Monte Allums Boss CS-3 Mod

This for the CS-3 Opto Mod. Pretty easy as far as the Boss pedals go. It's nice that you don't have to pull anything but the main PCB.

I've really tweaked out my pedals, cabling, and amp over the last year so I have a good base to start with. I'm not going into the setup, but I'll say it's very quiet, clean, and I can quickly diagnose any problem areas in my chain.

This pedal is pretty quiet now after the mod. I don't think it's noisy at all. It's finally useful now. It seems best to use almost no attack and have the sustain at about 1/4 (9 o'clock) Level should be almost all the way up, and tone should be somewhere around 1 o'clock.

I think this sounds better clean. Adding gain/overdrive doesn't hurt, but when it is added the pedal almost gives it a bit of a gain stage of its own. It's kind of odd. It doesn't color the tone, but gives it a bit of "oomph" that I wish wasn't there. It may be good for clean stuff, and I can definitely see using it for vocals like Monte described on his site. In fact, I think this will work really well with my acoustic guitar. It shouldn't color the tone, but give it that extra little "gain" I was talking about. I'll try it and you can contact me if you want to know the results.

I still prefer Monte's DynaComp mod to this one. The DynaComp is just so clean! This is just a preference though. I think if you play really heavy stuff, this CS-3 Opto mod may be your compressor. I just like hearing the dynamics of the Modded DynaComp better.

I think it will be reliable, but here's where I'm going to knock it: I have 2 CS-3's. They WILL NOT run correctly on a PSA or 1 Spot power supply. I've read this in other reviews. This info on power supplies goes into it a little bit: http://www.bossarea.com/other/psa.asp

It could be that the CS-3's I have are older models. I just don't know. What I do know is the ONLY way I got them to work was to use my ZOOM 300mA power supply by itself. It does not like sharing a daisy chain with other effects. That introduces a horrible hum. If I use a PSA or 1Spot there isn't enough current: The LED is lit at half the brightness and the effect is very distorted when turned on.

So I'm knocking the product, not the mod. No opinion. :)

Read all the other reviews. If anyone ever slams Monte's support, I'll punch them. I'd work for the guy for free just to gain some of his expertise. What a nice guy.

Overall I like this mod. I just like the Modded DynaComp better. It's really just a matter of opinion tonally.

I just can't stand that whole issue with the power supplies. Again, I think it may be that it's an older pedal with a different revision, but I just don't know.

My taste goes with another pedal, but this mod is still top notch. If you don't want to spend the money on another pedal, then just mod your current CS-3. I don't think you'll be disappointed. This makes it into the pedal it should be!

The instructions are clear and easy to follow execpt the diode , which is mentioned in another review. You need to get it the correct way round or it will blow, the stripe is the same way as on the board. I bought the Opto Mod version of the mod with the extra tube sound from the 2 extra diodes added to the standard mod. I used the pedal for years and was very happy it apart from the hiss. The mod took about 45 mins to do , and i have no soldering training or electrical knowledge. It only took that long because you are told to stop and test at every stage. I would also say to make sure you dont have a battery in the pedal whilst installing. The hiss was gone and the pedal sounding very nice and light , with no colouring after the normal mod. I then fitted the extra parts for the opto mod and it was even better sounding , very transparent and gutsy. The desoldering braid makes it easy to de-install the original parts and you get enough of it!

As i said cleared up the hiss and sounds great. I have noticed the attack does not effect the sound as much as before , but thats not really a bad point , it makes it easier to get a good sound. I dont use the sustain above the 11 o'clock point or the sound quality still suffers.

Boss pedals are built very well and i've not had one fail yet, so putting better part on sould not cause a problem. Why dont boss use them in the first place was my first thought??

Monte replied same day , usually within a few hours , does he ever sleep?

I love it , i also put an extra bright blue LED in it, looks very nice and different now as well.

Before the mod,the CS-3 was generally not easy to use, and hard to get a good sound from:it used to slay my dynamics and/or tone, no matter how it was set, but after the mod it sounds grrreat more or less wherever the controls are, which makes it a much easier unit to use and experiment with.

CS-3 has much more parameters than the average stomp comp,so with this Mod it must be one of the easiest comps to get a good sound out of, whether you want some full-on press, subtle squash or moody swells.

I love Monte's CS-3 mod: Truley a CS-3 re-born! Very clear and full, and all that murky honky mid-range colouring and over-compression has gone, it just sings out clean and pure. Makes my acoustic bouzouki, fitted with under-saddle piezo, sound magic! Great on electric, too, for fat clean leads.

I'd frankly given up on my CS-3 before I fitted this mod, relegating it to under the bed, so I have to thank Monte for sharing his knowledge and giving me a fab, useable unit once again

I don't like commenting on reliabiltiy untill I've gigged an item for a few years (all my other reviews on Harmony Central are based on this concept)but on this occasion I just had to rush in and share my enthusiasm!
As long as my soldering holds up, I suppose it'll be fine: I'm a good solderer, and I took a lot of care so I have faith.

The kit is fairly easy to install, although there was no indication of the plans I was sent that the diode had to be wired a certain way round or it will blow! However, Monte was quick to respond to my problem, and sent more diodes. I finally worked it out for myself, using the small diagram on the circuit board.(The ring on the Diode must go the same side as the line printed on the circuit board that crosses the tip of the triange: easy when you know!)

Monte is great to deal with: always answers e-mails straight back, and obviously cares a great deal about his mods and his customers: doesn't charge the earth, either: I would definitely buy more mods from Monte!

This will definitely become one of my favourite pedals to use:I'm already finding it inseperable from my Bouzouki: Just adds such pleasing drive, power and sparkle, where once there was quack and mud.

The mod was great fun to do, and results are stunning.
I would highly reccomend anyone with a CS-3 to do this mod!

I have been using my CS-3 for a couple of years - I came to compression rather late, I'm afraid. I was never entirely happy with the effect the CS-3 had on basic guitar tones but I lived with it - until I acquired my Hamer Special P90. The CS-3 sucked out all the tone that I wanted from a P90-equipped guitar. Something had to be done.

Harmony Central reviews of Monte Allums' CS-3 mod prompted me to buy one. What a difference!

Replacing 14 components took just under three hours. I worked slowly and methodically through the easy to follow instructions, checking the pedal after each change. No problems at all. I must say that working with maps for most of my professional life made interpretation of the PCB ilustration fairly straightforward.

An organised, well-lit work bench is crucial. Keeping the application of solder to an absolute minimun came as a bit of a shock to the sytem but it paid dividends. A good pair of long-reach tweezers proved essential in locating some of the more difficult to access components.

The sound improvement and ease of use makes me want to do another Monte mod - probably an SD-1 to TS808 conversion.

Anyone who has used a Boss Cs-3 will know its weaknesses. Tone sucking being the worst. With the Allums mod that is a thing of the past. The compressor is clear and much, much quieter. I can push up the tone control and not get any hiss.

The control settings are similar to how I had them on the original CS but with the tone pushed up. The change in sound is unbelievable. Clarity, sustain, un-colored basic guitar tones and with no noticable background noise.

Settings are: Level @ 1:00, Tone @ 2:30, Attack and Sustain both @ 12:00. Putting the Allums CS-3 into my Keeley SD-1 using a Strat middle pickup wound back to about 5 on the guitar is THE classic blues sound. Occasionally I can hit a real Stevie.

Most telling is the fact that the CS-3 is used a lot more frequently. I can get a superb Woman-Tone out of my Les Paul with the neck pickup treble rolled off into the Monte'd compressor driving a Rat2. And as for clean funk rhythms....

I am amazed and delighted at the improvement to the Boss. Without reservation I would recommend the Monte Allums upgrade to anyone who wants to achieve the quantum sonic improvement of their CS-3 AND has the confidence/competence to do some fairly simple component changes.

This is undoubtedly a class piece of kit.

Too soon to say, but the chassis is after all Boss and we all know how rugged they are. I do not envisage any problems. Take great care in removing components and keep your solder work to a minimum and all should be well.

Reading previous HC reviews made me very cautious about flexing the leads connecting the PCB to the rest of the pedal. All things considered I am confident the modified CS-3 will serve me well for many years to come.

Very quick response to e-mails. The instructions and accompanying illustrations were sufficiently clear not to warrant further contact.

I did e-mail Monte this morning saying how pleased I was with his mod. Too soon for a reply!

I really want to do the SD-1 to TS808 conversion now. Monte, you have a very happy client!

Let's make one thing clear. This mod cost $19.99. That equates to about #12.50 UK including postage and packing to England. The combination of value and quality is simply mind-blowing. I have a virtual boutique-quality compressor for less that sixty quid!

I play in a blues band that averages around forty gigs a year so reliability and good sounds are crucial. The improved CS is already getting a lot more use than in its pre-Monte guise. Draw your own conclusions.

My set up comprises two Les Pauls, a Hamer Special P90 and an HSS Strat with a Hiwatt DR103 top and either 2x12 or 4x12 cabinets. My home-made mains powered pedalboard {"Dad's Gay Pedalboard" - don't ask!) carries in order from guitar:-

Monte'd CS-3 >> modified early 80's Blubber wah >> ProCo You Dirty Rat >> Keeley SD-1 >> mid-80's ProCo Rat2 >> Boss DD-3.

The modified Boss compressor really helps create great blues guitar sounds, and I would certainly have no hesitation in returning to Monte Allums should anything happen to my CS-3.

This is a prime piece of kit. At the price Monte charges it is an absolute steal even if it only did half what it actually does. Buy one today!

if you're already familiar with the settings on a Boss CS-3, and how they effect (or in the case of an unmodified CS-3, how they ruin) your tone, then you'll find this just as easy to use. For me, I always struggled with my CS-3, since no amount of knob turning would improve the squashed, overly compressed tone. This mod is essential if you still want your guitar tone intact.

I'm using a '52 Tele reissue through a Rivera Rake head/Marshall 1936
2 x 12" cabinet with Vintage 30s. Being a Tele player, a good compressor is essential, IMO, especially for those country picking tones and fingerstyle. I've always hated the unmodified Boss, and I tried other comps such as a newer MXR Dynacomp, a Line 6, and a Keeley. The price was reasonable for the MXR, but the newer ones don't sound a whole lot different than the Boss, and they have less parameters to tweak too. Keeley and Barber make good compressors, but I really didn't want to spend over $200+ on a stompbox compressor. For only $20 and about 1 hour of your time in soldering, you get a high end compressor out of your old Boss that can easily rival the Keeley, I kid you not. (Or if you don't have a CS-3, they go pretty cheap used on ebay anyway). The mod is like night and day, no more squashing of tone (unless you run the attack and sustain full up). It's very transparent, especially if you can run it through a send/return effects signal path, which my Rake happens to have.
It's very quiet and responsive. If you want that squishy, squashed tone, you can dial that in too.

Boss products are built like tanks, so I have no reason to believe mine will go faulty, unless I did a poor solder job. I can't wait to use it at my next gig.

nev er dealt with Boss, but Monte shipped my mod kit out the day after he received payment from me. So I got the mod kit in 2 days and the instructions via e-mail within 24 hours. The instructions are well-explained, and even a novice at electronics like me found the mod relatively simple to do. One thing he stresses every other paragraph in his instructions (and I don't blame him) is the importance of plugging in your guitar through the box and trying it out after every change of component. This is important, since it's far easier to determine which component may be giving you trouble in so doing.

It's hard to get excited about an effect like a compressor, since they're not intended to be radical or in your face, and I'd guess that many guitarists don't even know what a compressor does or how to properly use one. I, too, never really understood them, since most of the stompbox offerings I tried sounded like crap. Now, I pretty much use my modded CS-3 full on all the time, since it just makes my Tele sparkle and twang with clear, transparent full tone. Chords ring out and my guitar is that much more responsive to my playing. For $20, it's one of the best investments I've made towards my sound, and if you're looking for a simple, low cost comp solution that will improve your tone significantly, you owe it to yourself to get the mod.

so long as you can read, follow simple instructions, and solder you should be fine.

i use the Monte CS-3 through an older us Fender Deville.

this pedal is so much quieter, dynamic, and friendlier in general.

no more Boss tone coloration.

should be just as good as Boss, which is great.

you could do shot put with a boss box, and it would work fine.

no backups.

monteallums.com may look ugly, but this guy is for real. I accidentally recieved a white LED instead of a green (honest mistake, they look identical, i didn't really care so long as it wasn't red). I sent him an email that nigh as an FYI that there was a minor mix up. A green LED arrived in the mail 2 days later. Regardless of the part costing less than the postage, i was very pleased from a customer service standpoint.

this thing is great, i wish i modded that stupid CS-3 sooner. i can actually use the thing now.


the value of this kit can't be beat.

i am going to try some other kits of Monte's.

If you know how to solder it'd be a snap. His instructions are very clear and easy to follow. This was the first time I soldered anything in my life so it took me a bit longer and I had some issues, but none of those were Monte's fault.

A piece of advice on installing: don't move the p.c.b. board around too much. I bent mine forward and backwards too many times and the wires going to the knobs pulled out of the circuit board.

This mod really does make the pedal sound much better. My CS-3 was really loud and was robbing my tone, it sounds much better on all fronts.

It's still a BOSS, and the components included in the kit are high quality. It all depends on your soldering skills.

Monte gets an 11. This was my first soldering project, and I inevitable had issues. He helped me troubleshoot, and now I have a great sounding unit.

This was a great mod. I can't wait to do more of Monte's Mods. For only $20 it really improves the CS-3.

Easy mod to do, if you have basic electronic skills you will not have any issues.

Eveything you need to know/do is in the kit(and email) that he sends you.

I've struggle for months with this pedal and took it off my board cause i couldnt get a good sound out of it, and i was not about to pay 200-300 for a compressor. Luckily i came across Monte's site and decided to take a chance, for $20 why not.

The sound improvment is so amazing that i dont understand why Boss doesn't do it in the first place. It is so much more transparent and quieter. It truly is a different compressor. It brings new life to my Strat. The sound transforamtion is that good. I even put a blue LED in it as a nod to you know who...because i feel that after the mod is is just as good.

Depends on your soldering skills.

every email answered and returned within 24 hours.

Outstanding value. An absolute must for anyone who has a CS-3. You will not be sorry. The sound improvement is undeniable.

Clear instruction. Everything is easy to understand. Just follow the guide, and you will be fine. It requires some soldering technique tho.

With this Kit you will receive four Tantalum Capcitors, three Metal Film Capacitors, five Boxed Metal Film Capacitors, one Metal Film Resistor, one 1N34A Germanium Diode, Solder and Desoldering Braid along with detailed easy-to-follow Mod Instructions.

It makes CS3 really really transparent.
The dirty mid-frequency has gone. What you hear is a real "compressor". No warmth, no color, no dirty mid-frequency, no sharp high-frequency. Everything is very transparent. It even sounds more transparent than Waves Rcomp.

My favority setting is
Level: 3:00
Tone: 12:00
Attack: 11:00
Sustain: 7:00

In this setting, you can hear the attack well. The sustain keeps in less than 9:00, or otherwise it will still affect your tone badly.
It's good for almost everything. It balances your volume quite well without coloring EQ.

So far so good.
It depends on your soldering skill.

Email him this morning, and get response in afternoon.
Good attitude. Very knowledgeable.

Go to www.monteallums.com. Buy it and install it.
It is really really amazing. It makes your CS3 sounds as good as Keeley Compressor.