Bass Chorus talk....

Moe45673 · #1 11-23-2010, 01:40 PM

I'm interested in a new chorus pedal for bass. I am seeing a lot of bassists here using pedals designed for guitar, like the AM Clone Chorus. Obviously some choruses sound better than others, no matter the instrument, but are there choruses out there that sound great on guitar and just don't work on bass (eg, the bass gets lost in the mix)? Obviously, we're assuming the pedal was dialed in as well as you could get it, not all knobs cranked or similar silly hypothetical situation.

Right now, I've got my eye on a Digitech CF-7 as it gets solid reviews on guitar and I'm guessing it would work nicely on bass too (plus, it's cheap!). Or maybe the Hardwire chorus! I'm looking for an always-on kinda chorus, something that fattens up the sound without being a dead giveaway that there's a little something extra in the signal chain.

CPplaysBASS · #2 11-23-2010, 05:06 PM

MXR Black Label Chorus ... a Zakk Wylde endorsed pedal so designed of guitar obviously. I previously had an EBS UniChorus on my board and but I'm personally much happier with the MXR Black Label Chorus. All settings sound good on bass quite frankly, and with a blend knob and hi/lo filter knobs, the range of tones is amazing. Very warm sounding yet does not get lost in a mix. To me, the Unichorus had a modern hi-fi tone whereas the MXR Black Label Chorus is more old-school analog ... thick but not muddy.

Bassmike62 · #3 11-23-2010, 05:20 PM

Boss CEB-3 or CE-5. I have the CEb3 and use it all the time. The CE-5 gets good ratings around here, almost as good as the AM

g_familia · #4 11-23-2010, 05:47 PM

i have ceb-3 and on it's own it's not that great and i use if for a grand total of about 25 seconds -- and it's on it's way off the board! but it gives a bit of spirit to the bass synth. justin chancellor uses a ce-5... so maybe try that one - he knows more than me!

Moe45673 · #5 11-23-2010, 06:13 PM

Thanks for the responses! Great info here!

I know the post 2001 CE-5s are digital, and the ones pre are analog with the BBD chip. Any differences? Do people use the newer CE-5s?

dannybuoy · #6 11-23-2010, 06:16 PM

For a subtle chorus it's hard to top the old Boss CE-2B.

fitz420 · #7 11-23-2010, 07:16 PM

the ce-2b's are great. i just saw a guy today on TGP selling a batch of N.O.S. ones for around $60 a pop. i almost bought one again.

Moe45673 · #8 11-23-2010, 11:58 PM

Hey Fitz,

I found the guy you spoke of and sent him a message. Thanks for the headsup!

Looking forward to it (if it's not already sold!)

*edit* Dumb question probably, but what about the Digitech Bass Multi-Chorus?

Here's a vid of me playing a bit of bass with chorus applied. As you can hear, the bass sounds awesome and the chorus, while laid on thick, isn't immediately apparent. I love it. I used Amplitube 3 for amp modelling and the chorus. I'd love to get this sound in the real world!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTzsuJlurJ8

fitz420 · #9 11-24-2010, 08:35 AM

no prob. i think once you have the ce-2b you will no longer be interested in the digitech multi-chorus. if you were to look at a digitech chorus, i'd suggest the hardwire. i have a lot of opinions on chorus because i went through a "chorus quest" myself over the last couple years. i ended up the analogman with deep mod, although the ce-2b was on my live board for almost 2 years (thats a full lifetime for a pedal on my board)

MrRumble · #10 11-24-2010, 08:43 AM

T Rex Sweeper Bass Chorus $99 on Amazon right now.
Love mine.

ga_edwards · #11 11-24-2010, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moe45673

*edit* Dumb question probably, but what about the Digitech Bass Multi-Chorus?

Here's a vid of me playing a bit of bass with chorus applied. As you can hear, the bass sounds awesome and the chorus, while laid on thick, isn't immediately apparent. I love it. I used Amplitube 3 for amp modelling and the chorus. I'd love to get this sound in the real world!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTzsuJlurJ8

Agreed, I have one (although not used at the moment) and it really isn't that bad for a cheap digital chorus.

ThudThudThud · #12 11-24-2010, 10:07 AM

I quite like my Boss CEB-3. Admittedly it took a bit of tweaking to get the right tone, but I love that I can choose to have my low end unaffected.

BruceBass3901 · #13 11-24-2010, 10:13 AM

I just sold my Boss CEB-3 due to lack of use. I didn't really like it, but I must admit that it maintained low end very well

jgroh · #14 11-24-2010, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThudThudThud

I quite like my Boss CEB-3. Admittedly it took a bit of tweaking to get the right tone, but I love that I can choose to have my low end unaffected.

Yes I tend to agree. I think the CEB-3 gets a bad rap around here, but I really like it. I happen to like that its fairly subtle and give me the crossover option to leave my lows unaffected. I have no doubt that there are much better chorus pedals out there but for the amount of times I use chorus at a gig, I dont need anything top of the line.

Moe45673 · #15 11-24-2010, 10:38 AM

CE-2B is bought and paid for! Just need to await shipping from Hong Kong.

Thanks for the help! It's good to know that this community is so helpful and friendly.

I'll check out the T Rex if I don't bond with the CE-2B!

Moe45673 · #16 11-24-2010, 01:39 PM

Sorry to bump, but another question:

I plan on using the chorus effect as an always on type thing. Does anyone else do this?

I'm guessing there are songs I may want to turn it off to thin out the bass sound, but what are your experiences with it?

ga_edwards · #17 11-24-2010, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moe45673

Sorry to bump, but another question:

I plan on using the chorus effect as an always on type thing. Does anyone else do this?

I'm guessing there are songs I may want to turn it off to thin out the bass sound, but what are your experiences with it?

If you want it to be 'your sound' then go for it. Personally, I prefer chorus to be used sparingly. I find it gives everything an 80s vibe which is ok in small doses (even tho I love 80s rock) and a bit artificial. If you're looking to thicken things up, I think eq and overdrive are far more useful and less obvious.

Just my opinion, naturally.

Jacob J · #18 11-24-2010, 03:43 PM

I´ve got an EBS UniChorus and I love that pedal. It´s designed specificaly for bass and it´s well built. But I read possitive reviews on Ibanez CS9 as well...

Nightlyraider · #19 11-24-2010, 04:02 PM

AnalogMan with the deep switch, $144 used at the GC.

They are absolutely great sounding. There is a reason you see the name thrown around and there is a reason you should fork over the extra 50-60 dollars and get one for life.

Gravel Road Cop · #20 11-24-2010, 05:17 PM

I run a CE-5 as an 'always on' type pedal. No complaints yet. Preserves tone and character very nicely while adding a bit of beef to the overall sound. I purchased it new in 2009, so that would make it one of the digital ones.

It may be worth noting that it's the only pedal in my signal chain, I don't run any other effects with it. It's just Bass -> CE-5 -> Amp.