Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble
The Book of Boss - In the beginning there was the CE-1, and God saw the CE-1 and said, 'Damn! This thing's good!' |  |
| Behold, you are looking at the chorus pedal that started it all. 25 years and over 7 million sales ago, Boss released the highly coveted CE-1 Chorus Ensemble. Guitarists the world over became instant fans of the thick, rich chorus and dreamy vibrato. For my money this is the best product Boss have ever produced and is hands down the finest chorus in the world. You may not agree, but you'd be wrong.
Ok, so that's a big statement, and that's not to say that there aren't some other great choruses available, but I challenge you to find a single person who has owned one of these who does not agree, and the list of users reads like a who's who of great guitar tone including legends such as Jeff Baxter and Adrian Belew. It has also been dubbed the 'Andy Summers In a Box' pedal as it does a wonderful version of the famous Police guitar sound, but both Pete Cornish and Andy have confirmed to me that he never actually used a CE-1. (It was in fact a Pete Cornish modded EH Electric Mistress).
The CE-1 is two stereo effects (chorus and vibrato) in 1 box. Vibrato is controlled via speed and depth controls while the chorus utilizes just one overall effect level knob. This may sound limiting but it's quite the opposite as thru its range this single control offers everything from subtle shimmering chorus to near Leslie cabinet simulations while never losing an ounce of its musical quality.
Of the 2 footswitches one selects chorus or vibrato and the other turns the selected effect on or off, but the secret to those magic CE-1 tones lies in careful use of the gain control. This clever feature means you can optimise the input level to suit any type of guitar ranging from a low output vintage strat to a beefed up Les Paul.
There are a few things to consider before you attempt to move heaven and earth to find one. It's not the compact unit for which Boss is now famous. The size and the weight are quite prohibitive and it isn't true bypass, which does have a big effect on your tone, especially with more than a couple of pedals in the chain. Finally, your level drops ever so slightly when you kick in the effect, but it must be said that these are all common complaints with many old stomp boxes and there are ways around these problems, from modifications to specialist switching systems (for serious stomp box fans).
How much should I pay?
The term collectable is an understatement here and players don't part with them easily. I intend to be buried with mine. What's more these are mains powered units so you have to be sure to purchase one with an appropriate power supply (110V for U.S. or 240V for U.K.), which has another affect on the price, but don't expect much change from £200 for one in good condition in the UK. Seem pricey? For the best chorus money can by and a bona-fide piece of rock history, they're an absolute bargain! |
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