Best Chorus Pedals for that 80's Lead Sound

[aaronjcurtis]

Could try and electric mistress style pedal too, Retro-Sonic Flanger for example.

 

[jbru91]

Thanks for all the suggestions! Right now i'm picturing two different paths. One with 3 - 4 pedals and the other with a couple of H9's. Not sure I want to go down the rack route but a TERC is in consideration if available. Can't imagine trying to service one of those though...

1) A couple pedal choices; Analog like the CE-2W, Dimension C etc. and a TriChorus like the FTT Tri-Avatar + a detune / pitch effect (Eventide Micropitch, Pitchfactor etc.)

or

2) A couple of H9's which i could presumably run chorus and detune + other presets to capture the sound.

 

[Z3P0]

Definitely have been eyeing up the Tri-Avatar...The TERC looks compelling too. Not sure how available that one is. Between the two price points I'd have to justify if that extra bit of sound is worth it to my ears.

Thanks for this - that is great insight.

The TERC is available on Fulltone’s site but there is a lead time of a few weeks before shipping. https://www.fulltone.com/products/custom-shop-80s-rack-chorus

Not sure how available these are on the used market ATM. The price keeps jumping every year though.

How worth it depends on your situation. I thought the cost was worth it. I’ve got both units and others to compare. The Tri-Avatar is fantastic but the TERC sounds better to me. Got to mention though that the Tri-Avitar does offer a little more versatility and features, i.e. preset management, for the price.

 

[Z3P0]

I think you would do better with the eventide pitchfactor (or micropitch) in the mictopitch or h910/h949 mode. A lot of those guys were using the spx90 or eventide h3000 instead of chorus. If you want the 80s ballad clean chorus sound just add a chorus of your choice.

I was going to recommend adding an Eventide Micropitch to an existing chorus for more of that 80’s L.A. rack schmoo.

 

[Sounds Expensive]

For the classic 80's LA studio chorus sound:

Rackmounted:

• Fulltone CS-TERC: https://www.fulltone.com/products/custom-shop-80s-rack-chorus
• TC Electronic 1210: https://www.tcelectronic.com/product.html?modelCode=HE173
• Eventide H3000:
• Roland Dimension D

Pedal:

• Boss Dimension C:

 

[JohnnyCat]

I have found that the Line 6 Helix/HX Stomp platforms can get fairly close as well. They both have a tri-chorus and a detuner that can sound pretty convincing. Both are stereo effects as well. If I remember correctly, there are some YouTube videos out there on how to set them up too.

 

[eliot1025]

A historical note -

I used to gig at a lot of hotel and banquet facilities where I'd run into other guitarists loading in or out. This was on the boards of a lot of working guitarists (including mine) at the time:

TC Electronic Chorus / Flanger VINTAGE Unit! | Reverb

Vintage TC Electronic Chorus Flanger. This is the version you want. There is a reason Eric Johnson likes this...they blend perfectly with your amp and don't take it over or get lost. VG Condition with wear shown in photos. Selector is slightly bent but works as it should. Smoke...

reverb.com

 

[Sean]

I'm a bit of a chorus whore (and grew up in the 80's)

The best chorus for 80's dirty sounds I have had is this:

Maxon Stafford 6348ST Koh Chorus | Rare (Made in Japan) | Fast Shipping | Reverb

Maxon Stafford 6348ST Koh Chorus in good working condition. This pedal was a collaboration between Stafford and Maxon. Sounds nice on an acoustic guitar too. Comes with Ninja Pedals Stickers + Pick | Fast Shipping!Description translated from Japanese:Developed agroundbreaking electric-acoustic gu...

reverb.com

I've had (and have) quite a few- FTT Tri-avatar, Providence, Boss CE-1,2,5, Neunaber, SCH-1, Z and the JHS copy...and more.
But if you want to get your Dokken on (or any other 80's sound similar to that) the Koh Chorus I linked above gets it done the best to me.

 

[progholio]

I've been through a bevy of chorus pedals trying to replicate that Alex Lifeson sound he's had through the years. For my situation i wanted a pedal that sounded good going into the front end of a distorted amp.
The Boss CE-2 Waza Craft works best for me.
I would bet that the Dimension C would be another winner.

 

[donnievaz]

I have found that the Line 6 Helix/HX Stomp platforms can get fairly close as well. They both have a tri-chorus and a detuner that can sound pretty convincing. Both are stereo effects as well. If I remember correctly, there are some YouTube videos out there on how to set them up too.

Beat me to it. The Stomp is loaded with those and so much more. In my opinion it's a must have if you want to add a TON of versatility to your board. I use the Helix floor which I bought because I started with the Stomp and loved it so much I went to the floor unit. I can't bring myself to get rid of the Stomp because it's so freakin' useful and convenient. Not to mention it keeps getting better with every update.

 

[jbru91]

I was going to recommend adding an Eventide Micropitch to an existing chorus for more of that 80’s L.A. rack schmoo.

Thank you for this! The Micropitch loos like it may cover what I need. Not sure if I would use all the other modes on the Pitchfactor other than the H910 / H949.

 

[jbru91]

I'm a bit of a chorus whore (and grew up in the 80's)

The best chorus for 80's dirty sounds I have had is this:

Maxon Stafford 6348ST Koh Chorus | Rare (Made in Japan) | Fast Shipping | Reverb

Maxon Stafford 6348ST Koh Chorus in good working condition. This pedal was a collaboration between Stafford and Maxon. Sounds nice on an acoustic guitar too. Comes with Ninja Pedals Stickers + Pick | Fast Shipping!Description translated from Japanese:Developed agroundbreaking electric-acoustic gu...

reverb.com

I've had (and have) quite a few- FTT Tri-avatar, Providence, Boss CE-1,2,5, Neunaber, SCH-1, Z and the JHS copy...and more.
But if you want to get your Dokken on (or any other 80's sound similar to that) the Koh Chorus I linked above gets it done the best to me.

Love that tone! Thank you for this.

 

[Rauchc27]

Rack gear favourites: TC Electronic 1210 (all analog, dual Chorus unit, deceptively flexible for a non-programmable unit), Lexicon PCM 70 (..the delays(!!!) make OTHERWORDLY good Chorus & Flangers as all Delay voices can be edited with feedback & resonance. Plus loads of iconic old-school reverb sounds), Rocktron Intellifex (sopping wet 8-voice chorus & price / performance winner overall)

Stomp Boxes: For simplicity, the DC-2 can't really be beat. For flexibility, both the HX Stomp and the Eventide Tricerachorus are tough acts to follow. Needs to be all analog AND somewhat flexible? TC Stereo Chorus / Flanger

Yes, I'm a Chorus addict . It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing warble.

 

[skiltrip]

Boss CH-1 is my go-to for this.
I've professed my love for this pedal many times on here. The PDA is getting a little gross.

 

[macrossgeorge]

If you are going stereo and analog the old tc electronic stereo chorus flangers are still amazing and sound good clean and dirty.

The new ibanez mini analog chorus is also quite good.

For a really cheap detune that sounds pretty good and is tiny, the hotone Harmony (in detune mode) is pretty good if you want to save a few hundred dollars.

 

[rockdawg]

Here's the hot setup for that 80's sound:

 

[HesNot]

I am a fan of the OG Boss CE2 (or w).

I do dig the tricerachorus in my H9 also as an alternative.

If you want more options the MD200/500 give you a CE1 and Dimension options plus a whole bag of other goodies.

 

[blave]

I've used a lot of choruses over the years; this TC Electronics one is by far the best I've ever heard. It has a "quality" that is hard to describe, but I've never heard anything else sound like it. https://en.audiofanzine.com/guitar-flanger/tc-electronic/scf-stereo-chorus-flanger/

 

[HurricaneJohnso]

Fulltones "green" chorus pedal (called the choralflange). The best ever. No longer made.

 

[devicaster]

I bought a noname 4 x 12 cab from a friend a long time ago. He threw in one of those plastic boss pedalboards. This was in it. I never would have thought I'd get the most use from a chorus pedal. But this thing turned out to be awesome. I use it for all sorts of stuff. Gret into the front of an amp, in the loop. I also used it to split signal to two amps. Versatile!!!

Ibanez BC9 Bi-Mode Chorus | Reverb

The Ibanez BC9 Bi-Mode Chorus is a classic, lush-sounding chorus built during the 1980s by Maxon for Ibanez in Japan. The unit has two oscillators, with separate controls and outputs for each, giving the BC9 a wide array of tonal possibilities.

reverb.com