Peavey CSR-2 Compressor/Sustainer

Got one on ebay cheap after hearing how great they were on a forum, looking to replace my old sick dynacomp for cheap.

Not too bad, harder than my dynacomp to dial in, the dynacomp has only one knob for the compression.

The sound when OFF is very weak, loses volume and high end. It is certainly NOT true bypass, when you pull out the battery there is NO sound at all. Try it and you will see.

When on, it sounds good with the knobs up all the way, otherwise the output is weak. I like a slight or good volume boost but it cannot do that. I like the sounds and compression with tweeking the knobs, but with the low output I can only use it with the knobs up. Then it sounds really good, about like the dynacomp.

very cheapy made, switch is plastic under rubber. Already lost the battery cover, duct tape is awesome.

I guess I can use it if the dynacomp dies but I will be looking for another dynacomp as it's not quite going to make the grade.

Very easy to use. 3 knobs. My mom could figure it out.

Wow, I am very impressed at the functionality of this pedal. I do not know much about compressors, but I know what sounds good. This is basically my first compressor other than the mode on the POD 2.0. This sounds way better for rythem than the line 6. The only complaint I have is the sustain is not drastic at 10, but that is not even what I bought this pedal for so I dont care. SOunds great with any song I play

Outside looks extremely shitty. Haha just look at it, but take one look inside and your perspective will be changed (I advise not taking it apart unless you have some knowledge of electronicks as it is hard to get togeather). I was extremely impressed by the setup inside and the fact that it's true bypass. Inside everything is extremely organized and the quality of the parts looks great expecially for it's age. I took it open to dust/clean the inside, but theres nothing to clean. The only thing I dislike is the outside bubble where the switch is.

Uh quick e-mail response. After looking inside I dont expect to deal with them.

WOW. I really like this. You cant beat $27 with a stick or any other compressor for that matter. I've heard many other compressors that claim to be the best when they totaly change your tone to the point of no recognition. Granted thats fun to mess around with, but in a band with other musicians it will not sound good. This takes your tone and helps improve it, not destroy it.

Fairly easy. Nothing too complicated about it. It has three knobs (from left to right): sustain, threshold, and level. More squash with increases in sustain and level, and the threshold is a nice feature. I bought my used, so I had no manual. But I gathered from the switch and other reviews that it might be true bypass, so on a whim I emailed peavy customer support. They politely replied and confirmed my prior information that the unit was made in the early 80's and in fact is true bypass. A manual and schematic was available to me for about 8 or 10 dollars, as I recall; I didn't spring for it. This was my first ever compressor and it was a great way to start. I was able to experiment with it in a variety of settings and it convinced me to upgrade seriously for a higher end compressor. I plan to keep it for a backup, although i don't plan to use it regularly anymore now that I have a great compressor. This one worked worked well and hooked me.

I enjoyed the quality of this unit, and as it was my first compressor, it took me some time to find settings that I liked and to find the right applications for it. I particularly liked it for rhythm work on a variety of songs. I didn't use it as a boost for leads, however. The noise factor varies; for this price it was very low and very nice. However, with higher gain, more overdrive and higher threshold and level settings the noise would increase proportionally. I did have a slight "pop" in the switch, but this clued me into the true bypass feature. The "squish" and "squash" feature often associated with comps seemed much less with this unit than with others I played with, tho it was apparent. The sound didn't "spatter" against a wall, like with some units. I think the threshold setting is a plus with this unit, but more settings than the three on this one are really too much for me. I used this with single coil guitars and silver faced fender amps.

I used this regularly until I got a high end compressor. I never had a backup for it. The problem with this one, as others have suspected, is with the switch. A rubber pad covers the switch (a feature of this line of peavy products) and at times now it sounds like it doesn't "catch." You have to hit a time or two to make sure it takes. I had a friend look at it and he said it was easily repaired, but I didn't want to pursue it further. I suspect it's a function of age and wear. But as I used it primarily for rhythm work, I usually had time to make sure it was engaged before I played. I kept it first in the chain before all my other effects (and right after my noise suppressor). The worn out switch affects the relatively modest rating. The tone and the features of the unit are fine.

My email interaction with Peavy was very polite and courteous. I appreciated their response to an older piece of their gear that has long been out of production. I asked them why it was discontinued, and it really was a matter of market saturation and need to add novelty into the market. I thot it was a very informative exchange. I liked the fact that more information was available to me if I wanted to purchase it. I did not ask them to repair the switch for me; I did have a friend work on it but didn't want to pursue it further.

I have played classic rock, southern, country, blues, etc. And it has worked admirably over the few years I have had it. It is a very musical piece. I really like getting a unit so cheap that worked so well with true bypass. It was a great way to start learning about compressors, and it hooked me into pursuing a higher end unit. It's a steal at the low prices that float around these used pieces. Great way to start out with a compressor, and if hadn't found the money to go for a higher end unit, I could be happy keeping this one. It will hang around now in a drawer somewhere, I suspect. Although the worn out switch is tricky, it's a great value for the money.

It's very easy to use, Sustain, Threshold and Limiter.

I used with my Peavey T-40 bass and Peavey Minx 110 amp.
There is not many diferent sounds that this thing can do. It's a little noisy.

It's made of metal and plastic.

I play 70's rock, spanish rock and blues. I have 8 years playing. Now I use a zoom 506 pedal. If I lost the Peavey CSR-2, I won't miss it.

3 knobs, all very easy to find the setting in which you are looking for. Manuel is simple and too the point. this is an early 80's effect that i found used, and no longer are made.

Sounds excellent with any guitar I've tried with it, keeps it clean and is much better than the Boss Compression sustain pedal. Like the box states, "rackmountable effects, convienence of a pedal," that is so true because this thing never gives an annoying pop, or cuts notes thin. keeps them loud and sustaining. great for clean, lead, rhythm, chords, anything. i keep it on all the time.

I'm affraid the push-pad will eventually wear out on it. as far as the pedal itself, very sturdy. much like a boss pedal. Very old though.

This pedal nails a lot of different sounds and tones. I use it for everything. I play anything from blues,metal,rock,techno,instrumental, etc and it handles all. If you can find one used, try it. It's worth a shot.

Almost too easy. This is a very subtle effect. With the Sustain, and Threshold maxed, it's still very subtle (and quite usable at that setting). It's also the quietest compressor pedal that I've ever used.

I just picked this up from ebay. At the moment, I'm running it into a Crate VC508 5 watt combo, and from it's line out into a DOD Echo pedal, and from there into a Sovtek Mig-50 head, and Peavey tweed 4X10 cabinet. Main guitar is a Telecaster, and an occasional Strat. As I mentioned above, the pedal is unbelievably quiet for a compressor. It's real good for adding a little sustain without adding more dirt, and also without sounding, very obviously, like you're using a compressor. Would be good for an amp with a sweet, low gain distortion, if a bit more sustain was needed. I've not used it on the bandstand yet, but will tonight. I tried it out, with my stage rig, on the porch today and it sounded great (sorry neighbors!). I didn't notice any tone change when switched on at all.

Well, the thing is already old. I think it was made in the 80's. Still works great. I've never been a compressor user. Years ago, I had an MXR Dynacomp, and an Electro-Harmonix Soul Preacher, both of which were extremely noisy, and killed your dynamics. This one has astounded me with its lack of noise, and it's natural sound. It's very heavy too. Seems very sturdy.

Never dealt with them

As for compressor pedals, which I've never cared for, this is the best that I've found. It may be one of those special devices that you can just turn on, leave on, and walk away and play without thinking about it. THAT'S my kind of devices. I'll be able to use less distortion on my amp, while keeping the sustain.