What's on the workbench?

Boss CS-2 does it all for me. I have not bothered to even look at other compressors.
After building the Kompormat from MBP for a friend I think that’s my final stop on the comp train but I’ve also always heard good thing about the Boss
 
As a younger fella, I owned the ubiquitous CS-3 and didn’t like it. I’ve owned a Ross clone, Vintage and Modern Dyna Comps, etc. and played a few of the fancy, “transparent” (whatever the hell that means for a compressor) types and found the CS-2 to be the perfect middle ground between the super squishy Dyna Comp types and the more subtle optical types. It can get really squishy if you need and also subtle and everything in between.

I have one of the black label MIJ models. It’s best to shit and I think I paid < $100 for it but it still works great.
I’ll have to give that a whirl because I have a warden and a dyna comp and neither are what I would call a do anything compressor. Thanks!
 
As a younger fella, I owned the ubiquitous CS-3 and didn’t like it. I’ve owned a Ross clone, Vintage and Modern Dyna Comps, etc. and played a few of the fancy, “transparent” (whatever the hell that means for a compressor) types and found the CS-2 to be the perfect middle ground between the super squishy Dyna Comp types and the more subtle optical types. It can get really squishy if you need and also subtle and everything in between.

I have one of the black label MIJ models. It’s best to shit and I think I paid < $100 for it but it still works great.

I’ve only ever used two compressors in my life: a Janglebox (PPCB Brydland…which is a Dyna-Comp with a tone switch, and is good on guitar or bass), and an early 2000’s CS-3. The CS-3 was awesome. I loved how it smoothed everything out, and gave me an OD sustain in a clean tone. The CS3 wasn’t mine, though. If it was, I’m sure I’d still have it…
 
I’ve only ever used two compressors in my life: a Janglebox (PPCB Brydland…which is a Dyna-Comp with a tone switch, and is good on guitar or bass), and an early 2000’s CS-3. The CS-3 was awesome. I loved how it smoothed everything out, and gave me an OD sustain in a clean tone. The CS3 wasn’t mine, though. If it was, I’m sure I’d still have it…
Madbean just came out with a CS-3 board
 
Let’s talk about clean tones guys! Compressors are great for clean tones! Just to add a bit more sustain and stuff…
When I think of compressors I generally think of the Brent Mason, Albert Lee, chicken pickin crowd. Which is all about making your clean tone pop. Which is exactly the opposite of how I use compressors:) Mostly because I'm just not that good a player and a "poppin" tele sound just makes my mistakes "pop" that much more:).

Where I like to use compressors....and also why I've gravitated towards optical compressors that I've built.....is as @szukalski noted, a "wee bit" can go a long way to buff up your guitar output and smooth it out. I like using it on rhythm guitar parts because it makes them more even and less spikey in a mix. I also like using them with low gain as @Big Monk mentioned, to give me the kind of sustain typically only achievable with a cranked amp and the natural compression that comes from that. A compressor can simulate that at bedroom/studio volumes and especially printing to a mix. But moderation is key. I like compression that you don't know is on. If I can hear it, then it's probably too much for me.
 
only thing holding me back from my creamery builds (3x, each in a different color scheme) is my inability to create suitable artwork true to the concept I initially came up with and that satisfies me 100% (Also I haven’t even looked into getting any of the semis for it lol)
 
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