Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble

I found this pedal to be near impossible to get a subtle warm sound to use when recording with a Martin acoustic guitar through the effects loop of a BBE acoustimax. After about 3 hours I was able to get a passable chrous, but you could still tell it was digital! Very Cold!

I will say it's not noisy at all. If you don't mind the digital sound I'm sure it sounds as good as most other pedals in this price range. I would guess a lot of distortion would help cover it up somewhat if using it live.

I will say it is built like a tank, which is the only reason I gave it a 5 here.

What a joke! I called their customer support before the purchase and was told, "It must be analog as I see no mention of a DAC in the specs." After the sale I talked to a manager and he basically said most people love it, so I was being too picky about my sound and nobody could tell it was digital anyway!!! And true stereo meant 1 wet/1 dry signal, just like the old school Boss chorus have alway been.

I have played guitar for 43 years from classic rock to hair band live, before retiring. Now I am recording classical in a home studo. I just picked up a $15 FAB analog chorus that sounds much warmer than this until I can find the one to make permanant!!!!!!! Needless to say this is DEFINATELY the LAST Boss pedal I will ever buy!!!!

It takes some time and experiments to get used to the controls and understand what they do. The instruction sheet gives some sample settings but I suspect thet resulting sounds depend greatly on your guitar and amp settings. When you know what sound you are looking after it takes a few minutes to figure out which setup will do it.

Typical BOSS quality, no noise, no scratchy pots, clean output whether you use it in line with the guitar or through an effect loop. It seems that many reviewers complain about this pedal not to be effective enough. This is not a distortion or metal pedal! Chorus sounds are *added* to your guitar sound rather than completely change the basic sound waves. I use it with a Strat-like guitar and a small solid-state Crate amp and it works well.

Can you rely on BOSS pedals? Yes. Use the A/C adapter during gigs! Batteries run out at the least expected moment.

Never had to contact them.

It does what I want. I play mostly world music accompaniment. I owned a few Digitech multi-effects pedals but they all produced lots of irritating noise and the chorus effects were not as nice as this one. You get what you pay for, it's worth buying quality gear. BOSS pedals live up to their reputation and are worth every penny you spend on them.

This thing is deceptive, if you just go max or min or half way on the levels, rate, etc. it seems pretty boring....try the settings on the manual and you will be suprised....lots of choice...i fumbled around for a few days then finally used the settings they suggest...a very good place to start...Need to work on it to get something good out of it. But it is worth it...but the real changer is the mod...see below.

OK so i gave it an 8...but it really is a 10 if you do the mod suggestd in this HC review of the CE-5 by another user (11/22/2004 by Dan Wiley)

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Effects/product/Boss/CE-5+Chorus+Ensemble/10/3
(click the link then page down a little to read it)

.....just take the c22 (5pF) capacitor out and replace with a 22pF. I went to the store and they had no 22's so i just paralleled a 7 and a 15....Whoah! what a change...now it really sounds much more organic and full....

I like Boss pedals...this seems just as tough as the others i like.

They seem great....broke off knob off my BD2 and they sent me new one right away.

So its an 8 (pretty darn good) for out of the box stock chorus pedal. but do one little tiny mod (the C22) and man it is great - a def 10!!...a world of diff. If you can't solder, then get someone to do it for you...well worth it. just make sure you get a total of around 22pF (can try other capacitance values, but i didn't...might be even better!!) Radio Shack is not going to have a 22pF, but they have an assortment that will give you a 15 and a 7...so you are good to go (in parallel, not series)...have fun out there!

EFFECT LEVEL, RATE, DEPTH, FILTER. Pretty simple, could be difficult at first but you can play around with it. It won't take long at all before you get it.

But the knobs are a little small so you have to have everything preset, don't be touching things when you're on stage with it, casue thats gunna be difficult.

SG>>Fender Blues Deluxe
(I use my effect send and return on my amp for the effects) AS far as singal chain goes. Simple.
Boss- OS-2>>Boss CE-5, Bodd DD-6>>Dunlop Original Crybaby.
Don't ask about my choice in pedals. I've made some bad decisions.

This pedal would be an OKAY choice. Not the warmest chorus out there. For it's price, I excepted more. A cheaper one, EHX Small Clone for example, would be a better choice.

The vertaslity on this pedal is very limited. The depth doesn't go too far, except the rate. You can get almost a vibrato sound with the chorus. Like a modulation tremolo, but muddy sound quality. This pedal, like other boss pedals, doesn't take things over the top. It's only a light chorus, you can't even tell the chorus is on until things hit around 12 o'clock.

There although is one setting I love, which gives me a vintage, warmish, chorus.

Don't except a beautiful, WOW, chorus whenyou get this pedal, just DESCENT.

Although, the cool feature on this pedal is the Ffilters. This knob controls the

Boss pedal= TANK!

I can live it for now, but I regret buying it, I would have gotten something else.

But don't get me wrong, this pedal is WORKABLE.

this pedal either works or doesn't work for you, depending on what type of sound you're after. It is extremely clean, somewhat buttery, smooth. It doesn't sound complicated or very lush. Great for rhythm, limited for lead I would think. If it's the sound for you, the setup is easy. If it's not, no amount of tweaking gets you there.

I've been testing my new pedals on "the bench" before commiting to keep them. The boss pedals I have are far, far cleaner than the digitech lines. Zero detectable noise on the ce-5, even engaged. OTOH, it's so clean that you can actually hear it "working," you can tell it's sampling the sound and oscillating its playback because the tones are so accurate... which was not what I was looking for.

boss...

Compared to digitech CF-7.

Digitech was noisy. CE-5 was quiet.

Digitech made it a lot easier to find the chorus I wanted, a mild lush chorus for lead saxophone work; the CE-5 just couldn't get there.

Plug in and go. Level, rate, depth, and the EQ filter are all easy to understand and use. It's not hard to get what you're looking for out of this pedal. The stereo out option is a nice feature. Boss pedals aren't true bypass, but they aren't too bad when it comes to tone-sucking.

As others have said, this is a vey subtle chorus effect, even with the effect level all the way up. It is a pleasing effect, although not the warmest chorus you'll hear. It's definitely a digital effect. It sounds equally good clean or overdriven; my favorite application is using this for solos - it gives the overdriven lead lines a little more power. I almost always run this through the effects loop in my Peavey Ranger 212. It sounds fine out front if you don't have an effects loop, but it's preferable to place it in a loop.

There is one problem with hum on this pedal. My pedal hums like crazy if you use any adapter besides the Danelectro ones that say "zero hum" on the box. Boss adapters don't kill the hum, and neither does any other kind of adapter I've used. The Dano one, at least in my case, is the only thing that keeps it quiet. With that adapter, it's silent.

I've had this for ten years. Boss pedals are made to last.

They answer their email.

I like this pedal, but since I don't use effects all that much, there really isn't a reason for me to replace it, even if I were to lose it. If I had to replace it, I would probably go with something like the Small Clone for a warmer sound. But come to think of it, I've got the MXR flanger, and that can put out a great chorus-style sound. Anyway, this is a constant in my effects loop, and I'm happy with it. If you're not looking for a crazy effect, then this might work well for you.

Not very complex to use, just plug it in. It??s possible to have stereo output - one dry, one effected, but I always go mono. At first it appears fiddly, with the high and low cut knob, but I don??t screw with that much as the basic sound of the pedal is what I want. A definite advantage is the ??mix?? knob which allows you to dial in just the right level of effect,which really helps to keep things subtle, as chorus can be such an overpowering effect.

To my ear, this pedal delivers the sound of a slow rotating speaker. It??s transparent(for a chorus pedal!),which is why I chose it - the sound is not too thick. I play rock on a strat and have found the pedal useful for these tunes:
The chordal riff in ??Sultans of Swing??.
The last few bars of the intro of ??Little Wing??(that nice bit where he slides into the chords).
Any Police tune(bridge pickup with a bit of gain).
There are many other tunes which I don??t play live that this pedal is useful for, eg. ??Waiting on a Friend?? by the Stones. Also, Cream??s ??Badge??.

I have confidence in this product. I??ve had it a couple of years, and it hasn??t let me down. Besides, I can??t afford to buy two of them!

I??ve never dealt with them.

I play ??Classic Rock??- Hendrix, Clapton and so on. I may seem uncritical of this product, but I like it, and that??s why I bought it! It can give the full slow rotating speaker sound, or a very subtle shimmer. Works well with or without distortion. It??s a flexible pedal, which is so important for a chorus effect. Let??s face it, chorus is almost like a disease - too much of it, and everybody sounds the same! I like Boss pedals and own a bunch of them, and this one has been very useful to me.

4 knobs.......

I started listening to early Pretenders and the Police again in honor of their reunion (great Bands) and decided i needed to run out and buy a chorus pedal. I haven;t used the effect in 15 years and like most guitar players i know, am impatient and impulsive with gear purchases. Anyway, My local Sam Ash carried exactly three chorus pedals. The digitech x factor multi chorus, boss super chorus and ce 5 ensemble. Of the three, the digitech sounded best (and was the cheapest)so, of course they were out of stock. Knowing i had to immediately have the chorus pedal or i may die, i chose the ce 5 . Here's my thoughts... I play strats,teles, and les pauls into a variety of fender tube amps. The ce 5 is a very subtle effect for a chorus. It doesn,t do the warbly or vibrato type sounds most look for in a chorus. It primarily " sweetens" chords a bit and adds a thin, high end digital "sheen" when strumming. not necessarily a bad pedal, but it won;t give a fat warm sound either. If your'e looking to add a little "sparkle" to your chord work (think a live eagles type of sound) it;s fine. If your'e looking for the sounds of couldn;t stand the weather, badge- (live,) teen spirit,etc...shop around a little more. Used with a Boss dd-6 delay and playing along with zenyatta mondatta (or whatever the hell it's called) i found the sound just o.k....and a little thin sounding. Hope this helps...

Boss pedals are usually very reliable

I play a little of everything, and have been playing for 25 years. If this chorus was stolen, I doubt i'd replace it. It;s not a terrible pedal, just adequate that;s all. Considering the price and competion, there are better chorus pedals on the market in the same price range.

pretty damn easy to use. not to crazy about the added hi/lo cut knob, kinda found it to be useless.

its a decent chorus for the money. i have heard some guitarist use them and they sound great, but to me it just wasen't working. used mine for 4 years then switch to an older ce-2 model that i have had modded by robert keeley. much better sounding then the ce-5.
the ce-5 sounds lifeless and sterile to me. it doesn't have that nice smooth chorus sound that im after.

its a Boss! these things are like little tanks. they only surviving things after a nuclear war would be cockroches and Boss pedals.

i wouldnt know.

Like I said, its a decent chorus for the money. But if your after that nice lush chorus sound, then try something more along the lines of the MXR Stereo Chorus or the Voodoo Lab Analog Chorus... or a Keeley modded ce-2

If you're already familiar with the typical chorus pedal, you'll have no problems. The Filter section is like a tone control with extra fine tuning capabilities. Takes a little getting used to, but after five or ten minutes of twiddling it's a piece of cake.

This pedal is a Boss through and through: the very clean, hi-fi chorusing Boss is known for comes through at practically any setting. I used a CH-1 Super Chorus for many years and I can hear a lot of similarities between the two. Where the Chorus Ensemble differs from the CH-1 is in the filter control, which kind of "sets the mood" for the whole effect. Cut the highs and you can get a very convincing analog chorus tone. Boost the highs and you get a more modern shimmer.

I AB'd this with my semi-trusty EH Small Clone. The Chorus Ensemble was able to cop some of the gooiness that the EH is known for with the Low control turned fully clockwise and the High control backed off to 1 o'clock (Depth and Effect Level were set at 3 o'clock), though it required rolling off some of the tone at the guitar with the neck pickup on to do it. Still, it did a convincing imitation with the rate set at 1 o'clock or below. The EH sounds deeper and more organic overall and higher rate settings are a bit more and usable and smoother than the Chorus Ensemble, but the Chorus Ensemble is clearly a pedal that has a lot more range...and considering the overall reliability of my Small Clone has been less than stellar, even under light use, the Chorus Ensemble is the pedal I'd be using on stage.

When not trying to sound analog, the CE is very spacious and clean, with a nice 3-D depth. Even with the Effect Level and Depth set to max it doesn't overpower your tone, though I wish it was a lot more assertive at settings like this. Bonus: it played well with every dirtbox I threw at it: a Big Muff USA RI, DS-1, SD-1, TS-9, Ibanez fuzz, old Boss Turbo Overdrive...it really thickens up distorted and overdriven tones and you can't put just about anywhere in your signal chain. My Small Clone is a lot pickier about what it gets paired up with and where it is.

I've never had a Boss pedal fail on me.

Haven't crossed this bridge yet.

I play a little bit of everything, but my bread and butter is classic rock, britpop, oldschool country and noisy stuff. I've been playing almost 20 years. I play lots of Fender guitars and Vox amps.

I love the simple tweakability of this pedal. If you're someone who wants to be able to dial in a handful of good chorus tones on one pedal, this is a great piece of gear. The Filter control is the heart and soul of it. I can get a very close approximation of a Small Clone and I can get the classic Boss chorus tone. I find the best way to open this pedal up is to set the Effect Level, Rate and Depth about where you want it, and then play around with the Filter control. Once you get the filter set where you want it, you can go back and fine tune the other controls. I find I can go between fat and shimmery with just a quick adjustment of the Filter control or even just switching pickups.

I wish it were a bit warmer and a bit more assertive when set to higher depth and effect level settings, but overall I don't think these are major shortcomings. I have a pretty bright rig to begin with, and this pedal works with what you feed it. I love my Small Clone, but that thing is tempermental to the point of being unusable at times. I really like the fact that I can get close enough for government work with the Chorus Ensemble, because at least I know it's not going to konk out on me at a show and reliability counts for a lot on stage. I rate this a 9 overall because for $80 USD new it's not bad, but if you can find one used for $60 USD or less, it's a steal IMO.

This was my first pedal (we're talking 1994 or so), and it had a bit of a learning curve for me. The suggested settings in the manual helped a lot (until I lost it).

It's got four five knobs: E. Level (how hot is the effect compared to the original guitar sound), Rate, Depth, and a knob-on-top-of-a-knob Filter (High and Low EQ). Fiddling with the Rate and Depth are the key to understanding this stompbox. Dial too high on the Rate & Depth (together) and you've got some nasty sounds. Mix and match them for a right variety of sounds. The E. Level will determine how subtle the chorus sound is.

I've only rarely used the stereo feature. Usually I don't have two amps to work with in any given setting. But now that I'm recording more, I'm planning on experimenting with it.

My main setup is an Epiphone Les Paul Deluxe into a Sansamp GT2>Boss DS-1 Distortion>Boss SD-1 Overdrive>Boss TR-2 Tremelo>CE-5 either into my Peavy Transtube Studiopro 112 amp (for home practice), my Tascam 2488 (for recording), or Direct into the PA. I play a bit of rock (though I go for a more mellow sound in general), folk, and worship music.

I really like the sound of this chorus. I've had it for 12 years now (it was my first stompbox). I originally bought it because it was cheaper than the Superchorus, and everyone told me that Boss makes the best choruses. Years later, I've come to the conclusion the CE-5 is a better sounding chorus. It's subtle enough to not sound cheezy, but it'll thicken up your sound nonetheless.

It puts out a bit of static when engaged, but not an unreasonable amount. As the battery gets low, the chorused signal dies. When the battery is near the end of its life, you can barely tell the unit is engaged. But the LED will fade to let you know it's time to change the battery.

This has been a main workhorse for my setup for essentially all of my guitar-playing years. It's never failed me (unless I've let the battery die). I've never had to get it serviced. Heck, it's a Boss. They're little tanks.

I regularly take this to a gig with no backup.

Never had to deal with Boss. Never expect to.

I've used this stompbox in both electric and acoustic settings, and it works well. My soundman never complains about it. It's subtle and smooth. While chorus isn't essential to what I do, it's nice to have a good, reliable unit. It was my first stompbox, and I expect to use it for life.

Controls - level (wet/dry mix, kind of), rate depth and treble/bass (the eq works on the effect part of the signal only). Understanding the interaction between the controls is the key to making this pedal work. The trick is in the eq settings - as the treble is increased the effect becomes more pronounced. The scope given by the controls is a strength and a weakness - it's at least as easy to find bad settings as good ones.

Mine dates from the early 90s. As it's got the "Class B Digital Device" bit on the label I guess it's digital, though it doesn't sound stereotypically "digital" - it's not harsh, grainy or clouded by noticeable digital artifacts (unlike the Boss GTx series and the current phaser/flanger). It can handle very high input signals (including 2v+ from a synth) with no digital clipping. It also lacks the "processed" tone lots of Boss gear suffers from.

When off it's off, and the Boss high-impedence buffered circuit ensures no noticeable interference with the guitar tone and can reduce/eliminate tone sucking by anything after it in the fx run (and even put an end to the oscillation caused by vintage Small Stones when they're supposed to be off?!?).

It took me quite a while to get my head around getting the best from the CE5. First off, it sounds better into valves than transistors - much smoother. Fender or Marshall amps both work fine with it. There's a huge range of sounds available, from a decent if polite vibrato (level and rate high, depth low and treble reduced) to discreet thickening and 12-stringish tones entering flanger territory (think Andy Summers) plus an uncanny ability to sound like there's another guitarist who's almost playing the same notes as you. The sample settings are a good place to start but it does take some tweaking to suit your amp/guitar/playing before you hit the sweet spots.

I use chorus lots, both as a subtle thickening of lead lines and as a more noticable effect and this does both very well. With a bit of persistence the CE5 can be used to cover alot of bases. What it's least good at are the kinds of wallowing grungy chorus the Small Clone excels at.

I don't find the stereo function useful as I usually only gig with one amp. I have used it a few times and it works exactly as advertised.

Had it for years, it's never failed me yet. I have had Boss stuff die on me but not often. All my gear is gigged frequently, but I have a policy of not jumping on it, throwing up on it, pouring beer on it and generally avoiding doing all the other things electronics don't enjoy. I find it helps to keep costs down and profits up.

I find I usually don't like digital stuff (except delays - the ability to tap the tempo in as required is pretty essential for me), but the CE5 is an exception. It can do a wide range of things, some of which are useful and some awful (unless you like seriously de-tuned warbling chords out of tune with itself as well as everyone else).

A better "manual" would help - e.g. explaining that the prominence of the chorus isn't just altered by the level control but can be radically altered by the eq as well, rather than the typical Roland/Boss "level - adjusts the level of the effect"...

A final thought - it isn't too bad a battery-eater but for consistent performance is best run off a regulated 9v supply.

Too many parameters for a chorus, but not rock-it science. This pedal was made in probably 2002 and has FJ07936 on the red label.

We'll get to my low scores..
Strat hwy 1/Electra Phoenix> Ibanez tube screamer>Boss noise suppresser>Ibanez flanger>Ibanez delay> Dunlop cry-baby> Boss stage tuner> Randall RG100SC 212 amp>Randall 212 cabinet.
When I first got the effect it was to replace my coveted Boss CE-2 ( 1982 black label Japan) that quit after 13 years of loving abuse. This CE-5 pedal worked for two days and sounded nothing like a Boss chorus. It was cheap, transparant and too subtle. 2 weeks later it crapped out and the store I bought it from closed, dogs and cats moved in with each other and I realizede Barry Manilow wrote all the commercial jingles that were in my head....sorry...

this one- NO

No help..plus I lost my receipt.

I play blues/metal/progressive, been at it since 1979.
I play a 2006 Fender HWY 1 Strat, Electra Phoenix x150, Carvin Ultr-V, Aria Pro-II Hollw Body, Kramer Striker, Ibanez acoustic and Sigma -Martin acoustic. I have vintage Ibanez pedals ( except for my Turbo- Tube), newer Boss noise and tuner and vintage HM-2, a Zoom 1010, Dunlop Cry-baby and a busted Boss CE-2. Amps are Randall and Peavey wqith a teeny Fender frontman..
I wouldn't buy another one bur I will get another CE-2 on Ebay ( one day).
I used to beleive Boss was the ultimate power in this solar system but the rebels blew them up around 1995. May the farce be with you.

I don't like a lot of knobs and I don't really like chorus (in a conventional sense) but, why this one works for me is because of how you can set it. And if you didn't have all the knobs then you would be able to use it the way I do.

I'm going to preface this by saying I don't really use chorus. So if you are looking for a true chorus users opinion then skip ahead. Here is what I mostly use - Telecaster>Xotic RC Booster or Maxon Compressor>Xotic AC Booster>Xotic BB Preamp>Boss CE-5>Line6 DL4 or Chandler Digital Echo>1975 Fender ProReverb. I don't know if I have a digital or analog one. I got sometime around 1995 if that tells you anything. Either way I like this pedal. It's quiet and it works for me. I set it to deliver minimal effect. In fact here are the settings that I've been useing live - Effect level 30%, Rate 30%, Depth 75%, High Filter 25%, Bass Filter 40%. If you set it that way you really can hardly tell your using it. It sweeps the bass freqs a little heavier and just add some demension. I just like the enhancement that it adds - Sort of like an envelope filter with the punch taken out of it. It helps get me that wet sound without being obvious. And this is a good pedal for the price with the right amout of contols to get me there. And if I ever really want to turn it up to get a real chorus effect I can. You can get a cool vibrato sound too. But for the most part I keep it down because chorus is cheesy and goofy sounding to me.

Heck, it's ten years old. Still works. Never had a problem. Boss might not make the best sound stuff but they build some of the longest lasting.

N/A

Like I said, I don't really like chorus. But what I like about this pedal is that I can dial it back so much and still have it add something to my tone. If I wanted an old school classic chorus sound I'd probably pull out my old CE-1. But that thing is just a one trick pony and when it is on... It is on! There is no middle ground with it. What is nice about this one is the filter and effect level controls. It's perfect for dialing in the right amount.

This pedal is very easy to use. You're able to get good sound pretty much right away. Just like any other boss pedal, minimum fuss.

I use a multiple amp setup. A Peave 5150 combo for rhytham and lead sounds, and a peavey bandit for clean sounds. My main guitar is a Fender american deluxe fat strat. I use the CE-5 mostly on the clean side. I basically use it for just a warm chorus sound and I find it sounds great. A really rich chorus. I've heard some people say it sounds a bit "processed" but I guess thats the kind of sound I like for clean stuff.

Its a Boss pedal, so its put together pretty good. There is one thing though I've noticed. The footswitch to engage/disengage the effect seems to be intermitant. Sometimes I have to tap it a couple times. This isnt really a big deal for me because I dont really switch it on and off in the middle of songs. I also bought this pedal used off of ebay. Other than that no problems.

I've never dealt with them.

For me this pedal is exactly what I need. I use many different brands of effects so its not like Im just set on Boss. I've been playing close to 15 years and I've owned quite a bit of gear, including other chorus pedals. This is the best chorus pedal I've owned.

OK, this is for the one who gigs in his imagination at work...
I really wanted to love this chorus, so I felt I needed to improve its sound-the reason I realized it was a cheaper version- but I cannot assume what was I didn't like it for: maybe its mechanic whobble, or its discrete noise, not for being digital. In fact I have the G-system that has a great digital version of the SCF chorus, one of the best. I can only think in what Boss is doing for cutting corners and expenses, for example, by using cheap components, and by manufacturing it in... uhm... er.. Taiwan. Don't be surprised if it cannot take you further. At blind test, it is a toy. I am sure the clever design of Boss Compact pedals is wasted--they want you to buy the Twin pedal series crap-- But they can learn a couple of things from manufacturers as Carl Martin ( check the HDb3!)Toadworks and Jaques, who innovate at great prices. I don't give a s**t for a glamorous website. At the end, what counts it is how good they sound. If it makes you feel better, Jallen (all future dittos included), feel free to write me. At least I am not hiding.

5 knobs is a lot of tweaking to do for a chorus pedal in my opinion because it took me awhile to get a good sound out of it, which im not sure ive even done...

OK im not into chorus, the best chorus ive heard is on my little solid-state fender amp that my brother has right now, otherwise id compare it too but I only have the 'dano cool cat' and the 'dano mini milkshake' right now and compared to these pedals this pedal sucks, ive turned the thing all the way up and all the down and it doesnt compare, it sounds digital and fake but only because i compared it to others and if i didnt know any better i would probably pleased with its sound so i give it a 7...

its like any other boss pedal and it does well on a 9volt

i dunno

Im using a fender hotrod deville 212 and a telecaster w/tex-mex pickups and i play anything from old alternative to some modern rock, i like interpol and radiohead and bloc party etc. been playing 10 years and this isnt my pedal thank God but my friends i borrowed just to try out and It is a decent chorus pedal i wont knock it but it lacks warmth and realness or somthing, it has a digital high squeal to it i dont like and besides i hate to tweak really so i like my 2 button knob dano's and this pedal has too many knobs in my opinion but in all reality the only people to tell the difference probably in sound are the players and not the audience...

Very easy to use - dial in some depth and the rate and there you go. I haven't messed with the filter that much because it already sounds good.

Love this pedal, wasn't expecting to. I'm usually not a big fan of digital effects but this pedal sounds really cool. I've owned a small clone a dls chorus vib and this stands right up there. It adds a nice 'curl' to my leads if you know what I mean and it really fattens up my clean sound. No complaints, it's really quiet and produces a nice chorus sound.

boss - built like a tank

don't know

I play indie, surf, classic rock. I play in several bands and need reliable versatile effects - this fits the bill. in case you care, I play a fender deluxe strat through a foxrox zim (awesome pedal btw), pulsar, chorus ensemble, dls echotap into a deluxe reverb amp.

Nice pedal, good price

Easy enough if you've use a chorus before. The filter cut/flat knobs can be a bit confusing, though, for some.

Look, it sounds great and yes I have the digital "new" version. Seriously, who's missing the analog here? Are you all really upset because BOSS made a decision without asking you first? What the hell did you ever do for them?

Yes I can depend on it and I gig in my imagination all the time at work.

They seem to have addressed many of the issues that previous reviewers brought up. Namely, you can get pretty much all of their manuals online and they posted all their contact info.

Again, the new CE-5 has no weapons of mass destruction. It never hurt you. Neither did the Japanese company who made it (in Taiwan). It is just a chorus pedal that changed from analog to digitial and still sounds great. Leave it alone. It rocks.

Esay to use, but hard to get good soudns out of it.

After reding Dan Wiley's review, I wrote to him, thus we realized there are two different CE-5's:The old one, fully analog, and the newer one, completely digital. Mine is digital and it sounds lifeless and sterile. There is the reason so many different reviews. I bought mine around 2002 brand new. I did not like its sounds. Shame on you, Boss!

Reliable; you can trust it will ruin your sounds for many years.

You will never get in touch with Boss. I am sure I shall never buy Boss Again. I'd rather cut my fingers. If I had the option of choosing zero, that would be it, for sure. If you do not believe me, try it!

Shitty sounds, a total delusion. It is not what boss used to be. Rest in peace, Boss!

Easy to get good sounds. The manual also provides good guidance. Still a little confised on what the filter controls do. I keep them at 12 o'clock...seemd to work well for me.

Set up is Les Paul/Tele into CE-5 => Rev Drivetrain => Rat Deucetone into Heritage Patriot amp. This pedal is very quiet. What I wanted most in a chorus effect was transparency. My last chorus was Visual Sound H20 analog chorus. I have to say that the H20 added alot of fat mids/darkness to my tone - even after the bucket brigade chip swap. Very noticeable when I would turn it on. Quite a different story with this pedal - extremely clean with lush, smooth chorus. I also think the vibrato setting is really effective. Overall, a very versatile and high quality pedal. I was turned off of chorus for awhile with the H20 - I'd bring it to gigs and not use it. This pedal has really added to the sonic palette. I think digital is better for choruses and reverbs (uh oh - here come the moans from the vintage enthusiasts!!).

Our band plays all kinds of styles. But, its hard to do the Police, or other eighties/light rock tunes without a chorus. Plus, chorus is a staple effect most guitarists should have, acoustic or electric. I would get this pedal again if it was lost. I did compare this pedal to a CH-1, but this pedal I felt had more width and depth to the sound. More sparkle too. Like I said, when it comes to chorus and reverb, I prefer digital over analog - why? - because digital is more transparent to your original signal. That's my opinion, not a technical fact necessarily. I have an Evans jazz amp with digital reverb on board that is really sweet sounding - better than my Fender spring reverb for sure. Also, the Boss reverb pedal sounds outstanding and its digital. Maybe I'll get that next.

It's hard to get a 'bad' sound out of it, unless you dime everything. For me though, I'm glad they put the various suggested settings in the manual. They really helped me get a lot of different flavors I don't think I would have found on my own and I had them dialed in within an hour. Thanks, Boss.

I use this at the end of a pretty long fx chain: Les Paul with Duncan Antiquities-->535Q Wah-->Arion Tubulator(one of the best overdrive boxes I've ever used btw)-->Marshall Guv'nor plus-->Dano EQ-->Ernie Ball Volume (Jr.)-->Arion Digital Delay-->Voodoo Labs Tremolo-->Boss CE-5-->Traynor YCV80 2x12 or Roland JC 120. Effects are powered by a One Spot power supply for the most part.
I got this after using a so-so DOD Icebox from which you could hear oscillation even when bypassed, a Line6 Tone Core chorus which had the same problem as the DOD in bypass, and when turned on made a whole lot of noise. The Boss is DEAD QUIET!!!
Anyway, over the years I had played around with this and other choruses through the usual shite amps that they plug these into in guitar stores, and had thought that it was O.K.--better than its brother the CH-1(which is too middy, 'tin canny' sounding), the digitech x-series chorus (too cold, and again, tin canny), the Ibanez CS9 reissue (which is too tonally over powering IMO--it took over the sound of the guitar too much). The CE-5 sounded the best of the bunch to me. BUT, it wasn't until I got this puppy home through my rig that I could hear how good this chorus really is!! Call it wish fulfillment, but this thing can produce the types of chorus sounds that I always thought a chorus should--it colors your sound just right, no volume boost or cut, just beautiful "lush" chorus right where it should be in the mix...I really like this beast a lot! It can give me nice variations on a lovely theme. And here's what was a surprise to me, it not only sounds great clean (arpeggios, strumming, comping), it sounds really good with distortion (although it's best after distortion in the signal chain, it sounds good before my Traynor's preamp distortion too)! I thought only my JC 120's chorus sounded good with distortion but now I find I actually like the sound of the two together--something I'd never really experienced save with my JC.
Like I said, this chorus has a distinctive sound which you can tweak for different flavors and uses. Everything from deep, slow swirl to JC 120 vibrato (plus the dimed 'sick' warble--of chorus). It adds a great shimmer and makes the sound, for lack of a better term, more juicy or lush. You can get really nice Andy Summers style chorus tone with this pedal--heck,I can even do a passable faux acoustic for rhythm with my Les Paul (well, if you're not toooo picky).
Anyways, this chorus has actually made me realize why chorus has been so popular throughout the years and become such a staple among fx. I had become pretty bored and jaded with chorus--even with my JC 120's, and that's supposed to be the ultimate chorus experience--but now, I actually WANT to turn the CE-5 on and hear the great sounds it gives.
This a flexible pedal and a great addition to my chain. I think it's found a home for quite a while on my board.

Haven't had it that long. But Boss has a good track record.

I've dealt with Roland in the past and the people were polite, professional and helpful

I play a plethora of styles since I play mostly these days for praise and worship at church, which means I have to cover a lot of different styles/sounds--from Hard Rock/almost metal to country gospel to schmaltzy "lounge cheeze"--the U2 type sound is pretty big in contemporary church music too (that's why the extended pedal board, although I've seen busier ones). In this context, chorus is a must have for the slow numbers especially--I try not to over do it, but what are you gonna do when your playing a Les Paul and your band has no acoustic guitarist? And this particular chorus is a great, fresh sounding one which is very musical and pleasing to me.

it's quite easy to get a good sound out of this. It gives you pretty much whatever tools you could need.
The manual's pretty basic, really just tells you what the knobs do, and if you've ever worked with a chorus in the past you know it's pretty much self-explanatory anyways. It gives some ok sample settings; one of my favorites is based pretty closely on one of them.

My usual setup is as follows, give or take certain pedals at times: '79 Strat->CE-5Chorus Ensemble->MT-2 Metal Zone->AW-3 Dynamic Wah->Fender Deluxe.
My setup clean is about as quiet as a Strat gets without some tone-sucking noise reducer. The Metal Zone of course is noisy as hell, but I don't really care much about noise in case you can't tell - that may be why I bought the metal zone instead of some other high-gain device that somehow doesn't make noise. The other pedals don't make much noise at all, unless you count this occasional flange-like sound that the CE-5 makes [which actually can sound pretty cool].
Regardless, noise isn't what we buy effects for, it's for what they sound like! And yes, indeed, this thing sounds goood. It's a very full sound, and it sounds great clean or distorted. Obviously I don't use it with the envelope filter at the same time, but come to think of it that could be kind of cool to try...
You can very easily get a very deep-sounding vintage chorus, or practically a vibrato, or pretty much anywhere in between.
The filter knobs definitely allow for some better tone sculpting. When I play with the Metal Zone on, I cut the low end of the chorus a bit, because this thing can add some serious chunk to power chords. When you use it for solos it just sounds awesome, it adds a lot of chunk and just overall makes your sound much livelier and more noticeable than just with a massive amount of distortion by itself.

It's a Boss, man...it could survive a nuclear holocaust.

I play a lot of different things, from jazz and blues to thrash metal. this thing works very well for literally any form of chorus sound you could need. I've gotten sounds like those on the Chili Peppers' Freaky Styley album [one of my favorite albums of all time], not to mention a good jazz sound and some much trippier stuff. I'm sure I'll find plenty more uses for it along the way.

very easy to use. not a problem at all. unless your noobish.

im ruuning this in this setup.
guitar>JH-1>CE-5>amp
not noisy at all. actually it seems to stop unwanted nnoise from guitar and feedback from the JH-1. the effects you can get aree awesome. if you turn the knobs all the way round clockwise you can get a amazing cool honky tonk keyboard fairground effect. and this with the dist or od sounds even better. its awesome. make dist and od sound v.cool and metallic.

only bought it toady so i woundlt know but solid metal so cant go wrong.

never dealt. so i dont know.

its cool man. get one if you like chorus effect. you can also get an effect like the effect in the intro and verso to freak on a leash by korn. would def. buy another if it broke. it rules

Very easy to get a good sound out of it if you know anything at all about effects and audio. It takes a little tweaking to get the exact filtration that you want, but I like the versatility of having that as an option.

I am using this with a Schecter C1+ (Duncan Distortion bridge) and an all-tube Crate VFX5112. Other stuff in the signal chain: Boss DD-3, MT-2, and sometimes MXR Phase 100. I've been playing for 18 years, and I always carefully evaluate my gear and sounds. This makes the cut.

I LOVE THIS CHORUS. This is the chorus sound I've always wanted. It's warm and "modern" sounding, I guess. It's very good for swelling out a sound like clean arpeggios, and it doesn't destroy your distortion, though it really doesn't do a doubling sound with distortion, more like it adds a subtle fatness. Very importantly: my guitar still sounds like my guitar. There is no flattening of the bass or mids.

Other stuff I tried in the "Quest for Chorus": Maxon CS-9 Pro: That was warmer, but it never really sounded much like a chorus! More like a doubler. MXR M-134: Much more warm and present than the Maxon, BUT you couldn't turn it up too far, or it did that STUPID Leslie thing where the volume fades. (No offense if you use a Leslie or a Leslie simulator: have a good time with it...what I mean is that it's stupid to think you're buying a CHORUS and then have it act like a Leslie.) Also tried the Digitech X-Series Chorus. When I stopped laughing, I tried the reissue Ibanez CS-9: much thicker than the Maxon, but also kind of muddy. Finally, I tried the Boss CH-1, which has more presence than the CE-5, but a lot less depth to the sound. I did my homework, and settled on this.

Fair Warning: This pedal is DIGITAL. If you read the manual, it says so; there's a disclaimer of compliance with European standards for digital signal processing. HOWEVER...it doesn't sound digital (I used to own a Line 6 Spider 112, I have also a Digitech RP50 for practicing late at night, and I also have the built-in effects in Cakewalk Guitar Tracks 3.) I KNOW what lame digital choruses sound like, and I know what fairly high-end analog choruses sound like. This is WARM, and it feels GREAT.

I know that there are certain things that should NEVER be digital (distortion, mostly, and also in my experience, phasers) and some things that are fine (reverb, delay). I used to think I had to have an analog chorus. Then I got this. Problem solved! It's a lot cheaper, too! And remember, if you're going to CD...it's ALL digital sooner or later....

It's a BOSS. Five-year warranty!

Never dealt with them. I hate that you can't register online without selecting a stupid "free" magazine offer. I send in the cards instead...hey Roland Corp, you do realize that the Return Postage Costs you money that you would have saved if I just filled it out online....hello, is this thing on? Thonk, thonk, test, one-two....

I play rock, and metal with some punk thrown in. I love Zeppelin, AC/DC, The Who, some G'N'R (if you turn the vocals down...) and this is perfect for what I want. If I lost this, I'd go and buy one the same day. I don't say that about any of my other pedals. This is essential to me. I love it. It doesn't distort with my butt-kicking (ahem, "high-output") humbucker, even though the manual says it can happen. (My guitar will overload MXR Phase 90s, Ibanez PT-9s, etc.)
This obviously helps me make music. It sounds better and is more versatile than anything else I've tried.

It sounds very clean, very clear, and it doesn't kill your tone. I looked for YEARS to find the right bridge humbucker, and if anything interferes with my tone, I remove it. (See my review of the Boss PH-3, which I thought was terrible.) In short: I can't believe this is so good for so little money. I love the looks of Boss stuff, and the reliability. (MXR pedals are UGLY and I HATE the switches...) I love the sound of this pedal, it's now ESSENTIAL for me, and I don't say that about very many things. Maybe this isn't what you want, you should always try out different things. But this is the sound I wanted.

This pedal is vert easy to use,the manual gives you some idea of how to use it and some sound examples and what each knob does,it's good enough because the pedal alone is easy to work but tons of pages an a manual is off-putting for some people like me anyway.

My setup is a Fender Strat -> Bigg Muff by EHX -> The Whammy by Digitech -> The Weapon by Digitech -> Boss Wah V-10 -> Boss Chorus -> Marshall amp. The Boss chorus is fairly quiet. The more Rate you put then you can hear a fuzzy vibrato from the amp.The chorus effects are warming to your sound and cancell out that cold mettalic sound, the sounds are very natural and haven't got any roboticness about it, it's EXCELLENT FOR KORN SOUNDS as it's the very pedal they use. you can get the chime replica from falling away from me,all in the family verse parts and for it's on nd freak on a leash you can get a similar flange sound like the electric mistress and vibrato.it's nice for song like the zephyr song by the red hot chili peppers because its warming and has that type of sound.

Yes this Pedal is very reliable, you could set 50 rock weilers on it and it would still be in one piece and i wouldn't find it neccesary to use a backup when gigging.

I play mostly korn and red hot chili peppers and its good for both.ive been playing for over a year and have been into fx pedals since i started and im quite hooked on them.Yes if it were lost or stolen i would by another one.My favourite feature is the chime sound and flange effect but the only thing im not keen on is the design, it's not the nicest looking pedal ive got but i supose its whats on the inside that matters like the sound etc.I compared this with the electric mistress flanger but i prefered this one because this sounds more natural and it's way cheaper.

My first chorus pedal, and it is dead simple. Within 5 minutes I had tweaked the sound to a nice wet warble and was having a ball.

this is my first chorus pedal, so I'm not sure I'm extremely qualified to judge. I found it warm, with a nice shimmery high end. Has a nice range and depth, although beyond halfway the depth can get a little outta hand. Used it with a Dano U1, and a Dano Baritone. Sounded much better with the U1, the baritone's low end gets way too muddy.
Seemed to be a bit of noise coming out of it, but one of my other pedals is acting up, so it's more likely that.

from all of read and seen - yes. absolutely. mine was gently used, and appears to be standing up very well.

n/a

I'll be using this for singer/songwriter solo material and rock. I've been playing for over 10 years, but am just starting to explore the electrical gadgets. So far this is going to be a great tool for adding a little colour to the sound.
I've got a Dano U1, a Dano Baritone (original, no-effects model) and a Yamaha SG500. nothing worth a mint, but all good enough. Pedals = Boss CE 5>Custom Made Dyna Comp>Line 6 Delay Modeler>Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.

Fairly easy to tweak the knobs and get different sounds out of it. Has a level, rate, depth, and hi/low cut knobs. The manual is basic but shows some good settings. Anybody with a little effects knowledge should not have a problem tweaking this pedal.

I play a yamaha AES guitar into a Mesa Mark III and a custom 2x12 cab. On my effects board I run a Maxon compressor, Fulltone FDII, Barber DD, MXR phase 90, Fulltone supa-trem, and Digitech Digidelay.

A lot of people will love this pedal and a lot will hate it, just read the reviews below. But heres the thing about chorus...there are different kinds that do different things well and if you understand the limitations of certain pedals you will know how to use them. With that said the CE-5 is not for everyone! It is not and pedal that give a vintage analog chorus sound and people who expect it to be will be dissapointed. But...it gives a great warm, modern chorus sound that can go from subtle to lush to semi-leslie.

I for one am a bigger fan of this type of chorusing because I like to use chorus to fill out my sound rather than as a special effect. I have owned a lot of viontage choruses, Ross, Voodoo Lab, Ibanez, Boss CE-2. Those are great pedals too but the CE-5 is a little different in its own right.

The things I like most about it is it has the mix knob so I can bring down the effect of the chorusing. It also has the Hi-Lo cut so I can tame any upper frequencies that tend to get out of control with a lot of chorus pedals. Lastly, there is no tone loss or volume boost that I can tell when this pedal is engaged. It can go from very subtle chorusing to more lush swirling to a vibrato/leslie type chorus.

Standard Boss...built well!

Never had to deal with them.

Great Pedal...just don't expect it to be a vintage analog pedal. They do their thing and this does its. It will give a good vintage vibe but is probably not as lush and "effectful" as vintage pedal. But like I stated sometimes the vintage thing is good and sometimes it not. It really depends on the music and sound you are looking for and for me the CE-5 fits the bill well for most occasions.

the knobs are labled so if you are familiar at all with pedals then its a no brainer

it sounds great if set right. also, you can cover many sounds with it. i thinkl some people are expecting it to do more than a chorus effect, but it covers many chorus varieties.

when plugged in it was set to that "dying warble" sound thats hardly useful. also, i didnt hear the rich ensemble sound i was expecting. so you really have to tweak it, dont get me wrong, it has alot of very good, usable sounds - but with all the control over this pedal (with the knobs) you have to find them.

you may turn the rate up for a faster warble, but you may might need to fool with the other knobs to make that setting sound sweet.

i mostly use it for the lush, slow chorus effect. i use a strat>fuzz/octace up>boss chorus>tremelo>echo/delay>marshall. i sometimes throw my DOD chorus in line after the delay to get different "warbles" on the repeats. very shimmery sounds, with ot without the added DOD, most of the time its in my closet

its a boss, i'll give it a good review for the fact that its built like a tank.....you wouldnt want me to throw it at you, would ya?

i dont know, i hope i dont have to find out

it sounds great and i usually dont give anything an overall 9, but this pedal is worth it.

like i mentioned ealier, there are alot of great settings that sound sweet clean or with more gain, but you may have to turn more than just the "rate" knob to find them. in other words.......just because you need a fsater warble does not mean simply turning up the rate to speed things up will give you a fast shimmer that is as lush and spacious as the previous setting, you may have to fiddle with the high/low cut knobs........but you will find it!

The controls are pretty self-explanatory, but you need to spend some time fine-tuning to get that perfect sound.

I play a Strat and a Tele with Seymour Duncan pickups, with and without overdrive, into Fender tube amps. Pretty basic. I often use a Boss RV-5 at the end of the chain set for just a slight amount of reverb, which works well with the CE-5 Chorus.

There has been alot of discussion on this forum about the similarities/differences between the Boss CE-5 and the Boss CH-1. I didn't know which to buy, so I bought both used and did my own "shootout" for a couple of days. Here is what I found:

NOISE: Both pedals are as quiet as church mice.

RATE: At the minimum settting, both pedals have indiscernably slow rates. At max, however, the CH-1 runs at about 4 cycles per second, while the CE-5 runs at about 8 cycles per second. This higher rate is actually useful with the depth turned down low.

TONE CONTROL: The CH-1 has a single "EQ" knob which has a very subtle effect. The CE-5 has a dual pot "Filter" control for bass and treble, and has a much greater and more useful effect on the tone. Note that the CE-5 controls are tone "cut" controls, so "normal" is full CW (not mid-range).

DEPTH: With the Depth control full CW, CH-1 has a deeper and richer sound than the CE-5.

GENERAL SOUND QUALITY: The CH-1 has a slightly colder, more "modern" sound than the CE-5 which is a bit warmer and more organic. This difference is subtle, and may simply be differences in EQ.

OVERALL RATING: The CE-5 has more range in its "Filter" (EQ) and Rate controls, making it somewhat more versatile than the CH-1. The CE-5 also has a slightly "warmer" sound. However, the CH-1 chorus efffect itself is deeper than the CH-1. So it was a toss-up until...

MODS: I immediately found a schematic for the CE-5 to try to figure out how to improve the depth of the effect. After several hours of fiddling I found the magic bullet: Change C22 from 5pF to 22pF (or just solder a 22 pF across C22 on the back of the board). Increasing C22 increases the amount of delay through the bucket-brigade IC (analog delay). Increasing C22 to 22pF has a dramatic and wonderful effect on the depth of the chorus effect.

If you fell inspired, try 22pF or other values until you get the sound you want. Radio Shack sells a nice assortment of ceramic capacitors that includes useful values for this mod. (RS part number 272-809). Email me if you have questions.

END RESULT: With this C22 mod, I LOVE the CE-5! It has the great range and versatility in the tone and rate controls plus a great depth in the chorus effect. I am keeping the CE-5 and selling the CH-1.

RATING: Without mod: 8 With mod: 10

Unless you roll over it with your Hummer, it should last forever. Although I have heard of people breaking Boss pedals, so I guess I'm not very athletic.

Never tried, never needed.

Lately, I've been playing alot of Neil Young tunes which can range from heavy overdrive lead to open, clean strummed chords and arpeggios.

I generally use the CE-5 for the clean, open chords and arpeggios. Chorus doesn't seem too useful for distorted lead or overdriven power chords. With a little care in setting the controls, I can get a nice warm or spacey chorus that doesn't call attention to itself. With the rate turned up high and the depth down low, I can get a nice little vibrato-like effect.

If I lost this pedal, I would definitely get another one and do the C22 mod.

Definietely not just plug in and go - although your sound will still be as good as most normal chorus pedals if you do it that way. The 2 tone controls are where it is at. However, read the manual and it's not rocket science.

Sound quality is superb. As far as I can tell, get the super chorus if you want a brittle dry sounding modern chorus. The CE5 will also do that, but that misses the point, since this pedal is excellent at vintage sounding warm chorus sounds. I have a few different chorus pedals, and had just bought a Danelectro Rocky Road and modded the pedal to unity gain to achieve a vintage leslie sound (great for that by the way). However, I got the CE5 second hand and was blown away when I borrowed it to try it! It does a lovely warm leslie sound - great mild chorus sound, and really normal sound if you want. Probably the thing I like best is simply the mix control so that I can lessen the effect to a nice subtle effect - unlike my old CE3.

It's a boss - how many have you broken?

Website is quite good for normal manuals etc. No-one has enough info for gear hounds, but I don't expect them to any more.

I play a mixture - which is why the CH5 is so good. If I'm playing rock or poppy music, then the pedal is good for that. My love is playing the blues, and where the CH5 wins over it's competition for me, is it's ability to do that lovely vintage sound. However, unlike one-trick ponies, this one will do any style. It really is like having several chorus pedals in one - I cannot imagine what chorus sound it won't do!

All it is to get a nice orchestral chorus sound is have the E.Level to 10, the Rate to 6, the depth to 10 and Filters any way you like. You have to fiddle with it for a few mins to get the sound you want

Using a Yamaha Pacifica-->Chorus Ensemble-->Reverb-->Yamaha 100watt amp, this setup rocks. Not noisy at all, unless if its all of them to 10. Great sound. Goes great with chords and solos.

Yes, i could totally depend on this thing. Its a boss, hav u seen on Jackass when they throw a boss pedal off a 500ft tower and its in one piece and still works

To be honest, i think that i will never have support with this pedal, its a BOSS!

I usually play Rock/Funk/Britrock, this pedal REALLY HELPs. Ive been playing for about a year and ive come across billions of pedals, this is by far the most useful.My favourite feature is the beatiful pearl blue colour. If i lost this pedal, i would go to the bank, steal #45 and buy the pedal again.

Same as any boss pedal.just twiddle with the knobs and you'll eventually find your desired tone.the manual has certain presets to chose from too.

My setup is a crap crap crap epiphone guitar(god its noisy and crap)Its going thru Boss BF-3 Flanger>Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble>Boss TR-2 Tremolo>EHX Big Muff PI USA reissue.All this into Marshall Valvstate 30R.Basically I like all modulation effects.I also weirdly prefer DIGITAL to Analog effects.They just sound better in my opinion.What i will say is that CE-5 sounds great for what I play.It has a lush beautiful sound and does flange slightly if you listen close enough.It is penetrating and is amazing in stereo too.The thing I like about Boss and this pedal is that it is totally silent and DOESNT suck any tone whatsover,and I have a crap guitar so its a testament to how good these things are.Had a CH-1 Super Chorus and I have to say that it was quite rubbish frankly.I took it back and got this.Am a big Police fan and CE-5 works a treat to give Andy Summers type tone.Also love Nirvana and can get Come As you are tone out of this even though Kurt used an EHX Small Clone/Polychorus.The effect is perfect as it can melt into OD/Distortion or give a lush Chorus effect on clean.Only thing better than this is Boss CE-1, or Boss Dimension-D Chorus.

Umm its a boss.Cant say much else than that.Use without backup all the time.Its never going to fail!!

Havent dealt with Roland but they have notified me about my warranty and stuff pretty quickly after I bought my Boss Pedals.

I play in a Indie/Punk band and am one of two guitarists.I also play bass and Double Bass and CE-5 is pretty good for bass too.Into Korn,Deftones,Pumpkins,Nirvana,The Police and RHCP.Like Jeff Buckley too.Have quite wide music taste so am always looking for new tasteful sounds.CE-5 rocks with semi-acoustics and 12 strings too!!!
I'd only get rid of this pedal only for Boss CE-1.Remember peeps play loud and experience the thrill of tasteful modulaiton.

Pretty easy, though the two EQ knobs can take some getting used to. Really, I don't see why Boss didn't do like most other manufacturors do with chorus pedals and leave it with the standard level, rate, and maybe a volume knob.

I haven't gotten the chance to try it in stereo through two great amps, but I can tell you that when you run it mono through a pretty good amp it's disappointing. I bought this pedal because, at the time, I just wanted something to make arpeggios ring out. It does that very well, better than other pedals in its price range that I got to try (the DOD Ice Box, Boss CH-1, the Ibanez "Tone Lok" chorus, and the Danelectro Cool Cat and mini pedal). However, after a while I wanted to use it for other things, and that's when the disappointment set in.

With five knobs, you'd think this would be very versatile, but after having it for 2 years, I have only been able to find the one setting that sounds good for arpeggios but nothing else. For any other use it just sounds boring. It's either too low in the mix or it's so high that you can't use it for thickening up distortion and overdrive, and the rate is either so low you can't notice it or it's so high it sounds artificial. The bass control either makes it sound muddy and artificial or too thin. And if you want a warm chorus, and I did, forget about it! This pedal sucks out too much of the midrange, making you sound stale and generic. No matter what pickups you use, though PAF and Seth Lover type humbuckers are a little better, this thing will sound dead and lifeless. That's a shame, considering that I had been told it featured the same circuit as the legendary Roland JC-120 amp--the most lush, gorgeous chorus ever made. The CE-5 is a totally different sounding animal.

I've even tried asking other people on newsgroups and message boards for settings to try, HOPING to get a decent sound and not feel like I wasted my $80, but they never sound good. It's not the guitar or amp: they sound great when the pedal's out of the mix! I have noticed that, as with all Boss pedals, you lose some subtle harmonics in your sound even when the pedal's turned off. This pedal just sucks! I give it a 5 because it has one good pretty good sound and it will give you a chorus effect, even if it is a bad one.

It's a Boss, and I've never had any problems with it. They're known for being indestructable. I don't gig with it because I don't like the pedal anymore.

NA

I play spacey, trippy psychadelic punk rock. Think Black Sabbath or Stooges riffs one minute with some Modest Mouse/Radiohead type breaks thrown in where most people put solos. I hoped it would add to my sound, but it doesn't. I give up on it, and I wish I had never bought it. I might try to trade it in on a Small Clone or something else. This pedal is the definition of mediocrity.

very easy to use, as with all boss pedals.

I bought a 2nd amp because of this pedal. Going through one amp, it sounds OK. But plug it in stereo, and the sound is to die for. Best chorus sound I've ever heard. I play a strat through two Peavey classic 50's. I just leave the chorus pedal on all the time. Makes distortion and metal sound fantastic. Makes anything sound fantastic
But you gotta use two amps.

I've never had problems with boss effects. I've had about 15 boss pedals and they've always been reliable.

not bad. I had a RDl00 keyboard once,and they paid for the repair job a couple days after the warranty was up.

I play country rock, classic rock and a little metal. Been playing about 31years. I plug my 74 strat through a tonebone(another great pedal) Boss Octave, boss MT2 metal pedal, boss blues driver, boss DD6 delay pedal and finally throught the chorus ensemble into 2 peavey classic 50 amps with 4/10's and 2/12's. If your the only guitar player in the band then this setups for you. Just spread your amps on each side of the stage and listen to the great chorus. Makes a great effect for the song hysteria. If I lost it I would only get a chorus pedal with 2 outputs for stereo. Once you go stereo you never go back. I also use a GE7 eq. That helps too.

Just as easy to use as any other boss pedal. It's easy to find the sound you want, and the manual gives you some cool suggestions for sounds. I just think it' better if you make your own settings though, although it's always nice for a company to give you some ideas.

Here's my funktastic setup The ghettoguitar(ebay neck and body with red lace sensors and a little '59 in the bridge)>Boss TU-2>Crybaby>Digitech Synth Wah> Boss SD-1>Boss MD-2> ProCo RAT>Guyatone Microdelay> E~H Small clone>Boss CE-5>Mesa/Boogie DC-3 and Musicman 212-HD.
It's not a noisy pedal at all. The sound just doesn't seem to be just what I want. It doesn't have the analog warmth to it like my small clone. The only reason I'm using the CE-5 is because I got it used for $35 and I need to go stereo. I have to say that the panning from amp to amp is pretty sick. It gives a real dizzying effect to your playing. But it thins out your sound and sounds too artificial. It's great for just playing notes and hanging on them, but doesn't add anything to solos except for a thin quality.

Boss pedals don't break. I would definatly use it on a gig without backup because pedals cost money.

Havn't dealed with warranty or any of that jazz yet. 5 year warranty doesn't seem to bad though.

I play jazzed-up Funkshredjamrock (too many genres if you ask me) and this chorus isn't really my style. If E~H came out with a small clone that had stereo outputs than I would abandon the CE-5 in a heartbeat. Right now I'm considering the Boss CS-9 because it's analog and stereo. With Chorus, analog is the only way to go. It's good for trippyness, but doesn't add anything to leads or chords for that matter. If your into metal I guess this would be a good pedal for that digital sounding chorus like Zakk Wylde or whoever your into. But for the good old Sco/Mike Stern sound this thing doesn't cut it, although I think Mike Stern uses one (Don't know how he does it). If your only going through 1 amp, the small clone is the way to go, for a warm, clear chorus.

it's easy to understand, but finding the right sound is a little difficult.

They gave it too much range. Any of the knobs set behind the 12:00 posistion is useless because you can't even hear the chorus. Cranked all way up sounds like a bad acid trip. There is a short area in which the chorus sounds are useful. These sounds are very good, but I had sit next down for a while and focus on the sound hard and turn the knobs just right to get that great sound to come out. Once you get the sound, you'll realize that this is a very good chorus pedal.

is there anything that can destroy a boss pedal?

don't use it

got is for 50$ off of ebay. Works great. If you're looking for a great chorus pedal, then look no further.

The CE-5 is very diverse. The fact that a small chorus stomp box has both a low and a high cut filter is very cool, and they do make a difference too. Dialing in a good sound is a bit tricky at first. It took me a while to sit down and play with all of the controls to get a feel for them, and to get used to how they interact with one another. Once you truly know the pedal you can get a great sound out of it!!!

I highly suggest setting all the controls at 12:00, and then form there start tweaking them slightly to get the sound you want. Having all the knobs all the way up, etc. sounds like shit unless your really going for that crazy wacked out fake tremelo sound. Once you find the sweet spot his pedal is amazingly beautiful! I personally like the level at 1:00, the rate at 11:00, depth at 1:00, and play with the filters between 12:00-4:00. Great chorus sound that doesnt sound too overwhelming and mixes well.

Excellent, but use a power supply!!!

I play alternative and rock, and this pedal kicks ass. I use four pedals... CS-2 Compressor > DS-1 Distortion > CE-5 Chorus Ensemble > Small Stone Phaser. The sounds mix beautifully, but I try not to use the Chorus and Phaser at the same time. I owned a Super Chorus pedal by boss and sold it on ebay because it sucked compared to the CE-5. I can see how some people would rather use the Super Chorus if thats their sound, but to me its happy and fake, not deep and swirling like the CE-5. I would also check out the CE-20 (although not worth the hefty price tag to me) and the Electro-Harmonix Small Clone. All three are great chorus pedals.

Four and a half knobs. Dialing in a good setting is a bit difficult at first, but after you get familiar with the unit, you can capture the sound you're looking for in a lot less time.

E. Level basically determines how mixed the effect is into your signal. It's basically a wet/dry ratio knob.

Rate controls how fast the effect will go, if you turn it all the way up, a shimmering or warbling effect can be heard.

Depth controls how "deep" the effect goes, or how "intense" the effect will be.

The Filter knob has two different knobs in one, a "HIGH" knob, and a "LOW" knob. Don't ask me how, but turning these knobs a certain way gives new breakthrough to exciting and fresh sounds.

Overall, pretty easy to get the hang of once you're familiar with the unit and what it does.

I use this with a modified Fender Stratocaster through a Behringer GM110, fed into my effects loop (which comes before the amp) : Boss SD-1 > DOD Classic Fuzz > Boss CE-5 > Electro-Harmonix Small Stone > Ibanez DE-7.

This pedal gives very little to no noise while it's in use.

This effect always seems to capture a unique and wonderful sound, and gives more radiance, depth, and element to my sound. I used it last night at a Praise and Worship meet, and it sounded pretty good to my ears.

I actually prefer this over all of those other vintage units. Awhile back, I absolutely drooled over the fact of owning a CE-2. Now, I don't think I would trade this pedal for it. It gives me the vintage sounds and more.

What artists does this unit sound like? Hm, I can get a really convincing "Nothing Else Matters" chorus sound from Metallica, I can get an Andy Summers and Bryan Adams tone with an SG into this little box, and I can get some convincing Smashing Pumpkins tones too. With an acoustic, with the rate at 3, the depth at 12, and the filter at HIGH - 10, LOW - 12 (these are "o'clocks" by the way), I can nail the live "Glass and the Ghost Children" sound Billy Corgan from The Smashing Pumpkins has (if you're curious about what this sounds like, d/l "Glass and The Ghost Children" from 09.21.00). I can also get a "Thru The Eyes Of Ruby" Pumpkins sound, as well as their song "Crush" from the Gish album. I have a setting on a piece of paper TAPED to the front of my pedal, aptly titled "UNIVIBE". It looks so old-skool and it's a real nice effect.

This little baby blue box can do almost anything. I can get 70s EVH sound, 80s contemporary chorus (one of the most overused effects in the 80s, IMO), 90's grunge chorus, and modern effects as well as expiramental sounds. Highly Recommended.

Boss = Built On Solid Steel.

need I say more?

I've heard good things about them, but I really can't comment because I've never dealt with them.

I have been playing for about two years, and I own a modified Fender Stratocaster, a Yamaha FG412-S, a Taylor Big Baby, thru a Behringer GM110, and a colorful assortment of pedals. My influences fall around Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Soundgarden, Tool, The Spice Girls (just kidding), and Coldplay. The Holy Spirit has been moving me to write some Christian-based music as well. This pedal fits in just fine, I don't have any qualms about it. It does throw in a bit of a high boost, which I don't particularly like, but otherwise it sounds good to my ears.

I've heard many chorus pedals, and I considered getting a Voodoo Labs Chorus to replace this one, but then one afternoon I decided I would sit down and mess around with the controls. It turned my world of subtle chorus into a versatile one! I found new sounds that I never even knew were in this box. There is almost an unlimited number of the kinds of effects that can be achieved in this box. Vibrato and a light flange are also obtainable quite easily.

It helps me make music sometimes, and it adds depth and resonance to my sound. I would recommend this to anybody looking for a good, solid chorus pedal. Ten times better than the plain-jane CH-1 SUPER CHORUS. Blah.

Have a nice day!

When reviewing this product I think it is important to note that there are actually two version of the CE5 available.
The first edition CE-5 which came out in Dec 1991 and the CE-5T version that came out in May 2002.
The first edition CE-5 has a circuit is very akin to the old CE-2 and boosts the MN3007 BBD chip and associated MN3101.That makes this most definitly an analogue unit with the added EQ circuitry.The main board is built up of the old fashioned discrete components.
The second edition CE-5T has done away with the MN3007 and MN3101 chips and has mostly surface mount components and now sports a single chip that takes the place of the MN3007/MN3101 which looks very much like a digital variant.(See label on bottom of pedal Refers to Digital compliance etc etc)
So for a fair review of the product I suspect users need to assess which one they have.
I myself have the later CE-5T Pedal.

The sound quality in standard form is pretty good and silent in operation.
However,I have swapped out the electroylic decoupling capacitors for audiophile equivilents to get rid of the 3rd harmonic distortion associated with electroylics and this has smoothed out the pedal and taken away the slight gritty edge to the sound.
All my Boss pedal have been modified in one way or another drawing off the ideas of the highly knowledgable and friendly www.Robertkeeley.com.

Its a Boss

Always had a good response and service from Roland UK

Easy to great a variety of beautiful chorus tones with its 5 knobs (3 regular pots & 1 double concentric pot).

Fender Squier Strat (stock single-coil pups) > Proel Wah > Boss DS-1 Distortion > the CE-5 > Peavey Rage 158...I looove this thing! Its two cut filters allow for a nice range of voicings, from deeper contemporary choruses, to warmer vintage chorus (my preference). I tend to keep my high-cut at 11:00 & low-cut at 12:00, with my Effect Level between 12:00 & 3:00 (don't like my modulation effects too overwhelming), and my depth between 3:00 & full on. My rate gives me my preferred chorus effect variations (around 8:00 for slow chorus that smooths and fattens up your sound, or around 1:00 for faster, slightly detuned shimmer). I also like digging water warbles and what I like to call 'sci-fi' vibrato out of this thing (its all in there...just experiment). I absolutely love the stereo outputs...it sounds sooo gorgeous in stereo that when I first heard it this way, I almost cried (not joking...pathetic, huh? lol)
I will note one thing: It sounds decent in front of a solid state, but naturally, its best, gooiest moments ooze from a nice tube amp. (Love it in front of tube Fenders!)

Umm...it's a Boss...duhh

Never had to, and would prefer to keep it that way.

I'm still building my chops, and have a looong way to go, but I know good tone. I know what I like and want in a set-up (got rid of a Korg AX100G for a Danelectro chorus and EQ...I only like putting what I need into my chain, and those Danos stay out of my chain). I'm also developing my style, and I note the vibe leans toward the mysterious, the dark and gloomy/spooky. This pedal is perfect for that. I am gonna say this is a fantastic value not only because of what I get out of it, but also whats available if I need it (those cut filters and the variation they provide gives so much, yet ask so little...like a little knobturn or two lol)

Easy to use. Want more effect, turn up "effect level." Want more depth? Turn up "depth."

Somewhat digital, but i'm not a sage in chorus effects. I've never tried analog. You can easily get a nice sound though, ie Master of Puppets interlude. Definitely versatile, if you have any needs for a chorus. I don't think I needed one that much, but I don't really regret buying it. It's pretty nice with distortion too.

Shall I quote everyone else?
"It's a Boss"
"built like a tank"
"they's the mofo shiznat"

Really don't know.

Not bad, a little digital, but if you're not too picky either way or if you prefer that sound. Easy to get a good sound, subtle or strong. May want to buy it used if you're unsure or don't use much chorus.

Pretty simple, there are a lot of options with these knobs the manual has some good suggested settings, those are the ones i use

Well I play a Taylor 814CE acoustic with some pedals..weird I know...I use a Boss Tuner, the CE5 chorus, Boss compression/sustain, and an Ibanez tubescreamer all plugged into an LR Baggs direct box....very very nice sound the chorus is a necessity for a lot of slower songs, but I use the "arpeggio" suggested setting in the manual...it rocks...it almost, almost has a phaser kind of sound to it...its really neat....very clear,no noise..youd never know it was on until you heard the really cool sound it brings

Ive taken it every gig Ive played..and it gets used at least 2 times a week...its very reliable

Never had a need for Boss support

Im a worship leader at my church in Tn and we play a lot...these pedals get used a lot during the week...we travel some and i take it with me everywhere...and i really am not a fan of that cheesy bad sounding chorus most people use, the kind thats like a really bad vibrato...but this pedal takes that bad sound away, its there if u want it, but youve got options!!! no complaints

No manual needed. Easy to turn the knobs, not to get a good sound of it.

First, i mainly play jazz and blues, with clean or slightly overdriven sound ( Boss OD3 )on an old and reliable Yamaha G100 amp. I was looking for a subtile chorus that wouldn't kill the bottom end and add some depth to the sound without burying it. I bought a second hand Dod Ice Box , that has a treble cut and a dry/wet mix :keeping the mix knob lower than 12 o'clock preserves the punch of the dry signal.I was satisfied with it , but it gets a midrangey nasally sound when settings are too high . I then wanted to try the famous Boss CE5. How disappointing ! The CE5 has a low and treble filter : what's the low filter for ? It cuts and doesn't add ! The chorus by itself already cuts enough bass ...With settings too low, the effect is hardly noticeable. With settings too high, it releases an awful high digital harmonic, think virtual mosquito or something...The result is a sterile lifeless sound. What's more, the stereo out is a lie ! It's all dry on one side, all wet on the other ... I finally will keep the Dod Ice box, which is true stereo, and has a much better warm sound. The CE5 is one of my biggest disappointments with boss pedals ( even more than with the " wasp swarm box ", ie MT2 Metal ZZZZZone ).

Unfortunately, it's a boss ... will kill guitar sounds for ever and ever ....

Who's ever dealt with Boss customer support ?

I play jazz and blues and this box is worse than Dod Ice Box for these styles IMHO, period. Can't say for other styles.

Four knobs : Effect Level, Rate, Depth, and Filter. Takes some time and tweakability, but it's worth it in the end.

This pedal is very versatile in creating spacious sounds. You can get anything from a very soft pulsing vibrato to a metallic flanging. What lies inbetween those two is lush, spacey chorus. I've been able to get many different sounds out of this, and although I don't use chorus THAT often, it still has it's place on my pedal board.

I'd also like to add that this pedal is SILENT. No noise, no hiss, no tone suckage. That is what counts.

I'm glad I chose the CE-5, because it has much more options over the CH-1 and the DOD Ice Box (two other chorus pedals I considered purchasing). This pedal can replicate the nice, lush, spacey chorus of a vintage CE-2, and still have enough tweakability to cover flanging and vibrato effects.

I use this mainly to give my sound a shimmer. I can get a light chorus (rate : 10 o' clock, depth : 2 o' clock), an 80's CE-2 shimmering chorus (rate : 2 o clock, depth : 10 o' clock), I can also achieve what I like to call "tape slur", in other words, the kind of chorus you hear on old porn movies that are all beat up and are worn out. I can achieve this by setting the rate to 1 o'clock and the depth on full. Great warbling shimmery sound.

And who could forget the martian language? crank both the rate and the depth and you can talk in tongues that are out of this world.

VERY versatile pedal, I certainly do not regret purchasing this.

Boss.

*belch*

If you're considering buying a nice, lush, digital chorus, look no further. If you're looking for warm, analog chorus, I suggest the EH Small Clone or the Boss CH-1. It is rumor that the CE-5 was made with an analog chip, but I have yet to hear confirmation on this.

If you play 80s music, this is for you. If you play 90s alternative/rock, this is for you. If you do chicken-pickin' and country licks, this is for you. If you play anything with chorus at all, this is for you! Simply a great pedal, one of my favorites.

The ONLY Pedal I would rule this out with is the EH Poly Chorus, because that pedal is simply the BEST chorus on the market. If you're on a strict budget though, and don't feel like paying $230 for the Poly Chorus, then the CE-5 is your best bet.

Once again, great pedal. Job well done, Boss.

Very easy to use as long as you know what the "rate" & "depth" do.
Learn some basic physics about sound & sine waves before using any modulation effects!
If you dont, then you could plug a blank patch cord into one of the Outputs... You hear just the effect with no original sound.

Excellent - VERY quiet.
Works with any amp IN the FX loop, or best AFTER a distortion box.
Superb with clean, distorted, and acoustic sounds (even vocals).
Once your get used to the sound, you'll here it in most popular music.
It's one of those pedals that you can't really be without.

No backup ever used, or needed.

Never used.

It was the first type of guitar effect I bought many years ago. It was replaced when it was stolen with the same model... it's that good.
Like I said above, before you embark on your "chain of effects" make sure you know what it is they will do to your sound waves. That way you also get to know which order of the chain is correct for your style (some people still don't know!!!!!).

I don't know a whole lot about chorus, but it was kinda easy once I fiddled around with it.

Well I have used some nice chorus boxes before, but I dunno, maybe I have just grown out of chorus sound. I find it kinda bland sounding. I mean it gets a great Nirvana chorus sound and a smooth slow chorus sound, but I don't find it has a bright enough sound. But it's great for cranking all the controls to 10 and ripping in some feedback through a distortion. Really noisey really cool. Great for some coo grunge music.

I have never broken it. It is rarley used.

Never had to call them.

It's an OK pedal in my opinion. But go ahead and try it, it might be for you. I just havent found a good chorus that realy made me go wow!

is not easy for set up. You can choose any preset from the manual. But , when you learn how set this product, you can achieve from a subtle chorus to an extremely vibrato effect. Very versatile

a lush chorus, absolutely no noise at all. I use this pedal with a customized Fender Stratocaster, Gibson Les Paul or Ibanez S,cry baby pedal-->Ibanez Tubescreamer-->(sometimes Boss Ds1 or Ds2)-->Boss CE 5 (to the loop effect) and DOD Valve guitar system (for delays, flanger, phaser and pitch shifter).
If you can, run this chorus stero, here you can apreciate how good is this pedal

I need a chorus. I have a Yamaha and an Ibanez, but this is better

Is a Boss!! I have a DS1, DS2, CE5 and a Heavy Metal pedals. Built like a rock

I suppose its easy to use, however... I cant seem to get a good sound out of it for electric stuff, no matter how I tweak it. I suppose Im just not a fan of the dryness of digital effects. But it sounds great on my Ovation Legend.

Yuck. Sounds dry, cold and digital. However, it is extremely quiet. The pots dont make any noise either. I use a custom strat and a les paul special, into a Marshall TS122 (all tube) amp. The chorus kills "That Marshall Sound". But like I said, its great with an acoustic into the PA.

Its a boss. It always works.

Its a BOSS. It never breaks.

If you want true warmth, go analog. Id suggest the Ibanez cs-9. If you want over produced, techno/rave/kiddie rock, this pedal has zero warmth, and would work well for you.

Blah blah super easy to use, even though the last set of stacked knobs have always confused me

Does the job, isnt very lush though. I'd get something a little balsier like a super chorus or Visual Sound chorus.

Ok heres where we have a problem. Since i got this pedal used on ebay, it has worked wonderfully like my other 10 boss pedals that i bought used on ebay. But recently, after sitting for 10 months on a pedalboard, it decided to stop working. It bypasses perfectly, but theres no effect being added to my signal. What the FUCK is up with that? Everythings intact as far as i can tell, and i know what im talking about since i self-modded an Ibanez TS-9 Tubescreamer to TS-808 specs. This makes me furious!!! Boss built like a tank? Yeah maybe the outer shell!

hah

It does the job, not too impressive though and it FUCKING broke!