Boss CS-1

So easy to murder your tone!

For a vintage effect it's kinda quiet, but the attack characteristic is so plinky and annoying. I found it impossible to get a good sound. I had one in mint nos condition for about 6 years so I'm not talking out my ass. This pedal drove me up the wall. It amplified the sound of the pick hitting the strings. It made a Click, click, click with each strum. Now kick in the treble boost and marvel at the sound of ten thousand fingernails running across a chalkboard!

Maybe this is cool for lead players, but if your mainly a chord basher like me this ain't it.

After this I got the cs-3, after comparing them back and forth I ended up liking the cs-3 better but not much. Next I used a focusrite rack mount for a few years, much better. Then I used the bjfe pale green for awhile that was also good but the release was kinda fluttery. The best compressor I've found is the Carl Martin. Makes the cs-1 sound like the toy it is.

I had to put in my two cents on this one because what I see here is a bunch of reviewers that just want to make themselves feel okay about spending to much for a compressor that's not even as good as the dod milk box IMHO.

keith richards!

I was happy that I made $90 profit when I sold it 'cause it's the worst compressor I've ever used. I feel sorry for the sucker that bought it especialy because he loved it. His tone is obviously a lost cause.

It is a lovely shade of blue, and has cool vintage knobs for those who listen with their eyes and think only old crappy pedals are cool. It must be the best it's the cs-1, yeah right. There is reason they didn't sell well; they are crap.

Very easy to use-2 knobs-level & sustain-and a tone toggle
switch. No manual needed to get great, analog compression
and sustain. They surely do not make them like this anymore!

This pedal sounds great in front of fuzz/distortion. As
with any compressor/sustainer, it should be the pedal you
plug your guitar into(unless you're using the amp's effects
loop).Sounds great with any set-up you can think of.

I don't gig-my pedals are in my home all the time and
recieve lots of TLC, so I'm really not qualified to render
an opinion on this subject. I'll give it a 6 because I
really don't know.

Never had to deal with Boss-again a 6.

I play mostly hard rock-this pedal really compliments my
playing style.Sounds fabulous in front of fuzz or distortion-great sustain capabilties!Get one if you're able
to find it-ebay is a good place to look.

The easiest. I bought mine new in 1981. If there was a manual, I tossed it along with the box, I'm sure.

I play bass, and I stopped using tube amps in 1979 (SVT). My solid state amps sounded "spiky", as they lacked the natural compression of a tube amp. Hence the need for a comp pedal. The Boss was the best around, so I found a beat up used one for $20, in 1979. It had a metal screw and a momentary LED. Then, two years later I heard that Boss was discontinuing the CS-1 in favor of the new CS-2, which I also heard sounded like crap for bass(it does). So I ran out and got a brand new CS-1 before they all disappeared. Plastis screw, stationary LED. I A/B tested them and they sounded IDENTICAL. Since then I picked up two more used ones for back up, and all three sound the same. For bass, there is no other comp pedal that performs as well, or even correctly in my view. I've owned an Atomic, a Blackbox Oxygen, TC Elec., Tech 21, Maxon, Ibanez CP-9, Ibanez BP-10, Boss CS-2's, LocoBox, Boss LM-2B, and they all suck for bass. But the CS-1 has a major squeeze and sustain ability that will not distort, pump, wheeze, or howl even with the sustain dimed. The treble switch is nice for guitar, but is too raspy for bass. I cant believe that more bass players dont know about this pedal. For me, its not an effect, but rather an "always on" pre-amp stage to my pre-amps. It does color your tone heavily, but in a very nice way. I run Reverend basses, 4 and 5 string, into the CS-1....into a Sans Amp Bass Driver...into a Genz combo w/ext. cabinet. The Sans Amp does all the EQ work and warms the Genz up a lot. Sounds tubish and fairly strong. Note; Some CS-1's will only run clean with a battery or an ACA adaptor. A typical PSA adaptor will make some of them howl a little.

No sweat.

Don't bother.

Never played without a CS-1 since 1979, when I dicovered it. However, in the last five years or so, I have bought some very expensive comps during a quest for improvement, and found none. The earliest ones are collectable and certainly worth more these days. And I respect the opinions of those who claim that the older units sound better. That just was not my experience.

Sit back, grab a beer and light a cigar ...

After years of searching for this supposedly 'holy grail' of compressors, I've stumbled on this fact:

THE 'MOMENTARY LED' CS-1s, ARE WAY BETTER THAN THE LATTER-DAY VERSIONS!!!

Check it out here, as i have, for maybe hundreds of times. Thanks to the reviews here at harmony central, I've done an exhaustive cross-check and comparison of the best compressors (Boss, MXR, Maxon, even the newer Keeleys).

One thing I remember was that some reviewers here mentioned about that 'momentary LED' version, which only lights up when the pedal is actually depressed.

Now, here's the story...

I bought a pretty well-kept CS-1 last year from a buddy, and thought that that was IT. Although it sounded better than the CS-3 and CS-2, I thought that its squawking was not too good. On the 2'clock to max settings, there was this major swell (and pop) that wasn't to my liking. It sounded ok for distortion, but for clean, jazzy sounds, the notes seem to lose a lot of articulation.

Well, after some months, another friend offered me yet another CS-1. Out of curiosity, I decided to borrow it and bring it home. What triggered my curiosity was when he said that, "Oh, there's something wrong with the LED. It doesn't seem to light up."

And so, I figured that maybe, this was one of those late 70s CS-1s, with that configuration. Soon enough, I put a fresh battery in it, and ... lo and behold! On the clean settings, the 'new' CS-1 sounded fatter! (regardless of the setting, even on max) ...

Amazed at this new discovery, I ABd the two boxes and true enough, the stock one (the one whose LED lights up normally) sounded thin, and had poorer sustain than the 'momentary LED' version.

What I like about this new pedal now is that, as I said, even on clean settings, ANY setting on the CS-1 gives out round, fat tones that don't have that unbearable squawking (or pumping or breathing, as some reviewers call it). It just sounds 'right.' I do remember a soundfile of a Route 66 pedal used for a jazz setting, and this CS-1 sounds pretty close. I think a good word to describe the sound is ... milky or juicy.

Satisfied with the cleans, I then put the CS-1 through the acid test: distortion!!!

Oh, if I may mention, the reason why I've been searching frantically for this little blue box is because of my fascination with that 'violin-like' tone of guys like Allan Holdsworth, Eric Johnson and a lot of other fusion players like Scott Henderson.

Well, I must admit now that you can't just get such tones out of ordinary stompboxes. (But hope is a wonderful thing, don't you think?)

But anyway, I put the CS-1 before a SansAmp GT-2 on the Marshall setting, and ... voila! Superb sustain!!

Prior to this, I must say again that I've tried a host of compressors (which I'm now selling one by one) and I must say that they don't give the sustain I've been looking for. I've gotten better sustain by driving the SansAmp with another overdrive box (a Vox Valvetone, a Maxon SuperTube Screamer, Blues Driver, etc). THAT made the thing sustain better.

But with the new CS-1, I couldn't believe my ears! The sustain was WAY better than my earlier CS-1. And when you switch the toggle to treble, it gives this nice 'warmth' to the tone. Unbelievable!

As others have said, perhaps the one foreseeable problem here is when you're using the CS-1 at a gig, and (since the LED doesn't really light up) you can't tell whether it's on or not. But I guess your ears will tell you.

Haven't used it in a gig yet, but it seems pretty sturdy.

Considering the prices these things fetch at E-bay ($200-300), I think this is a steal.

As I've stressed earlier on, do watch out for the 'momentary LED' versions. These must've been the earlier versions Boss built. And now that I've ABd that against a 'regular' one, I can pretty much say with conviction that those are the 'holy grail' of compressors - the main reason why these thingies merited such high ratings here.

If I may digress, I should say that it's quite amazing how there are actually very few reviews of this pedal here compared to the other compressors.

And lastly, I'd like to thank these guys who did the reviews below for giving me enough reason to spend endless nights dreaming about that lovely sustain that just makes your tone so amazing. Having a good pedal is one thing, but hearing others rave about it makes you glad to be a member of the six-string fraternity!

Nothing to it. Just set the the sustain, set your volume and flick the switch if you want a slight hi end boost.

Be vewy, vewy quiet...you still can't hear this pedal. I used it in front of my chain, and every combination has resulted favorable. Currently, I use it in front of my POD, switching out with an Ibanez CP9.

I found this unit in 1997 in a little music store. It was in rough shape. I did the LED mod on it, replaced the footswitch and replaced the battery connector. Works like a charm!

Boss was very supportive. if you call them they will FAX you a schematic. I also got a schematic for all my other boss pedals.

Compressors seem to all be different to me. This one has a color all it's own, because of the sustainer mode and the high boost/cut. I use it in my studio only.

Easy to sound good with this pedal. Never read the manual cuz I'm a guy. It has two knobs and a switch. Rainman could figure this one out.

I have a Les Paul and a S/S/S Strat. I play through a Fender Twin Reverb Amp. The pedal itself is perfectly noiseless. I'm lucky enough to have a black label, silver screw, 70's, Made in Japan pedal. I've heard that later models are almost as good. My usual setup for this pedal is with the Level at the 4 O'Clock position, the Mode set to Normal and the Sustain set at around the 2 O'Clock position.

Reliability?? After a nuclear war, only cockroaches and BOSS pedals will survive! A back up for a BOSS is a waste of money.

Never needed it. Never will.

I'm a child of the 70's but enjoy playing Offspring, Creed and Collective Soul as well. I've been playing over 25 years and own several other BOSS pedals (OS-2, CE-5) I have a Taylor acoustic/electric that plays well through this pedal as well as my Les Paul and Strat. I would never sell this pedal as it is much better then the newer ones. If it were lost or stolen, I guess I'd bite the bullet and try to find one on Ebay. Worth every penny of the $80 I spent on this bad boy. I love the fact that it is noiseless and bulletproof. I've compared it to lots of Comp/Sustain pedals and this was my favorite. Invest in rechargable 9V batteries and keep some charged at all times. No warning when battery is gonna die, its just dead. Battery usage is not higher then with any other pedal.

Very easy to use, just VOL & SUSTAIN-also a bright normal switch.

This unit is very quiet as far as compressors go, it's much more
transparent sounding than a ROSS compressor, and the swell is more
natural sounding-not as extreme. But it does slightly increase presence when the unit is ingaged/even in normal mode-not a problem. When bypassed the unit is very transparent. The bright mode is not very useful unless your really trying to cut.
I use to only run true bypass effects, but have had lower noise and less trouble with pedals that use FET switching. To each his own..... This unit to my ears is one very nice compressor, and although there are other good pedals to choose from. Your not going wrong with one of these. Easier to set and better tone than the current BOSS CS-3--don't know about the CS-2???

Well it's 20 years old (probibly older than most of the people on this
site-He he he... :) and still works great! All orginal-even the switch!

Never used them...probibly never will.

I play Rock,Fusion Funk/Soul/Jazz 60's 70's stuff, and this is great for all these styles. I've played for 15 years and have played in
some top SF bay area clubs, as well as many studio sessions and Jams.
I use a 1960's Tele custom and a 1970 Les Paul Deluxe through either
a 1964 Princeton Reverb or a 1990 RI Bassman with a 63" Fender Reverb.
I love this pedal for the clean sustain thang. For this it's great.
Notes really hang. It also ads a nice thickness to the sound.
There are others nice compressors, but this ranks in the tops.

Simple. 2 Knobs and a Switch.

The Guitar Gods have blessed this PEDAL!!! I run my setup usually asfollows Ibanez 7620 7- string > CS1 >Rocktron Piranha > Rocktron Chameleon > Marshall 9000 Power Amp > Custom 4x12 Cab That is just the basic setup, i usually add differnt pedals or effects at different times. The CS-1 has a beautiful smooth compression, I use to use an MXR compress/sustainer but this thing WHIPS it. Absolutely an awesome pedal.

Gets a 9 because I think if you were stupid enough you could kick the toggle switch at the top with your toes when turning it on or off.

Never Dealt

I got this thing for a steal. If I ever find another one I'll jump on it.

two knobs, one toggle, a 4 year old could figure this out!

I got this for 20 bucks at a pawn shop a while back lookin for vintage boss pedals. Mine is a first run 1978 with the metal thumb screw and momentary led. i didnt intend to use it, then i hooked it up. I use it first in the effects loop....immediatly folled by boss tw-1,ibanez ts-9, boss mt-2,dd-5. I also use boss bf-2,ce-2,ft-2 and ge-7 with this. this pedal is amazing. I leave the sustain all the way up, level at 11-noon, and the toggle on normal. Run my american standard strat into the cs-1, to a hotrodded ts-9 to the dd-5 and to the ge-7, It is total eric johnson! smooth and juicy yet punchy! I leave the volume on the guitar at about 8 so it doesnt give you that slap bass sound. I also run it with the same setting only in treble mode into the distortion on either my fender pro-sonic or peavey classic 30, Extreme srv. I recommend this pedal before any distortion, ANY...it is a bit noisy however, but unless you plan on spending hundreds of dollars, you'll find all comp/sustainers are. It brings out feedback and harmonics like you wouldnt believe. Highly recommended!

I rebuild/fix/modify pedals as a hobby I can count on one hand how many broken boss pedals ive seen

Well on the few i have fixed, Its a pain in the ass to find parts. the thumb screw and the footswitch are easy. But to find circuitry parts, it is opposite of what is posted on car mirrors "objects are closer then they appear". It also takes months to get parts, slower then most any other company ive dealt with. But i guess this is ok because so few of them ever break on their own

I play alot of blues/progressive rock, i tell you what this pedal TOTALLY changed my tone for the better. Ive been playing almost 12 years now, and ive owned nearly 70 boss pedals(not at the same time) and this one next to the ge-7 was the best single addition to my rig! i use it daily! the only thing about this pedal. if your going to run through heavy distortions, buy a very good noise gate.

The Boss CS-! Compression Sustainer is simple: Two knobs- Level and Sustain, plus a toggle for Normal or Treble. I set my level at about 2 o'clock, sustain all the way up, and the toggle on treble. The sounds are great- real punchy compression, easy to get that country pop thing goin' on. The sustain is very good, but it's not just a "sustain" pedal. You can get that nice long note and bleed into feedback if you want. It's very clean on/off, no static or hum or any noise with mine, and it's pretty old. I never had a manual or instructions.

My set up is: 1983 Kramer Pacer> DOD Tuna> Crybaby> CS-1> BF-2(Boss Flanger)> Ibanez TS10 Tube Screamer> HM-2 (Boss Heavy Metal)> Fender Princeton Chorus (2 x 10 solid state combo). The CS-1 is very smooth and surprisingly quiet. The LED light on mine works fine, and I hav not had any trouble with the switch (and remember, this pedal has been around for a long time). I use it more for sustain than compression, but they kind of go together. Great for solos- it really adds to your sound- the best way to describe it is it just makes the sound "professional." Great for making harmonics easier, and also letting that high 22nd fret bend ring out and fade into a little feedback. Works very well with my Heavy Metal pedal for blistering solos. Using it clean is great for country music, it can bring a real Nashville feel. You can tell that most recordings have compression after you use this pedal. The CS-1 is not meant to used when playing chords, it gets muddy and messy- it's mainly for picking or solos.

Boss pedals are tanks. The construction is just awesome. I think they would survive a direct hit from a nuclear missle. Just the cockroaches and Boss pedals will be left. I only have one CS-1 (for now) so if it died at a gig I'd have no back up!

Never dealt with Boss or Roland. My pedal has no mods that I know of.

I play a lot of "classic rock"- Zeppelin, Beatles, Grateful Dead, Kiss; as well as stuff like The Cars, Van Halen, SRV. I also play a good amount of real heavy and/or fast stuff like Minor Threat and the Dead Kennedys. I really only use the CS-1 on solos, you can't use it when strumming (or bashing out) chords. A lot of times I'll kick on the CS-1 about half way through a solo or near the end of a solo to really bring it home in style- it can give you that extra umph to finish a solo in a blaze of glory. If you have a note that needs to be held for a few seconds, kick on the CS-1 and let it shine.
I've been playing guitar for about 15 years. I use vintage Kramer guitars (the real USA ones) and a Fender amp. If my CS-1 were damaged or stolen I would have to replace it. I got the CS-1 over the CS-2 or CS-3 because i like the "vintage vibe" and, let's face it, the toggle switch is just plain cool. I'm looking for another CS-1 for a good price because I love this pedal so much. I might try a CS-2 or CS-3 also, but I don't think anything can beat the original CS-1.