Coincidentally, Cakewalk just uploaded the video about the David Bendeth bundle.
 
https://www.youtube.com/w...feature=em-uploademail

UAD LA2A. Hands down.
 

Usually a compressor goes before EQ, tho not always. 
 
Typically I will put the 76 or CA2A on the guitar track and then route that to a (Guitar) buss and slap the 4K comp on the buss.  This is after putting an amp in a damped room, both which help "compress" and even out the sound.  I run it through an RND comp.  The comp hardly touches the guitar but does help even it out more before it gets into SONAR.  While mixing I use the above chains.  Again, not too much compression in any one stage, but serial compression sounds more natural to me.  And the 4K buss comp really sounds good if you have a few guitars going at once.  By raising the vol. of any one guitar (or if it is played naturally louder) that loud element can pop above the sonic horizon of the other two - they drop into the background.  Everything is separate, but the ear goes naturally to the loudest element - which you can control.  The ear is drawn to the loudest guitar just like the 4K comp pushes it through - complimentary.  When you get it right it sounds just like a bunch of recordings you've heard.  Pretty cool.

AT, that's a helpful outline of your process, thanks! I don't use any amps, just direct in. I do live mic only on my mandolin, and sometimes an acoustic I want dual tracks on (my acoustics are electric).
 
I agree about serial compression. That's what I've been working toward, and finding out which compression works best where in the chain is the goal. I'm torn right now between adding the CA-2A to my arsenal, or waiting for Bendeth's bundle. The decision is probably win/win.

+1 for AT's info on compressors. I will add that the CA-2A has been indispensable on many of my vocal tracks. It seems to add compression very transparently while adding just a touch of something (harmonics?) that sit very well with vocal tracks in general.

I really like the CA2A. Great on piano, too.

CA2A is probably the second best emulation with the UAD being best, I have both and an actual LA2A, the difference between the actual hardware unit and the emulations is not minimal, but in a mix the emulations do a decent job...the difference being that a real LA2A actually functions like a preamp and can boost the signal in ways that math simply cannot do...so really its a matter of which math you prefer...the CA2A is a little "dirtier" than the UAD and that is probably intentional, but the UAD version actually functions closer to the analog model.

A question about Bendeth's compressor... I downloaded the demo. It only gets into the ProChannel of a bus via FX Chain. Is that correct? I placed it into a strip, then drug it to the bus. Sonar dropped it there inside an FX Chain. If that's the case, will the Cakewalk-specific version (assuming) be a module? I'd much rather have the module.
 
It sounds amazing on a drum track. Wow.

I do not believe the PC version is available ATM. There is an image of a PC module at the bottom of http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/10db

scook, I downloaded the Windows version of the demo. It works on my PC, but only through the method I tried. Looking forward to a true module. There's probably no point in buying it before Cakewalk's release.