampler Cory Wong, Suhr Koji Comp.
What pairs well with the PRS Mary-Cries Compressor?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Orange Rockerverb 50 MkIII 2-Channel 50W Head, Carr Bel-Ray, Fargen Micro Plex Full Stack — Orange Rockerverb 50 MkIII 2-Channel 50W Head's own full character is the real reason this is worth trying.
How much does the PRS Mary-Cries Compressor cost?+
Around $149.99 (live listing price, updated Oct 23, 2026).
Compare
- vs Keeley Compressor Good Ol'Edition
- vs Jackson Audio Bloom V2 Compressor/EQ
- vs TC Electronic Forcefield Compressor Effetto Compressore A