Best Chorus Pedals — The Complete Buyer's Guide
Chorus is one of the most distinctive modulation effects in guitar. From Kurt Cobain's "Come as You Are" to Andy Summers' "Every Breath You Take," chorus creates the doubled, shimmering quality that adds width and movement to clean guitar parts and — used differently — warmth to driven tones.
This guide covers the best chorus pedals at every budget, explains the different types, and provides settings for key applications.
What Is Chorus?
Chorus works by duplicating the guitar's signal, slightly delaying the copy (typically 5–30ms), and modulating the copy's pitch with a low-frequency oscillator (LFO). The pitch modulation makes the copy appear to be a slightly out-of-tune version of the original — imitating the natural tuning variation between multiple players or instruments playing the same part.
When mixed with the dry signal, the result is a widened, shimmering quality that sounds like more than one guitar.
Key Controls
Rate: How fast the LFO modulates the pitch of the delayed copy. Slow rate = subtle, slow movement; fast rate = vibrato-like, obvious modulation.
Depth: How much the pitch is modulated (how wide the pitch variation). Low depth = subtle shimmer; high depth = obvious, wavy chorus.
Mix / Level: How prominent the effected signal is relative to the dry signal. Low mix = subtle; high mix = the effect dominates.
Analogue vs Digital Chorus
Analogue chorus uses bucket brigade devices (the same circuits as analogue delay) to delay and modulate the signal. The character is warm and slightly imperfect — the modulation has a natural, organic quality.
Digital chorus uses DSP to precisely control the delay and modulation. The character is cleaner and more controlled. Digital chorus can offer more options (stereo output, multiple voices, different shapes) but can sound slightly more clinical.
The Best Chorus Pedals
Under £75 — Entry Level
EHX Small Clone (£65) The Small Clone is the definitive budget chorus pedal, famous for Kurt Cobain's use on "Come as You Are." It is a simple, analogue, single-knob (Rate) pedal with a Depth switch (high/low). The character is wide, deep, and distinctly dreamy — not subtle.
Controls: Rate knob (slow to fast), Depth switch (high = more obvious, low = subtler)
Character: Wide, deep, slightly psychedelic. Not the most subtle chorus available but has a distinctive character that is immediately recognisable.
Best for: Grunge (Cobain), shoegaze, '80s clean electric guitar, any application where the chorus should be noticeable.
TC Electronic SCF Gold (£70) TC's Super Chorus Flanger includes chorus, pitch-based vibrato, and flange in one compact pedal. A classic TC Electronic design, the SCF Gold produces a clean, lush chorus character.
£75–150 — The Significant Step Up
Boss CE-2W Waza Craft (£140) The CE-2W is Boss's premium reissue of the original CE-2 chorus, one of the most influential chorus pedals ever made (originally produced 1979–1992). The Waza Craft version uses the original circuit topology and components for the CE-2 mode, and adds a CE-1 mode (emulating the Boss CE-1, the very first Boss chorus, from 1976).
Why the CE-2W is the recommendation: The original CE-2 was used by Mark Knopfler (Sultans of Swing), countless '80s pop and rock recordings, and remains a benchmark for clean analogue chorus. The Waza Craft version is the most accurate available continuation of that sound with modern build quality.
Modes:
- CE-2 mode: The original CE-2 circuit character — clean, warm, musical
- CE-1 mode: Richer, deeper, more vibrato-influenced character; stereo output
TC Electronic Corona (£130) TC's flagship chorus. Analogue Dry-Through (the dry signal passes through analogue circuitry, the effect is digital — preserving the warmth of the dry signal while allowing digital effect versatility), TonePrint compatible, and three modes (Classic, Tri, and TonePrint).
Why it is the value recommendation: The Corona provides analogue character for the dry path (crucial for tone preservation), digital versatility in the effect, and TonePrint access (hundreds of artist-designed chorus sounds downloadable free via TC's app). At the same price as the CE-2W, the choice comes down to character: CE-2W for warm analogue, Corona for versatility and TonePrint.
MXR M234 Analog Chorus (£100) A clean, musical analogue chorus from MXR. Six knobs provide detailed control: Rate, Depth, Bass Filter (cuts low-end from the effect for tighter tone), Treble Filter, and Level. The bass filter is particularly useful for preventing the low end from becoming muddy when chorus is applied.
£150–350 — Professional Quality
Strymon Olas (£260) Strymon's dedicated chorus pedal with six chorus voices, stereo, and extensive parameter control. The voices cover everything from subtle ensemble to wide, vibrato-adjacent effects.
Six voices: CE-1 (classic Boss CE-1), Dimension (Roland Dimension D emulation — the classic studio chorus), Tri (three-voice chorus), Vintage (single-voice analogue-voiced), Ensemble (lush multi-voice), and ToneComp (adjusts the character based on input level).
Roland Dimension D emulation: The Roland SDD-320 Dimension D is one of the most sought-after studio chorus units (rack-mounted, used on countless '80s recordings). The Olas provides an extremely accurate emulation.
Source Audio Vertigo Tremolo (£200) Despite the name, the Vertigo includes vibrato and chorus alongside tremolo. Dual independent effect engines allow running two effects simultaneously. Highly configurable via app.
Boss DC-2W Waza Craft Dimension C (£200) Boss's reissue of the DC-2 Dimension C, itself a pedal emulation of the Roland Dimension D. Four buttons (no continuous knobs) select different chorus depth/speed combinations. Extremely clean, studio-like character — one of the most subtle and transparent chorus effects available.
£350+ — The Reference Level
Strymon Mobius (£440) Strymon's comprehensive modulation pedal — 12 modulation machines including Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Tremolo, Vibrato, Rotary, and others. The chorus machines include detailed controls for all parameters and the audio quality is reference-grade.
Eventide H9 (£350) Eventide's single-algorithm harmonizer/effects pedal. Includes a Chorus algorithm with professional quality. Best for players who want a single pedal that can do multiple effects beyond chorus.
Chorus Settings for Common Applications
Subtle Clean Enhancement (Country, Jazz, Light Pop)
A very gentle chorus adds movement without being obviously effected.
- Rate: Slow (7–8 o'clock)
- Depth: Low (7–9 o'clock)
- Mix: Low (25–30%)
The effect should not be immediately identifiable as chorus — it simply makes the guitar sound slightly wider and more alive.
'80s Clean Chorus (Classic Pop, Andy Summers Style)
A prominent chorus that defines the era.
- Rate: Medium (11–12 o'clock)
- Depth: Medium-high (12–1 o'clock)
- Mix: Medium-high (50%)
- Best pedal: Boss CE-2W in CE-2 mode, or Boss CE-1 emulation mode
This is the most recognisable chorus sound — the swooping, wide, shimmering effect of '80s guitar pop. Clean guitar, clean amp, prominent chorus.
Kurt Cobain / Come as You Are
- Rate: Very slow (7–8 o'clock)
- Depth switch: High
- Pedal: EHX Small Clone (the correct tool for this specific tone)
The Small Clone at slow rate with high depth produces the wide, dreamy quality of the Come As You Are intro. No other chorus sounds quite like it.
Driven Chorus (Subtle on Overdriven Tone)
Chorus on driven guitar requires subtle settings — heavy chorus on distorted guitar sounds uncontrolled.
- Rate: Slow
- Depth: Low
- Mix: Low (15–20%)
A subtle chorus on a slightly overdriven amp adds warmth and movement to rhythm parts without the obvious washing quality of a prominent chorus setting.
Chorus in the Signal Chain
Chorus goes after drive and before delay and reverb in the standard signal chain:
Tuner → Wah → Compressor → Overdrive → Chorus → Delay → Reverb
Running chorus before drive causes the modulation to be distorted, producing an unstable, pitch-wavering sound. Running chorus after drive keeps the modulation clean on top of the driven signal.
Running chorus in the effects loop (after the preamp) avoids the drive-chorused-signal issue and produces a studio-like quality where the amplifier's natural sound is modulated rather than the modulated signal being amplified.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between chorus and flanger? Both use a delayed copy of the signal modulated in pitch, but the delay time differs. Chorus uses 5–30ms delay time; flanger uses shorter delays (1–10ms) and includes feedback, producing a more intense, sweeping "jet plane" effect. Chorus is softer and more musical; flanger is more dramatic and metallic.
What is vibrato vs chorus? Chorus mixes a modulated copy with the dry signal (both dry and wet). Vibrato outputs only the modulated signal (no dry). Vibrato sounds like the pitch of the whole guitar is wobbling; chorus sounds like a second, slightly detuned guitar is added.
Is the EHX Small Clone or Boss CE-2W better? Different characters for different applications. The Small Clone has a distinctive, wide, slightly psychedelic character — it is the Kurt Cobain chorus. The CE-2W has a more musical, versatile analogue character that suits a wider range of applications. Neither is universally better.
Can I use chorus for metal guitar? Very sparingly. Subtle chorus on a clean channel in metal can add width to intro passages. On heavy, distorted guitar, chorus generally creates an unfocused, unstable character that conflicts with the tightness metal requires. Most metal players avoid chorus on driven tones.
What chorus does Andy Summers use (The Police)? The Police's iconic '80s chorus sound comes from the Boss CE-1 (the original Boss chorus, 1976). The Boss CE-2W Waza Craft includes a CE-1 mode that accurately reproduces this character. For stereo outputs, the CE-1 mode in the CE-2W is the practical recommendation.