Boss CS-2

yup

perfect. expressive. smooth. great sustain. plenty of head room.

better then analogman comprossor or the keeley ross comps. true bypass makes really loud popping sounds with compressors. and for most people who put a comp first in thier pedal signal chain, a buffered pedal is better to start with because it charges your signal after having just travaled 15-20 feet. the cs2 buffer sounds great.

made in early 1980s

made in early 1980s... what do you want?

best comp out there.
tryed keely, analogman, dynacomp, soulpreacher, maxon, cs3, cs1, mxr super comp, t.c. electronics.
this is the best one.
no wonder so many pros use it.

Boss pedal that is easy to use and gives a lot for the money. Once you dial in your setting, you're all set.

I couple this with my Fasel Crybaby, 2005 LP Standard, modified Marshall AVT 150H full stack. It screams like a choking cat. The treble is awesome and it rips off riffs cleanly with the OD on the Marshall. Very happy with (all of) it.

I've heard some negative about the power supplies. I have a backup. I also carry batteries. I'll see, if one fails, to try to replace the cord with a shielded cable

A good suppression/ sustainer and a good guitar and amp is all you need. All the other effects just aren't necessary. Trust me. I've had the cheap amps, Ibanez, MIM Strat guitars and the only way you pull tone out of them is with an effects array. Trade it in and get what you really want.

Easy to use 3 dials etc....

I've read alot about Mars Volta's bassist using 2 of these on one pedal board and was getting a distortion out of them. So i Put it first Bass>CS-2>ODB-3>MXR Di>SWR Studio220.
Turned all nobs to 3 o'clock and played with a pick.
And there is was, focused, level, tight, funky.
The e string notes didn't get all boomy.
You do loose some bottem end but if you kick in the ODB-3 or EQ/disotrion everything fills out nicely.

Yes, it's 23 years old, MIJ and....i trust it.

NO

This pedal was sitting in my local secondhand dealers for 2 years before i though i'd give it a go. I play rock, R&B, funk, all styles with 15 years experience and this pedal will suit most styles. I wouldn't use it for jazz because you need dynamics. The tight focased sound i get through this pedal reminds me of Kim Deal from the Pixies. Great Pedal.

Even for controls as simple as this (3 knobs - level, attack, sustain), at least a working knowledge of compression is desirable. There are misconceptions around compression and what it can do/is meant to do which explains some of the feedback for this product.

Once you get the hang of it then the unit is easy to use and has a very wide range.

A very musical compressor when used properly which I rate alongside more expensive compressors I've tried. There are better ones, but for my money not that much better for live use.

It works well as a clean boost i.e. level up, sustain down. Sustain control works very well again if used properly - when not it will naturally add noise to the signal chain if the level is up too. Great for squashed funky/rocky rythymn a la John Frusciante if you want to experiment with it.

This unit was made around 1981 - I swear it plays as good as the day it was born in the factory. Who uses a backup for compression anyway?

I've yet to see a positive review of Boss customer service. Never needed their help so far. No opinion.

This pedal has been in my chain for 2 and a half years and I've never thought once about replacing it or selling it. It does it's job better than most compression pedals up to the ??80 or so price range and then just as good as some of those priced at the boutique end of the market. It is a keeper, and adds that certain something to my sound that I can't do without. Brilliant pedal.

Very easy to use. Three knobs, which I don't set and forget, but actually tweak during the night depending on if I'm going to play a clean solo (Sultans of Swing) or if I'm using it as a clean boost for my solo tones.

I've used it to mimic Gilmour's solo on "Comfortably Numb" as well as Robert Cray's sound on his "Strong Persuader" album. I like it first in the chain to add boost and smooth out my picking attack. My buddy picked up a CS-3 after hearing me use a compressor. I was excited since the CS-3 has a "tone" control, but after I messed with the CS-3 for a while I felt it just seemed a bit more cold and metallic than my CS-2 no matter how I set it.

I've used it for over 500+ gigs with no problems (not counting all the rehearsals for those gigs).

Never had an issue with any Boss pedals, even after 20+ years of continuous use.

I play mostly covers, anything from Steely Dan to Metallica to Tom Jones. It's been a very versatile pedal, for rhythym, clean leads and as a boost for my distortion channel.
Currently I'm using a Frankenstien Fender Lead II with a (S/S/H) pickup config through a developing pedal board (with the CS-2 second in line after my Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Special Wah) into an original Boogie Triaxis, a Boogie 50/50 poweramp, and two ADA split cabs.
Overall I give this pedal a 10, but then it's the only compressor I've ever used. This is my first product review, and I've chosen one of my oldest pedals. I picked up the guitar over 30 years ago, and have been playing in bars and clubs for 25. I started with MXR dist, Ibanez CS-505 and AD-80. Picked up my CS-2 in 1986 and it has never missed a gig since. Even when I moved from pedals to midi controlled multifx (Alesis Quadraverb), I've always kept the CS-2 and a wah pedal in my chain. I really believe this pedal has had a huge influence on my "unique" tone. In the 80's when all the bands were big hair and shred solos, I could play clean solos that cut through with great sustain thanks to this pedal. In addition this little box landed me some great gigs by giving my single coils a funk sound that none of the other local rockers could touch.
If it were stolen, somebody would pay, and then I'd have to get another CS-2.

No problems using it, just plug it in and change the knobs to suite your sound

Its a damm cool pedal, used by Gilmore, but mine hisses a little if you turn it up 2 full plast, it may me down to the crap amp, im not sure, so im giving it a nine.

Very reliable, no problems so far

Its a cool pedal, especially gud for soling or just makin a clearer sound to your perfromance. i rekonmend it

It don't get any easier...Just make sure you got a battery in it !

I have used this blue stomper for a very long time...Tightens up my 1973 Strat, It's my #1 pedal, first in the chain and first on tone.

I got this blue box so long ago...I think 1976 ?...It's been on tour thru the states and Europe...puked on...dropped...kicked...rained on...Everything that could happen to a pedal on the road you can think of except.........lost or stolen....if that were to happen, would immedently locate another...It's Bulletproof !

Never needed them...

I play Electric Blues, #1 geetar 1973 beat up Blonde Strat..CS2...Crybaby...Ibanez Tube Screamer...Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face...Echo Plex + 1969 Marshall Stack...The CS2 is a must have for me and my Music..It is my Sound !

Find a setting you like, leave it, have fun.
Its fairly easy to setup, though avoid any of the higher settings, keep it below the 12 position and you should be fine.

Brilliant. I had one of these in 1988 when i first started playing guitar. I always seemed to have a good tone back then, though i didnt appreciate it, people who were in bands with me used to comment on how smooth and warm my sound was. Unfortunately i fell for the hype (and ease of setup) of the multi-effects processors and sold all my pedals for an ME6 (then a few Zooms and Bosses right up to the GT6).
I've gone full circle now. However, something was missing with my new all pedal setup, i was using a Dynacomp, and good though it is, i found my tone needed more "juice", so i remembered the CS2 and decided to buy one again on Ebay.
I use it with a Strat, into a Twin Reverb, i have a load of effects.
It sounds very warm, it has real character, it smooths your tone and really makes the guitar song, i love this pedal.
Dave Gilmour used one for many years (though i think he uses a Demeter now) and for my money, the guitar tone on the Pulse album is the best i've ever heard.

The one i bought on Ebay is about 20 years old, looks and sounds as good as new.

No idea

I probably paid slightly over the odds for this, but it is a stunning example of this pedal, looks good as new, and sounds amazing.
I play a lot of fluid, smooth guitar lines, lots of Floyd stuff and other classic rock. I really like that warm, fat tone you get with good equipment and the right effects.
I use this with a Keeley modded Crybaby, Boss NS2, Big Muff, ReezaFRATzitz, Barber LTD, Boss GE7, Mojo Vibe, Electric Mistress, Phase 90, SPF Ego Booster, Boss DD3 and Ernie Ball volume pedal into either a Fender Twin REverb or a Peavey Classic 50.
I have a Dynacomp for backup.

I use this pedal all the time, it forms a huge part of my basic tone.
This is my favourite compressor (i've tried loads, including all those multi-effects) and really is fantastic.
It is a little noisy, and it can never be described as transparent.... but thats why i like it, plus, being a Boss it will buffer your signal and help boost the level on a long effects chain.

Have fun..... Enjoy you CS-2

No complications. Straingforward stomp box, the old school way. If you have ears and fingers, you'll be set. No editing, no patches, no firmware, no upgrades, no manual (unless a marketing brochure and a couple of stickers count as such).

Hard Specs: Not so true bypass / 3 Simple Controls (Level, Attack, Sustain) / Made in Japan (the real deal!).

The only interesting comment to share is that I have this pedal for more years than I can remember. At that time, I had a cheesy strat copy and no amp. Today I have more than 100 guitars and several top of the line amps, and this smurf is still here.

This little Blue Box was the very first effect I ever own. At that time (I must have 11 years old, actually) I was strongly disappointed, since I could hardly noticed the effect (I wanted a distortion box, go figure), but the box stuck anyway and I used every now and then for soloing. I remember asking to almost everybody back then ?do you really notice something when I press this?? And then my ears developed.

Anyway, this is unarguably the best compressor ever made for the electric guitar. Period. I do not want to have an argument with no one, but to my ears this is a simple fact. After a while, I became somewhat obsessed about compression and this pedal has been with me from scratch, hence becoming an integral part of my own sound. Like many of you,

I must have tried zillions of effect pedals, outboard stomp boxes, rack gear, boutique boxes, elite boxes, bizarre boxes? you get the picture. Way Huge Saffron Squeeze, Homebrew CPR, Roland AS1, DOD Milkbox FX84, DOD FX80, Guyatone ST2, Analogman Bi-Compressor, Ibanez CP9, MXR M102 Dynacomp, MXR M132, Demeter COMP1, Maxon CP101, Robert Keeley Compressor, EH Black Finger, Durham Mucho Boosto, Yamaha CO100, Ibanez CP830, DigiTech Main Squeeze, Presonus Bluemax, Boss CL-50, ToadWorks? Mr. Squishy, Line6 Constrictor, Marshall ED-1? thank you very much to you all. When it comes to compression, nothing comes even close to the CS2 . Some are cleaner, some are better, some are noisier, some are worse, some are mild, some are sharp? but the CS2 is second to none.

The CS2 manages to compress high-input signals boosting low-input signals, giving you smooth, creamy sustain without degrading the quality and tone of the original guitar sound or adding any kind of noise or hiss (I?m talking DEAD quiet here). This pedal was manufactured in Japan more than two decades ago (the CS1 dated back from 1979!) and I was unable to find a suitable replacement. At this point, I strongly doubt I ever will. Some 10 years ago I moved and forgot my trusty CS behind, so after trying to get another one in Paris (good luck with that) and meeting repeatedly with failure, I bought the CS3, marketed by Boss? as the successor of the CS2. Forget about that, since there?s nothing in comparison. Not long ago I was offered a CS1 in almost mint condition and that was an interesting choice, I admit, but less pronounced as an effect that the one in the CS2. In addition the ?tone? switch in the CS1 was too radical on the original tone.

As I said, I play with this with any guitar and amp imaginable over the years and the results were consistent. No unwanted noise, no failures, no weaknesses, nothing broke. I just love it.

Two decades behind and still delivers.

Tried an upgrade (CS3), rushed back instantly. I had some experience with the Boss team in Japan and they were incredibly cordial, yet that does not count as "customer support"...

Many times I recorded in high-end studios, being able to use high-end compressors. Every single time, I pulled my CS2. Some years ago I did get excited about the Pete Cornish SS-2 Soft Sustain. Some years back in London I tried a fantastic compressor made by David Eden. Went back to my CS2. Today, I?m very involved in my home studio project, and I use each and all plug-in under the sun. Most of them are impressive, although when I need some real attack in my soloing, I still reach for my CS2. As easy as that.

How much easier could it be? I got this pedal over ten years ago when I was 14. I did not have an impressive collection of great guitars and amps, but I noticed then how much this pedal seriously fills out your sound. Whether playing clean or through an overdriven amp, this pedal has several benefits.

I got this pedal over ten years ago when I was 14. I did not have an impressive collection of great guitars and amps, but I noticed then how much this pedal seriously fills out your sound. Whether playing clean or through an overdriven amp, this pedal has several benefits. When playing clean, this will make your chording sound more consistant, brilliant, and playing lead lines is effortless. When playing distorted through an overdriven valve amp is when I think this pedal truly shines. It can act as an additional stage of gain to really push your amplifier with almost endless gain. It really sweetens up your tone and provides endless sustain. Like the scene from "This Is Spinal Tap" when Nigel Tufnel speaks of the endless singing sustain of his '59 Les Paul, your notes go as long as you please. Set this before your distortion pedal or just in between you and a valve amp on high, you will be amazed.

I have had this pedal for more than ten years and it was not brand new then. It's a Made In Japan model with maybe half of the blue paint on it still. I've only ever replaced the batteries. Unlike other pedals I've owned, the sound timbre, clarity, everything tonal is exactly the same as it was when I first tried it out.

I've never had any negative issue with this specific product.

I play any style from jazz, rock, rockabilly, metal, whatever. I always use it whenever I record guitar or bass guitar tracks. This effect is priceless. I have tried the cs-3 just in case I may ever have to replace this one. I was not impressed at all. It's really invaluable to me. I can't imagine not having. It provides so much strength to your tone. It really drives a vavle amplifier in such a phenomenal manner. I have a 1968 50 watt Fender Bassman class AB, a 1992 100 watt Marshall JCM 900 Dual Reverb class AB, a Fender Blues Junior 15 watts class A, and those amps are all very different tonally. This pedal combined with any guitar and amp will give you impressive results. I can not stress how much better this can push an amp more than an Ibanez comp.

fairly easy to operate and for a guitarist not familar with compression. I've had two of them and I believe one still had the manual with it I don't recall there much there to look at or needing it to operate the pedal.

I used this with a vox ac-10 and a silver face champ and vibrochamp. I used mostly MIJ teles and strats-but also a ric v63 325 and 450 12 string. It is noisy. I would describe this compressor pedal more as an effect than good sounding compression.

had two never had problem with either

sure there fine

Well, at the same time I was using these I also had Ibanez cp-9 which seemed so much more natural and pleasing. The boss cs-2 made this sort of ice pick thing through my amps that gave me a headache after awhile. Still, I went with the boss instead of the Ibanez. Later, sold off both but then came back to Ibanez and bought 2 cp10 which seem identical in sound to cp9 to me. I would not buy again they sound sort of unnatural and I think the ibanez is a much better vintage compressor

simple pedal, basic compression techniques helpful to know. manual is satifactory.

sounds great, if you like hiss.
actually Im sure this is a fine pedal for country pickin or jazz or whatever.. I bought it to punch up my lead tones in full shred mode. I was able to get some very nice pick/string interaction things going, and I DID like the overall tone, but at high gain settings the thing just produced an awful lot of noise. I returned it for a store credit.
I have a rackmount tube compressor I was trying to avoid using because its a pain to set everything up for practicing... but unfortunately the little boss pedal wasnt in the same league. dont even know if its playing the same game actually....

boss pedals are hard to break.

my needs could not be met with the boss cs-2, but apparently many others find it to work great. I either expect too much for 80 bucks or it didnt play well with my BC Rich and Marshall. I wont say its a total POS, just that I dont want another one.

Three knobs Blah. blah. blah. Pretty easy to use.

I'm using this with a Ibanez GAX70, through alot of pedals to a Marshall 9004 preamp. it's kind of noisy but I'm using headphones so yeah it would be kind of noisy. Other than that it's a great pedal with a warmer more organic sound and it's not as harsh as the CS-3. I use it to even out string volume and get more sustain out of my relativly weak pickups, works like a charm. I give it a 9 begause of the noise.

Yup i can depend on it.

I play rock, metal, alt rock, and alot noodling. I've been playing for about four years. I would find another if lost or stolen.

As it's been said before... 3 Knobs, could it be any easier?

I've got a Japanese Black Label one, had a few issues with it occasionally giving off a crazy buzzing noise when you turned it on/off but after investigation it appeared someone had taken out the plastic sheet that seperates the circuit board from the metal backing plate and I think the fact they were touching was causing it to buzz.
Anyway, Sound wise this thing is far superior to the CS-3, much warmer in sound, and as I said, because it's only got 3 Knobs it's so easy to dial in a sound that suits your playing.

Well, Im not totally sure how old mine is but Im guessing early 80's, the paint work is chipped all over and it's rather tatty but it STILL WORKS after all this time. Also, Dave Gilmour still uses this thing on his pedal board...now, Im not a betting man, but if I was I'd put good money on that fact that Dave Gilmours CS-2 is the only CS-2 he's ever had... bearing in mind how many gigs Pink Floyd/Dave has done over the years I'd say you can't get much more reliable than a BOSS

Never had to deal with them...

It's very suited to my style and my musical influences... U2, RHCP, The Cure, Pink Floyd etc...It was stolen, I'd cry...'cause these things are so rare and If I did find one I'd end up paying way too much.
I wish there was some firm that would "refurbish" the paintwork for me, as It stands out amongst my other Boss pedals as being rather scruffy, yet the most important thing is the sound it makes.

I will spare you the "Duh it only has 3 knobs" talk. As if the amount of knobs has much to do with it at all. If you understand the concept of compressors, it is almost too easy. I find the CS-2 to be far easier than any other compression pedal in dialing in for great tone and not over squashing.

Custom Shop Strat/72 Tele Thinline -> BOSS CS-2 -> ProCo RAT 2 -> Maxon 808 -> BOSS CH-1 -> BOSS DD-6 -> Fender HR Deluxe. Low noise. The sustaining and enhancing characteristics of the pedal may bring some of the amps tube noise up front, but it is little to worry about. It certainly is not as "transparent" as other compressors, but I really like that about it. Texas Specials in the strat, played through the CS gets a really great percussion to it, very SRV. Fuzzing out the rat and and cascading the CS through other effects can give you some wild feedbacks.

Its a BOSS. This thing is at least 5 years old and still kicking just fine.

Never dealt with BOSS/Roland. I heard its no good though.

Wonderful for all the types of music I play (I at least try to play everything). 8 Yrs playing, and I consider myself to have a pretty good ear for nice tone. If it were stolen or lost I would certainly look for another. It's a shame these are discontinued, but if they were not I'm sure they would be made in Taiwan now anyway. Don't bother with the CS-3, its not worth the box it comes in. I put the new CS-3 and my used CS-2 (for about 35 dollars less might I add) next to each other at the shop and the results were very clear. Go Japan if you can.

Easy...levels are...

Adds a punchy,percussive,sound with more brilliance that does somewhat diminish your true tone. I use it for guitar,bass and vocals to add presence and clean up the stray decibels. Recording or live this is my all time favorite pedal. In this order I use boss cs-2,sansamp gt2,ibanez dfl flanger into anything with reverb. Helps to make me sound better than i am. It and the samsamp really punch up the bass and makes it stand out. On the guitar it does the chili pepper funky swatty thing pretty well. I dont think it sustains all that well which is ok with me. Nothing gets a 10.

Boss is beefy. no backup

not applicable

If i could only have one pedal this is it.

2 buttons! give me a break! haha
made in japan (just the BEST!)

i use several vintage fender guitars, with a Sound City 50+ head, a fender super twin reverb or my '74 marshall super lead.
pedal is quiet as a dream... sounds lush and soft.
stick it in front of your twin and you'll swear you're playing through a roland jazz chorus amp. sounds EXACTLY like the chorus on that amp, without having to buy one (they're great amps, anyway!)
i'm a lot into exerimental space rock (a la mogwai etc.), and of course, the old pink floyd stuff. this pedal fits my style perfectly, i leave it ON all the time, but very soft and sobtile, just to add some "space"...

oh man... if you can depend on one brand of pedals, it's the old BOSS!

haven't needed them yet...

i paid less than 40 bucks for it, a great deal for the price. jap boss peds are ALWAYS a great deal! i've seen the ce-2 on ebay selling for more than 100 bucks, get one if you can, they won't get cheaper!
basically, if you're looking for a roland jazz chorus sound, get one of these pedals! it's great sounding, cheap, and even nice to look at... haha

Read harmony central's great explanation of compressors and it becomes easy. Even if you don't, there are only three knobs and it won't take long before you figure it out.

This is why I wrote this review. It seems a lot of people who review have good setups and have been playing for many years. I have been playing for many years but it remains a hobby and I am more at ease putting my money into my tuition than guitar gear. So, I am sitting at home jamming away with a little 10-watter with an 8" speaker and am perfectly happy.

SO... this is for those who, like me have a cheap amp.

The question people like us have to ask when we buy gear (usually second hand ; ) is whether or not it will sound like utter rubbish through our little transitor amps.

The answer in this case is yes.

The effect is not quite as pronounced as some I have heard but that suits me fine. When you first get a new pedal you usual set everything to full to hear a change. I know I do!

When you do you will hear the definite change - the pumping, almost stacatto like compression of the notes. I don't like that personally but if it's your bag - then it's there. I prefer a much more subtle setting.

I use:

Level: 2 o'clock
Attack: 10 o'clock
Sustain: 10-11 o'clock

I find this is just nice, especially good with a wah.

What I find that pleases me the most is the warmth of this thing. It's a silly concept of course and one that is hard to quanitfy, but it is there. It makes my somewhat brittle amp just that little bit nicer, and for that, it is one whenever I play clean.

It is not transperant, nor is it supposed to be.

this is my first boss pedal but it is 20 years old and working fine. It seems very surtdy but also quite light, which is very good.

n/a

These are not all that common on the used market (in Australia!) so I would be very unhappy if it went missing and I would try my hardest to get a new one!

The bottom line is that this pedal is designed in a certain way. It is NOT transparent and it does NOT go to extremes. It IS however a great pedal for subtle, warm compression effects and a GREAT clean lead boost.

Not that easy.........requires some thought and balance....Doesn't squish the way I like....But you can get feedback induced at lower levels for bedroom playing...Had to read up on compressors before hand.

Sound quality OK.....Just needed something a little more.........Good attack, But I
Need an Orange Squeezer or Keeley Comp or whatever.........
Strats to a Delta Blues.....

Sure thing Boss man!

Don't do that ever!

Good pedal, but I need a little more in my rig........
Everyones' rig is different, keep trying compressors until your rig is right!
Otherwise, punch it up on Ebay!

Easy to use. I play Heavy Metal and like this Pedal. We tend to get carried away with soo many pedals and effects and what I got going is just this BOSS CS-2 and a Distortion pedal now.

Holds the note for days A +++

It's a Boss Made in Japan. A +

I also have the Zack Wylde EMG pickups. The Boss SC-2 is great with these pickups. Playing Heavy Metal one needs punch. This pedal creates Compression which will PUNCH it out. I guess you just have to test things through trial and error to see what you like. The last guy made a comment that it works best on the clean channel. I wouldn't know because I don't play clean. It works great with distortion. I've tried the 20 year old OD-1 distortion pedal, DD-3 delay to add thickness, Ibanez tube screamer, metal zone pedal, Marshall amps blah blah blah. This pedal is a keeper. I would buy another if stolen.

This pedal is as easy as it gets. Very simple. Just do the tweaking, to suite your taste, but I only avoid turning the sus. up past 2 o'clock to keep the noise level down.

Here is the bottom line. This pedal is organically warm and natural sounding. I bought this off Ebay just because, and I put it in the place of my Carl Martin compressor, and that's the way it will stay. This compressor sounds better, and is sooooooo much easier to find a great setting....I have other compressors to compare it to, such as the CS-3, which is only satisfiying if you put a VHT Valvulator in front of it, a Ibanez 10 series unit, and a MXR Sustainer. This pedal won the spot on my pedal board hands down, and I may even sell the Carl Martin simply because it is such a pain to set up, and it may sound transparent but it is so sterile compared to the CS-2. I just recieved the pedal this week, and I'm so impressed that I wanted to submit this review, and I don't usually do this for at least a year after using a pedal. I have the chain set lit this, VHT Valvulator, CS-2, Ernie Ball Vol., Fulldrive II, Fulltone Fat boost, Fulltone Chorale Flange, to a Boss DD-6 going into a Fender Super Champ and Fender Princeton II. I haven't pluged into all of my amps, but like I said, this pedal is natural and warm, so it's a keeper. The guitars I have used for the testing are as follows, Fender Custom Shop Robben Ford, Gibson Les Paul Standard with Rio Grande Texas BBQ pups, Zion Classic with Anderson pups s/s/h, a 69 RE thinline Tele (Japan), excellent Fernadez Tele (52 Fender copy), and a Peavey Predator with EMG SA pups. Every instrument sounds great in this pedal, no they sound Excellent with this compressor. I can change guitars and leave the settings in the same place and I can play without having to bend over tweak the compressor, then stand up and stare at it for a minute to try to figure out what is wrong with my sound. I play various styles in my Church Praise Team, and in my band, and this is so far the best compressor I have found. I want to try Analogman compressors, but they are costly, and now that I found this pedal, I'm not in a hurry to get a Comprossor/OS. This pedal interacts smoothly with my other pedals, and I don't find myself nearly as frustrated as I was when I used the Carl Martin.

It's a Boss. There last forever it seems.

n/a

I play everything except very hard rock/metal styles. From Country, Jazz, Classic Rock, and what ever comes to my hands, and the smooth natural sound of this pedal works so well that I don't like to turn it off. If it were stolen, would I replace it? Don't steal from me, God can find your butt wherever you go, so don't mess with one of his own. I would replace it if damaged.

Very easy to use. Of course the CS-2 works best when your amp is set clean. If you have a master volume control on your amp, set the gain so it's just sweet and let the master volume be the driving force behind your tone. To get that natural CS-2 sound, set the 'Sustain' low enough to let it ring and compress organically without sqashing your tone. I found it to work really well at around '10 o'clock'. Set the 'Attack' between '9 and 10 o'clock'. This will prevent that "zing" when you hit a power chord. Then adjust the 'Level' so it's on the same volume as your bypass sound. Remember, when comparing the two sounds, hit the chord with a bit of punch and then set the level accordingly.
I found this particular compressor to be very good and very natural. There's a lot of versatility, but most importantly, when my clean sound needs more sustain and compression without being altered in any superficial way, the CS-2 does a great job. Very good when combined with modulation effects.

I run a straight forward setup. The signal from my guitar(s) goes into my wah-wah, tuner, the CS-2, all my modulation pedals, then delay pedals and into my amp. I found the CS-2 to be relatively quiet when the 'Sustain' is set low. If you think about it, it's not the effect itself that contributes to noise. It's the circuitry and character of the amp. The effect just increases the compression and sustain of the already present signal. I actually found the CS-2 to be quite transparent. My amp is all-valve and is hand-built the same way like amps used to be built in the 1950's and 60's. So hum is just a natural characteristic of a typical all-valve amp. It's not very noisy. It's only really noticeable when I'm playing in a quiet room by myself. But when I play with a band, it makes no difference.

I got my CS-2 because I know David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) uses one and I like the way he applies it to get that nice lenghty sustain from his Fender guitars. It's a very good effect to use with single-coil pick-ups.

I bought this effect second-hand in an excellent condition. It's over 20 years old and it still functions like a brand-new Boss stompbox.

Never had the need to deal with Boss because their effects have always been consistently reliable.

I play everything because I play in various cover bands. But no matter what kind of music I play, there are certain effects that just come in handy in all situations. The CS-2 is one of them. It always gets used. I look after my gear and I carry all my stompboxes in a pedalboard/case, so I don't really have to worry about anything bad happening to any of my gear. But if worst came to worst, and it happened to be one of my effects pedals, I would be looking around for the oldies because as much as the new ones seem more versatile and have more features, they just never seem to have the tone and natural character of the old ones. I think that's why most guitarists end up going back.

Not too bad at all. I read some other reviews and got the impression it was going to be really difficult - just reduce the gain on your clean channel and set the level of the compressor and then take it from there - it's well worth the fiddling about.

Once you get the gist of what it does (i.e. trying to make all your notes the same volume) it is fairly simple.

I got it 2nd Hand and there was no manual and I consider myself a bit of a no-hoper with technology, but I managed!

I use a 72 re-issue Telecaster > Boss NS2 > Boss CS2 > Marshall DSL100. The pedal has really sorted out any "dullness" that I was getting with the clean channel. I now get a lovely smooth sound that (dare I say it..) sounds pretty professional.

I use my amp for distortion and the compressor neither adds or detracts from the sound I get and I was kind of hoping it would improve it, but the difference it has made to my clean stuff makes it well worth the money.

GOOD TIP - I use the NS2 to reduce a bit of the noise the pedal creates and it seems to work really well.

I haven't had it that long but it hasn't given me any problems

Never had to ask for any!

I've been playing for about 7 years now and have only just started to really splash out on some decent kit. This pedal has definitely introduced me to the idea of "sculpting" your sound more meticulously. I have always just been the sort who plugs in and turns everything up full but I'm trying to be a bit more professional about my sound and this pedal, along with the NS2 has really helped my sound and tone. I would definetly recommend it to anyone who uses a Marshall for their clean stuff.

I'm italian, sorry for my english. Just three knob, very easy job if you know how a compressor works. I buyed it used, without a manual, not a problem.

Gibson Les Paul and Fender The Twin Red Knob amp. 20 years of playing. I tried a cs-3 and i think it was a waste of money and time; it had a awful "click" anytime i picked a string, it seemed very fake. I find the cs-2 (made in japan) much more natural and musical. It helps sustain, it's no intrusive, gives brilliance and smoothness to sound. I keep it on all the time, attack at 2 o'clock, sustain at 11, level according with the volume of the amp. I don't think it's noisy, considering how noisy a compressor is normally, maybe a bit if you turn up the sustain. I play mostly blues-rock, it helps me on clean solos and gives the right boost in more distorted sound. I give it a 8 because i don't know many others compressor, so maybe there is something better.

I think Boss boxes are very strong and circuitries are good. I go without a back up. (well, i can do it without it, anyway...)

Never dealt with the company.

20 years playing around, i mostly go for guitar and amp, get distortion from saturation of the tubes, with a little help of a TS-9 for more drive, a Proco RAT for different distorted sounds, a cry baby wah. The cs-2 makes my life on stage easier, the guitar with it is more playable the notes just comes more fluids,the bending is more soft, chords more equilibrated. If it were stolen i would get another one. I love its sound, i hate Boss because they now made that cs-3 and no more this box. Don't make mistakes, get one of these old japan pedals, the taiwanese new ones are no good.

Simple enough.

This is not totally useless but it is the worst compressor I ever heard (Ibanez, Yamaha, ADA, homemade, etc.). It doesn't really even sound like compression. You get the attack let through even on minimum setting, and then the compressor kicks in and takes away all the high end. Only if you hold the note does anything sounding like increased sustain come in, the first portion sounds like all attack and no sustain.

Boss does define reliable.

Tried it on bass and guitar. Could get some useful enhancement (mainly using unusual configurations) but not near as good as other compressors.

I see a few people really like it, but I'm guessing most are Strat players (can use some treble reduction) with an amp that can absorb attack transients.