Ibanez SC10 Super Stereo Chorus

For the price these units command, fantastic. You can easily find them on ebay for cheaper than the new EHX Nano Clone chorus, and it's still analog, has much more parameter control, no noise issues and and it's stereo. The delay time control is a great feature - it allows you to alter the pedal's voice from a subtle shimmer at low delay times to noticeable pitch shifting and an increase feeling of spaciousness when maxed. I was much more impressed with this unit than the Boss CE-2 I had, which commands three times as much money on the used market. The CE-2 was a one trick pony, and mono. This pedal is capable of a number of different sounds, and sounds even better when run in stereo, as all chorus pedals do in my opinion. I also felt it did a reasonable emulation of the Boss DC-2 Dimension C, although I was basing that on memory rather than an side-by-side comparison. The unit does have its faults. First, like many Maxon/Ibanez chorus pedals, there is a significant presence boost when the effect is engaged. This may be fine if you're running a naturally dark sound, but if not, the effect can come accross as brittle and ear-piercing. A blend control would have completed the paramaters you want on a chorus.

The 10 series effects are renouned for having difficult switching. Maybe 10-20% of the time it wont activate or deactivate when you press the switch. If I were playing a very important gig I'd probably put it in a loop whose switch I could depend on to work every time.

Overall, it's a great chorus pedal for the price. I think it can hang with the more expensive mass-produced units like the Boss CE-2, EHX Small Clone, or the earlier Ibanez CS-9, and actually eclipse those units due to it's greater parameter control. Current-production Maxon pedals are quite expensive, and the company tag is that they still build them the way they did back in the 80s. Their CS-550 Chorus has the exact same control layout as this unit, and it retails for more than US$200. I'm not saying it's the exact same circuit or of the exact same quality, but they're built by the same company, using the same vintage parts. I'd be surprised if, side-by-side, a CS-550 sounded US$170 better than an SC10.

 

I've since sold this unit because the presence boost didn't work with my setup, but I've a BC10 Bass version on the way, which offeres the exact same control layout as this unit, but I'm hoping will be more mellow than its "super" cousin.