I play solo gigs, and sometimes my guitar needs a little extra shine. I have tried other pedals, but over time, learned that compression is what I needed to give a little boost to sounds that sometimes disappear when I'm singing or playing with a track. This pedal is plug-and-play, or can also be tweaked to minute adjustments for the more finicky player. I use it with all the lines pointing vertically and it provides just enough "shine" to elevate my performance.
Of course, the pros at Sweetwater make it even better with excellent service and follow up.

Doesn't play well with other pedals, noisy as hell. Wouldn't recommend.

This peddle came out in the 80s and the reason it's still around is because it works well and is very simple.
Still a popular choice for chicken picken country.

Exactly what it says it will do!

One of my favorite squish pedals. It's noisy, it's fiddly, and it completely lacks subtlety or modern versatility. Yet it has a unique vibe that I've not found in any other comp pedal.

perfect;
As always it arrived in a timely manner. it looks and operates brand new!
I was able to replace two of my old stomp boxes from the late 70's that were way too worn out.
it's a newer world. I also learned from watching one of Don Carr's videos how it worked and how to get the most out of it.
It's great! I started learning guitar in 1964 and there was none of these things around like this in that era.
keep up the good work! thanks to all

There are people who say the cs2 is more musical
but let's face it anything in David Gilmour's hands
is more musical . The cs3 is boss's improved cs2
and yes it doesn't have the fabled chip but in reality
it's a Good compressor. It sounds just like Pink Floyd
if you have a Strat and the right settings. Try the level at 130,
the tone at 1 , the attack at 3 , and the sustain at max
and it sounds Great. The tones start to melt into a molten
liquid Hendrix like tone.
To anyone who says this compressor sounds stale
I'd bet if you spent more time with it , and tried out different configurations you'd change your mind . In my opinion it's
very competitive with higher priced compressors.

I play new wave style guitars. This sounds amazing at the front of my chain with my jazzmaster. I also run it in to my SD1 with slight overdrive. Just a solid pedal.

I bought this based on a recommendation but I wish I had known better. Most articles say to hook up the compression/sustainer first in your line of pedals. Doing so almost completely wiped out the effects of my other pedals. I have a Fuzz Face mini that with the fuzz turned all the way up you can barely hear any fuzz. With the CS-3 turned off the fuzz is great. I also have a Blues Driver 2w Waza Craft that sounds great without the CS-3. If you are looking for that down and dirty/rounded blues sound, don't get this pedal. I have moved this pedal around in different configurations but I just don't get the sound I want from it.

I had a Japanese Boss compressor for decades. Sold it to buy this new one for compatibility with my power supply box. Kept on the bedroom carpet, used occasionally, never abused ... then the signal dropped. Took it to the local Boss warranty center ... NOPE! I have to get a return authorization for pedals to ship back to Boss. No more Boss pedals for me!

It's milder than the dyna comp

It's everything you would think it should be. Can't hardly go wrong with any of the Boss pedals.

I needed a compressor that was low noise, low cost, buffered, and rugged. This fit the bill and I have no regrets. Boss has made solid products for decades.

Great pedal if you understand how compression setting work and You don't want any other settings to your sound than the ones you set... this is the pedal for you. If you're unsure about copression settings and how to utilize a compressor, try the higher priced BOSS pedal/

It help my gear getting better sound. Thanks to my sales engineer C.C. for helping me to choose the right gear.

This one is the standard by which other compressors are judged. It can add a ridiculous amount of sustain, so you need to start with the Sustain knob at or below the Noon setting, and add it gently. I use mine as a sound shaper, more than as an effect.

Had a lot of static using my Marshall gain pedal. Put this at the beginning of the chain an my board is quiet now. Did what I needed it to do. The sustain is great, too.

This compressor works fine for me, as other reviews have stated it gets a little noisy but fortunately mine wasn't as bad as what others have stated. (Minimal noise) Not much to say, just try one and if you don't like it, return it/Don't buy it!

Anther quality pedal by boss, I've seen the more expensive pedals that take up a lot of room on your pedalboard, and cost a few toes maybe a foot and basically do the exact same thing . They may have a bit more adjustment/ parameters settings etc. but non the less the same effect. Boss pedals have been around for quite some time I've owned many ,still do .

It will make your single line clean solos "pop out" and get heard, it evens out the notes and get rid of the usual plinky plonky sound you get just going straight into the clean channel. My last compressor was an Xotic SP compressor which was great too but I just prefer the tone and feel of the Boss CS3. Its a classic pedal and is found on boards all over the world. Boss pedals have never let me down once and are priced for the everyday musician and built to last.

I've had this pedal for about 20 years. It was my 1st compressor Yet and it does what it advertises. That being said, there are much better compressors out there. I highly recommend the Wampler Ego Compressor or the Suhr Andy Wood compressor pedals..

Once I got the Wampler, this pedal went back into its box and into a closet. If a buddy comes over to jam on bass, we pull it out and use it.

Very good compressor. Works and do what its suppose to do, and very well indeed. Is in on my pedal board with the rest of the pedals I bought during the summer @ Sweetwater.
Thank you Mike W. for your advice n assistance to buy this specific compressor pedal. Gracias !

Put in the chain right after the tuner, at the beginning of you chain. Dial it in... it will be music to your ears.

I love the pedal. It came in time as quoted, and has worked perfectly. I'm a beginner though so I am unsure how to tweak to get the best sound or tone , but overall very pleased.

Great pedal at a great price! I was never a big compression pedal user, but a buddy suggested I check this one out. The online demo was really helpful in my decision to try it out, and I am really glad I did. It’s very flexible - it’s subtle if you need it to be, but can be a little more aggressive if you need that too. I was worried it would color the tone, but I didn’t hear that happen. I would recommend this to others.

This pedal works great. Does what its supposed to do.

I bought it about 3 months ago and i'been trying to sell it since that day. It does the ''compressing'' job very well, but it is noisy as hell! I don't know if i found a broken one. But i've tried 3 different CS3's and they all were noisy. I like Boss pedals, i really do. But this little blue box is Boss' worst product in my opinion. When you set up the attack or sustain level further than 60%, you can't even hear your playing because of it's buzzing sound. So keep that in mind when you are going to buy it.

I initially bought this for the sustain and to clean up strumming, but found the power of it to be giving my playing that extra punch! I hadn't used it in years due to just using my multi-effects pedal and it's compressor which did the job for sustain and smoothing out the highs and lows. Then I threw on the CS-3 straight through to my Orange amp and dug into a note and was blown away. It was the sound I had been looking for through the years. It's got a snap to it and tightened up my pick playing, and gave it energy. It DOES impact tone, so it's not a very passive sounding compressor. That may be a negative for you.
The half star is that it does have a constant electric hum that cheap cables will amplify considerably. My $25 Fender tweed cables do just fine, but it can be annoying and can cause feedback so just be careful.

I've been trying for years to get that creamy undistorted sustain that I've been hearing on favorite recordings like Steuart Smith's lead on Wynona's version of Free Bird on her Revelations album. An overdrive pedal could be tweaked for sustain but wasn't quite there. After seeing a CS-3 on Steuart's pedal board I had a revelation. After reading and watching all the reviews I could find I ordered one from my friends at Sweetwater. Don't you love it when a plan comes together? After playing with this pedal 'til my fingers hurt I am as close to getting that tone as possible without Steuart's fingers. I love this pedal. I'm not real crazy about the pick attack when the knob is turned up so I leave it all the way down. Tweaking the tone and sustain while using an overdrive and/or distortion pedal creates some very usable tones. Combined with a little delay and reverb the sound through a clean amp with this pedal is really nice. The compression is subtle but missed when it's not there. I leave this pedal on all the time. Boss durability is legendary and the low price fit my budget so I'm really happy with this purchase.

Sustains sounds beautifully, with it"s four knob controls to customize what you are wonting to hear works great. Integrates smoothly with my Reverb and delay / looper pedals. Lives up to the Boss name good quality product worth the price.

I"m a noob. Just learning. On my bucket list to play guitar. I wasn"t sure, exactly, what the Boss CS-3 did. Now I know, for sure, why many of my most respected guitarists use it. I"m experiment with pedals for rich, clear, tone. This Compressor "dresses up" your guitar signal before it passes through the Driver and the rest of your selected effects chain. Huge difference in sound. Makes a "rough and ready" signal presentable to meet the rest of the effects.

IMHO, a compressor (along with the Boss GE-7 EQ) one of the most important, yet most underrated, pedals you can have to ensure the sound and tone is what you want—what your ear is looking for.

GREAT PRODUCT .. SOUNDS / FUNCTIONS EASY AND SMOOTH

I bought this as I mainly wanted to increase the sustain. When the level and sustain knobs are at 12'oclock position, there is no perceivable increase in the sustain. When I crank up the level and sustain knobs there is a lot of noise like a hiss. In addition, the pedal also amplifies unwanted noise like the noise of the finger sliding on the string and also the plucking noise.

The pedal seems to have some battery issues. First day I turned it off (LED was turned off) before going to bed. When I tried to turn on the pedal the next day by pressing the pedal, the light didnt turn on. I thought the original battery was probably bad and so I replaced the battery. Today again I tried to turn it on and it wont turn on. I am 100% sure I left it off as I checked that the LED was off. Looks like the pedal it is consuming the battery even if I turn it off by pressing the pedal.

I dont reall care about a replacement due to the noise at higher gain. So this is going back.

Such an essential pedal, imo. Gives lovely sustain without having to put your gain on full blast, & the compression is quite tasty, making your tone nice & sweet instead of harsh & grating. YAY!

This pedal combined with Line6 SpyderV240 amp allows me to enhance my music. I play 60's & 70's covers for our new band LTD (living the dream).

Great pedal. Not being a big pedal guy it's the only one I use. I have a 30 year old DOD and it was time to upgrade LOL. Fine unit.

The Boss CS-3 does exactly what it says it does: it's a compressor and it's a sustainer. Not very sexy, right? I love what this does in my rig. I compared this with the Xotic and the Keeley, and honestly for ease of use and functionality, the Boss CS-3 was the best of the lot in the same price range.

Just started playing with this new pedal so I can't write a detailed review but so far I like the new tone and sustain I'm getting. I can't wait to use tonight at my gig!

This is the pedal to tame the hottest humbuckers and boost the thinnest single-coils. Consistency is the probably the best word to describe what this pedal offers. Think of it as a device to wake up the lightest picking, and one to tame the ham-fisted banging that would sound like a piano dropping from the top floor.

This pedal really tops off my guitar effects chain by getting the most sustain out of my leads! Would highly recommend this pedal!

GREAT COMPRESSER PEDAL! LONG SUSTAIN! CAN'T GO WRONG!

This is a great reliable unit at a good price. I know there are makes out there that do more But on a gig I don't have time to mess around with pedals. This one is simple to adjust quickly and does what I need it to do. The real prize is Sweetwater. Lots of stores selling the same equipment but nobody has customer service like Sweetwater and that's why I buy from them.

I am pleased with the item purchased. Service was great as always.

The CS-3 is a fantastic compressor and a classic. It unfortunately seems to get some negative reviews which it really doesn't deserve - it does a specific sound and does it well. I currently own the Diamond Comp and JHS Pulp n Peel. Both are amazing and definitely do things the CS-3 can't, but neither comes close to the CS-3 for fat, chimey arpeggios and twangy leads. Darker compressors like the Keeley and the Dyna Comp can get lost in a mix (though both are fantastic.) The CS-3 can be dialed in to be darker, but it really excels at cutting through a dense mix. Overall a great comp and the best in this price range for sure.

I use this pedal on my acoustic guitar for bringing out my leads when we play live. Excellent!

After over 40 years of playing guitar I finally bought a Boss Compression Sustainer.
The CS3 is a great pedal. It evened out my sound and the extra sustain is a dream come true. I ordered this from Sweetwater and as always it arrived here before I expected. I immediately hook the CS 3 to my pedal board and I am blown away by what this pedal does.
Like I said: "Where have you been all my life?

I’ve recently started using and learning this Boss CS-3 Compresssion Sustainer Pedal with an Ovation Custom Legend and a Fender Acoustasonic amp. I’m trying this pedal in church music for “singing out” and sustain in my melodic lines, as well as for variety in the sound of my chording.

It’s been more than adequate, although an imaginary “infinite sustain” does not occur, of course—and is not claimed to occur—while yet one can dream and eke out sweet spots. No matter: the sustain and the volume increase capabilities of the pedal are really helpful. And the pedal generally is excellent in its response and dialings, though the settings with this equipment remain elusive. That is, it’s difficult to adjust the guitar preamp, the amp, and the pedal for desired and sometimes realized effects.

As far as the chording: there is a ‘moment of setting’ with this pedal and equipment that is truly marvelous. There is a scintillating evenness that brings forth so many hidden notes and nuances that it is as though you are playing a different instrument. At the that moment you produce a rich candy shower of variegated ethereality.

'Nuff said?

The Boss CS-3 gave me that xtra punch and sustain I was looking for without changing the tone of my Les Paul. Great pedal.

this is a great pedal, it will take me awhile to learn how to make it sound the way I want it to but it's great

It's not the world class compressor you see in studios, but serves its purpose quite well for the $. Mainly good for live situations IMHO, it provides just a little bit of oomph when needed, especially if you use several pedals in your chain that can sometimes take away from your tone just because of the physics of it all. I typically use this pedal right after my distortion or overdrive pedals, or right before I send the signal back to the amp. I typically place this pedal after my distortion or overdrive pedals. Of your amp has a dedicated effects loop, this pedal works best, as the signal is maintained better rather that an inline-before-amp-input where volumes and gain will fluctuate. The steadier The signal, the better it performs in my observation.

The limiting function is fairly harsh at times especially if you are using a clean channel. The limiting capabilities work better with over-driven or distorted tones, as it can lasso up what can quickly become out-of-control harshness that sometimes plague distorted tones where the sound spectrum of your tone is all over the place, especially at louder volumes. If you play heavy rhythms at loud volumes, this pedal in the limiting setting can tighten up the sound, and can save your speakers from rattling themselves to death.

If you are looking for a transparent compressor, you will be better off with a higher end boutique pedal. But if you are needing a quick, go-to compressor/sustainer/limiter in your live setup, this pedal will work quite nicely for the price point.

When I started using my Boss Compression/Sustainer pedal (and after some knob tweaking) I couldn't believe how versatile and useful it is. Makes me wonder how I ever got by without one. Excellent product from Boss as always.

I like this pedal because it does exactly what it is supposed to do and easy to find your threshold.

The downside for me is important because it sounded poppy to me. I've even tried settings from people that say it made it not as bad but it still drove me crazy.

I gave it an average rating because of that one issue. Otherwise it worked great.

Great pedal. The sustain is great and the attack is great also. Wish I would have bought it sooner.

The CS-3 gives you smooth sustain without changing the original sound. The compression produces a fatter sound with a more even level.

I'm not real happy with the tone of it. My old one was much better. There's not much too it.

Great compressor with easy adjustment of level,attack,tone and sustain, this does it all at a super price! I put it to work immediately and it bumped my old pedal off the board!
It is amazingly versatile and can add depth to your tone that is rich without being muddy. Think of it as a sound enhancer.

Never owned one before, but wish I had. Gives you a warm fat sound and beefs it up. Will own this for a very long time.

if you are very picky about your tone, do not get this pedal. the tone knob on this thing ruins the eq of your normal tone. its horrible. othe than that, it does its job, wish it was more versitile though. if they got rid of that tone knob and made it a ratio knob, this would be a good pedal.
i love boss pedals. my pedal board is 95% boss pedals. this one is just a major bummer to me. I regret buying it.

rounds out the special leads where you lead a litlle more lenght to your notes, and adds that sweet spot that you need from time to time very effectively!

I purchased this CS-3 hoping to create better sustain in my crunch mix but was not impressed with this effect. The only noticeable effect this pedal created was a volume boost. The attack knob cranked over 50% created a nasty slapping sound when combined with my delay pedal. After having it for months in my pedalboard chain and not using it I decided to replace it. Spend the money get something a little more useful.

I've never liked this pedal at all. I've used it when it was the only option, but ended up just turning it off because it never helped my tone more than it hurt it. I found it to be harsh, noisy, and not musical at all. Many guitarists I've talked to share the same sentiment. It just comes across as harsh and uninspiring.

I've also used a Maxon CP101. It's quieter, and seemingly adds zero tonal coloration. It seemed to be everything I wished the CS-3 would be. But, I chucked that pedal too for a Keeley Compressor. The Keeley is noisy and adds a certain tonal coloration, but that coloration is welcome on my board any day. Both are great alternatives I'd recommend checking into before you go with a CS-3.

I bought this pedal with my first ever guitar amp (a marshall MG series half stack), and several amps and 5 years later I have finally found the settings that do your guitar justice. The key is to work with the attack and sustain knobs to dial in the right kind of compression. When I first bought this pedal, I thought: "WOAH! attack! I want my attack to be all the way up!" of course what I thought attack meant back then does not agree with what I now know attack to be: how fast the harsh transients are hit with compression. So don't turn the attack to "max" because then there will never be time to compress unless it's the last drawn out note of a song. And of course don't turn the attack all the way to minimum because then you get way too much compression and it really cuts down on the output of your amp and palm mutes and quieter picks don't come out whatsoever. And the sustain knob is pretty straightforward. ANOTHER key part is the level knob. I speak from experience that the level knob should be set so that when you turn the pedal off, there is NO change in volume. I had the level on this thing all the way up and it was nothing but horrible noise and hiss coming out of my amp.

But this review is called "comp with tone" for a reason. I have A/B'ed my guitar tone bypassing and compressed a million times, and I always choose the compressed signal. Just some mid-range bite (my tone knob is in the low mid setting. go figure!) that beefed up my sound, and not to mention, this pedal really does add tremendous amount of sustain to chords. I would give it a 5star rating but the level pot fell off and its just a pain to have to readjust it without the indentation when some band mate has screwed around with my pedals.

For the price this cannot be beat. But don't take my settings and apply them to your guitar, because unless you have the same setup (koa tele through pedals through BBE 482i through Fender Hot Rod Deluxe with Groove Tubes), this pedal will not work the same for you. You need to set aside a good two hours with this pedal, understand the different settings, and dial in the right kind of compression. And the great thing about this pedal is that it is not a one trick pony: it will work great with all of your amp/guitar situations. I am done rambling.

Great Pedal for Blues & R&B.I use mine with a American Standard Strat thru Fender Twin tube and Peavey Solidstate Trans Tube pratice amp.Good Tone. Great Sustain.