Compression Pedals

[ggunn]

... for the CS-3 I have the volume, sustain and attack maxed out and the tone around 1 or 2 o'clock, and I just leave it on.

Turning up the sustain doesn't make it louder; you might try backing off on it. It might actually be subtracting from your volume. With the sustain all the way up it's going to squash the living $#!t out of your sound, and it's really messing with your attack, too. I'm not surprised that you have the noise floor jumping up during the decay, either, especially if you have a single pickup on (you did say it's a Strat, didn't you?).

When I use my CS-3 for a guitar volume boost, I turn the volume up and set the sustain on about halfway or less. In this case, less really is more.

 

[ggunn]

According to you and 9,706,120 other people. We can't all be wrong.



It's the worst for bass. Do you know which of a soldering iron to hold?
="http://www.ovnilab.com/articles/cs3modding.shtml"

Um, I'm an electrical engineer and PV circuit designer, and I've successfully rebuilt a couple of tube amps. Does that count? ;^)

It works OK for what I am using it for, but I'll take a look at that article. Thanks.

 

[Outlaws]

What the hell is a clean boost pedal being recommended for on a solidstate amp? You drive tubes hard to saturate and compress the signal. I could see a minor amount of boost being usable...and your compressor should be more than capable of providing that....but most of the clean boosts offer +20dB for a reason...and it isn't for the preamp circuit of a SS amp.

I have to admit I didn't realize the Sunn was SS, but the whole point of a clean boost pedal for driving the input harder is lost on a SS amp. I think you will be unhappy and out $100 or more.

I have a feeling that what you are missing at non-stage volume is the speakers are not getting a chance to really move. I am unaware how the tone of a solid state amplifier changes at increasing volume other than at extremely minute amounts....but the sound from the speakers do.

If you want more breakup from the preamp, try something like a Budda Phatman. I loved that pedal. Its 18v and has a silky smooth breakup.

 

[Walt-Dogg]

This is becoming a nightmare... Well Sunn's are coveted amps, maybe I could sell it and get a nice Ampeg V4 I'm looking at on my local CraigsList.

I guess I'll just try out a bunch of boosts with my compressor and if I don't get any pleasing results I'll just sell the Sunn, pick up the V4 and nice dist. pedal and I'll be set.

 

[ranjam]

There is one compressor pedal I've found that will lay all these complaints to rest, and without spending $229 or even $259 Key Lee prices for a 4 knob super custom modded compressor. (nothing against Key Lee)

Try the CMATMODS Deluxe "Ross" Compressor. http://www.cmatmods.com/deluxe-compressor.html

Has Sustain, Level, Tone and Attack knobs so you can have your sustain, you can have clean boost, you can moderate the tone, and you can do it without squashing the vital pick attack transients that make your guitar cut thru a mix and sound alive. Nothing against Key Lee, just that it's impossible for me to imagine any $259 dollar model being able to deliver anything more astounding than this CMATMODS Deluxe Comp.

The Ross is a basic circuit seen in many other brands, but somehow Trey Anastasio got a hold of an old Ross pedal (probably found it in a bargain bin somewhere for $10), and now they get serious $$$ on eBay. Capitalism at its finest. The Dyna Comp is identical, and the BYOC clones are also basic, simple Ross 'clones'. I haven't seen a CMATMODS pedal in the flesh, and I'm sure it will be a fine compressor. But here you're paying for 'improved parts', so be aware. It's still a Ross/MXR clone. You can build your own for even less.

 

[soundchaser59]

By far the cheapest and simplest thing you could do is install the Allums mod kit on your CS3. The difference is remarkable, and you can use it as a boost, it will get rid of 90% of the noise, it just turns it into a whole different - much better - animal. It's worth the $25 bucks for sure, and it may be all you need. Then you can get a mint used BD2 Blues Driver and install the Allums mod on that, and you'll be set for quite a while. Boss pedals are the easiest ones to work on at least, much easier than any other I've installed.

http://www.monteallums.com/pedal_mods.html#cs3opto

 

[Walt-Dogg]

By far the cheapest and simplest thing you could do is install the Allums mod kit on your CS3. The difference is remarkable, and you can use it as a boost, it will get rid of 90% of the noise, it just turns it into a whole different - much better - animal. It's worth the $25 bucks for sure, and it may be all you need. Then you can get a mint used BD2 Blues Driver and install the Allums mod on that, and you'll be set for quite a while. Boss pedals are the easiest ones to work on at least, much easier than any other I've installed.

http://www.monteallums.com/pedal_mods.html#cs3opto

So buy two kits, a Blues Driver, and install one kit in my CS-3 and one in the Blues Driver to get a nice boost?

 

[starbuck26]

So buy two kits, a Blues Driver, and install one kit in my CS-3 and one in the Blues Driver to get a nice boost?

This is bad advice. If you don't know what an fx loop is you shouldn't be trying to mod pedals. You're trying to fix a tire by reinventing the wheel.

This whole thread has gone completely batty.

Just go buy an mxr micro amp for 59 bucks and call it a day.

 

[ggunn]

This is bad advice. If you don't know what an fx loop is you shouldn't be trying to mod pedals. You're trying to fix a tire by reinventing the wheel.

This whole thread has gone completely batty.

Just go buy an mxr micro amp for 59 bucks and call it a day.

Couldn't he get pretty much the same thing by turning the volume and tone all the way up on the CS-3 and turning the sustain all the way down?

 

[Walt-Dogg]

On my CS-3, with the sustain down, it sounds horrible. The higher the sustain, level and attack are the better the "boost" I get out of it.

I'm definitely not gonna get a Blues Driver and mod it though, waste of time, might mod my CS-3 though, I've listened to the sound clips on that site for it, not bad. I don't exactly understand what the mod does though. If someone could explain that to me.

 

[ggunn]

Well, Sunn's are coveted amps...

Really? By whom?

 

[ranjam]

If you don't know what an fx loop is you shouldn't be trying to mod pedals.

Church.

Just go buy an mxr micro amp for 59 bucks and call it a day.

Call it a mistake if it doesn't do what he thinks it will do. And he likely doesn't know if he's asking.

This is bad advice.

Oh the irony.

Here's my story, and you can listen closely, or completely ignore me. I have in my possession many, many compressors. Guitar pedals and rack mount units. They're all subtlely different, but remarkably similar. I was crazy buying them all, but some were so cheap used I thought if I don't like them I'll flip them over. I ended up keeping them all, so I can still go back and reference them.
Boss doesn't make a good compressor. I use my old MIJ CS-1 occasionally, and it's the best of the Boss lot. The CS-3 is just noisy and overloads easy. If you have active pickups or put a booster in front (like a line driver), it's just bad. The only plus is that is has a tone control. With the popular mods for it, it becomes a decent, but mediocre, compressor. It is cheap, so if money is an issue, whaddaya' gonna do? I say.......
The Dyna Comp is actually nice. Dirt cheap, and it works. The hidden secret is the trim pot inside which is the 'attack' control. It's preset, but who says you can't mess with it? No mods needed. $69 and it compares to boutique pedals quite nicely. Yes, it's made cheaper with cheaper parts, but it still works, and it's still $69.
The BBE Opto-Stomp is the best 'cheap' guitar compressor pedal. $100 and it is optical, so it isn't just like the 99 other VCA compressors I have.
If money isn't that big of a deal, the Maxon CP9 Pro+ is 'it'. Carl Martin's two units are also amazing. He makes a 'budget' compressor, and his 'pro' compressor (optical!). They both are excellent.
There ya' have it! If you want/need a compressor pedal, here's my 2¢. Stay away from the Behringer BLE100, Dan Armstrong Orange Squezzer, Dan Electro Surf & Turf, and the new EH Soul Preacher. You'll thank me later.
Try as many compressors as you can. Get a feel for them, and you'll pick a winner quickly. No mods neccessary. Remember waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back you wanted a gainy sound? Maybe you don't even need a compressor. But if you have a Dyna Comp with a Keeley Blues Driver you've spent a couple of hundred bucks to improve your tone. If you just want to goose your tone for lead work, go to http://harryj.net/OD_Shootout2.htm and pick the pedal you think sounds closest to the tone you hear in your head. If you shop used you might even luck out. That's my 2¢ and I swear to Christ I'll shut my trap on this subject now. Thank you for lending me your ear.

 

[Walt-Dogg]

I'll see what I can do ranjam. I really wanna try out that mod for the CS-3, because if it cleans up the sound and adds a bit of power to it, that would be perfect as the CS-3 is VERY close getting my sound to where I want it. Like I said I like the tone of my amp and don't want to use any distortion pedals that will alter the tone and on top of that my amp is a solid state, so a dist. pedal is a bad idea. I just need a at tad bit more gain than the CS-3 is giving me.

 

[soundchaser59]

Everybody has good reasons for their suggestions. I'm just trying to give you ideas, but I understand why people say you dont need a BD2 or any other overdrive pedal with a solid state amp, and I agree. But you did mention the possibility of selling the Sunn, if it's a real possibility that you might end up with a new tube amp instead, then having an Allums modded CS3 and an Allums modded BD2 in your pocket suddenly becomes a really good idea! With a little ebay savvy you could end up with the pair modded for under $150 (if you do the work yourself). I've installed two Allums mod CS3's and two Allums mod BD2's, both are worth the time and effort if you do not yet have a taste for the booteek stuff.

But since you already own a CS3, and the kit is the easiest install I've ever had, and the kit is quality and affordable, it's the least expensive and least drastic change you can make that has a good chance of giving you that extra nudge you want with a much cleaner, smoother, phatter and more responsive compressor to show for it.

There really is no substitute for what ranjam is saying...... go out and get hands on comparing them yourself. Take your own guitar with you to the stores and start test driving compressors. The Dynacomp is good and can be easily modded, the BBE Opto is quiet and transparent but doesn't have the boost you want imo, the Soul Preacher is the worst one I've ever tried, and the Black Finger is super fun but noisy like most EHX stuff I've had.

 

[Outlaws]

I'll see what I can do ranjam. I really wanna try out that mod for the CS-3, because if it cleans up the sound and adds a bit of power to it, that would be perfect as the CS-3 is VERY close getting my sound to where I want it. Like I said I like the tone of my amp and don't want to use any distortion pedals that will alter the tone and on top of that my amp is a solid state, so a dist. pedal is a bad idea. I just need a at tad bit more gain than the CS-3 is giving me.

Where did you read/hear this?

 

[Walt-Dogg]

Where did you read/hear this?

Several people on this thread and I have experience using distortion pedals on solid state amps, not too good. Plus I don't need a distortion pedal, just a boost as I use the amps built in distortion, just need to boost it.

@ soundchaser59: Ordered the kit a couple hours ago expecting it this weekend. I'll report back once I've got it installed or in case I hit a roadblock (I'm not too bad with a soldering iron but I'm no expert).

I wanna ask though, even though Texas-Specials are pretty high output pickups and I love their tone, I have had a Seymour Duncan Hot-Rails in the bridge position in my guitar before, would putting it back in boost the signal at all when the bridge pickup is selected?

 

[Outlaws]

Several people on this thread and I have experience using distortion pedals on solid state amps, not too good. Plus I don't need a distortion pedal, just a boost as I use the amps built in distortion, just need to boost it.

I don't know who the people are but there are a lot of people on this board who hate anything that doesn't have a tube in it, and there are people on this board that are fucking morons. Just read the shit that has been suggested to you in this thread alone. Thats the reason I quit posting here. Too much stupid BS gets passed around as truth.

But to the point, what do you think your amps distortion is? It obtains distortion the exact same way as probably 90% of all distortion pedals.

 

[Walt-Dogg]

I don't know who the people are but there are a lot of people on this board who hate anything that doesn't have a tube in it, and there are people on this board that are fucking morons. Just read the shit that has been suggested to you in this thread alone. Thats the reason I quit posting here. Too much stupid BS gets passed around as truth.

But to the point, what do you think your amps distortion is? It obtains distortion the exact same way as probably 90% of all distortion pedals.

Haha, yeah I've noticed that most of what has been said is a bit ridiculous. I know for a fact that a distortion pedal on top of an amp that has its distortion on sounds horrible, it's just noisy and the tone gets messed up. As I've discovered, the CS-3 when used as boost with the distortion on, it's better than using a distortion pedal (at least in my opinion, it wont affect the tone and will only add gain to the distortion). So with the mod on my CS-3 to be done soon, I should be able to achieve what I'm looking for.

 

[soundchaser59]

Ordered the kit a couple hours ago expecting it this weekend. I'll report back once I've got it installed or in case I hit a roadblock (I'm not too bad with a soldering iron but I'm no expert).

Best tip I have: Make sure you UNsolder the old components as carefully and as thoroughly as possible. I used a simple copper braid solder wick and a sharp new point on my 40 watt iron. Double and triple check each component to make sure you are unsoldering the right one, unsolder one side of it, flip it over to make sure its the right one, then unsolder the other side.

The best unsolder job is when the old component just falls out by itself. The Boss PCB's seem to be better made than others (Ibanez Tone-Lok pcb's are a pain in the butt, cheesy build) but it is still possible to pull up a trace if you dont get one lead unsoldered completely. If it doesn't fall out by itself or come out easily with just lite finger tips then it is probably still connected.

At least with your first mod kit, do like Allums instructions suggest, do one component at a time, and turn the amp on briefly after each new component is soldered in to make sure the pedal still works correctly. You dont have to put the pedal back together to check it, just set it on a towel so that the pcb does not sit on anything conductive. I had the printed instructions on the bench next to me, and the included pcb photos up on the computer next to me for constant reference. Use a magnifying glass to verify all new solder joints or to verify component values, resistor colors, diode polarity, etc... Triple check each thing to make sure you are getting each one right the first time. Allums instructions are excellent, and it is very gratifying to install the mods and put it back to gether and have it work correctly the first time. Just have a system, stick to it, and take your time and you'll be pleasantly surprised at the end of the evening.

The hardest part of any mod I installed was (1) making sure I was unsoldering the right leads, and (2) making sure each lead was unsoldered completely. After that, putting the new components in is a relative piece of cake! Since you have soldering experience already, you should do well!

I installed two each of the CS3, BD2, TR2, SD1, GE7, Dynacomp, TS9 and TS7 kits from Allums. The only one I had trouble with was the TS7 because of the sub-standard build quality of the Tone-Lok pedals. The GE7 is probably the other mod of his that has a quite noticeable and very positive effect on the pedal, more so than the other kits and other pedals.

If you ever get into the Boss Flanger, though, turn to Pedalhacker for that excellent mod.

 

[Tadpui]

Walter, I'm not sure what you expect. You've gotten so many suggestions because your needs, as you've laid them out, are still a bit vague. You like your amp's distortion, but you don't want to turn the amp up loud enough to achieve it? Do you want to have a footswitchable way to make your amp loud and then not so loud? Do you want to switch between different tones on your amp using a stomp box? If you like your amp's distortion, why not use it? What do you hope that a stomp box will achieve?

I'm just getting lost here I guess.

I don't know who the people are but there are a lot of people on this board who hate anything that doesn't have a tube in it, and there are people on this board that are fucking morons. Just read the shit that has been suggested to you in this thread alone. Thats the reason I quit posting here. Too much stupid BS gets passed around as truth.

And to hell with anybody who bitches at forum posters who are simply trying to help. Sorry our BS isn't up to the price that's being paid for it...which is nothing. You want better info? Provide it. There's a whole lot of this lately, where some people are acting like these forums provide such precious advice that other people aren't even allowed to post without being mobbed and insulted. Everybody has a right to post their opinions here, even if it's wrong. If it's wrong, point it out. Argue it. Nobody consults an internet forum for advice expecting anything but the opinions from other people with a common interest in the forum subject. Anybody who does has the wrong expectations about internet forums.

Sorry Walter, but this whole debacle lately with a few forum members here has me all pissed off. It's got a lot of people here acting like a bunch of 5-year-olds and it's gotten on my nerves. Not your fault.

Hopefully you don't think we're just posting bullshit for the sake of it. We're honestly trying to help since you came here asking for it.