Critical Details: Bypass adds no perceivable change to tone. Low noise. Blends well with other effects. Not as rich as some chorus, esp. when used alone.
Overall Impression: This pedal is quite subtle. Alone it takes some playing to get something usable. It was hard to detect that it was even on at first. However where this pedal really shines is in the versatility and sound quality mixed with other effects . With the addition of the delay pod there are a wide range of different sounds that you can get. Combined with either pedal distortion/overdrive or through the amp overdrive, the sound adds the richness and body required for many of those chorus driven metal sounds. In the manual there is a setting for leslie simulation ala SRV which is quite good in a pinch and actually I prefer it compared to some actually leslie simulators - say a Danelectro Rocky Road for example. It also works for classic rock tunes where reverb alone isn't enough giving almost a tremolo effect - such as American Woman (the real version by the Guess Who).
If this pedal had a richer chorus on it's own (perhaps with a slightly wider width parameter)it would be a nine or ten. But it doesn't...
Reliability/Durability:
Solid construction in the body - metal parts. The knobs are sturdy and rigid in rotation. Although you could kick them by accident they wouldn't turn as much as other pedals. The switch is a plastic foot plate that connects to a 2 position switch underneath, and tends to slip off the switch and make an audible clicking noise and sticks a bit. I think if you abused it too much it might permanently miss... a larger analog type switch with an enlarged top would likely be better, like on an MXR for example. The battery connection is easy to get too and the wires are think enough to take an appropriate amount of tugging.
Ease of Use:
Easy enough to use. The Manual provides some suggested settings which seem pretty close if not exactly as expected. Three knobs allow easy configuration - speed, delay and width. The addition of the delay pod makes this a very versatile pedal. May take some experimenting to find the settings you are looking for.
Customer Support:
I have not dealt with the company for any reason. The Manual is well written and a little more verbose than some providing a few FAQ type troubleshooting items.
Overall Rating:
My rig : Gibson Epiphone Special Model [custom electronics - Gibson '57 classic at the neck and Gibson Hot Alnico at the Bridge, Gibson Tunomatic bridge assembly, Grover locking tuning machines) + Morley Wah+Volume [custom electronics] + Ts7 + Daddy-O + DS-1 + Peavey Bandit 112 Classic + <FX Loop> FX65-b + Dane Phaser + Dane Flanger + Dane Delay + Dane EQ </FX Loop>
Been playing 17 years. My custom guitar has a classic LP tone with a quicker decay due to the smaller thinner body of the Special Model. Sustain is an issue, though the lighter weight is almost worth it.
Currently my band plays covers from just about any genre you can imagine - pretty much whatever the audience wants to here. Being able to adapt and be versatile is the key to my setup.
This chorus pedal does have a place in my rig for now. It lacks warmth and richness when used on it's own, but makes up for this in the large majority of situations in its transperency and coloring when used with other effects. Ultimately if I can find something that can be as transparent but still be able to have a chorus I can swim in then I would consider changing it.
