Published on this page in the GuitarFella archive — what our editors chose at the time, not a lab test.
Last Updated Nov-11-2018.
We expanded our guide and re-arranged our list accordingly.
If you’re looking for new ways to add extra color to your tone, Chorus pedals are your way to go, providing wonderful lush sound enrichment while adding barely perceptible thickness and interference in your sound. Chorus is used in some of your favorite rock ballads dating back from the 80’s, a fact which you may not even be aware of.
It’s definitely a
must have effect for every avid guitarist out there, regardless if you’re thinking about expanding your collection or grabbing your first-ever pedal, you can’t go wrong here. Enjoy this carefully prepared list and take your pick from some of the best pedals ever produced.
Top 10 Best Chorus Pedals:
How To Use A Chorus Pedal?
With chorus pedals, moderation is absolutely the key. While this applies to most effects pedals out there, it is even more imperative in relation to chorus effects. It is very easy to push things overboard and destroy your organic tone without even realizing it.
Before we get to specific settings, we have to spend a moment talking about the placement of this pedal in your signal chain. We discuss guitar effects pedal placement in depth
here, but we will give you the relevant summary just in case. Due to its nature of copying, delaying and putting back together the input signal, chorus should be placed near the end of the signal chain. The main reason for this is the fact that you want all of your other effects applied before this deconstruction takes place. Otherwise, you can end up with a very messy tone that just won't feel nor sound right.
Getting The Most Out Of The Pedal
For the most part, your simpler chorus pedals will come with only two control knobs. One is going to be Rate and the other is Depth. They might not always be labeled as such, but those are the core controls of an average chorus pedals.
Rate is what dictates the amount of delay in the effect. It is also the main culprit when something simply sounds off. This is why most users generally agree that rate should be used with caution. You want to start low and work your way up. Pushing it to the extremes right away can only lead to disappointment.
The next control is Depth. This knob dictates how intense the chorus effect is going to be. Although it is a bit more forgiving than Rate, Depth should also be used with caution. Adding too much can completely negate any value chorus can bring as an effect. Then again, it all comes down to what kind of chorus you want. Overall, figuring out a chorus pedal, even the basic one, takes quite a bit of experimentation.
What Applications Are Most Suitable For Chorus Effect?
Being such a subtle modulation effect, chorus isn't really something that will benefit your tone in every single situation. You could say the same about flangers as well. Chorus is definitely not an effect you want to keep on at all times. Instead, there are several known uses where this effect adds the most value to the music you are playing.
Chorus With Clean Sections
Using chorus with clean sections in your song can yield some pretty awesome results. Think of that Nirvana song we have mentioned earlier. You can dial in a good tone that adds girth to your guitar, which comes in handy especially if you are the only guitar available. Using chorus with a clean channel is also one instance where you can let yourself go with in terms of Rate and Depth. Just keep in mind that different chorus pedals sound differently when you start adding significant amounts of the effect to your source tone.
Chorus With Distorted Guitar
Once you
push that overdrive or distortion into the signal, things change a bit. Generally speaking, heavy distortion and chorus don't necessarily go well together. However, a solo with a subtle amount of chorus applied is definitely the way to go. Aside from simply giving you more girth, using a chorus pedal in this scenario allows you to stand out in the mix with more authority. With that said, it is paramount to know when it's time to stand out and when you need to melt into the mix. If you keep the chorus on at all times, the rest of the band will fall behind, which can definitely ruin an otherwise good mix.
Chorus Types And Additional Features
As it is the case with pretty much every effect out there, choruses can come in different flavors. Some are basic while some are complex. On the other hand some are transparent while some aren't. In this section we will touch upon all of these factors in depth.
Transparent Chorus Pedals
Chorus transparency has a lot to do with how a pedal alters the core tone. Transparent pedals are naturally those that don't change the core signal too much aside from adding that delay. On the other end of the spectrum, we have extremely warm choruses. These are great for clean sections where you need a bit of width in addition to the effect itself. Additionally, you could top this combo off with a decent clean boost pedal.
Additional Features
The complexity of a chorus pedal isn't necessarily an indicator of its performance. Some of the best models out there come with the two simple controls we have mentioned earlier. With that said, there are other features you might run into.
One of the most obvious features is the two band EQ which allows you to shape up the low and high end. Then we have the stereo output in addition to the standard mono. With this feature, you will need two amplifiers in order to get the best effect.
Anything more complex than this often moves us to the chorus processor territory. With processors, you can select a variety of different chorus modes, adjust various additional aspects of the tone and more. It is worth mentioning that advanced chorus processors are specialized tools meant for those who really need all the extra bells and whistles. As a beginner, one will get all the performance they need out of a more basic model.
Analog VS Digital
Lastly, lets talk a little about analog choruses and their digital counterparts.The situation here is about the same as it is with other types of guitar effects. Analog models are more expensive but they bring certain benefits. We are talking mostly in terms of lower noise levels, that analog warmth and several other things. Digital choruses are great because they come at a lower price and are packed full with various modes. Again, it all comes down to what you really need. Both the analog and digital choruses are tools of their own.
Conclusion
This concludes our selection so far, offering various mixtures of options and ways of sound enhancement, however they all share one thing in common – which is immaculate quality in terms of the marvelous effect itself, meaning quality is assured no matter what your pick is here. We’ve made sure to offer the best of the best when you combine quality and affordability.