BOSS Cs-3 Compressor/Sustain Pedal

I bought this pedal to emulate a BOSS pedal set-up which a favorite band of mine had used. Of all the pedals I had purchased, this one of the two most powerful BOSS pedals I have purchased. My playing sounds so much more refined and rich despite playing with some of my louder and more powerful amps. The pedal creates a warm and resonant sound which pairs amazingly with the likes of a BOSS "reverb" and "space echo" pedals. I recommend this pedal to anyone building a BOSS pedal set-up or any other combination pedal-kit.

This pedal is a godsend. What can I say? I'm a punk guitarist and I live in a block of flats so have to keep my (Marshall) combo down in volume. However with this pedal plugged in, with a Boss overdrive/distortion pedal chained, I can play as if the amp is cranked up. My Les Paul begins to play itself, even with the amp low. I find it useful when playing licks that include single notes played over several beats, or a few bars, as the sustain makes the note really sing and keeps it nice and consistent over the "gap" until the next note, or chord is played, so it makes the playing sound "big". It tightens the playing, makes the guitar sing, works absolutely beautifully with muted "chugging" and I love it! It might take a while altering settings on your combo/stack in conjunction with other pedals you may have and the cs-3 itself but its worth the effort. It's also very sturdy as you'd expect with a Boss pedal. Never mind the bollocks here's the Boss CS-3!

Classic boss compressor, goes from fast attacking, percussive, all the way to smooth and sustaining compression. A must for any pedal board / studio.

This pedal is great. With compressors, sometimes it is hard to notice the effect on the sound but you can truly feel it's benefits when playing. The pedal is built like a tank, which is what Boss is known for! The knobs can be hard to turn at times. This is a good compressor if you want to actually hear the effect of the pedal. The sustain, attack and tone do totally change the sound, especially if you put it closer to your guitar. The volume knob works as a boost quite well too, but personally I always keep my compressor on so I'd rather use an overdrive or distortion pedal as a booster. The huge big issue with this pedal is the same with all Boss pedals, and that is the issue of power sources. Batteries don't last long enough, especially because many guitarists use compressors constantly. Boss do not allow third party plug in power supplies, and I've heard stories of the damage that third party power does to Boss pedals. The Boss power supplies, that you are forced to use, can cost up to £20, making any Boss pedal £20 more expensive. I may well have spent that money on a more expensive compressor that is of even better quality!

This pedal is great. Boss pedals are goid quality. I am happy with the purchase

Just magical, wow! You can add compression via a channel strip or separate one post a pre (and I have several amazing ones to choose from) but there’s just something about this Boss pedal that glues the guitar and it affects they way that you’re playing, for the better IMO … first in the chain, before a pre or any other pedals (well, tuner would come first but I prefer a TC poly clip since it’s less noise in the chain). You’ll need to buy a suitable power supply or a 9V battery, or a pedalboard which can supply enough solid power for several pedals.

I bought this to replace my old Boss CS2 from 1982 which finally packed up and they don't make 'em anymore. This one sounds just as good to these old ears with the added bonus of a tone control.

Hard to explain, but the sound just isn't right. It's not terrible, but I find I hardly ever use it and I'm just not keen on the way it makes the sound go. I was hoping it would sustain and compress without altering the actual sound of the instrument, but nope, it gives it a weird tone that I just don't like. I've tried many variations of setups and I will give it more chances as I usually love boss pedals, but this one just isn't great so far, I will change this review if I can find a way to use it properly..

Great pedal! Running it through my bass rig. The great quality I've come to expect from Boss pedals 🎯🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

Very strong recommendation. In fact if you want to improve the tone and want to get the most out of all the equipment (pedals, amps) get this. The tone is so fuller. A very pleasing balance of crispness and warmth. Give it a shot before in favt upgrading your guitar/amp, really.

Good

Works well as advertised . Boss pedals are good quality

Ottimo.