Rich_S
HomeGrownToneBrewologist
I recently started looking for a chorus pedal to recreate the sound I got in the mid-eighties before I foolishly sold off my pedals and started messing with rack stuff. Back then I had a Boss CE-2, little sky-blue 2-knob box - couldn't be simpler.
Looking on eBay, I found that CE-2's are now "vintage", which apparently means that the laws of supply and demand are suspended, and the pack of stampeding wildebeasts know as "vintage collectors" and/or "tone freaks" are now willing to pay $75 or $80 for them. And if they'll pay that much, everyone has to. Ridiculous.
Doing a bit more research I found the CE-2's successor, the CE-3 has NOT yet been stamped "vintage". It's a bit newer and has metalflake paint, so it "isn't the same", and remains pretty much invisible to the wildebeasts. Consequently, CE-3's are going cheap.
The thing is, they really are the same. Boss apparently just added a second output jack and a stereo function switch, but if you're running in mono it's pretty much the same damn pedal. So, while the wildebeasts were all shouldering their way into a prime spot at the CE-2 watering hole, I put in a low-ball bid on a CE-3. No one bid against me, because the auction didn't have a picture. And I failed to even notice the fine print that said "Free Shipping to U.S." I ended up with my new pedal delivered to my door for $36.
I got it yesterday, tried it last night, and it's exactly what I remember from the old days. I banged out some of those old tunes that just demand chorus: Pretenders, Rush, a couple near-forgotten originals. Yehaa! I'm a happy old fart, and I LOVE outwitting the wildebeasts.
Looking on eBay, I found that CE-2's are now "vintage", which apparently means that the laws of supply and demand are suspended, and the pack of stampeding wildebeasts know as "vintage collectors" and/or "tone freaks" are now willing to pay $75 or $80 for them. And if they'll pay that much, everyone has to. Ridiculous.
Doing a bit more research I found the CE-2's successor, the CE-3 has NOT yet been stamped "vintage". It's a bit newer and has metalflake paint, so it "isn't the same", and remains pretty much invisible to the wildebeasts. Consequently, CE-3's are going cheap.
The thing is, they really are the same. Boss apparently just added a second output jack and a stereo function switch, but if you're running in mono it's pretty much the same damn pedal. So, while the wildebeasts were all shouldering their way into a prime spot at the CE-2 watering hole, I put in a low-ball bid on a CE-3. No one bid against me, because the auction didn't have a picture. And I failed to even notice the fine print that said "Free Shipping to U.S." I ended up with my new pedal delivered to my door for $36.
I got it yesterday, tried it last night, and it's exactly what I remember from the old days. I banged out some of those old tunes that just demand chorus: Pretenders, Rush, a couple near-forgotten originals. Yehaa! I'm a happy old fart, and I LOVE outwitting the wildebeasts.
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