Boss CS-2

The only compressors that get tricky to use are the ones with two many threshold, ratio, attack and release controls, most pedal comps are easy. If a comp has more than 3 knobs you are probably making life too complicated.

As with most boss pedals, easy way to start is set everything at 12 o'clock and make small adjustments from there to your preferences.

If not using batteries one thing to be careful is that you have a power supply with the correct voltage. I found this web page which explains all:

http://www.stinkfoot.se/andreas/diy/articles/bossadapt.htm

I power it off a 9V DC brick with common earth for all pedals and it works fine.

Great comp. Not at all noisy, smooth, not at all obtrusive. I use it with teles and strats, for clean sounds on a modderate setting so I don't squish the dynamics too much. I also use it to drive distortion and fuzz pedals sometimes, with more extreme compression.

I like it a lot. I have owned a CS-3 which was Ok and once tried a CS-1 which was very heavy compression - I like the CS-2 better, all round musically useful.

Dependable, yes. Bought 2nd hand and owned for several years, a mainstay of my board. Made in Japan, well built. No crackle from the knobs, everything works like new.

You can't go wrong with one of these. Nice thing is they are not anything expensive as a Keeley or whatever and easy to pick up 2nd hand.

Very easy, turn turn the sustain way up and adjust the level to your purposes. It may be hard for someone that doesn't know how a compressor works to understand the attack knob, that's why I didn't give it a 10.

I love what this pedal does to my sound, it does its job very well. I find myself basically turning the sustain to the max, level around 5 and attack at 3 or 4. This gives the guitar a loud even level no matter how hard you play and when you hold a note - wow. It just keeps going, then once the string stops it transitions into feedback. You can make cool sounds by tapping on the guitar body when the sustain is running out because it has the volume up so high that it makes any little thing audible. Then if you strike a loud chord suddenly it chops it right down to the same perfect level. The compression is very smooth and clean, which is important. My bassist has really picky ears and he considers it very transparent.

So far I've tried it with a strat and a cheap epi LP through my Laney 1x12 as well as my bassist's Fender Twin. I've read that it's meant to be first in line and that seems true. Putting it after a fuzz box makes the note turn clean as it gets to the end of the sustain, which is lame. As long as it's first it pretty much makes any combination of effects sound better. It's cool that it has a footswitch, but I never really want to turn it off.

This pedal will inhibit your ability to control distortion with your guitar's volume knob, unless you put the fuzz box before the CS-2 (which creates the problem mentioned above). That's just the nature of the beast the way I see it, so it still gets a 10.

Haven't had it long enough to gauge this. I would use it without a backup because I don't have a backup and these are hard to find. I don't bring a backup for anything except the guitar, in case a string breaks.

I have other Boss pedals that lead me to trust this one. They make 'em sturdy.

I've never need it on my other Boss stuff, probably won't for this one.

I try to be critical but there's just nothing wring with this thing. I was thinking about buying a Big Muff because I played one in the shop and fell in love with the sustain. Then I came across one of these and bought it based on it's reputation, hoping it could give me the big muff sustain with more versatility. It does that, so I'm completely satisfied with it.

I play heavy pop rock which ranges into psychedelia. I've always loved David Gilmour's guitar sound on Time and this pedal can help you get there. Apparently Gilmour used a CS-2 himself.

Quite easy to use.

Good sound. Sweet. Has a nice in the middle compressor i was looking for. Heard a few that sound too dramatic, though this is more a subtle compressor that i was looking for on bass and guitar. The sustain is sweet and not overpowering usually set about 12 sounds great! Only noisy when you set the sustain over 3 o'clock. But I dont use that much excessive sustain anyway. Makes the whole pedal chain in general sound sweet and my crap epiphone axe even sounds ok through it. For a compressor it does what it should, extra attack knob is good for tone shaping variety that many other comps dont get right.

Great pedal buy one.

as with compressors takes some time and basic knowledge, but not much confusing than to use a distrotion box. If you know what you want there wont be problem.

First of all, i wanted a compressor becouse i have seen many guitarists use it. First when i tried a compressor i couldnt hear much difference. Than i decided to buy this based on the rewievs and the fact that many out there still rather buy this than the newer ones. I am happy with it, adds sustain to my sound. Evens out the string levels, wich is good, if you play undistorted notes. I havent decided which attack setting i like the most. The pedal somehow makes my sound much... well nicer. I use many other effects in my chain, but recently when the others stayed at the collage and i brought only this one to home i recognized that even in bypassed mode (its not true bypass however) my sound is clearer, more defined. Those guys in the 80s must have known something... So i am very happy with it.

as usuall, its a boss!

I play mainly alternativ music, grunge, some pink floyd. It really helps. Its not a pedal to use all the time, but can balance the strings if you play clear notes. Can boost distrotion pedals, and makes my modulation effects sound greater. After my eq pedal and my proco rat probably this will my 3rd favorite pedal.

It didn't take long to find the exact tone I was looking for. That sweet plasma-like wave. I messed with the knobs for about half an hour until I realized how SWEET this thing sounded with the Sustain at 3 o'clock and really low Level and Attack. I bought it used so I never got a manual or anything...

This thing is amazing! Quality? First night I got it home I was bending out 5 minute solos during Scentless Apprentice; I was pulling down some incredible sounds with a 2006 MIM Strat.

Same construction as my DS-1. It'll probably outlive me.

Good luck finding one nowadays. I got lucky finding mine; and I looked for almost a month. These things are only going to go up in value. The CS-2 blows, the CS-3--which I played at Guitar Center first, before I bought the CS-2--sounds decent enough but isn't nearly as "organic" sounding as the CS-2.

three knobs, level, attack, sustain...

I like to use a compressor, it evens out the highs and lows and adds sustain and.. with the right amp and gear it's awesome... it's just become part of my rig.. i almost always use it, almost .. i've tried a few and i like the ibanez cp-9 .. simple straight forward but "just a bit" on the lite side and i like the dyna-comp but if you change anything around you'll spend alot more time making adjustments to the dyna-comp too- i don't want to spend the $'s on a boutique pedal. THIS CS-2 made in japan (not reissued) is straight forward like the CP-9 but stronger a little lighter than the dyna comp but sooo EZ to set it and forget it no fussing which i get enough of at home... i use tube amps, mostly fender, but imho you should get at least one of these on ebay while they can be had for less than c-note - it's a 10 for what it is.... a production pedal - not boutique - i've played the cs-3 too which are not bad in their own right i prefer these though IMHO

dependable

never needed em

great value

pretty easy to find a good sound. good head room to reach unity

its a one trick pony. sounds a lot like a ross but with an attack knob.
loads of sustain, plenty of squish, a hint of distortion. harmonics just pop out while notes and chords sustain.
also sounds cool on neck pick up doing jazzy stuff.

not my only boss from the 80s. still tickn....

who needs support? its so easy to use and never breaks. if you need support its not the pedals fault.

aka- user error

aka- riding the short buss

been playing 25 years owned and tested lots of comps.
this is the top comp; so slick and smooth.
i play rock; loud ear bleeding music.
great for punching out a solo with an over drive
no hum and hiss
i always come back to the cs2. why did boss ever stop making it?

little bit of tweaking but not rocket science

does great country tones and rock tones
david gilmour, vince gill, and the edge all use this pedal
its a classic

we should all know about boss' rep for reliability

would have to replace it if it were lost or stolen.
very little hum and hiss compared to other comps
lots of sustain and squish
gets a little bit gritty and colored, but in a good way
very musical. it really breaths with your playing

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.

25% simpler than a CS-3 (no tone knob!), just level, attack and sustain. What more do you need for a compressor?

I can't fault it, seriously. Used a CS-3, a Marshall ED-1 and various other rack units over the years. This is the best guitar compressor I have come across. Never tried a CS-1 (heard they are good too), but the CS-2 seems near-perfect to me. Very musical, with more character than the CS-3 but less intrusive than the ED-1 for example. The guitar tone seems be brought to life by the CS-2. OK, it may color the tone slightly, but in a good way! I set all controls to about 2'oclock generally...

Quiet in operation too. If you like a more transparent compression you may prefer the blandness of a CS-3 or a decent rack unit, but I am completely sold on it. I use a Strat and a beat up old tube amp and it helps the whole rig to sing, I have to give it a 10.

20 years old and still going strong. Taken a few knocks without breaking sweat.

No experience. Bought used (and maybe 20 years old) so not gonna happen...

If the CS-2 got broken, lost or stolen I would have to find another one. Would be bad news since used CS-2's are getting more expensive as folk realise they are better than the CS-3.

I love what the CS-2 does for my Strat and I truly don't know how it could be improved, but I'll give it a 9 overall - there must be room for improvement somewhere...

The Boss CS-2 Compression pedal is very easy to use and I found that once I had a good setting I just left it there. Uncomplicated and self-explanatory controls.

I tried many other compressors and nothing compared to this unit, not even rack mount stuff. This is my favorite and must versatile pedal. I was influenced by artists like Talking Heads, Andy Sommmers and Adrian Belew and was trying to achieve that tight compressed, driving kind of sound that could float on top of the band sound. Also, I played many guitar parts written for electric guitar and that used a smaller portion of the guitar's range. These parts sounded thin alone but fit in with the band great and occupied less space. The CS-2 was essential in enabling me to make this approach stand out. In conjunction, I used a wah-wah and a Rat distortion all played on a Strat through a Roland Jazz Chorus 120 (now a Marshall Valvestate). I found that once I had the setting I wanted, I never moved the switches. The CS-2 was also such a part of my sound that I almost never turned it off. The CS-2 can also provide a little bit of distortion which can really give a cool edge to your clean sound if you want it.

The metal case is great and (other than a lost knob) this pedal lasted forever. Boss does not make them anymore so I bought one whenever I saw it. I now have two. I also tried the CS-3 (with one extra knob) once in my life and I was surprised by how poor it was, it did not come close to doing what the CS-2 did for sustain, punchiness and tone enhancement.

Quite easy. Attack nob abit weird...

JCM800, 52 Telecaster, Les Pul Custom, junior, Ibanez. I am a pedal collector. I have ross compressers, Dyna comp, oranger squessers and many more. It is noisey, since it is a comppresser.It is not the nicest comppreser I have but IS the most versitile and the one I use moth. I used to have a cs-3. That was total crap compared to this. This has less sustain BUT it is much more natural, well made and MUCH creamer and smoother than the newer one. If you see one, buy it!! They are cheap! Unfortunately, this alre always 2nd hand because they are not made anymore. I must say although the ross adn orange squeeser sounds better, they are not as practicle and is more for recording than live work. I always have 2 comppressors ready, with different settings. David Gilmour had/has one on his board, along with his Dyna Comp. It is useful for boosting clean signals of Single coil guitars. Works BEST with my telecaster!

It is a boss pedal and they ARE pretty tough, not as tough as some others though. Nobs a remuch better than cs-3. I do have backups though.

//

I play alternative stuff. Lots of classic rock too! I collect colorsound pedals and ANYTHING that is good sounding. If it was stolen, I will go and find another one. I love it cause it is sso easy to get a good tone from it and it is so versitile. It is more used live, as I said. The ross and others are harder to set up and I just find them not so comfortable to use live. These are also made in JAPAN, not Taiwan, therefore better made. The values of these will also go up!

3-knobs compressor - the best one.

I use it with my ESP J-5 bass - and it is really good. I put attack and sustain to the maximum and get a slightly distorted and very bright sound which suits my aggressive style. The harded I beat the bass the better the sound. It's almost always on - and the best result is with slap. Nothing to compare with limiters/enhancers. There's a bit of noise out of it, but I used it on two studio albums and in the end it was okay.

It survived more live gigs and studio sessions than any other pedal I've got and I never had any complaints about it. I use it with AC adapter.

never needed one.

If you're a bassist I woul deffinetly recomend this thing. It's more useful with metal, funk or rock than with ethnic or blues stuff. I think I've got this effect for something like 7 years, and it's my favourite pedal. I wish it could have a cool looks - like danelectro or something. But I love it anyway.

Three knobs and a footswitch!

The compression on this pedal is alright. It is almost completely noiseless and has an OK sound. And then you go and turn the sustain level up. This brings on SO MUCH excessive noise and also distorts the tone. It does sustain a hell of a long time, but this brings the sound quality way down.

This pedal was enclosed in strong metal case.

This pedal is fairly good. There a lot of CRAPPY compressors out there on the market, and this one is not that bad. Be careful with that sustain, Ugene.

three knobs, not much to it.

I bought this to replace the comp I was using on a korg multi-unit.
Mainly to get more sustain from my g&l strat which it does very well.
I tried it next to an old (pink) ibanez comp and also the boss cs-3.
The ibanez seemed hotter, but the cs-2 seemed to be warmer. Both
really made string sqeaking annoying.The cs-3 has a tone circuit/pot
which I didn't like and one I tried was clicking and pumping to beat
the band.Of the three the beat-up old cs-2 was my fav although it's not
quite as snappy as what I was using.I play through a silver Twin and I
also might mention this pedal does wonders for the ps-2; ts-10;
makes my strat almost as smooth as the jr/P90's.

Seems if it ain't dead yet-by the looks of it, it can't be killed. I put a new battery clip on it directly.

Good for any true-tone sustain improvement, recommended for strat players.

Very easy to use.It takes about two minutes without the manual to figure it out.3 knobs:Level,Attack and Sustain.

I'm a country player primarily.I run my Fender Esquire with Seymour Duncan Nashville Studio pickups through the compressor and various other pedals(TubeScreamer,Delay ect.) and into a Fender Hot Rod DeVille(4x10).This pedal sounds great!Although it doesn't seem to have as much gain as the newer CS-3,it's much quieter and doesn't squash your tone as much.It makes your notes pop out while adding a warmth to the tone that I like.Since I'm into chicken pickin' I keep the attack cranked,the sustain halfway and adjust the level accordingly.The only thing bad is this pedal may be hard to find and repairs might be a problem since Boss quit making this pedal in the '80s.

Very reliable but it's getting older.I carry a CS-3 for backup.

It might be hard to get support or repairs since Boss doesn't make this one anymore.

I've been touring proffesionaly for over a year with this pedal.The only problem I had was a dirty switch that was easily cured with some contact cleaner.I'd buy another one if I lost it.

Fairly self-explanatory knobs. The fact that you have to plug in the input jack to test it can be a hassle.

Well I tried running an acoustic guitar through it the other night and it sounded very distorted at medium sustain and level settings. A really awful sound. But I've gotten good sounds out of it with electrics and bass guitar in the past. Not the most natural sounding pedal though.

Well I have ALWAYS had a problem with the switch. When I step on it I never knew if it would catch or not.
The thing's more than 10 years old. Now every time I go to a gig I can't get the thing to work at all. I can get it to work at home sometimes. And yes I am plugging into it first.
In both aspect, my Ibanez delay pedal seems more reassuring, though it's not as old.

n/a

Overall, it's hard to me to guarantee getting a good sound out of this thing in a live situation, due to noise and due to my problems getting it to work now.

Simple. 3 knobs for Level, Attack, and Sustain. The effects of the knobs are pretty obvious.

Good overall tone. Not too noisy unless you crank up the level or the Sustain. I've owned both the CS-2 and the CS-3. I find the CS-3 a little more flexible (it seems to offer more sustain too), but the CS-2 is a little more musical. It doesn't "kick" on like the CS-3 does at high sustain settings. The level can be tough to set b/c what is good for single note lines makes chords too soft, and if you set it right for chords, it's way too loud for solo stuff.

I've owned a bunch of Boss pedals and never had a problem.

Overall a good compressor. As I said, the CS-2 and CS-3 are similar but each has advantages over the other. I only like to use compressors on an occassional basis, especially for clean country-like stuff. For chord work, etc. it feels like you're playing a marshmallow...

There are three knobs; level, attack, and sustain. You just need a couple of minutes to get acquinted with what the sustain and attack controls do, after that it's a breeze

I just got it and I use it first in the signal chain going from a Fender Strat through an old Thomas Organ Crybaby, Danelectro Cool Cat, a modified TS-5 in boost position, and a Yardbox into a Mesa Subway Blues. The pedal definately made my overall sound better - better sustain on lead work and more clarity when playing cords. All compressors are a little bit noisy, but this one is on the less-noise end of the spectrum.

I am not a big fan of Boss pedals, but I do know they are reliable. This is probably a mid-eighties model and it still holds up. Hell, it even looks like new. I would certainly gig it without backup (be sure to bring batteries).

The padal is at least 10 years old and was made in Japan. Roland does not manufacture its pedals there anymore. I really doubt that they would respond to a specific problem related to this unit.

I love playing a mixture of blues, jazz, and progressive rock, and the compressor surely adds to my tone. It gets more defined. I compared it to the newer CS-3 and to me the CS-2 sounded clearer, the sustain was smoother, and it was overall more balanced. I like the MXR Dynacomp as well as the Ibanez CP-9. This one will be a part of my rig, but it might be complemented with any of the two other pedals mentioned. I would probably buy it again if it was stolen. It doesn't really matter to me, but David Gilmour has one of these in his rig.

The pedal is easy to use. The trick is to to think about how you want to incorporate the pedal into your sound. It has 3 knobs- level, sustain, and attack. It work in your advantage if you do not like to to be "over e-qeud".

I use it with 5 other boss pedal going through a Tele or Les Paul into a JC-120 or a Fender Twin reverb. It is not a very noisy pedal. If you have your levels set right and you have correct gounding. I tend to like a hard compressed sound of English bands. The main purpuse I have for the pedal is to balance the volume of the strings because i tend to arpeggiate alot like say Johnny Marr of the Smiths. This pedal also makes flanges, phases and choruses thicher.

The thing has not konked out on me. I also would go with out a backup. The only thing I am afraid of going wrong is say the battery going out on me.

I cannot stand dealing with Roland. That's why I would rather buy their used stuff--In my right mind, if I can help it , I couldn't give them another dollar for the way they have treated me and one of my friends.

I heard David Gilmour used one. That was almost evidence enough for me to check it out. I would buy it again if it was stolen. The only other compressor that I like was the old MXR dyna comp. those are the best old compressors, in my opinion.