We all know that Boss produces many great products. It turns out that their compression sustainers’ pedals are just as highly recommended. They’ve been around for a long time (since the 70s). Boss pedals are known to be very reliable, functional and compact – allowing for easy transport.
Boss is one of the go-to companies when it comes to reliable pedals for guitar, bass or any other instrument.
Boss was one of the first companies to mass produce small footprint pedals for guitars. Back in the ‘70s, their pedals made a splash when they were first introduced. Today their pedals are synonymous with sturdy, robust and reliable pedals.
| Features: | Boss CS-2 | Boss CS-3 Compressor |
|---|---|---|
| Price: | $145 | $110 |
| Type: | Compression Sustainer | Compression Sustainer |
| Versatility: | High | High |
| Weight: | 15oz | 14oz |
Boss CS-2
What exactly is a compressor sustainer pedal? Well, Boss’s CS-2 compresses louder signals, boosting softer signals, which results in more even output. At the same time, the CS-2 sustains notes, making them sound longer. Putting these two features together can result in a smoother sound, and this will work with either guitar or bass.
Tone
Boss’s high-quality CS-2 model has a smooth finish, clean wiring, and knobs that have a nice feel. The knobs on the pedal include Level, Tone, Attack, and Sustain, so it isn’t too complicated.
Performance
Boss’s CS-2 compresses high-input signals while boosting low-input signals, giving you smooth and long sustain without degrading the quality of the original sound. The pedal uses a Voltage Controlled Amplifier rather than the photocouplers used by the CS-1. The VCA’s speeds up the signal processing, making the attack much faster compared to the CS-1.
Boss CS-3
Boss CS-3 is a compact compression pedal that was first introduced in 1993. Even though the CS-3 doesn’t have deep customization or high-end sound, its impressive sound and simple design will almost certainly be enough for most purposes.
The CS-3 is also popular among guitarists because of the addition of tone control. As a compressor pedal, it does exactly what it’s supposed to do, and does really well at an affordable price.
Design
The CS-3 has the classic Boss construction, making it sturdy and fairly compact. It comes encased in a blue metal case which is durable, easy to carry, and easy to fit on your pedalboard. The CS-3 is as sturdy as pedals can get, and if you like Boss’ aesthetics, it looks good as well. As for I/O options, it has a single input/output.
There’s also a LED status indicator plus an On/Off footswitch at the bottom part of the pedal. There’re no other footswitch controls, so the knobs can only be adjusted with the aforementioned knobs.
With this in mind, you’d better adjust the tone beforehand. You should also memorize the settings you’re going to use for your songs so that you can then tweak the pedal faster.
But remember that the Boss CS-3 is both a compression and a sustain pedal, which means a fair versatility becomes available to you for a decent price.
Sound
In essence, the CS-3 cuts down loud frequencies while boosting the lows at the same time, resulting in a rounder sound.
Moreover, the pedal has enough versatility to come from a clean, almost acoustic boost to an all-and-out distortion. By boosting the attack and level knobs, you can achieve a clipping sound that’s somewhere in-between fuzz and overdrive effects.
The sustain knob is impressive as it can extend the length of notes quite significantly, which can be a handy feature for your solo and instrumental sections.
It’s important to note that this pedal is not a full-on boutique model. The CS-3 can introduce some hissing and buzzing sounds, so you may want to experiment by placing it at the bottom of the signal chain; otherwise, the hiss may grow with your other effects.
Conclusion
The only downside to the CS-2 which is common to pedals in this price range. Like the CS-3, the CS-2 doesn’t have true bypass, which is something that everybody wants.
So, there are some differences between these two pedals, and if you are not looking for an extreme sound, then the CS-2 is a better choice. Although these pedals were discontinued years ago, there are still tons of them on eBay with reasonable prices that range between $60 and $100.