Boss · CS-3 · 1986–present

Boss CS-3 Compressor

Boss has made compressors since 1978, when the optical CS-1 arrived, and the CS-2 followed in 1981. The blue CS-3 came in 1986, and Boss says it hasn't changed since. It's a VCA compressor with four knobs. Level sets the output, Tone shapes the treble, Attack decides how much pick attack gets through before the squeeze, and Sustain sets how hard it compresses. Turn Attack clockwise for a snappy, percussive sound, or back it off to smooth out spikes. Boss pitches it for everything from hot country licks and funk rhythm to long, singing solos, and bass players lean on the CS-2 and CS-3 too. Because the design never changed, the main question with a used one is condition. Look for smooth pots and a unit that stays quiet at normal settings, since an older CS-3 should behave like a new one. If you want a simple, natural-sounding compressor to leave on, it's a sensible first pick.