Monte Allums Boss CS-3 Mod

the mod looks easy, good intructions to make it... I can't solder so I take it to may amp tech... You need some skills and tools (and/or cojones)

great! less noisy... truly transparent sound. I have this pedal in my rig since 1994 (15 years!!! I??m getting old) and I can say that I know how the stock pedal sounds. So, after the mod, the diference for me is very noticeable. Before the mod, using the compressor i felt a little tone sucking... now it's perfect,and quieter.

only a week of use... But I think it will resist. After 15 years of use my pedal looks horrible: the paint is cracked everywhere, the sustain knob is broken, it works properly but I must use my nail to (easely) move it (hardly ever need to). Anyway: it was working perfect! (It's a Boss) I made this mod because I was bored, and it was cheap (God bless Euros)

Great! I send them an email with a question, end they answered inmediately... (Despite my question was an stupid question.. didn't read the instructions... took it to my amp tech) My pedal needed 12v before the mod (ACA Adapter), and after the mod it works fine with 12v and 9v either, so I asked them if could be a problem using 12v. They told me that I could use the voltage I prefer... maybe sounds better at 12v.

The CS-3 is a good pedal... but with this mod is great!

Performing the mod was easy just a little worrisome. I wondered if I made all of the solder joints on the opamps adapters and extender. When I was all said and done. Everything is fine...no mistakes!

Operating the modded compressor is the same as the original.

Excellent sound quality. I didn't know what to expect it to sound like compared to the original. Once I fiddled around with the new version it was "oh yeah." Quality attack parameters. Silky sustain swells at any setting. Like a reviewer posted below, it really adds a 3D feel to your tone, especially going into a overdrive pedal or dirty channel. Improvement: yes. Worth it: yes. I don't have the foggiest clue why someone would give it a low rating. It's like saying ",I hate sunsets!"

Never needed customer support.

What has changed after the mod? My compressor is now essential on my pedal board. I have it left on about 80% of the time with the attack between 1:00 and 5:00 and the sustain between 9:00 and 12:00. Good stuff.

This review is for the Opto Plus mod.
The step by step instructions are crystal clear, but doing the mod is fiddly. Try to rush it and you'll screw it up. Don't attempt this mod unless your pretty good at soldering.

The Opto Plus mod transforms this pedal into an excellent, versatile compressor that definately enhances the tone of your guitar. It's not completely transparent, it's not true bypass and there's still some hiss above three o'clock on the sustain, so I only give it an 8 here, but still excellent. I compared the modded CS-3 to my Carl Martin Compressor/Limiter which cost three times as much. The CM is definately more transparent and a better all-round compressor but considering the price the MA CS-3 gets surprisingly close.

A few of the reviewers below have given this pedal a '1' for sound quality. Well, sorry to have to break it to you Alex Wilson/Ian/Z but the mod is not the problem, IT'S YOUR WORKMANSHIP.

I've had this pedal a few months and all seems fine, Boss pedals are known to be reliable, so a cautious 8.

E-mailed Monte with a question concerning chip installation. Got a response within the hour - ON A SUNDAY! Impressed.

The mod is fiddly, you need patience, but its worth the effort. If you want the best pedal compressor on the market buy a Carl Martin Compressor/Limiter. The Monte Allums modded CS-3 is the next best thing for about a third of the price and better than all those over priced boutique Ross clones.

this review is for the OPTO PLUS version of the mod, which involves more work than the other CS-3 mods.

well done monte allums. previously i owned a CS-3 a year or two ago and did the standard OPTO mod. it sounded good but the problem was that the hiss was still annoying when turning up the level and sustain knobs. so i ended up selling the pedal. but with the OPTO PLUS mod, i thought i would try again. finally with the OPTO PLUS mod the hiss is now something which is not annoying anymore. it's not ALL gone once you start cranking the level and sustain knobs, but it's quieter now and not an annoyance to me like in previous mods. the pedal now gives a real nice tone to my guitar/amp, regardless of if u use it with clean or distortion. fattens things up, and works happily with my other pedals. great stuff! if i turn off the pedal and now just use the built in sound/distortion in my jcm900 marshall valve amp, it sounds boring, flat and thin in comparison!

i wouldnt say it was an easy mod to perform. theres a lot more work with this one so it helps if you are confident with a soldering iron. you have to actually change one of the chips inside the pedal with this OPTO PLUS mod, and that's a bit fiddly. you need patience.

i've emailed monte in the past and he's a friendly nice guy (but busy, you have to appreciate that).

fantastic and highly recommended. you can kind of use it for different purposes, eg. as a basic compressor, or turn up the level and sustain knobs to use it more as a kind of booster. all the knobs work great, the tone knob has a smooth range, and the attack knob is effective. i use the pedal as a booster mainly, for my distorted lead sounds. the high quality parts involved in the mod really fatten up my sound, give it depth, and some 3D type of ambience. i can only guess that anyone who doesnt like this pedal mod probably uses crap gear which doesnt compliment the pedal! i've tried this modded pedal alongside a vintage mxr dyna comp and i prefer the CS-3 as the dyna comps are trebley and lacking in bass! the CS-3 doesn't rob your bass and sounds as good, if not better. and a second hand CS-3 on eBay plus the cost of the components from monte allums is MUCH cheaper than buying a vintage mxr dyna comp. nuff said!!

Dont bother, no improvement & a waste of time and $$, I found a better mod free of charge on DIY stompbox forum.

Still very noisy after the Monte mod, overall dynamic range the same.

Dont bother, no improvement & a waste of time and $$, I found a better mod free of charge on DIY stompbox forum.

Still very noisy after the Monte mod, overall dynamic range the same.

Some of the component swaps advised are plain stupid and indicate that the mod developer does not have the first idea about basic electronics. If you want a laugh check out the '6 pole on-on-on' switches he sells!!! 6 terminals doesnt mean 6 poles, are you crazy!

Dont bother, no improvement & a waste of time and $$, I found a better mod free of charge on DIY stompbox forum.

Still very noisy after the Monte mod, overall dynamic range the same.

bought it off ebay prebuilt.
that was easy.

quiet. dead quiet. if it's making noise its because the rest of your gear sucks.

the burr brown makes a diff. cleans it up nice. do the opto plus.

the germanium diodes add a hint of unpredictability. and a hint of grit.

yet its super clean with big balls!!!!!!

still a boss box.

i looked inside and it was really clean.

ebay

very unique. hifi. way cooler then all those ross clones.

gotta know what you are after

so good so full and rich
very quiet for a comp

its the best comp

Easy to follow instructions, easy to identify each part in the bag, removal of the old components was ok and it took about an hour to do the mod. If I didnt already know how to solder I'd be in a mess though as there was little mention of how to use flux and acheive a nice pool of solder.

Are you guys on crack? The stock pedal is awful, yes we all agree on that, but what did the mod really do to the pedal. Try doing an AB comparison, (I borowed an unmodded one to compare), the sound is little different between the two, nothing 'rad', nothing 'in yo face' and all that rubbish about blankets. The Monte pedal still hisses like a snake if the sustain is turned up past 10 o'clock, however unless the sustain is turned up you cant even 'feel' the compression, its very flat and undynamic, there are way better compressors out there. For example, my 5 knob "Build you own clone" is almost silent when the sustain is cranked - check out www.buildyourownclone.com for a real compressor!

As good as my soldering, so cant be bad, and its a Boss so should last longer than a plastic Aria!

Did need any, but maybe I should have asked for a refund.

Dont bother with this mod, just buy a better pedal, the mod kit is kinda like snake oil to your pedal.

8 because it takes some playing with b4 you understand how it sounds/works with other pedals, guitars, pick ups, amps

use gib lp and fender twin rev.
this always sounds good. so clean so clear. lots of sustain. as good or better then keeley or analog man comps. i have used them and they were really good but the monte allums cs3 opto mod sounds better.
very low hum and hiss for a comp.

its still a boss box

emailed monte with a Q. he replied in good time.

you cant find a better comp, regardless of money. better then other comps that would be more then double the price. it has lots of head room. the germanium components really make this pedal sound alive.

best comp pedal ever!!!!

Don't try this if you don't know how to solder on a circuit board! You won't be happy with the results. Otherwise, the instructions are EXTREMELY clear. Very easy to follow. I rate this as a 7 only to make you stop and think about whether or not you know how to solder.

Freakin' amazing! Especially for electric guitar. I'm not convinced it's the best for Acoustic electric...but when it comes to an electric this pedal sounds amazing. Here's my pedal set up:

Boss TU2 tuner
Boss CS3 Allums mod
Line 6 MM4
Boss OD3 Allums mod
Boss RT20
Bodd DD5 Allums mod
Line 6 DL4
Boss RV-5

Great parts. They aren't going to go bad.

You can tell he is very thoughtful about what he does.

I have absolutely no regrets. The Boss CS3 without the mod is not a pedal you want to keep around when you begin upgrading your pedals. It just doesn't perform well enough. However, with this mod you have a pedal that will be at home with all your other high end pedals.

This was my very first electronic project. I look far back now and regret this noob mistake. Boss knows what they are doing and if someone tells you otherwise ask them why Boss has not hired them yet.

Er... really easy for me, as I took the pedal & new parts to an electrician for him to do as I have hands of concrete. I was charged for the service but I know it's done right.

I like to play a nice clean tone through chorus to a 100 watt HH solid state combo, so I bought a stock CS-3 many years ago. I thought this would help improve my tone. I ended up trading in the CS-3 for something else as the background hiss was really annoying & the pedal didn't really seem to do anything except make a mess of my sound.

Anyway, when I saw Monte's opto-mod on eBay I got a used CS-3 from eBay, from someone who was probably as sick of his/her CS-3 as I'd been the first time I had one. I tried it: it worked fine, but the bad points of the pedal swiftly came back to me.

I quickly ordered Monte's opto-mod & it took about a week to reach me in the UK from the USA. Off to the electrician I went & it took him about a week to do the mod.

On trying the pedal for the first time: simply jaw-dropping. The clarity, the lack of the annoying hissy noise, the improved sustain, the snazzy new bright blue LED. In a nutshell, it's improved my tone to such an extent that I'm surprised Boss dare sell the stock CS-3 as it is at all. I can't imagine playing without the mod-ed CS-3. This is possibly the best (& cheapest) thing I've ever bought for my guitar sound.

I own a few other pedals that Monte has mods for (RAT 2, MT-2, OD-3 etc) & I'd definitely consider getting more mods from him. However, Christmas is coming so they'll have to wait until next year!

I have full confidence in the chap that did the mod for me & no hesitation in giving this a score of ten.

A really friendly guy: I was initially sent the incorrect mod kit (for a Boss DD-5). As soon as Monte got my e-mail telling him he apologized wholeheartedly, said I could keep the DD-5 mod kit & sent my CS-3 kit straight out. What a guy! He's also full of helpful advice & an all round good chap. Cheers, Monte!

Simply stunning mod for an insanely cheap price (especially with the ?? to $ exchange rate as it is). Only ??12.11 including postage/carriage. I can unreservedly recommend this CS-3 opto-mod.

Bought this pedal used from eBay, in great condition. Easy to use. Making the mods were easy as pie. Good instructions and good support.

This pedal does what it's supposed to do. With the Monte Allums mod, it really makes a big imporvement in overall sound. Most noticeable at first was the absence of noise when the sustain is turned up. The true sound of my guitar comes thru when stomping on this pedal. No deteriorization of tone at all. Aside from the added sustain and compression, the tone is not colored at all. This is what this pedal is supposed to do.

It's a Boss. I've owned several for a long time. Never any problems.

Good support. I sent an email after being sent mod instructions for the wrong Boss pedal. He answered immediately with the correct attachment. No big deal as instructions are also sent with the parts.

I play everything, but blues is my favorite. Been playing almost 40 years, and own too much gear to mention. I like Boss and Roland products, always have. They do a great job of adding a little color to the guitar sound. I try to let my fingers do the rest. I was so impressed with the result of the mod that I purchase the mod for the Boss BD-2 (H2O) and the CE-2 as well. Please read my postings for those as well. Performing the mods was pretty easy. Instructions are very good. Just take your time, and follow all the instructions. I was an electronic tech for many years, and was very comfortable making these mods. It was a piece of cake. I don't think I spent a half hour on each mod. Read all instructions first, start to finish, so you know what to expect and what's involved. Then follow, step-by-step. You'll end up with a nice pedal. It's well worth the $20-or-so he charges. Price of a resistor, a few pennies. Price of a good cap, a few more pennies. Price of an extra bright led, a nickle. price of a few diodes, solder, wick, etc, a few bucks. Having a pedal that helps you produce a sound that makes you smile, priceless ... Nice engineering work.

DIY CS-3 OPTO Mod install was pretty easy and fun. All monte instructions are excellent. And the pedal sounds TONS better. I was shocked to hear (and feel) the difference. GREAT MOD.

Unbelievable improvement over the stock pedal. Some of my old pals who had not heard me in awhile were stunned. At a recent jam one comment was, "I don't wanna play my rig, let me use yours instead because it sounds like the record". Been playing roots, rock, country stuff for decades in bands. Les Paul, strat, tele into all-tube amps of varying size depending on venues. 4 watts - 130 watts.

Gigging most every week or so. Big gigs & little gigs. No problemo.

This pedal is transformed by this mod into a great HI-FI quality compressor. Oh... and the LEDS are cool. So bright you can see them in the sun (outside gigs) or when all the lights are pointed at you.

From start to finish, it took me about an hour to get the mod installed. 10 minutes to set up and wait for my soldering iron to heat up, and 50 minutes of replacing pieces one by one. The instructions state very clearly that you should replace each component one by one, rather than remove everything and then replace everything so that you can test it in between each replacement. This is a good idea because if you get everything on and then fire it up and it doesn't work or sounds lousy, you won't be able to easily narrow it down to a single culprit. If you take your time and have a well-lit work area, this can be a fun afternoon project. Bonus points for including solder and wick.

I have to be honest, the CS3 is the only compressor I've ever used other than the ones built into the Pod XT Live. The stock CS3 is kind of lame, and I never really found a use for it other than adding a little bit of boost or for mellowing out chords, but it affected the overall volume to make me trust it in the middle of a song.

The Opto Modded CS3 is an absolute dream. Notes come in very smoothly, and sustain is very very clean. I can't wait to use this for solos with the band. It makes me want to play more Knopfler and Gilmour-esque stuff.

If your solders are good, a modded CS3 should be every bit as reliable as a regular Boss pedal. No worries here.

After installing the mod and trying it out at higher volumes on my amp, I noticed a fair amount of hum and distortion that I did not notice before. I went back and triple-checked my solders and components, and everything looked alright, so I sent an email to Monte asking if there was anything else I should check. I figured out the problem before he wrote back (it needs an ACA power adapter, not PSA), but when Monte wrote back, not even a few minutes later, he told me how to rewire the pedal to work off of a regular PSA adapter. When you buy a mod like this, you're not just getting a couple of Radio Shack parts in a bag, you're paying for the research that went into the mod and the support you get in case something goes wrong.

In my opinion, the stock CS3 is pretty lame, and doesn't do enough to warrant the floor space that it takes up. Adding these mods makes it a powerful performer and something that I actually want to use. Reading all of the reviews, I was skeptical, thinking that everyone was just patting themselves on the back or something, and that I'd have to really work hard to convince myself that there was a difference at all, aside from the blue-white LED. I just want to say that the difference is real and amazing. If you've got a stock CS3 that spends its time on your shelf because you can't get it to do anything worthwhile, buy this mod. I'm curious to see what the other Monte Allums mods will do for some of my other pedals now.

I'm not electronically proficient. This (and a couple other allums mods) was my first attempt at anything like this. It probably took me three hours. Some parts were hard to get at and I probably said some curse words along the way but if you're patient, it will be worth it!

Outstanding. I also did the Dyna Comp mod on a vintage Dyna Comp. I like the Dyna Comp mod a lot but after a couple months, I'm pretty sure I like the CS3 mod better. The Dyna Comp hasn't seen much action lately. The CS3 is not as cloudy. I like softness some places like in tube amps and analog delays but for compressors I don't want to overly color the sound that I've tried so hard to perfect. Well, it's not PERFECT but you know what I'm saying. Also, I like a very fast attack/ subtle compression and the CS3 is better at this than the Dyna Comp in my opinion.

The CS3 sounds like crap when it's running low on batteries so either be prepared to replace them often or get a power supply.

Monte is awesome. I emailed him so many times, I can't believe he responded to each of them. In the middle of the install, I emailed him some pics of a place I thought I screwed up and he got right back to me and explained why it was cool and not a screw-up.

Very nice.

This all depends on your soldering skill level. Soldering is something that you can learn in a day, but to master it takes a bit more time. It is a mechanical art form, just like any other, and it just takes practice. If you can solder, then you can do this mod.

Luckily, if you screw up, you can always use the desoldering braid.

Before doing the CS-3 Opto mod, I saw no reason to use my CS-3, except perhaps as a paperweight. The hiss alone was reason enough to keep it off the pedal board. Now...I could never do without it. I have been playing with it...playing a familiar tune with and without the CS-3 Opto...you really need to just try it for yourself to understand. And I don't claim to have much experience in compression technology, and I haven't ever used anything but the CS-3, but I do know what sounds good, and this CS-3 Opto sounds f'n great!

It's a boss, it should theoretically last forever. However, I am slightly concerned about all of the moving around of the leads that was done during the mod. In fact, the wire connecting the output jack to the PCB came loose during the mod, so I was slightly concerned with other wires coming loose as well. Luckily that was the only one, so I'm hoping everything will hold up.

Overall, it just depends on your soldering skill. BTW, I recommend a mixture of desoldering braid along with a desoldering pump. I will use the pump first and then the braid if necessary...seems to make things easier IMHO.

I don't know if Boss customer support even exists, considering their reputation...it wouldn't make much sense to hire a customer support team that handles 1-2 calls / day!

As for Monte, I can't really say because I haven't had any problems. I will say that his instructions are thorough enough that there's really no need to contact him, unless you want to commend him on a job well done.

For $20 I don't think you'll find a better value. A compressor is something that usually doesn't "wow" you, and the original CS-3 certainly fit that mold. I can safely say that the CS-3 Opto mod has elevated this effect to the "wow" category. Thank you Monte, and keep up the good work. I can't wait to try out some of your other mods.

I agree with other reviewers, if you have some experience with a soldering iron and especially microelectronics, you will be fine. Even if not, Monte's instructions are good. Likely the trickiest thing for most will be correctly identifying the solder pads for some of the parts that get replaced. Tip - hold the circuit board up to a light, looking at the component side, and use a black felt tip marking pen, or some white-out on a fine brush tip, to put a dot on the back side underneath the holes that match the part to be replaced. it's not a disaster if you desolder the wrong pads, but you might find a non-replace part falling out and you'll have to put it back in correctly.

Great juicy goodness! The way Monte sets up the order of parts replacement, if you follow his wise advice of testing the box each time you replace a part, you will have a lot of fun hearing the cs3 open up and develop a tremendously improved sound. The first part to be replaced will make you go, woah! Same with each of the next few. Eventually each additional replacement will make more subtle improvements. I have a nice dbx rack compressor, but wanted high quality compression on my pedalboard. This mod on the cs3 is definitely a good answer. It makes my strat sound like a million bucks (an extra million bucks ;-)) and it's very good on my other guitars as well. Sounds great clean, and it works super with either of my OD pedals (self-modded ts9 or digitech bad monkey - a great value that really doesn't need mods) and with either my tube amps (fuchs, rivera) or my solid state amps (don't laugh, crate powerblock and the remarkable, rare westbury 250). The is only a very slight white-noise hiss left after all is said and done, which is pretty common even in expensive compressors.

well that's going to be up to your skill with the soldering iron and general care in handling the unit! don't blame Monte!

everything i needed was in the pack or the complementary materials he gives you links to on the website.

Play surf, blues, danny gatton, some latin. Play out in a band regularly, still have a dayjob. The opto modded cs3 adds a really nice juicyness to most material. I usually leave it on, and just vary the sustain, attack and tone settings. I know my way around electronics, but let's be real here - by the time you figure out the mods, shop for the parts, etc. monte is a mile ahead of you. This mod is a tremendous value and the best part is you can just sit down and do the whole thing quickly, without having to think (much)... so you can get back to playing and enjoying it more than ever.

This a review of the "Opto" version of the CS-3 mod. As to ease of use, I'd say if you are a little bit comfortable with a soldering iron, you'll be fine. Take your time, check the pedal after each mod as Monte suggests, and double check the pictures.
I did have a little experience, as I built a kit from Mission Amps, but before that all I'd done was swap out a few pickups. I'd say if you can put in some pickups, you'll be golden. Even if you haven't, if you go slowly I think with a little soldering practice you won't have any problems. Monte's diagrams are very clear, and he has some excellent resourses for soldering basics on his web site.
I spent about two hours on this mod, going slow, checking the pedal after each mod. I've already done another of Monte's mods, and without trying to go faster it did just because of the practice on this one...

Here is where it gets good. If you own a CS-3, you have to do this mod. Stock the CS-3 (I've probably had mine for ten years) is noisy and tone sucking. If you are playing loud and don't care about the noise, it can be cool in front of overdrive pedals. If you are playing clean at low volume, it will steal your tone.
I can't get over how good this thing sounds. The pedal is now quiet, and very, very sweet sounding. You can still do the infinite sustain thing that this pedal does, but much more quietly. More importantly you can use this thing like you would use a high quality compressor. With all the settings around noon, it sweetens, fattens, tightens the tone without making you sound all squeezed up. The pedal still feels very dynamic, especially when you roll back the attack time.
If you put it in front of an overdrive pedal, you can still do the rock god thing by raising the sustain setting to about 3 o'clock and rolling the volume back to about 9:30.
What
This pedal rating goes to 11. Most ratings only go to 10. This one goes one more.

Absolutely would use without a back up. Have already. Depenablilty I suppose depends on the quality of your soldering. Take your time!

Monte is a great guy, very helpful and personable. He loves his job, and it shows in the care he has obviously taken in developing these mods. I was so taken by the CS-3, I've ordered four more kits from him!

I play fingerstyle both acoustically and electrically, a variety of styles. I'm playing a variety of guitars (80's Amercan Strat with Fralins, 70's 335 with stock pups, a custom Tele with Bardens) thru that Mission Tweed I built, been playing for over 30 years in all kinds of settings.
If this were lost or stolen, I'd do it all again in a heartbeat!
Also- It's fun!! It's not only the search for tone that's cool about Monte's pedal mods. They are a bargain, and who doesn't love that! Also, you are participating in the process, and even though it ain't brain surgery, it's very satisfying to do the work and have the results be so satisfying.
I've been playing with the CS-3 for about a week, and am still amazed at how good this pedal sounds, especially from where it started. I felt compelled to spread the good word on Monte's kit. It sounds like he doesn't really need the business, but he deserves it!

I used monte allums 'CS-3 OPTO' modification, which is a few dollars more expensive than his standard CS-3 mod. The instructions were good, but there was no instructions for adding the LED (which is optional so i didn't bother adding it in the end). If you dont solder the LED the correct way around it wont work/may blow. I'm giving a 7 out of 10 here, since monte allums didn't provide instructions on adding the LED correctly =[ The rest of the instructions are fantastic though.

What can I say, I really truly love this modified pedal. Here is why. With the Stock Boss CS-3, it is not very good, because it is noisy (hissy) and it without getting all technical, put simply it doesnt really do any good to your sound setup. But modifying the pedal with the monte allums OPTO mod cleans up the noise and makes things sound great. I use a Marshall JCM900 valve amplifier, and I always turn up the gain quite far for a distorted rock sound. What I didnt like about this amplifier was that the lead sound was good, but just nothing special. It was tame, and not very alive. I like something sounding fatter, hotter.. I want my amp to scream, not sing. So with the CS-3 OPTO mod this is exactly what I get, by turning up the 'Level' knob on the modded pedal to about 1 or 2'o'clock. It fattens my tone up, and just sounds truly amazing. One of the other reviewers mentions how the OPTO mod pushes his tone 'hotter' (more output) and he says he doesnt like it, but for someone like me who actually wants a hotter fatter tone, the OPTO modded CS-3 is PERFECT! So to summarise, it takes my existing Marshall valve tone, but then pushes it further so i get a much fatter hotter sound now, without having to hit my guitar strings with violent force like angus young of ac/dc had to do in the late seventies in order to get his screaming lead sound! if you dont want the CS-3 to affect your 'tone' and be transparent, just dont turn up the knobs too high, but if you want to push things further, basically the option is there, just crank up that 'Level' knob..

If you modify the Boss pedal carefully and correctly, expect it to last a long time. Boss are reliable.

I emailed monte allums with questions and he replied fast with helpful answers. I can't complain.

Such an incredible pedal now with the monte allums CS-3 OPTO modification. I have owned various pedals in the past but always sold them. I'm keeping this one though and the reason is, I now get to use my great Marshall distortion sound, but now can push it a little further and get an edge on everyone else. Makes you feel special =]

Since the monto allums modification is so cheap, and transforms the pedal into 'god' territory, im giving full marks.

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.