Belcat CHR-304 Chorus

Very easy to get a workable chorus sound. Controls for depth and rate are intuitive to use. Delay time (center knob) is less intuitive, but you can't really make it sound bad.

This is a cheap digital chorus that sounds very close to analog. I ditched my Voodoo Labs Analog Chorus for this one because the Belcat is more flexible--it can get very very slow and shallow, and very fast and deep. The VL seemed to only have "medium" in its range. Has a great shimmer effect when used lightly over distortion, and can sound like a good crazy chorus with the depth and rate knobs maxed.

I play with a HSS Strat through tons of pedals into a Traynor YCV50 (clean channel) and using this chorus I can sound close to (for example) Frusciante's use of the Boss CE-1 with a slow rate and low depth, to thicken up those "edgy" clean sounds that are borderline overdrive.

I have only owned this chorus for two months, so we'll see how reliable it is, but it is built well (metal construction) and has the same basic layout as a MXR single pedal except for different I/O jack placement. The stomp switch is durable and reliable, and the unit has never done anything strange or failed to function.

Bought used, so no opinion

For the money, this is one of the best chorus pedals I have ever used in terms of providing a WIDE range of usable sounds for very little money, in a sturdy enclosure with no obvious drawbacks!

Very easy to use. just 3 knobs, doesn't take a lot to figure them out, although as with any stompbox a little bit of time may be required to decide how you like to set it.

What i like about this pedal is the transparent sound. You totally hear the guitar coming through, whereas other choruses i've had have coloured the sound too much for me.
As such the sublte sounds are what i use it for, shimmery almost floaty - it has a hint of flange on some settings, although a milder version. At faster speed does a nice gentle wobble, almost Leslie-like.
For some players, the full-on settings won't be full-on enough, but i doubt this will be of concern to me. It's a very minor criticism anyway.
Overall a very sweet sound - surprisingly good for the money and nicer than some more expensive pedals i've had. i also currently have a Danelectro Wasabi Chorus/Tremolo - the Tremolo is good, but i much prefer the Belcat Chorus to that on the Wasabi.

No unwanted noise that i could hear, and switching was pretty much silent.

Incidentally, my setup is FENDER MEX TELE--> Rocktron wah--> Seymour Duncan pickup booster--> Belcat Chorus--> Danelectro Wasabi Trem/chorus--> BOss BF-2 Flanger--> Digitech Delay--> MARSHALL DSL401.

i don't bother with backups, i look after my gear and if any pedal did pack in i'd manage without it in emergency. (except perhaps the Delay)
anyway, this Belcat seems dead sturdy - i'd be shocked if it let me down.

no idea.
they do have a decent website, but they're in China so i wouldn't hold my breath if i needed their support.

No pedal is perfect - even the expensive ones - so it's not getting a 10. but at the price i really couldn't ask much more from this pedal - exceptional value.
There are better chorus pedals out there, but i couldn't bring myself to shell out a fortune knowing how decent this pedal is.

It's definitely a keeper, and i'd buy it again for sure.

It's pretty easy to get good sounds out of this thing as in like a little kid could make it sound good :p
No manual so don't even think about a garranty.

I guess the thing i do with my chorus pedal is i use it for three kinds of sounds i'm not going to tell you my settings since i want them to stay personal but when set up right you can get a light phaser sound or a flanger sound out of it or well a chorus sound :p
It's a bit noisy but don't think it's irritating or anything i mean it's just that you can hear a bit of hiss when you set your amp real loud and like the other guy said you can also hear you foot switch when set real loud. IMPORTANT!!!!! = When plugged in with or without another pedal it will give you a bit of duller sound with a big amp and with a small one a lot more of a dull sound. But like i said that is inaudible almost when you play with a medium or big amp so.

had it for couple a weeks so...

/

I play Pop, Rock and Punk rock and it fits everything very very well!! Cheap yet G R E A T!!

I gave this an 8, for ease of use. Some of the best sounding chorus pedals out there, the micro chorus, the small clone, have one knob, rate. (the clone also has depth, but we are not talking about that pedal here!) ;-)

The key to this pedal is the "time" knob. It is similar to "delay" on other chorus boxes. It adds color to to the sweep. Try "time" set at about 75%, and you will have a rich, fat chorus, almost flangy sound!

The rate and depth knobs behave like most chorus pedals. I like to use them at a more subtle setting. And, the "time" at about 75%.

This pedal came in a black box, with no instruction manual (but, who needs one of those? This thing is easy to use without one!)

The battery compartment will have you cussing like a sailor! That is my only real coplaint about this pedal at all!

The sound quality is very rich. I personally love it! It is similar to the old MXr chorus boxes, from what i remember. But, not exactly alike, as each manufacturer breeds it's own animal.

With only 3 knobs, it is amazing still how many variables there are! For some reason, it is richer sounding on the slower setting. You can get some "Leslie" like sounds, but i have 2 phase 90s for that, so to me, it is not an issue.

It is pretty clean sounding for the most part. This is not all that much of an issue for me, as i like to use "madness to the method" when i play. I am inspired by Hendrix, Barret, Belew, people like that, so I see noise as "character".

If you listen closely, you can hear the footswitch in your speaker, but who plays guitar with their ear to the speaker anyway?!!

I am giving this a 10. I mean, I have never worked live with it, but it is built like a brick house, has a steady switch, knobs are tight (meaning, when you set them, they do not seem to waver).

The size is nice, as it's box is just a gnat's hair bigger than an mxr micro pedal (micro chorus, phase 90, etc).

the box is a sturdy, thick metal alloy. It sports a baked on paint coating. I can forsee the typography wearing off eventually, but that make it look "vintage". Hahaha!

The jacks connect tightly to the patch cables.

The whole "backup" issue, is not even an issue with me, because I use 3 chorus pedals. I like to experiment, and I use a Small Clone with this Belcat. Not because the Belcat lacks anything, I just like to create unique sounds. I also like to use an Arion chorus for the faster chorusing sounds.

I have never tried to use it. They may have a website or something, I do not know. I was told by the guitar shop I ordered this from, that Belcat pedals are made in China.

Here is how my pedal came to me. UPS delivered it. I opened the box, I saw a little black box. I opened the little black box, the Chorus was in there, in a plastic bag. No papers in the box. No warranty info. So, I guess if I have trouble in the next couple of weeks, I will contact the store and see what they will do.

But, I really do not forsee any trouble with this thing!

I play original music. My style ranges from Prog, Metal, Blues, Rock, Jazz...

For fat clean sounds, I like think this chorus is incredible!

I have been playing for 20+ years, tried different things, heard others using different things. And i like as good as any other chorus box i have used or heard!

Here is my setup currently: guitar (peavey impact firenza. I use only the single coil pickups on it.) >Danelectro Trip L Wah>Dod FX 75 Flanger >Morely Emerald Echo >MXR Phase 90 >MXR Phase 90 >Arion SCH-1 Chorus >Electroharmonix Small Clone Chorus >Belcat CHR-304 Chorus >Mesa Boogie V-2 tube overdrive/preamp >Univox U-45B amp (or) Fender Bassman 50 head >National 2x12 Cabinet loaded with Peavey 12" Scorpions.

Bottom line, For $30 BRAND NEW, WHAT A BARGAIN, AND A LOT FOR MY MONEY!