Compression:
Pedals, the blue BOSS compressors (CS3?) or the EBS are hard to beat.
RackMount: Boy the sky's the limit, but I stole a closeout APHEX 661 tube compressor. If that had not gotten in the way, a dbx 160A is fabulous. After that, boy there's lots of them, but that's where my search led me.
I prefer compression done right: Just a bit past limiting, where it's just beginning to stretch the notes slightly, level out the overall evenness of the fingerboard (I never heard those low Cs and Ds properly without one) with out that squashed sound, and keeping a lid on things when the thumb or the heavy pick comes out. I just wanted that smooth sheen I get when it's done right.
J o e y