Chorus pedal advice

gilles27

gilles27

New member
Im looking for a good all round chorus pedal, entirely transparent (won't colour my guitar or amp sound too much), analogue, somewhere in the region of the Homebrew THC or Red Witch Empress. i loved the sound of these two and also the Boss CE-2 keeley mod.
Tell me about the most amazing chorus pedals you ever did hear.
Some cheap ones would be good too
 
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Re: Chorus pedal advice

I've always liked the clips I've heard of the Red Witch Empress, CE-2 and Analogman Chorus. I'm not really a Chorus guy though, so all I have is a Small Clone. It gets the job done, but it sounds like a Small Clone. :)
 
Re: Chorus pedal advice

i dig the $99 Digitech Chorus Factory. In side-by-sides, I cloned the pedals it modeled (the ones I had access to).
 
Re: Chorus pedal advice

Retro Sonic Chorus Ensemble, excellent ce-1 sounds as well as the best vibrato I've ever heard in a pedal
 
Re: Chorus pedal advice

...Im pretty picky about chorus pedals in general but have found a few I really like. My favorite mono chorus is w/o a doubt the Boss CE-2...they are going up in price lately but they are still great deals IMO...
 
Re: Chorus pedal advice

I was impressed with the lush rich chorus that can be had from the Rocktron Deep Blue for little bones, quiet and transparent too
 
Re: Chorus pedal advice

I went through the same thing at the beginning of the year. I went with a CE-2 since I run a mono setup. Amazing chorus! I would definitely recommend it for one of the best choruses. I'm against the Keeley mod though, as it is a vintage pedal. I figure if you want the mods, build a clone and make it true-bypass as well.

The Red Witch and Retro-Sonic are really nice as well, but about 2-3 times the price of the CE-2. I don't use chorus that much, so $300 on a chorus pedal wouldn't work for me.
 
Re: Chorus pedal advice

You can get a Maxon CS-550 used on eBay for about $150. Fantastic chorus except it's got a tiny hint of flange in it. You could also try a used Maxon/Ibanez BC-9, sometimes regarded as one of the best ever made (two oscillators, one BBD). The BC9 keeps your high end, the CS-550 adds some mids.
 
Re: Chorus pedal advice

My favorite is the voodoo lab analog chorus. Though, if you're looking for something that's completely transparent, it might not fit the bill. Great, warm, lush chorus with a little bit of a phase-y thing going on.
 
Re: Chorus pedal advice

I have a EHX Small Clone and it's quite a unique and coloured sounding pedal. However if you keep the level at zero or just above then it's very useable and transparent whilst still retaining it's own lush/warm character to set itself apart from the more generic choruses out there. Analogue, one knob, depth switch, can be found cheap....easy!

I was considering something more whiz-bang like the Retro-sonic, DC-2 or CE-2 but I gave the most simple pedal out there a chance and I'm quite happy. It's certainly idiot proof for simple folk like me!
 
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Re: Chorus pedal advice

For the most subtle chorus sounds, I go for the Boss CEB-3 for bass. I mostly use it with my guitars, when I need the Digital Dimension, Small Clone, and Ibanez CF7 to calm down a bit.
 
Re: Chorus pedal advice

My favorite is the original old Boss CE-1, but they are expensive and very difficult to drag around on a pedal board, so I went with the Retro-Sonic Chorus, which does an excellent impersonation of a CE-1, including its stunning vibrato side. Here's a YouTube demo I did of the Retro-Sonic... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-n-rm0S_80 and a comparison between the Retro-Sonic and my original CE-1... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeKon5JC13g



Cheers................................... wahwah
 
Re: Chorus pedal advice

cheers guys, very good stuff! I'm leaning more towards the CE-2 i think as i don't use chorus a huge amount (i don't own a chorus pedal, might have something to do with it) so spending mega money is a silly idea. Keeley mod is something i'd do just to make sure the thing is running at it's absolute best and won't break down anytime soon
 
Re: Chorus pedal advice

gilles27 said:
cheers guys, very good stuff! I'm leaning more towards the CE-2 i think as i don't use chorus a huge amount (i don't own a chorus pedal, might have something to do with it) so spending mega money is a silly idea. Keeley mod is something i'd do just to make sure the thing is running at it's absolute best and won't break down anytime soon
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The CE-2 is my fave. I like it so much I bought two! Here's one for sale (pricey!) and it's an original Japanese model - the same type I use. http://www.musicgoround.com/gear/inventorydetails.asp?id=662478

Another overlooked one is the Danolectro Cool Cat...that's my favorite stereo chorus. Beats out many very expensive stereo chorus pedals, IMO. lew
 
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$130 for a MIJ CE-2 isn't that pricey. I paid about $115 for mine. Considering most chorus pedals are around $100-$150, that's a steal.

BTW, CE-2s are built like tanks, there's nothing wrong with them. I don't think mine will break down ever.
 
Re: Chorus pedal advice

gilles27 said:
cheers guys, very good stuff! I'm leaning more towards the CE-2 i think as i don't use chorus a huge amount (i don't own a chorus pedal, might have something to do with it) so spending mega money is a silly idea. Keeley mod is something i'd do just to make sure the thing is running at it's absolute best and won't break down anytime soon
Click to expand...



Robert does some great work but IMHO his CE-2 mod just ruins the sound of the pedal. Definatly not worth the cost and the speedy mod is just plain dumb as it doesn't really add to the musical usefulness of the pedal.


Given the prices of a CE-2 these days I'd definatly keep it stock
 
Re: Chorus pedal advice

Wow, when I was scoping out ce2's a few years ago they were going for under a hundred in good condition. Should have bought one I guess.

No compact Boss pedal is TB, and it's quite difficult to mod them that way. If you really find the buffer is degrading your signal that much, get a TB looper.
 
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