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 Lacks subtlety/transparency and bass response Jun 04, 2010
I love many Boss pedals, but this pedal lacks subtlety (transparency) and bass response. It was very difficult to find settings in which the signal did not sound like it was being (over-)compressed. And the bass was very lacking. The only Tone setting in which the bass was present sounds muddy.
If you can get one for a decent price, I say go for it and mod it. I have played through a Monte Allums'-modded CS-3 and the problems I mentioned above were absent.
Different people like different sounds, so at the very least, I do not recommend buying a CS-3 without trying it first.
Not Transparent Feb 28, 2010
This compressor DOES compress, but it isn't transparent. There is such an audible tone sucking that when you take it OUT of your signal chain, or turn it off, you really notice the difference (I use Elixir cables, might not be able to tell on a 10 dollar cable)
For that, this is at best "average". What KEEPS it an average pedal, no not a GREAT pedal like their Blues Driver, is that the extreme ranges are NOT pleasing, they're harsh. You don't get a nice squish compression, it's just an unusable setting.
I guess the point is, you can't get GOOD compression at this price range. Sorry, but if you're not dropping at least 2 clams, your compression will never be truly transparent and any more than average.
0 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 The truth is somewhere in the middle. Sep 09, 2008
Over the years, I have owned several of these units. While they may be noisy, they serve their purpose in terms of punching up the sound when I play lead. I find the noise is basically inaudible when I am soloing.
My pedal came yesterday from Harmon Music and their customer service was great as usual. The pedal came withing 2 days of being billed and it fit in my mail box so I didn't have to wait for UPS and I didn't have to worry about the pedal being stolen from me as it could have been left outside my door. Thanks for everything.
1 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 One Of The Worst Comrpession Pedals Out There Jul 13, 2008
The Boss CS-3 is one of the most noisy pedals I've ever heard. If you enjoy hissing, then this may be the pedal for you. No matter what knob you choose to turn it is noisy.
If you want a real compression pedal, that has ZERO noise, then check out TC Electronic's Vintage Compression. You might have to shell out some extra cash, but there's NO substitute for a good compression and you might as well go with one of the best out there: TC Electronic.
I've been generally happy with Boss products, but this pedal is something that just sounds awful.
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
 Boss CS-3 Compression/Sustainer Dec 01, 2005
If you play the guitar, you really should have this pedal.
First, adjust the Volume (Level), Tone, Attack and Sustain.
For a best result, turn your Volume and Sustain all the way up and Tone and Attack to preference.
When you turn it on, you will tell. It makes your guitar very sensitive. It acts like you have the best pick ups on Earth. If you breath on your cords, you can hear it.
You can pull off mind melting pull offs.
You can use it as a tone adjuster.
You can use it for a slight Volume pedal.
If you use it when you have your clean sound on, it will produce and plucky sound.
If you use it with other distortion pedals, it will produce a clearer sound.
If you use it with any pedal, it will produce a different sound, so it will be like you have an infinite number of pedals.
For the bad part, it is VERY noisy. It will make a very loud hiss. While you play with it on, it won't make any hiss at all. So, just turn it off when it's not in use. Here's a hint, when you're playing, you can keep it on all the time but take another of one your pedals and turn that on but turn the Volume all the way down and it won't make any noise at all.
If you've never used a pedal before, you need 2 cords. You have to plug your amp into the input and your guitar into the output.
And of course, for all pedals, you should unplug your input for a much longer battery life (9 Volt) when not in use. If you leave it plugged in, your battery will last 2 days; unplugged, about 6-12 months, depending how long you play.
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