Boss CS-3 Guitar Compresson Sustainer
The Boss CS3 is constructed within a rugged metal enclosure, and comprises four controls – Level, Tone, Attack and Sustain – plus a footswitch.
The specifications quoted are that the CS-3 delivers a smooth sustain, with a balanced string response. The pedal boasts clarity and punch at any volume, and is an ideal pedal for the studio. On its own it produces a clean sound, or is great in front of a chorus or distortion pedal.
That’s the official line, so what are guitarists saying about it?
Well, initially there seem to be a number of negative comments, so let’s get them out in the open first.
The Cons.
Various people have commented that although the control functions are quite comprehensive, getting a nice sound is difficult, or results in noise or feedback.
The battery life is very short as the Boss CS-3 consumption is quite high.
Using the Sustain produces a lot of noise, while the Attack control creates a rather artificial sound.
The Pros.
Considering the negative comments, this pedal still has an overall average of 4 out of 5 stars rating, which is pretty good. Matters of noise and control etc have been addressed by other musicians and some of these problems may be caused by the pedals position in the effects loop, or the level and control settings of the other devices in the loop.
One solution is to place the Boss before other effects like your reverb or distortion. Having this pedal on at the same time as your distortion can produce some serious feedback – not always a bad thing if that’s what you are looking for.
The pedal is cool for tightening or cleaning up your sound, and with perseverance on learning the effect of just subtle use of the controls, creates an end result that is well worth the effort.
As most guitarists use a power supply for their pedals anyway, the high battery consumption no longer matters.
Many guitarists have used the Boss CS-3 for many years and would not be without one, so perhaps this pedal can’t be that bad after all.
Boss CS-3 Guitar Compresson Sustainer
Conclusion
Despite some negative comments, this pedal still rates highly amoung the majority of guitarists, and at under $100, is good value for money. Its main feature are:
- Goood rugged construction
- Reliable
- Cleans up and tightens your sounds
- Produces great sustain
- Good range of control functionality with Tone, Attack, Level and Sustain
- Requires careful control use and position within effects loop to gain best results
- Needs 9V power supply to avoid high battery use
- Good value for money
If you are interested in purchasing the Boss CS-3 or would like to see more musician reviews, then below is a price comparison list of a number of the top online sellers of this pedal. Click any link for further details.
Also, see the YouTube video at the bottom of the page to see the Boss CS3 in action
Many thanks for visiting Boss CS-3 at Electric Guitar Effects Pedals
Boss CS-3 Guitar Compressor Sustainer
The Dyna Comp has been around for many years, and is known to give many years of reliable service. The construction is in a rugged metal casing, with two nice rotary control knobs, plus a sturdy metal footswitch.
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