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Reviews (2)
Mar 30, 2016
Brighter Now
3 of 3 found this helpful If you are a fan of the original Carbon Copy, this is everything you love about it, only with brighter and clearer repeats. This is not to say that the repeats themselves are bright or clear in comparison with a digital delay, only brighter and clearer than the dark, hazy repeats of the Carbon Copy. Sounds like a Carbon Copy with a bit of a high-pass filter on it. Beautiful, warm, evolving repeats that sit in a slightly different place on the mix.
Nov 03, 2010
Boss CE-3 Chorus
3 of 3 found this helpful I had a CE-3 a number of years ago and loved it. For some reason, this is the chorus pedal that just sounds "right" to my ears. The CE-3 isn't for everyone-- The CE-2 remains the most popular Boss compact chorus, and many reviews criticize the CE-3 for sounding "harsh," "digital," or even "sterile."
A factor in this reputation may be that the CE-3 is wired for Boss' ACA adapter. Such pedals tend to be happier on 12 volts instead of the usual 9 volts. I've personally found it sounds sweeter and deeper with 12, and better with a 12v adapter instead of a battery. It does tend to sound a little thinner and add a little more treble on 9v, so this may also be another contributing factor in its checkered reputation.
To me, the CE-3 adds a bit of high-end to the tone regardless of voltage. Perhaps this is where the above-mentioned reputation comes from, but I've always found this to be more of a sparkle or shimmer than harshness or sterility. I associate this sparkle with countless recordings from the 1980's-- particularly with the music made by New Order, the Cure, and other "big unknown bands" from the period. It also does a good Hair Metal chorus sound. Some find this tone cheesy or dated. To me it's more of a definitive chorus tone from a time when the effect was omnipresent. Even if it was abused during the decade of decadence, the sound is more eponymous than anachronistic to my ears.
The actual unit does have its limitations. It won't get particularly fast, thus limiting its Leslie-sim capabilities, and its depth doesn't quite reach into seasick "Nirvana" territory. If you're looking for these, look elsewhere. For a smooth, shimmering chorus that's as die-hard as any Boss product (the near-mint Green Label I recently scored here on eBay is at least 25 years old and functions perfectly; the first CE-3 I had in the 1990's was at least 10 years old when I got it and beat to heck but never let me down) the CE-3 is a deal that's tough to pass up.
I've tried many chorus pedals, from the budget to the boutique, from classic to ultramodern with all of the bells and whistles, but I always come back to this sound. It is swirling, shimmering, thick, rich, modulated perfection.