Boss Chorus Ensemble Pedals Through The Years (CE-1, CE-2, CE-3, CE-5, CE-2w)

One of the most iconic series of pedals Boss have ever produced is the Chorus Ensemble pedals. Each has its own flavour and personality. Starting with the Boss CE-1 (the first chorus pedal ever) I examine each of the subsequent CE pedals. I really enjoyed making this video, please tell me which is your personal favorite.
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0:00 intro
0:35 The Boss CE-1
1:50 clean tone
2:25 How the boss CE-1 works
8:02 Boss CE-2
11:54 Boss CE-3
16:42 Boss CE-5
22:20 Boss CE-2w
25:32 CE-300
29:22 Back to back

[@NewFalconerRecords]

I don't trust any chorus pedal that isn't blue.

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

🤣

[@asmahism]

Also the dc-2.

[@Mr.Goldbar]

the CE3 has been my favorite chorus pedal ever since I got one when they were even cheaper! sounds so perfect. the stereo 2 mode when going through a DI rig with headphones actually sounds like a double tracked guitar! it's kinda dangerous :D

[@phantasmagora6542]

Fun fact: Boss skips over the number 4 in most of their pedal series because in Japanese (and Chinese) the word for "four" sounds like the word for "death". Hence the CH-1, which was released in 1989 between the CE-3 (1982) and the CE-5 (1991), is actually the fourth chorus pedal in the CE line :)

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

I've often wondered about the anomaly that is the CH-1. It makes sense, the CH-1 is their 4 knob version.

[@phantasmagora6542]

@@JasonAyalaSpare Actually that's an interesting observation about the Boss choruses! CE-2 = 2 knobs, CE-3 = 3 knobs, CH-1 (CE-4) = 4 knobs, CE-5 = 5 knobs (stacked low/high knob)

[@kameel68]

The Boss OC skips the "4" too.

[@Gko316]

@@kameel68 thank you for making the video about the CE one and the CE two I was actually thinking about redoing one of my pedalboards and I like what you’re saying about them. Please keep doing content like this.

[@eoinjennings519]

My absolute favourite subject Boss Chorus !

[@eoinjennings519]

@neonthunderbird the WAZA chorus is awesome and the dimension does the 80s thing

[@eoinjennings519]

@neonthunderbird yes I have both and stack them sometimes

[@michaelfowler3187]

Gidday! I can't watch yet but I clicked on it because I cannot wait. The best song is a constant chorus

[@tya8182]

I have an old CE-3 on my board, and it's one of the best choruses I've ever used. It's simple to use, and I can't find a bad sound in it.

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

I developed an appreciation for it while shooting this video, much more Hi-Fi that the CE-1 or CE-2.

[@metalinsights9664]

I have the CE-3, as well. Mine is quite a noisy pedal. I'm wondering whether that's normal?

[@pizzaetmacaronie2000]

Great video, very instructive and practical. Thanks !

[@_mickmccarthy]

Excellent video! Looking forward to the Dimension chat in an upcoming video!

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

I already have them all 😉

[@philgraves4998]

Really appreciated this video you explained everything very clearly with no messing around! Just subscribed! I bought a CE-5 analog from '92 very nice!

[@GRBAquatics]

Very Cool, Thankyou. Awesome Sounds and Playing. I only have a Boss CH-1 to go with my BD-2, DS-1 as my 'Boss Board'. Cheers

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

The CH-1 is underrated

[@michaelfowler3187]

Halfway in -Jason you are really impressing me with how well spoken you are on this and well produced and thought out this video- the sounds are great the playing is very noteworthy just how clean you pick the notes and stay in time and in pitch.. Making all of this line up is not easy- nice work and @!Verlie we love your work too! I want to have a tone interview with V and you and whoever else we could round table, it would just be fun to see what unfolds in a live session.

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

Thank you very much. PM me on the middle aged gear Junkie Facebook page and we can sort something out.

[@zombiemosher1139]

Great video, I owned the CE-2, CE-3 & CE-5 all at the same time. I found I liked the CE-3 the best on cleans over the CE-2 most probably as I'm a humbucker guy. The 2 & 5 sounded great on dirt but the 5 has more tweekabilty so i sold on the CE-2 for 8 times what i paid for it. Lol

[@sparkyguitar0058]

My CH-1 is pretty special. Modded by B Wampler back in the day when he did work under Indyguitarist. Its a black label early analog style and sounds...... like a chorus pedal. Now that Ive worked this board for s couple yrs I guess I could have just used the mof switch on my C Copy delay for enough chorus for most songs but its all good. Plus it looks good on a board built with a lot of bought used modded pedals.

[@shakesquire84]

Well done for doing this in stereo.

[@kameel68]

My first Chorus pedal was the Boss CE-3. I got it in 1990. I loved the sound of it, but had no comparison. In 1993 it was stolen. Recently I got one on the used market. I also got myself a CE-2w.

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

They're both excellent.

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

The Valeton Loft CH-10 is a clone of the Boss CE-2 right down to using the MN3007 chip. It too is defunct but 'Only Pedals' has a few NOS pedals. They sell for $65.00 USD. They still had inventory Dec 5, 2023 but don't push your luck.😇

[@evamalmberg]

Den gamla CE 1 är ju absolut bäst, men gillar även den analoga CE 5. Trevlig video!

[@user-jt1bo3ki2p]

I like the CE-5. It's the 80's power ballad chorus in a box. From Def Leppard to Malmsteen. I had the CE-2w which was also nice, but not for my use.

[@robb4340]

The intro from Korn - Falling away from me is a Boss CE-5 + reverb

[@dt9r]

ce-1 is warm and watery like no other here

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

the is only 1 CE-1!

[@lundsweden]

The CE-1 sounds so much better imo!

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

It's so good

[@VEGAS_DISCOUNT_GEAR]

Best pedal video of all time!

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

Thanks

[@JoeBat95]

Beautiful video!

[@gypsysteve3576]

G'day Jason, how are ya mate? Theres a Question at the end of this comment, which anyone with a good ear is welcome to answer also. Im looking for the CE2 tone, but equally as much i love that it only has 2 options. The Waza by adding the CE1 switch actually makes it 3 options. I like things so simple, that ide opt for 1 option if it sounded great (1 dial). I also noticed the brighter sound of the waza, which i personally did not like that crisp-ness as much. The original sounds (to my ears) more rounder or warmer (if thats the right words to describe it?) My question to you (& others who are reading this) is about CE2 copies (2knob/2 options only). Could you recommend any that are as close (in tone) to the original CE2, as much, if not more so than the Waza? Ive heard of Joyo Analog Chorus and Ensemble King, but dont know how 'exact' they are to the original. Have you heard or A/B'd these with the CE2 ...what do you think? Also, do you know of other "copies" that are better than these 2, or near exacting to the original CE2??

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

Ibanez stereo chorus from the 9 series is a CE-2 clone with stereo outs.

[@evanwilliams8908]

I believe the CE 1 detunes the pitch by more cents than the other pedals and it really gives it a unique sound. I have an octave by donner that has a cents mode which allows you to detune in a very similar way. Really sounds close to the CE 1. I own tons of choruses and I think the cheap Octaver gets the closest. There are youtube reviews. Check out the octave square by donner.

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

I'll check it out.

[@alzate_3d]

¿De todos los pedales, cuál sería la mejor opción de remplazo para el Boss CE-1? Soy bajista y ahorita me debato entre el CEB-3 y CE-5

[@745bob]

Nice!

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

I found a 1983 MIJ CE-2 in 2010 for €45 in a Cash Converters. My CE-5 is 1993 and analog. The CE-3 is beautiful in mode II, it’s like a mild VB-2. The DC-2 is great but DC-3 is not very nice. CH-1 is strange in that it’s a “one” from 1989 and has no follow up models.

[@Ian-jt2yz]

Great review and interesting information. Can you do a similar one on Boss reverbs through the years ? Thanks

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

I will be doing that one. I have the RV-2, RV-3 and RV-6

[@Ian-jt2yz]

Thanks

[@christineblack4654]

well what's the differance between the chorus and super chorus? were's that comparison.

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

I think of the CH-1 as the CE-4. It fits the mould of the 4 knob pedals of the mid to last 80s. I only didn't cover it because the video was going to be long enough without it.

[@AndriiHryhoriev]

CE-1 and CE-2 so great. CE-5 has his own taste but it's easy to make it sound weird, unnatural or just bad

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

I was surprised by the CE-3.

[@AndriiHryhoriev]

@@JasonAyalaSpare it's good, but CE-1 and 2 sounds better to my ears. CE-3 to crisp to my ears

[@Gko316]

Both the ce-1 and the ce2 are my favorite it's too bad you don't own the ce1 or I would buy it from you out right

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

I just bought one, but it's not for sale 🤪

[@goodman1127]

Where is Boss CH-1?

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

saving it for a different video. I have an analog one.

[@truthfactreality6814]

The CE-1 is the best. I have the past fx recreation

[@ontherhodes8088]

Did I detect a bit of Mondo Rock?

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

You did

[@christineblack4654]

is the green label made in taiwan one less good then the black label one? thanks

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

It's the same.

[@christineblack4654]

@@JasonAyalaSpare cool thanks. I got a green one near here, love the colour :)

[@gcvrsa]

Can I just say that this presenter doesn't look "middle aged", at all? He looks like he's in his 30s, at most.

[@JasonAyalaSpare]

Thanks so much. I'm actually in my 40s 😉