Boss CS-3 Compressor Sustainer

Easy to use if you don't overdo it.

Produces a good sound as long as you don't go overboard with the attack and sustain. The stock pedal sounds so so, but it can easily be modded to sound killer. I did it, thanks to Brian Wampler, and this is always on my pedal board. The Les Paul sounds so much fatter with this, as though I really needed that!

I'm only giving it a 9 because it sounds great only after mod, otherwise it is so-so.

Built solid.

Never used.

Great compressor IF you have it modded. Otherwise it kills the bass. I'm happy with it, won't sell it. I'm giving a 9 because it needs some effort on your part to make it sound nice (modding).

Try to understand what it's made for/what the use of the knobs is and you'll be fine.
Try different settings to find your own satisfying sound. It might take a little while...

I think this pedal sounds great. I play death metal with a lot of distortion and with the CS-3 between my guitar and amp it makes a lot of difference. It makes my sound less muddy and makes the dist. a bit more defined. The sound of the amp comes out a bit clearer.
It is noisy but I use a noise gate and it works excellent.
!! Set the gain on the level that makes the sound OK for you > then put the CS-3 before your distortion with the following settings: level 6/7, tone 5, attack 4, sustain 6/7. This will make a difference! but you have to crank your sound/put the volume up !!! (otherwise it will not work)
I use a Marshall Dsl 100 tube amp

uhhh built like a tank
I play many live gigs and it will never break down.

It really makes my sound better and even with a huge distortion like I play with. I want my sound to be tight and awesome and without muddy s*#. I love that it pushes my amps sound a little bit further into something I'd call "oooooww yeaaaahhhhhh"

IMPORTANT ! >>> If you use it on low volume it will not sound good enough !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and get a noise gate)

Mine is a Humphrey Audio version.
Dead easy to use too. The tone is active and adds to the gain of the pedal. The attack is subtle and just right for guitar.

He's here:

http://humphrey.4.googlepages.com/humphreyaudiopedalmods

Great sound quality compared to the mundane and noisy stock version.

I use an EJ strat, a PRS, a John Suhr classic, and an old ES 35 Gibby.
I'm currently playing through a Mesa Roadster 4 channel tube amp.

I use all Humphrey Audio pedals now.
His modded GCB-95 wah, this compressor, Humphrey home made Tranni-Booster, Humphrey Modded Boss MT-2, and a 'Badder' Monkey for low drive tones.

Happier than ever with my live tone. ELATED!!

I depend on this gear, and it's largely bulletproof.
I gig without backups currently.

Not a problem dealing with him at all.
He answered all questions and emails promptly and to my satisfaction.

I Play primarily high production Blues-Rock stuff.
The gear I currently use is perfect for what I do.
I have a pretty good collection of old stomp boxes and guitars.
Humphrey is modding my old pedals a few at a time for me, so I can play them at home and in the studio. It's great to have them sound better than ever, and perfor more quietly as well.

If any of my Humphrey Audio equipment were lost or stolen, I'd do whatever it took to get them replace with the same exact pedals ASAP!
I really don't care to use anything else.
I've played and/or owned most of the funky expensive 'Boo-Teek' stuff. No thanks. I have my very own pedal guy just an email away.
What could be better than that?

It`s simple like it should be, it`s a stompbox!

Well, when i was bying this thing I wonted to make my sound a little biger then it is, but trust me, if you have a good tube amp you really don`t need this thing. If your in possession of a some week tranzistor you`ll need this to get a good distortion and fat clean out of your amp. But again if you have a tube amp it will crash your tone.It dosen`t make any noise or enything like that but it wont do any good for it as well. So I`ll give it 2 when running with tube amp and I`ll give it 8 when running with tranzistor small power amp.

You can depend on this box. It`s built like a tank. Never failed me(used on gigs,home etc).

Don`t know, never had to deal with them.

I play all kind of different stuff, mainly heavy. Like I said before when I was running it thruogh a tranzistor it did a good job, but when I get a powerfull tube it sounded crapy and really disturbed my tone.My advise: get your ass to your local music center and try it out on a gear simillar to yours it will do the best.

This review is for the "modded" Humphrey Audio "Atom Smasher" used on a bass guitar rig. I've always thought the CS-3 was a good pedal and pretty easy to use (keep the sustain between 10 & 11 o'clock and you're good to go). The modded version is just as easy and gives you some versitility as well.

The original CS-3 does "slightly" color your tone, especially on the lower notes. For the duribility, price, and convience of a pedal, I feel it's worth it. With the modded version your tone is not compromised what-so-ever. I ran the pedal in front of an Ampeg SVT-3 pro with two 4 x 10 cabinets and more recently with the same head but two Ampeg classic series 1 x 15 cabinets. I'm running a 72 p-bass into it.

I use it without a back up. Long term I don't know. I do trust that if I did have problems Humphrey Audio would be more than accomidating.

The guy just does this on the side from what I'm told. He imediately answered all of my questions in much detail. Everyone I've talked to speaks very highly of him.

The CS-3 is a very good pedal on its own (I'd rate it a 7) The "mods" done to it by Humphrey Audio make it great (10). The guy that does it is only a couple of hours away and I'd heard some positive things about him already with his "mods". Since this is the one pedal/effect I use it was worth taking a chance. I am very happy I did.

Put me down as another 'Humphrey Audio' modded CS-3 user.
It kicks the crap out of the stock ones.

I read the review before this one.
The guys himself told about all the problems with the stock ones, then thinks they're the same as modded. He NEVER tried a modded one, I can tell you that!

I found GREAT tone in 30 seconds, and use all my guitars with mine.
THAT'S the difference!!

VERY naive to think BOSS would spend the money to build stock versions as good as modded version as long as there are people buying the stock ones. 90% of all pedal sales are to 16 year old rookies who don't know the difference. For the ones who DO know the differences there are companies like 'Humphrey Audio' who fix the problems.

BOSS is NOT going to put a ton of cash into higher end componants as long as the rookies are giving them stacks of money for their same ol' same ol'.

My stock one is largely un usable. This modded one lives in by setup.
NO noise, and I get TONE for days. It pulls the tone from my amps and guitars where they were lacking before, especially when performing at lower volumes.

It's the dream comp!

I use mainly PRS guitars and Les Pauls through many different amps depending on the call.

Don't forsee any problems, however I did buy a spare from Humphrey.
I play live everywhere from large venues to the Talk show circuit as an artists support player. I have a spare EVERYTHING!!

Humphrey is great!
Great emails and the product is beyond what I expected.

Jazz, rock, blues, all of it. That's what I play at over 300 dates per year. I wouldn't be without this comp.
I chose this one because Humphrey Audio has gained a great reputation among the players I know. I'd given up on compressors completely until this one.

First off OMG these reviews are lame. Here is the truth:

If a mod was better than the original Boss would have copied it and made it better, nuf said.

It took about 16 frustrating hours to find the right setting as a general tone enhancer.

Both clean and dirty tones are left mostly intact while attack and sustain are greatly improved.

Noisy? ROTFL With a pro rig it adds no audible noise what so ever.

On my fender guitar/amp it's always on for clean, overdriven, and dirty.

Level 75%
Tone 50%
Attack 0%
Sustain 20%

No other usefull settings were found.

Boss is a quality manufacturer. I only had one Boss effect fail DD-5 and I bought another right away.

My strat and tele rigs will never again be without it. It's an absolute necessity for Funk, Country, Spanish, and many other music styles.

Like all compressors if over adjusted bad players can sound a little better.

Cons:
1. Little use for it with a Les Paul.
2. Hurts bluestones except for plain clean styles.
3. No significant improvement with speed metal.
4. Parameter Adjustments are unnecessarily extreme.


I you already have a good tone this will definitely improve it.

I have 20+ years experience.... bla, bla, bla.

Mine's not a factory Boss pedal.
It's a Humphrey Audio Refurb I bought off their store on eBay.

DEAD EZ to get great tones from. The stock pedal is a doorstop compared to this one. Just amazing!!

I can get a GREAT 'Dire Straits' tone with the amp set clean, and with it in front of my drive pedals my tone is dimensional and straight off a CD clearand punchy.
No way the stock CS-3 can do this. NO WAY!!!

I play Fender Strats old and new, got a couple old Teles, a PRS Santana, a Gibson Firebird, an SG,....you get the picture. Pretty much all are high end guitars custom tweaked by a pro tech.

My main amp of late has been a Carr Mercury for studio or club jobs,
I also have a Budda Twin Master head through a Genz-Benz 4x12 cab.
I have a mass collection of amps, but these are my working mans amps. For Larger stages where I need the headroom I use a Fender Tonemaster head through an EV loaded Marshall Tweed reissue cab.

I use this compressor ALWAYS!! It lives in my rig. No way would I be doing this with any other compressor.

Boss Build with Humphrey Audio Tweaks inside. I'm NOT afraid!

I bought this pedal from Mark Humphrey back in December of 05.
I stil;l email him at least once a week to dicuss tone techniques.
He's a brain for tone, and an incredible player too from what the homies here in town tell me.

He's beyond customer service. He's my go-to guy!!

I play SRV Stye blues, Jeff beck, Clapton, etc.
I also play Modern country progressive, and just a TON of other styles.
Been at it 25 years.
I have a list of guitars and amps that goes for days. This compressor helps them to be all they can be.
I Love everything about this pedal. I've tried/owned every other compressor on the market including Diamond, Martin, Barber, Vintage Ross, etc. This one KICKS BOOTY on them all.
One thing I wish it has is a control to make me a better Jazz player. LOL!!

It's a truly inspiring pedal to say the least.

First of all, this one is a Humphrey Audio Modified version.

5humphrey@charter.net or Humphreyaudio mods store on eBay.

It KILLS the stock Boss one. (Did I mention it KILLS the stock version?)

Okay,.......Easy to use because Humphrey has added so much rsponse to the controls. You CANNOT get this version to sound bad!

This Humphrey Audio version doesn't have the shortcomings of the stock version. There's no squish out of my tone, NO HISS, and he got rid of that clacky attack thing. Also the 'HIGH' control is centered at a much sweeter spot and I need alot less of the 'SUSTAIN' to get what I need from this pedal.
There's nothing I don't like about it as much as I HATE to see these reviews with '10' on every heading.
Also the Honeymoon factor is out for me because I've had this one for 7 months. I continue to love it!

I can get the sound af about any artist, and that comes in handy because I'm a professiona Nashville sideman and I never know when I may need to get those tones. This compressor is always a part of my sound too.
A rundown of my stage guitars would include:

Three Fender telecasters standard tuned. They are a 1960 and a 1967 model.
Two Fender Telecasters Eb tuned. One is a 90's American Std, one is a Custom Glaser Tele.

Four Fender Strats. One is Eb, one if F tuned, one is slack G for slide, one is standard tuned. They are 1967, 1972, 1984 and 2001 models respectively.

A custom Glaser Long Horn Bari guitar.

1976 Les Paul Custom
1980 Les Paul Std
1980 Gibson SG std.
2001 PRS custom
2004 PRS Eb tuned.

Amps I use are Two Fender Black Faced Twin issues one year old.
Dr Z MAZ 18 JR 210 combo
Egnater TOL 100
Dr Z Stangray Head through Z-Best cabs.

It's a BOSS frame and I DO NOT doubt the man who's been inside of it performing his miracles.
I have 6 Humphrey Audio Modded pedals. ZERO troubles whatsoever.
Oh BOY!!! I've gotta' put another '10' here too!

He answers emails about tone and rig questions I've had and has supported all my purchases with quick answers that work.
Customer Support is an understatement. Kind and helpfull, DEFINATELY.

I play Old and new country, hard rock, classic rock, Bluesrock and trad blues, Texas blues, and whatever I'm hired to do.

As mentioned earlier I use six different Humphrey Audio Modded pedals on my main board.
This Compressor
His DigiTech BADDER Monkey
His 'BADDER BASS' Monkey for my Bari Guitar
The DOD 'SUPRA HUMP' modded distortion
His BOSS SLO-DIEZEL Boss MT-2 (Oh MAN!!!)
An Ibanez TS9 he converted to an 808 and did ther tweaks I wanted to it. Again, OH MAN!!!
and last but not least a Transistor Mini Booster he built for me which stays on almost ALL the time.

I've had all the expensive stuff,...sorry...Can't see it. Not when the Humphrey stuff is priced the way it is and the quality is ALL there. It's also nice to actually talk to the guy that sells, mods, or builds my pedals.

Yep, another '10' here.

Its pretty easy to dial in nice tone. Dont have manual, coz i bought 2nd hand

I sound like 'ME' haha :D

I like it coz i can scoop out my sound, and especially when i play clean, mann i love it, i can hear the pristine sound thru my amp

yes, it is a bit noisy. Im planning to buy BOSS NOISE SUPPRESOR hopefully next week. But hey! i gotta sacrifice a few bucks to get good tone right? hehahehe

I use my peavey valveking 212 combo thru this thing. Sounds great.

Yeah , i can depend on it.

In fact, i accidentally drop this and it still working hehehe

I play metal, pop, rock, alternative ala nirvana, pearljam, smashing pumpkins etc.

Been playing for 13 years, own peavey valveking 212 combo, ibanez sz520 with EMG81 on the bridge, Yamaha AES620, Godin freeway classic. My fx chain: GUITAR --> BOSS CS3(COMPRESSOR) --> DIGITECH BAD MONKEY (OD) --> BOSS GE7 --> MXR PHASE90 --> BOSS DD3 --> AMP

just love this thing, i paid 2nd hand and its still good

this review is for the MONTE ALLUMS 'OPTO' modification which i performed on this pedal. without this modification i think the boss CS-3 is not a very good pedal. i would only give it 6 out of 10 without the modification, but 9 out of 10 with the modification. i wouldnt give it 10 out of 10 with the modification as there is still some noise remaining when you turn up all the knobs on the pedal, but it's nothing to worry about and not too noticeable.

i got a boss CS-3 pedal and at first i didnt like it at all. i use a marshall all valve 50 watt amp combo (a JCM 900), and before the modification the boss CS-3 through this amp just didnt really do anything. it was also noisy (hissy) when i turned up the knobs to max. so i looked around the internet and noticed a guy called MONTE ALLUMS was offering a modification to this pedal, ..by swapping some components in the pedal for some better quality ones, allegedly a nicer pedal could be born. i did the modification and am blown away, the pedal is really great now. now when i turn up all the knobs on the pedal when i am using the clean channel on my marshall amplifier (but not too clean, i have some very mild distortion) i get a really fat rich kind of slightly 'overdriven/distorted' tone. it sounds really kind of 'analog and valvey' and not a modern thin digital sound. it is NOT a nasty over the top overclipped sound either. when i play my guitar now (a gibson SG) through my marshall amp with this pedal it basically sounds much 'hotter', my strings are much more sensitive (great for pull offs), and i get much more sustain and more attack. it sounds like my guitar is on fire its great. someone like angus young of AC/DC when he played live, hit his strings really hard to get that really hot screaming sound, but this pedal does it for me so i dont have to play like a maniac which is great. i love this pedal now after the monte allums modification, but if i didnt do the modification i would throw it out the window (or to be more accurate, pass it on to some other sucker via ebay).

seems fine so far. it's blue, ..wish it was black. i like black =] im going to add a toggle on/off switch to the casing connected to the battery so that i can turn the battery on and off without having to unplug the guitar leads from the pedal every time i finish a practice (in order to stop the battery from being drained overnight!)

i dont really like Boss because they use cheaper components in their pedals to make more profit and dont care about the people =]

Boss, we have to modify your pedals in order to make them sound how they should have sounded in the first place.

it's just a few better quality components needed. i doubt it would add on more than $5 to their pedal build cost. And the difference in sound for these few extra better quality components is PRICELESS.

it was fun doing the monte allums modification to my pedal (i like electronics a lot) and hearing the end result really puts a smile on your face. so for the adventureous out there, go and modify your pedal. this probably sounds like some kind of plug for monte allums but i assure you i dont know him (im just someone in England UK who ordered the modification kit from him online based in USA). basically im really happy with the modification, so i am happy to give him a good review here. awesome stuff.

Count me in on the list of users who bought this pedal modified from Humphrey Audio 'Atom Smasher'. The stock one is not even a shadow of this one. Contact them at 5humphrey@charter.net

All the complaints of the reviewers who say the BOSS CS-3 "Hisses like hell!" Detroys tone, etc are right on the mark. The stock version is a waste of time, However the Humphrey Audio Modded ones take it clear to the other side of the scale where you'd be hard pressed to find a better comp and probably 3-$400 dollars poorer even if you COULD!

DEAD easy to find your tone. you cannot make it sound bad, and it'll also do the Clean Boost thing VERY well.
The stock manuals were included with my Humphrey Audio Atom Smasher. I bought a new one, but he also offers used refurbished ones, both are on eBay.

I'm mainly a Strat guy, but I also have a Gibson Fire Bird, a Les Paul Classic, and an older Gibson SG, and a fleet of various Strats.
My stage amps are:

Carr Mercury
Dr Z Stangray head and Z best 4x12 cabinet
Dr Z Carmen Ghia Head and Z best 4x12 cabinet
Fender Blackeface Twin Reissue

I use a variety of effects depending on the job, but this comp stays in my chain no matter what. I could pull off most any gig with the atom Smasher and maybe one drive pedal with little problems ate all.

The noise is gone afgter Humphrey worls these things over, anf the warmth is outstanding!
This comp also backs my low and medium overdrive pedals VERY well. I found a whole ne Pallet of tones with my amps AND effects because of this compressor.

I have no worries about this comp. Boss's design and Humphreys handy work leave little to worry about.

Humphrey built me an extra one because I do use a backup pedal board that is a scaled down version of my main board. I hook it through an ABY switch just in case I lose my signal on the main board. I do this for Live television gigs or any event where losing my signal even for a moment wcould be a disaster.

Mark Humphrey did everything but come out on the road and hook this up himself. I also had alot of other gear questions once I figured out that he knew his stuff about live gear, and he helped change my stuff around MUCH for the better. Things like putting my Wah before the Compressor to chop the ear piercing peaks off, and putting my volume pedal AFTER the compressor to get a full sound even when the volume opedal is barely on at all. Also I've turned my drive down on my low overdrive pedals and let the compressor carry them, just stuff like that.
VERY helpful.
I learned about Mark through other musician I met out here. Glad I know him.

I play anything I get hired to do basically.
I've been a professional payer since 1980 and have sided with many artists and guested on many recordings, etc. This is what I do 7 days a week. I love everything about this compressor. I learned about it through Lanice Morrison who plays with Michael MacDonald.

I'd buy it again without thinking about it. I've been using compression for 30 years and hated it. This one is what compression should be like.
Hats off to Humphrey Audio. Every Time I step down on this pedals I know it's going to be a good day.

Four knobs and a little bit of twiddling, one should get a good tone from it,while all actually depends on the right sound that you want. Generally, you can get pristine sounds from this thing, from weak, bright to loud...and mine is to get the loud and crunchy punch. Sweet.

I use a standard tele/tele tex-mex to a CS 3>OD-3>GE-7>proco rat2>Moogerfooger stagephaser>EH Pulsar>DD-5>Line6 Verbzilla>Line6 DL-4>Roland JC amp.I have to say, this is a tricky pedal, you can get tonal enhancements (or vice versa) fr it, but it could be a little noisemaker as well, especially when used with single coil guitars which is frankly, predictable. If this is a problem 4 all u singlecoilers, i suggest getting your guitar shielded first. The great thing is that i previously used this to act as a mild overdrive before i got my od 3 and my rat.It really worked the crunch here. Personally, the knobs are kinda sensitive especially the sustain knob. Thats where all the unnecessary noise come from. My favourite setting for this would be 'level' at 3oclock, 'tone' at 2oclock and 'attack' slightly past 3 o'clock. 'Sustain' knob is set just a little past 12. Noise from this setting is tolerable, at least for me.

Some call it tank, some call it rocket...unfortunately, i had my power input screwed up within a month...so i fed it with batteries. Cheap batteries is a no no for this pedal, it will eat it up like there's no tomorrow. So use alkaline batts at least or get an adaptor.

Never

I play anything from indie rock, psychedelica, downtempo, to shoegaze.Ive been playing for about 10 years and this pedal well, serves its purpose just okay. Its does its job in compression and could well be handy in recording in a studio. Its pretty cool that this could help you to get the 'bitier' tone...but just it does not sound very natural to me although for the price (cant remember, but it was a bargain, this ones an absolute keeper.Should it be stolen or lost, i would not get another, i'll definately try other comp/sustainers around, hoping it will offer less hiss of course

Easy to use. I use mine for a door stop as it is useless otherwise due to the noise.

Noisy. With the level above 10:00 o'clock, it hisses like hell. Lower on the level it sucks out the volume and tone.

Sure. The door never moves.

Don't know. Never called them.

I haven't purchased a replacement brand and probably won't. I was trying this out to relieve some of the compression in my tube amps. I like it quiet though. This thing destroys volume and tone.

Mine is also a Humphrey Audio modded version at the advice of reviews here on HC, and also after reading an article on one of my alltime favorite players who uses Humphrey Audio Pedals.

Easy to use by all means. Just a GREAT compressor after Mark Humphrey is finished with it. You can contact them at 5humphrey@msn.com

Mark doesn't have a website because he's a pro musician and doesn't want to have more work that he can handle and still be worth a crap on stage. LOL!! (His words.)

Seriuosly I tried to hook him up with our web guy, but he doesn't want to sacrifice his quality and customer service for quantity by being overrun. If everyone were in their right minds and knew about him, he would be overrun right now.

My guitars are:
Charvel Model 5
Ibanez JEM 777
Ibanez RG550
1976 Gibson Les Paul Standard
1966 Fender Telecaster
1986 Fender American Std. Strat

I play through a Fender Tone Master Head w/4x12 cab
a Marshall JTM 45 reissue
a Fender 65 Blackface Twin reissue
Dr z MAZ 38 2x12 combo

The compressor sound pristine with all guitars and amps I have.
They took out the hiss and this thing has GREAT bass response too.

I've had mine for around 2 months and gig with it 3 times a week minimum.
I don't forsee any problems.

I sent Mark Humphrey a bunch of emails over the past 6 months. He answers all of them in depth.
You can tell he's really a tone freak and meticulous.

He modded my BOSS SD-1 and my BOSS Metal zone pedals and they turned out absolutely great! He built me a booster pedal also, and it's just perfect. It sounds expensive, it's hi-fi and quiet, and kills the one I spent almost 200 bucks on.

If something ever happened to any of these pedals I'm certain he'd hook me up, no problem.

The wait is no long at all to recieve the pedals. MUCH quicker than any of the custom shops I ordered from previously.

I play Heavy rock, metal, and other variuos types of music.

I've been playing 17 years, and have owned TONS of gear.
If any of my Humphrey pedals were lost or stolen, I'd call Mark crying to replace them ASAP.

I have zero complaints about his gear. It just fits my tone and my other gear. HUGE Bang for the buck.

This review is NOT for the stock version of this pedal, but rather for the Humphrey Audio modified version, which takes all that is wrong with this comp and removes it leaving behind the compressor you always wanted.

Very easy to use, super easy to find great tones, especially after I had Humphrey Audio modify mine.

CONTACT HUMPHREY AUDIO:
5humphrey@charter.net

Do yourself a BIG favor. He'll sell you a new or used modded one, or he'll do yours.

The stock version of this pedal gets about a 5 because of all the noise and coloration. The Humphrey Audio version gets a 10 because all of that goes away. I sold My Barber Tone ress, My Carl Martin, My compulator, all GONE!! The Humphrey Audio 'Atyom Smasher' boss compressor just eats em'!!

This is not my first Humphrey Audio pedal. I have his DigiTech 'BADDER Monkey' his DOD Supra SCREAMER Supra distortion which BTW is a complete piece of crap stock, and an incredible distortion once Humphrey gets through with it. I also have his BOSS DD5 analog modded delay, and a modded DOD 'Grunge No More' Grunge pedal, another completely terrible useless pedal until Humphrey does his magic to it. Now it puts out a 'Boston' tone which I can't stay away from.

Anyways,...never had a problem with any of them, and I have them al in doubles, one set on my touring rig in the belly of the bus, and one set on a 'Grab and Go' pedal board in case I get a studio or gig call when I'm off the road.

He answers every email, and is always full of helpful suggestions.
He's a pro player also, and he cares about my tone and my gear as if it were his own.

I play Blues, Rock, Country, just about anything.
I get put in some very low volume situations at times, and this compressor makes my rig stand up as if I were doing stadium work. Also I get on the big stages where I can open it up a little more, and I use this comp the same way there too.

I've been a prefessional player for almost 30 years, and have always either owner, or rented high end amplifiers. I do have some crappy little practice amps which I just heven't let go over the years, and this comp makes them sound awesome too.
Humphrey has built me two of these, and I have two more coming. I intend to throw together 2 more small Grab-and-go pedalboards. One for the studio, and one in case I get a call to play and my main gear is still on the bus.


If I lost this comp or it became stolen or missing, I'd call on Humphrey to make me another one right away.


What I love most about this compressor is that it REALLY does NOT mess with the tone of my guitars and amplifiers like other comps do.
It's so much more quiet that a stock CS3, and it carries a TON of warm low end. It makes my amplified tone tight.


What I hate about this comp is that it made all my other comps pale in comparrison. I initially bought it as an alternative compressor to what I already owned. The others are all gone now. The 'ATOM SMASHER' kicks their butts!


This guy does a ton of other mods, and the ones I own which he did are staying on my main pedal board, period. I plan to purchase more of his modded pedal in the future.

It has four knobs aready decribed a 100 times. I set them all straight up pretty much. I've had it about four years now. I saw a guitar player with a tele and a Peavey Classic 30 and it sounded pretty good. I talked to him on his break at a gig. He said the secret was the compressor. He picked it up when he went to Nashville. He said all the tele guys use them. Well I picked one up, and have been using one ever since. There is something about that squish sound and a tele that just go together.

My setup is a Strobostomp, -CS-3,- Zendrive,-Barber Burn,- Clark Gainster, or an old 808, in to a DD-2 to a Clark Beaufort Amp or a Blackface Super =Reverb. A beat up 60's tele is my normal axe. I've tried a variety of compressors now (Keeley, Carl Martin, Home Brew, Barber and Boss CS-2, Mr Squishy) I alsways come back to the CS-3. My big complaint is the noise. I'm going to get one modded. I like the Barber also. the rest were sold or will be sold. I have mark it down because of the noise.(hiss)

Boss is very reliable

Wouldn't know

I've been a pro player for my living for over 30 years. I've tried a lot of pedals and I have some more coming off of Ebay. I like the Boss CS-3 the best so far, followed by the Barber Tone Press, and then the CS-2. I thought the Home Brew CPR was going to be it till I got it on the job. Some how my rig just lost with that pedal. The Keeley I just didn't like, it was more of an effect pedal. I leave the compressor on all nite.- Maybe I'm just use to it. Many people like the CS-2 better. For me it is the CS-3. If I can just get rid of the excess noise. This pedal is cheap compared to some of the boutique stuff.

no crazy names for knobs, some people seem to have some problems figuring out the attack. Sustain is a little deceptive too. I bought it used so no manual. It was my first compressor too, so it took a few months to really figure it out

i play single coils into a web of pedals into a blues jr. The attack knob doesn't seem to be overly responsive, then again i'm not into too much subtlety, many people here say it's not transparent enough, many say it's super transparent, it really depends on your taste. The sustain knob is not great for sustain. YES it is noisy if turned up becasue guess what? she cranks up any background hum/noise when it increases the signal volume of a dying note. I really don't think you can do much about that, seems to be a by-product of the function. Maybe put an eq pedal in there and get rid of some high end hiss... or just don't turn it up the sustain too much. I have noticed that while the pedal does increase the amount of sustain, if it's turned down it actually decreases your normal sustain. If you're buying this pedal to get infinite sustain or noiseless, significant sustain you should definatly look into the Fernandes sustainer kit. Or if you don't like picks get an EBow+. Sorry abput the rant on the sustain function, but many reviewers seem to have purchased this pedal for something other than it was designed to do.
This is one of those swiss army knife pedals like a line selector. It can do a whole lotta differnet things, and from reading other peoples reviews, it works really well for a lot of them. When i got the pedal i started by putting it at the end of my effects chain to compress the other effects and make it all nice and tidy for the amp. I left it on all the time. since then it has moved around and been put in different places. Now I use it at the front of my chain, just after the wah, and it does a few differnet thigns for me. I use it to tidy up the signal from my single coils and level out the dynamics. I use it as a kind of preamp for my acousitc because the signal from it is quite weak, also i can tweak the tone without touching the sacred eq settings on the amp;). I use it to level out the output signla from my deteriorating wah wwhich is starting to give a volume boost now when on higher frequencies, The CS-3 works well for this. I have a whammmy 4 right after the CS-3, and the compressed signal tends to reduce glitches (not always a good thing)by giving a strong,stable signal. And of course i use it as a boost sometimes and it's good on metal solos and stuff for completely killing any playing dynamics when shredding.

Boss compact pedals have never crapped out on me and i tend to get them used. Get a power supply or a daisy chain, we don't need anymore leaking batteries in the world. It also saves you money in the long run.

Although i've never had to deal with BOSS directly (which I've heard is not worth the hassle) I do use their website to get info and stuff. They have redesigned it and it sucks a lot more than it used to. you now have to submit an e-mail address and postal code/zip (why do you need my zip for on-line support?) this is really the last thing i'd have expected, they're making it harder to get access to their free info for some reason.

this is really a good utilitarian pedal to hang onto even if you're not using it right now. It's not like the overdrive that you replaced and thus becomes obsolete. There'll always be something you need to tighten up in the future and this guy can get the job done. Got an octave pedal? stick this guy infront. got a synth pedal? stick this guy infront. got a pile of effects with no volume pot? put this guy at the end. it works as a basic eq, and volume boost too. the sustain function although limited can be useful in may situations too. And don't listen to people who say "compressor goes at front, modulation goes at back,. distortion goes in middle of the chain." put it where it works. my setup goes guitar, wah, synth, compressor, whammy, A/B/Y, modulation, distortion, modulation, overdrive, fuzz, delay, modulation, distortion, delay, amp. Move stuff around and see what happens. I have markings on all my gear for "the perfect setting" and 2 hours later i have other markings on the same gear for "the perfect setting". I give it a 10 because it's versitile in what it can regardless of how well it does it. And don't buy one new, there's always a dozen on the same shelf used for half the price.

(see my full review)

(ditto)

(etc)

(and so forth)

This is an appendium to my previous detailed review. I couldn't remember the exact settings I used so I dug it out and hooked it up and it all came back to me. I use the following settings for everything. Keeps my clean sounds snappy and my distorted sounds articulate:

VOLUME: 1:00
TONE: 1:00
ATTACK: 11:00
SUSTAIN: 9:45 (yeah that little bit makes a difference)

As I mention in my review, if you want to drive the front end of your amp, put an OVERDRIVE unit after your CS-3 (the compressor ALWAYS comes first) and crank up the level on that to drive your amp (or DIST unit). ALWAYS set a compressor at unity gain and NEVER drive an amp with it unless you like noise.

Here's a little bonus trick I learned: Set the LEVEL of your compressor at *less* than unity gain so the volume is noticably lower when the unit is operating. Compensate with the settings on your OVERDRIVE unit or amp. Use this for rhythm. Then, when it's time for your solo, turn the compressor *off*. Your lead will jump out front and be more dynamic.

The controls are straightforward but it can't be stressed enough that a compressor is an effect that requires the player know what it does and what it's used for. It's easier to get a bad sound out of a compressor than a good one, but the effect that a well-tweaked comp has on an electric guitar sound will make you wonder how you ever got along without one. The way a comp enhances a solid-state distortion box is especially dramatic. A compressor does two things: It significantly extends the sustain of your guitar AND it controls the attack characteristics, giving you a punchy attack for clean sounds or keeping your distorted sounds clearly articulated.

The "level" knob adjusts the output gain of the device. duh? Nope. You should use this knob to compensate for the amount of gain reduction applied by the compressor after you've set the "sustain". The volume during the sustain portion of the note should be the *same* with the unit on or off. DO NOT use a compressor to drive your amp by turning the level up. That's what overdrive boxes are for. If you do, don't complain about the noise.

When a guitar's note is compressed it will change the tonal balance, shifting it toward the bass and burying the treble. *Any* comp will do this so an active tone control is a good feature to have. The "tone" knob on the CS-3 yields a flat tone when set at 12:00, however as you apply the effect, you'll notice the tone getting dull and bassy. Other comps do this too but guitarists compensate for it by adjusting the amp's tone controls. If you turn the tone knob of the CS-3 to 1:00, the tone will be more natural and transparent and you can leave your amp's controls alone.

Most compressors don't even have an "attack" control, which I find to be essential. This knob controls the speed at which the compressor "clamps down" on the note. The attack speed actually controls how your guitar *feels*. The range of the knob is wide and gives you a much greater range of attack values than you'll ever use. You won't need to turn this knob up very far (between 9:00 and noon) and it'll pretty much stay put, give or take a little. You always want the attack slow enough to hear it but fast enough so that it's action doesn't occur much beyond the guitar's natural attack duration. A fast attack will give a clean sound a nice Fenderish snap - even on a solid-state amp. The rules change with varying degrees of distortion. A general rule would be that the more distortion you use, the shorter an attack is required to give good pick attack and note definition.

"Sustain" is the amount of gain reduction applied by the compressor. However, it's also the amount of gain it *puts back* as the note decays to keep it sustaining. Here again, as with the Attack control, they give you way more range than you need. Most noise complaints come from setting the Sustain knob too high. Basically, a comp "borrows" volume from the beginning of a note and adds it to the end. Ideally, the Sustain control should be set to match the guitar's natural decay rate. This keeps the sustain level even and you hardly hear the comp working. It just makes your bolt-on neck sound like a set neck. One consequence: If you try to make up for a guitar that lacks sustain by using a compressor to pump sustain into it, the compressor will "breathe" at the end as the noise floor rises.

I'm not entering an opinion here because your use of a compressor is only as good as your knowledge of how they work and your ears.

I'm not currently using my CS-3 as I've moved up to a rack unit. However I have an assortment of BOSS stomp boxes and I intend to build a backup pedalboard using them.

CS-3 --> OS-2 --> RAT2 --> Crybaby --> BF-3(cool "rolling" chorus -->
--> Behringer BGI-21 --> Line6 "Echo Park" --> Alesis MEQ-230 -->
--> Peavey PV900 pwr amp --> (2) Peavey P.A. cabs

The tone of the CS-3 could be a little warmer. All BOSS pedals are a bit clinical. It makes up for it with excellent clarity. Also, you really need to avoid using too much Sustain because this unit will breathe - and unevenly. As your guitar sustains, you'll hear the volume increase erratically. Adjusted properly, the unit works well and transparently. I haven't had trouble mitigating the noise.

Years ago I had a compressor by a defunct company called Ross that I liked better.

This has been covered ad nauseum. I hate cliches but...well...
"It's a BOSS". It would work after reentering the Earth's atmosphere.

Never needed it for my Boss effects. Never had one break and some of mine are over 15 years old.

I've played original progressive rock for over 30 years. I've done some live performance but mostly record at home. I like a rich, clear, "singing" quality for my solos and I'm pretty fussy about my guitar tone. My music requires versatile equipment since I often change amp/fx setting several times during the course of a song. However I *am* on a tight budget, so I've gone the modeling route. I have a 10-year-old BOSS GX-700 that works as well as the day I bought it. You'd have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers. I play it through the aforementioned Alesis EQ, Peavey power amp, and P.A. cabinets. With the guitar cabinet emulation of the GX, my guitar sounds like it's coming through an amp's speakers while my delays and reverbs are hi-fi. It's a great little compact, versatile rig that can be easily upgraded if I need more power. Which I don't. 120W/side gets me heard above the drummer.

I purchased this because of BOSS's rep for durability and good sound. I wasn't disappointed even considering the minor issues I mentioned. If I were to replace it, I'd probably try one of those retro optical compressors like the BBE Opto Stomp. I listened to the Demeter and it didn't impress me. The fixed attack was too short.

The compressor in the GX approximates the operation of the CS-3 and I use it almost all the time. Sometimes I'll put it in limiter mode and put it between the preamp and speaker modules so it imitates a tube rectifier. Can't do that with a compressor though unless you gate it *hard*.

Good. Just find your right note by turning the knobs, not that difficult.

I'm using a Paul Reed Smith Singlecut (double humbuckers) on a Marshall TSL 602 combo amp. The sound is great, ONLY if you use the clean channel! I use this thing to boost up my clean sound, nothing more! It makes thin clean solo's really great. It pumps the whole sound up and makes it "warmer". Don't try playing distorted with this thing though, it get's over the top. Just buy it if you want to add that extra finishing compressing touch to your clean solo's.

You can throw this thing off a 10-story building without breaking it.

No experience.

I mostly play Mark Knopfler style, it's great for boosting up fingerpicking, especially when passing the 12th fret. It doesn't get too noisy, it's controllable. Just a great compressor for that money!

As with any compressor it takes a while to get it dialed in just right. You can set it so that it is just barely compressing your sound OR you can set it to extreme compression and us it as an effect. Either way, this pedal is pretty easy to figure out. The tone control makes a big difference too.

I know some guys slam this pedal in favor of the CS-2. I have each and this pedal is just as good. They each have their own sound and neither is better or worse. Actually, I think the CS-3 is a bit quieter and more transparent than the CS-2. Again, it depends on what sound you are after as both pedals are good choices.

It's a Boss.

If you are looking for a simple compression unit this is a great choice. For most guys a pedal like this is all you really need for typical gigs. This pedal is just as good as the MIJ CS-2. People who slam the Boss pedals either don't know how to use them properly, or expect them to sound the same as big-price studio units. For what this pedal is expected to do it is as good as any.

I came to compression relatively late in my guitar playing. Like a number of other reviewers I failed to recognise the inter-relationship between compression and sustain.

The CS-3 was bought in Autumn 2003. The manual is rather thin but at least it gives nudges in the direction of some generic sounds. The 'problem' with the CS-3 is that its effects are not obvious like a wah, distortion or modulation unit. Therefore it took time and ear training to appreciate what the CS-3 was actually doing to my sound.

Four knobs tailor the unit's sound shaping. Once I could hear and understand what each was actually doing, the compressor's value and use became significantly greater.

The Level and Tone pots are set at about 1 o'clock (ie a little output boost and a bit more top). Attack and Sustain are set at about 12 o'clock. So not a particularly adventurous set up. But in the context of a blues band, it does add some really useful tonal and textural colours.

On its own the CS-3 is a useful addition and, once understood, is now a key part of my set-up. Its interaction with other effects units opens up all manner of possibilities and that has been the real benefit to both my playing and to the sounds of the whole band.

The CS-3 sits at the front of the processing chain on my very basic pedalboard. Pete Cornish insists this is the right place to locate a compressor and who am I to argue with THE FX GURU?

EFFECTS CHAIN:
Boss CS-3 >> Morley Power Wah >> Rat2 >> Boss DD-3

A stabilised 9v 1,000 mA supply powers all stompboxes.

I put two Les Pauls and a HSS Strat into the pedalboard which then either goes into a Hiwatt DR103 with either 2x12 or 4x12 cabs or a Marshall DFX30 for small pub/club gigs.

The CS-3 is used alone to beef up clean solos and add some ring to funk rhythm parts. Adding some delay to the compressed out-of-phase Les Paul sound immediately gets you into Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac territory (onto which my band frequently encroaches).

With my Strat on neck, neck & middle or middle pickup selections, the CS-3 fills out the blues sound especially with the guitar volume rolled back. Kick in the Rat and it dirties up but without getting messy. The trick is setting guitar volume so that the compressor/distortion combination is on the edge of feedback. At that point the blues can get a little Texan.

I don't like to use the CS-3 with the Power Wah. No adequate or immediately obvious reason why, it's a combination I don't think has any real advantages. It does get noisy [I think] so that must be the reason.

Combinations of compressor with Rat and compressor with delay are most frequently used. Occasionally compressor, Rat and delay. But generally it's CS-3 on its own or with one other effect.

I am not aware of any tonal coloring by the CS-3 but my ears are not too good. It provides clarity when I want it, it adds sustain and depth to single-note lines, it extends the tonal range of the Rat and it enables to use feedback in a controlled manner.

It just took time (a) to learn what a CS-3 is capable of and (b) to train my ears. Having reached this point I have to say that the CS-3 is as important in my pedalboard as the Rat2. And that is quite some admission!

This is my first Boss pedal. I know their reputation for solidity, integrity and durability.

At this point, nothing suggests the Boss reputation is misplaced or misguided.

No contact necessary.

I play in a blues band populated by other over-fifties. We cover a range of 'blues' styles from a jazz-inflected Summertime through to out-and-out 12-bar balls-to-the-wall kicking, screaming and shouting. Not enough SRV in my opinion, Lads!

The CS-3 enables me to play clean Peter Green-like lines, to funk up some rhythm parts and to get close to that teetering-on-the-brink SRV raunch.

Yes, it helps me make music - to answer your question.

I felt I should get a compressor. Boss has an enviable reputation. I sussed out the CS-3 on Harmony Central. I went out and bought one. Simple as that. If it were stolen or otherwise lost I would have no hesitation in getting another. Can't see it going wrong. Maybe if it did go belly-up I might consider an alternative but - come on - what are the chances? It is a Boss, for goodness sake!

Boss CS-3, very easy to use. As with all pedals turn the knobs till you like what you hear. The manual & website gives you good starting points to build on.

I also want to mention that i have modified my CS-3 with T - Von's DIY kit from Superior Sound Designs (http://www.monteallums.com)
For $20 this pedal now rivals any boutique compressor.

In its stock form ot works well, but can be dull and will color your tone in a not so good way.
After installing the kit, this pedal is amazing! It is much more transparent & quieter even when cranking the sustain beyond 12 o'clock. It is on all the time now as it adds more warmth to my sound. It just adds that "missing" element that you dont know what it is till yo uhear it.

4 in its stock form, 9 after the mod.

Well we'll see how long my soldering job lasts, but since i have electronics experience - I have no doubts that it will last.

Never delt with them

I picked this up a few months ago and was struggling to get a good tone out of this pedal, it was ok, but colored the sound to much.
after doing the mod, it is completely different. Its what all those "boutique guys" are doing - but for a lot less.
There's a reason that the major mod cats do not do the CS-3, they want you to spend hundreds on a name driven compressor that does the same as this does with a couple of diffenent capacitors & resistors.

So for just under $100 and 1 hour of my time I got my own boutique compressor with a pretty blue light to.

Rock on

Depending on your gear this can be a tweaking issue.

Godin hmlg and mexican tele(seymour duncan hotrail) thru ernie ball volume pedal -boss tu2 -boss cs3-maxon sd9-danecho-boss ce2-bossrv3-eh big muff (black russian)-traynor valve 40 . I find it can thicken tone of the godin but squash the tele probably due to higher output of pickups. This is where understanding compression 'using humbuckers and single coil seems to make a huge difference on setting the attack. This pedal is sorta sterile I understand why folks rip it next to boutique stuff. I found even the mxr dyna comp can even be warmer.

I've been playing for 25 years and have yet to see a boss pedal die other than a switch break.

never dealt with anyone

I play in a christian worship group my sound ranges from basic pop to noise experimental depending on the spiritual dynamic of the moment. This pedal can effect your tone differently depending on the room . There are times I really notice this pedal and other times it dosen't make much difference-keep experimenting I guess. Compression is something I've recently been toying with so I'm no expert. CS-3 is probably more transparent than higher grad units but that might be a good thing depending on style and equipment.