Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
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Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 09/06/2009
at 05:22am
by Jake
Ease of Use
:
8
Straight out of the box, plug it in and away you go. Like most BOSS pedals you have to play around with it, but that's half the fun of buying a new pedal. I'm giving it a 8 because of it's plug-n-play capabilities.
Sound Quality
:
9
I use a MM Stingray 5 --> BDDI --> CEB-3 --> Markbass LMII head with STD 104HR cab.
The chorus effect is quite smooth, and can be quite subtle, which suits me perfectly. You can make it thick and watery or subtle and sweeping with ease. The low filter is great for maintaining a solid bottom end with the lush chorus effect when going up high within the same bassline, rather than affect everything.
Reliability
:
10
It's BOSS, it's built to be gigged with for years and still perform night after night.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
9
The only other time I've played with chorus is on an old Peavey bass amp, which was cool, but I like this a little better. I haven't used it enough so I'm in the process I've acquiring a few more effects, building a pedal board and then I'll use it a lot more.
Overall it's reliable, well priced and sounds great.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: USD 79
Submitted 07/16/2007
at 11:13am
by Craig
Ease of Use
:
9
It's pretty easy to use - basic standard chorus controls.
Sound Quality
:
7
I've very picky about the pedals I use - I like clean pedals that don't add noise. I tried two other chorus pedals before buying this one. Both were a lot more noisy than this one. This one does have a bit of hiss at low levels, but it's mostly masked. While it's not as quiet as my other pedals (Aphex compressor, Ashdown distortion), it's pretty close. Also, when I first put this on my power supply, it had a slight hum. This isn't the first time I've seen a Boss pedal hum a bit from an unnder-filtered power supply. Since then, I've custom built a 2A 9V linear well filtered power supply, and all hint of the hum is gone. If you use Boss pedals, you can't use a cheap wall wart to power it. I believe that this is probably the best sounding chorus under $200 (EBS range). The chorus sound is good - not overbearing at most settings, but not too subtle either. Overall, I like it.
Reliability
:
8
It seems built fairly well - standard Boss build. I've only had one issue in the past with a Boss pedal, so this will probably do well.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
I've never had to use them.
Overall Rating
:
8
Overall, this is a good pedal and works well for my application. After trying out 2 others, this one is the keeper and probably the best overall bass chorus for less than $200.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: USD 80
Submitted 03/05/2007
at 11:46pm
by Keith
Ease of Use
:
8
Four knobs, three of which are standard on any chorus pedal: level, depth and rate. The fourth is a Low Filter knob, which is pretty intuitive once you learn what it does; basically as you turn it off full it stops applying the chorus effect to the lower frequencies. At minimum only the G-string gets much of the effect. If you want a clean low groove but some character in your upper noodling, you'll want to play with this knob. I find that even with it on full I don't lose any low end, so I don't mess with it much unless I turn the rate way up.
Depth and rate are pretty easy; depth controls how present the synthesized voices produced by the effect are, while rate controls the speed at which the effect's waves align and misalign with your bass' clean tone. Technically, it does this my adjusting how far out of tune the waves are with your bass. Be careful when adjusting rate, as it will very quickly start sounding like "beats" which makes you sound out of tune. You can use faster rates to great effect if you turn down the depth to about 9 o'clock; then the effect becomes a vibrato.
It takes a little experimentation to find settings that work well if you've never played with a chorus before, but once you get the hang of twiddling the knobs it becomes very easy to dial in the sound you're looking for.
Sound Quality
:
9
Some reviewers have really dumped on this pedal saying it's not aggressive enough. I'll tell you right now that this effect is not and will never be a bass flanger or phaser. The Boss guitar versions of both those pedals work just fine for bass if you want an edgier sound. This chorus is a very subtle effect; that said, it is quite flexible, and definitely audible. It adds a softening, ethereal quality at lower rates and high depth; at higher rates/lower depth, you get a range of vibrato effects. Turn them both up too much and it sounds out of tune as mentioned before.
This pedal is on a board that I use with both guitars and basses, and includes, in signal-chain order, a Boss TU-2, LMB-3 limiter, CS-3 compressor, ODB-3 OD/dist, and the CEB-3. I use this rig with an Ibanez SG clone as well as a Yamaha BB-404 J-bass clone (the only one where I use the enhancer part of the LMB-3), a Fender Mexi Jazz with Dimarzio Ultra Jazz pickups and independent volume/tone (this thing is PUNCHY), and a Yamaha TRB-1005 5-string active, all piped through a Peavey 210TX 200W 2x10+h combo.
For both guitar and bass, this pedal is outstanding as a single effect. Mixing it with distortion/OD can have mixed results, but produces some interesting sounds especially for bass. It might be interesting to try this with an octave pedal, or in an effects loop after true tube overdrive.
This pedal adds very little noise at any setting, being a modulation effect as opposed to a gain-boosting effect. If you use the level control to boost signal, you might notice a little more noise, but that's just as likely to be your axe or amp as anything else.
Reliability
:
10
Plenty of good words about Boss durability, and this pedal's no exception. One thing that will kill this pedal dead, though, is reverse polarity or too much amps. You don't have to use the Boss PSA adapter, but the one you do use MUST be 200Ma and negative tip polarity.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never dealt with Boss customer support. Never had a Boss pedal die.
Overall Rating
:
10
Overall, this is a very subtle effect, but perfect for acoustic rock (helps your electric bass blend with the guitars; bass lines in Jars of Clay songs usually use a bit of chorus) to alternative (this thing does a great 3 Doors Down impression) to some of the tamer classic rock/metal passages calling for bass chorus. If I had it to do over, I'd probably pick one up on eBay or otherwise used, but I have no regrets buying this thing new.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: Euros 60 USED
Submitted 10/05/2006
at 01:06pm
by Tracii
Ease of Use
:
10
Fool-proof! Four knobs: level, low cut, rate and depth. Takes 30 seconds to figure out what each one does.
Sound Quality
:
2
One word: Poor! Turn depth up to 10 and you still barely hear the chorus effect. Rate is fine (as far as it's audible) below 7, higher than that and it gets wobbly and sounds like you're out of tune. Low cut and level do what they're supposed to, but the chorus effect is so weak, it's only useful as a permanent flavouring of your tone, and for that it's far to expensive. I play an Epiphone EBM-5 into a Hartke 3500 with a Harmonic Design 4x10", so it's not that the frequencies are too low to be processed. Know the Manics' "Of walking abortion" or just about any Rush tune? No way you even get close to that with this thing. Avoid it as you would the plague!
Reliability
:
No Opinion
Haven't gigged with it (wouldn't dare to...), but unfortunately it will probably last longer than me.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
3
I have been playing hard rock for 5 years and I am constantly looking for something to liven up certain passages of our songs, but not with this. All you get is an - albeit certainly ear-pleasing, were it there to be heard - horribly soft chorus, which is all but inaudible on the lower strings. I bought this because it's a BOSS. Do not trust brand names! Trust your ears!
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: 65 (Pounds )
Submitted 04/24/2006
at 05:59am
by Philip
Email: thetrueterminator101<at>yahoo dot co dot uk
Ease of Use
:
8
Very easy to use. 1 of my two BOSS pedals. Manual very good, especially as it provided four basic settings. Tweak until beautiful.
Sound Quality
:
8
My Lineup Is:
Peavey Fury IV >> Boss AW-3 Dynamic Wah >> Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus >> Fender Rumble 60 Bass Combo
No noise issues. Effects sound great, but tone tweaking needed as extreme bass frequencies either crap out or (if level is too high) blow the windows out. Try 'Tears in Heaven' - that's my no.1 song for this effect.
Probably used by hundreds of pros, dunno who they are. Rarely heard alone.
Reliability
:
10
You could break down doors with this thing. I once got a bit over-exited and 6ft 3inch me jumped on to it!
Still grand. As another review says, get a power supply. Having said that, the Boss Dynamic Wah is worse. (Anybody know why?)
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never used customer support. Boss is an industry leader, so crap support would be surprising, to say the least.
Overall Rating
:
8
Not a rock effect - but great with mellow, reflective music. Opened my eyes to a whole new style of playing when I bought it. Quite a tasteful understated colour as well. Just like the effect, really - tasteful and understated!
Hate the Low Filter - finding that sweet spot between complete volume drop and super-overcharged bass frequencies takes time and needs changed according to EQ changes.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $70
Submitted 07/04/2005
at 10:07pm
by Frankie
Ease of Use
:
10
To repeat what everybody else has said, it's pretty much a no brainer to use this effect. My default setting is all knobs at 12:00. Sometimes I'll cut the chorus effect out of the LFs to get a more solid bottom.
Sound Quality
:
9
I use this pedal with an active Jazz. The chorus effect is pleasing to the ears as long as the rate is set to reasonable levels. Too much and it's too ripply and sounds fake.
Reliability
:
10
No problems.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never had to contact Boss about this pedal.
Overall Rating
:
10
One thing I noticed about this pedal is it takes very little effort to stomp it on or off compared to my Digitechs. It's a small matter but I thought I'd throw it out there.
Get a power supply. It eats batteries.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: 50 (NZD) used
Submitted 11/17/2004
at 02:34pm
by Neil
Ease of Use
:
10
Like most Boss pedals, very easy to use. The low filter can get a bit of getting used to, esp. when testing at low volumes.
Sound Quality
:
8
Setup is a Ric 4003->Boss OC2->DOD FX25B->Sansamp TriAC->EH smallstone->Boss CEB3->Ibanez DL3 (delay)->Boss DD6->Boss TU2->any number of tube or hybrid heads into an 8x10. There's also a Boss Percussion Synth pedal linked in there for blips squeeks and blurts when required.
Well, it's Boss-like smooth...maybe a little too smooth. Kinda like comparing a Boss phaser to the EH smallstone - the EH has more grit and presence. That said, it's a lovely effect, and with distortion sounds quite brutal. Fattens up the sound no end. Not as wiggy as I would like, my EH Electric Mistress sounds more organic and delicious (but it's bloody huge and the volume drop when on kills me).
Doesn't make you sound like Peter Hook doing a lead break when it's on, which is a good thing...the world only needs one band with a hugely prominent chorused bass lead sound! :)
Reliability
:
10
It's a Boss. I've never had heard or seen a Boss pedal shit itsself. You could hammer nails with it.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never needed to, don't really care to be honest. I'd rather pay my tech to fix things pronto rather than deal with a corporation.
Overall Rating
:
9
I play an off-kilter style of alternative rock, "a cross between Kyuss and HDU (intense and brooding NZ ambient/noise band)" to quote a listener. We've a 3-piece, so effects feature prominently. This effect fits in nicely.
Would I buy it again? Dunno - I think i'd rather try something else for a laugh, but then again I rearrange my pedalboard so often...
As a previous reviewer mentioned more depth would be primo...as would some kind of presence control to get a little more bite.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $65
Submitted 09/25/2003
at 09:54pm
by Geoffrey D. Kennedy
Ease of Use
:
10
uhm it has 4 knobs... set the level, low EQ, rate and depth, and that's about it... Like all BOSS pedals, spend 15 minutes or so tweaking knobs and you'll find your sound.
Sound Quality
:
8
I run a pretty mean set-up:
Ibanez GSR-100 w/ Bartolini P-bass Humbuckers and 2-band EQ (9 volt) --> BOSS TU-2 --> Dunlop 105Q Bass Crybaby --> CEB-3 --> Boss ODB-3 --> Ebtek Hum Eliminator --> BOSS GEB-7 --> Morely PVO Volume --> Crate BX115 --> sometimes a Mackie Sound Board.
The sound is incredibly clean and sublte. It choruses without adding a tone of noise or distorting (that's what the ODB-3 is for). I normally keep my Low EQ about 2/3 up, my level all the way up, and my rate and depth about half-way. It ads a nice depth to my toen that blends well into the other effects, as well.
Reliability
:
10
Like All BOSS pedals, it's a tank. I DO gig without a backup
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never dealt with them. Their WWW site is alot of marketing and little technical support so *shrugs* who knows.
Overall Rating
:
8
I play too wide a variety to list. but it works well in all of them. the guitarists I play with all run chorus, so it makes a 2 axe band sopund bigger *L*
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 08/13/2003
at 12:04pm
by Scott
Email: jazzbassnerd at juno<dot>com
Ease of Use
:
9
Fairly easy to use. It took me about a half an hour to figure out what was going on and to get it dialed in. The pedal has 4 knobs. The far left adjust the output of the effect so you can match that to your instrument. The next knob adds or takes away the chorus on the low end. I personally like the chorus on the low end so i leave it all the way up. Next is the rate. Or how fast the chorus-ing goes. And then the depth or how far the chorus choruses
Sound Quality
:
9
I'm running either a homemade fretless squier through a digitech synth wah then boss chourus to a swr 2004 and goliath jr III. OR an Ibanez Ergodyne through the same pedals and amp. The pedal sounds great. With the fretless I can come pretty close to Jaco's tone on "A Remark You Made." Great pedal. Love it.
Reliability
:
10
I use it on gigs without backup all the time. Very reliable.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
never had to deal with them
Overall Rating
:
9
I play mostly Jazz, Fusion, etc. I love to use it on ballads. It sounds great. I have been playing electric bass for about 7 years and the last 1/2 of a year I startedd getting effects. This was the first one i got and i love it. If i lost it or it got stolen i would deffinately replace it. Though i might try a couple other chorus pedals out first. The pedal it great. I suggest it to anyone who is looking for a useful effect that doesnt get in the way as long as you dont leave it on all the time
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: 269 (AUS)
Submitted 02/22/2003
at 07:37pm
by Angus Davies
Ease of Use
:
10
This is a very easy-to-use bass chorus pedal but then I've never found it difficult to use a Boss pedal. 4 control knobs, all explained in the easy to read manual.
Sound Quality
:
8
I run the pedal through the post EQ fx loop on a Peavey TKO 115 and use a Yamaha RBX 760A bass. The pedal provides a deep warm chorus sound. The only problem i could find was that sometimes it got a bit muddy if I was looking for a very deep chorus effect. But that was easily fixed with a bit of tweaking.
Reliability
:
10
Come on. It's a Boss pedal. Solid as a brick. You can expect Boss pedals to last for years and years. I always use an adaptor when playing live as it tends to eat up the battery fairly quickly. The box demands you use a Boss PSA series adaptor. I just bought a cheap alternative which works fine.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Boss may as well shut down their customer service department. I don't think anything could ever go wrong with a Boss pedal. And as for a warranty....... doesn't have one, doesn't need one.
Overall Rating
:
9
I play funk rock and it sounds great. I've only ever bought two effects pedals (both Boss, the other being the Dynamic Wah) and they sounds awesome. I'd only ever recommend Boss for stompboxes. The only improvement Boss could possibly make would be to have an onboard EQ. Great pedal all up though.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $35 used
Submitted 08/06/2002
at 01:51pm
by Brian
Ease of Use
:
10
Simple enough to figure out, even without a manual. If you've done your homework and know what "Chorus" really is, you'll figure it out in 3 seconds flat.
Sound Quality
:
9
I run an active Fender Jazz -> Bass Chorus -> Boss Bass Synth -> Tech 21 bass compactor -> SWR350 head into a hartke 4x10 cab. Be careful using this with a compressor. (Actually, don't do it at all.) That's the only time it gets noisy, just because the compressor will amplify that noise. Otherwise, its very quiet, and keep the low filter all the way clockwise, and it won't lose any bottom end. I only wish that it had even greater depth to it...mine is always cranked, sometimes I wish I could go further.
Reliability
:
10
I bought it used, and I'm hard on my pedals, and have not had a single problem yet. Carry extra batteries though, that's the only thing I need to do to keep this tank running well. Not that it really sucks them up, but if you use it a lot for long sets, it's always a good idea. Or buy the adapter.
Customer Support
:
10
Making solid products IS good customer support. So they get a 10.
Overall Rating
:
10
I play heavy rock and alternative with a jazzy funk feel to it at times. I use this pedal mainly on big, open parts where the guitar is clean, just to get that big-as-a-house and shimmery sound. It does the trick well. Or, crank up the depth, and it'll give you that nice 46&2 shimmery echo that sounds like its 2 basses in a big ampitheater. Every pedal is going to sound different, and this one might not be for everyone, but it's one of the most versatile ones I've tried, especially for the price range. (Do not buy the DOD, it sucks. The Ibanez SoundTank, though hard to find now, is also a cool one, but I liked the solidness of the Boss better.)
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US TOO MUCH
Submitted 07/21/2002
at 11:18pm
by Adam
Ease of Use
:
No Opinion
This is an update from a previous review I wrote on this pedal. Same features as always.
Sound Quality
:
1
After playing for 2 weeks with it, the sound became very rubbery. When I'd play a note, there would be the slightest (but noticeable) delay between my bass and the amp. My dynamics were anything but intact, and the tone was just gone. There was a large change in output when I would turn the low filter from about 3 o'clock to the slightest bit to the right. This made my amp and speakers distort with the most disgusting speaker farts I've ever heard. I have a cheap Ibanez CF-7 that has an amazing vintage chorus and absolutely kills this piece of garbage in the tone department. For bass my ass! This thing was made for bassists that need someone telling them they have to buy something because it's made just for bass.
Reliability
:
2
Well, it worked fine and sounded fine for about 2 weeks and after that it was all down hill. I returned it and put the money towards a new Mesa 4x10 cab which is one of the best purchases I've ever made along with my SWR WM-4004 and my Fender MIM Jazz.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
I don't know much about this one.
Overall Rating
:
1
This pedal was great at first and I even bought the ODB-3 the same day, but as I said before it just crapped out on me. The overdrive works excellent and sounds wonderful and nasty! I think you'd be better off sticking to regular chorus FX like an Ibanez or a Boss CE-1 or 2.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US free
Submitted 06/29/2002
at 09:21pm
by Justin
Ease of Use
:
9
4 knobs for adjustment, mono/stereo outputs, very basic and easy. One or two of the suggested settings were cool but some really didn't have an effect on the sound.
Sound Quality
:
8
A very nice and full chorusing effect for low frequency instruments, (not just bass). Instrument->ODB-3->Digitech Bass Whammy->CEB-3> Demeter Pre-amp->Mesa/Boogie Amps->Mesa/Boogie cabs. I run a vintage ARP sythesizer (like the one Jones used in Zeppelin), and a couple of Wal Basses and they sound excellent. Just listen to Tool and you'll hear what I'm talking about.
Reliability
:
10
I use a couple of these all set at different settings so I don't have to change the settings while I'm playing. Very reliable and I haven't had one fail on me yet.
Customer Support
:
10
Their great! I've gotten a few pedals from them and everyone has at least one good solid sound to it.
Overall Rating
:
9
My band plays a progressive metal and they've been together since '89. I've only played with them since '96 but in that time I've used my fair share of effects. This pedal is great for bass players and keyboardists and is like a CE-1 or 2 except made for bass.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $80
Submitted 04/24/2002
at 08:53am
by Anonymous
Ease of Use
:
8
Easy to use. The contrlos are pretty much self-explanaitory. As other peopole have said though the fact that their is no level markers does make use a little tougher but but using the clock method does work. Also I never realy did read the manual for it but chorus is a pretty simple effect in the first place
Sound Quality
:
9
I play Ibanez GSR-100 (4-string bass) through a Peavey basic 112 and this pedal sounds great especially when I ad cestortion and some wah to go for that killer cliff burton(RIP) style solo. Also it does not tend to suck tone from the guitar/amp like some other effects. This pedal is good alone or mixed with other effects, It's a very good investment for anyone who wants to make their sound theirs not just a copy of someon elses sound.
Reliability
:
10
Very dependable always ready to play. As long as their is power going to this thing its ready to go. Yes I would use it for a gig without a backup and I have.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
9
I play Metal and this pedal ads just what I need to get my sound flowing. I own some other effects a jim dunlop wah, Ibanez Fuzz, And Ibanez Distortion and this pedal goes good with all of them. The only thing I hate is no level markers on the knobs. and maybe the color but thats just me everything I own is black. I would buy this effect again if it were lost or stolen. I tryed some other chorus pedals but this is the only one that I had good control over the sound with That includes regular guitar chorus pedals
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $100
Submitted 03/08/2002
at 01:14pm
by andreas
Ease of Use
:
10
The manual ain't big, but you don't need a big booklet to understand this one. 4 knobs: Effect level, Filter, Depth, rate
Needs a bit tweaking at first, but you find your sound pretty quick
Sound Quality
:
9
The sound of this baby is great. It really fattens up the sound. I use it with the level and filter on max and with the rate just under half and the depth on about half. Sounds great and helps a lot on songs where you need a good fat bass sound (My band plays a cover of With Or Without you. fits good)
But keep in mind, you can't use it all the time.
Reliability
:
No Opinion
It seems like it could take a hit, but I don't really know. I've only had it for a few month. I take good care of my equipment.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never did...Probably never will either...
Overall Rating
:
10
I play in two bands. A metal band and a punk band. Both bands have only one guitarist so I use this to fatten up the sound. I would definitly buy this again if it got lost or stolen. I use it a lot.
It was worth the money. I reccomend this to all bassist who wants to be heard.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $59.99
Submitted 01/29/2002
at 11:44am
by sun of funk
Ease of Use
:
10
It's VERY simple to use! There was a manual that I KINDA scanned over. I might actually READ it one day. (Just not today.)
Sound Quality
:
10
It is very quiet. It adds depth AND dimension. (If that makes sense.) I use it with all of my basses, ALL THE TIME with the exception of my Fender BG-32 acoustic/electric. It even has seperate outputs, for active and passive. Nifty!
Reliability
:
10
It's a Boss! (Oh! deja vu!)
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
...echo, echo, echo...
Overall Rating
:
10
I would say this pedal can add to ANY kinda music you play. I am a TOTAL DUMMY and I spent time with it, dialed it in SWEET and I leave it alone. I also have a Dunlop CryBaby 105Q, a Boss ODB3 Overdrive (cough, distortion!) and this plays well with others! But, if you only buy one pedal, make it this one! It's a perfect...
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US approx. $70
Submitted 12/02/2001
at 09:53am
by Barry Clark
Email: Byle at bellsouth<dot>net
Ease of Use
:
10
Very easy to use. "No Brainer" type controls. I only have one small gripe that doesn't effect my rating of this product. I would like to have seen dial markers as this make it easier to make a more exacting recording of dial positions. Like I said, it is a small gripe. As it is, I just apply the "o'clock" method of recording the dials and it does the trick fairly well.
Sound Quality
:
10
Great sound quality. I have always been a Boss effect fan. I use a custom fretless w/ EMG's. From there the signal goes to a Boss TU-2, an Boss NS-2, a Morley PBA, into the CEB-3, a Morley PDW (distortion wah I use as a volume pedal), a Boss LMB-3, then into an SWR BASS 350 and an SWR Henry 8x8 cabinet. All connected with Monster Cable Performer 500 Bass series cables. The controls are great. There are three knobs that one familiar with chorus pedals would expect. I am referring to the Level/Rate/Depth controls. The fourth control is the interesting one. It is Low Filter. Most bassists I know like the chorus effect but are hesitant to get one because they had to buy the guitar pedals and all the bottom disappeared when the chorus turned on. Not with this one. Turn the Low Filter all the way counter-clockwise and your low end stays in tact.
Reliability
:
10
I have only owned this pedal for a few months, but if it is designed anything like my NS-2 noise reducer. It will be tank. I have owned the NS-2 for approximately 10 years now.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never had to call. They're tanks I'm telling you!
Overall Rating
:
No Opinion
The styles of bass I play are varied but always dark or aggressive. This was exactly the chorus sound I was looking for. It provides a certain ambience to bass lines I write. I would derail governments to retrieve this pedal if it got stolen. I would definitley replace it. It
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $80
Submitted 10/11/2001
at 12:06pm
by Brian
Ease of Use
:
9
Very easy to use. This is a very obvious effect, so even without the manual, it would be easy to dial in the sound you like.
Sound Quality
:
9
I use a 1980 Fender Precision with EMG pickup (there goes the resale value!)and a Fender Bassman 10 all tube amp (50 watts, 4x10 speakers). I got interested in using a Chorus with my bass when, on a whim, I plugged the Precision into my Roland JC 90 guitar amp and turned on the Chorus. I liked the sound a lot and decided to look for a Chorus pedal. Since I liked the Roland's sound, a BOSS pedal was the obvious choice. This pedal gives great chorusing effects, although not as dynamic as the JC90's, though this may be due to the fact that the JC90 is stereo and my Bassman 10 is not. Other bassists have told me that the older BOSS guitar chorus pedals do a better job but I couldn't find one. The sound is consistant from use to use. Great for bass solo work as it adds a cool etherial sound to the instrument, especially if I hook it up to my Danelectro Tuna Melt Tremelo and my Boss Limiter/Enhancer. Party time!
Reliability
:
8
BOSS? No issues with dependability.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Haven't dealt with them.
Overall Rating
:
9
I like this pedal a lot! I know, there will be people who talk about the incredible dynamics of some boutique chorus that costs 3 times as much, but for the money, this thing performs. If this thing were stolen, I'd lose a whole enjoyable part of my practice sessions and would have to run out and buy one right away. I'd look for other effects in the used section (the BOSS limiter/enhancer is one of them), but I have no regrets paying full price for a brand new CEB-3.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $46 used
Submitted 07/28/2001
at 08:24pm
by Tyler
Email: none
Ease of Use
:
10
The controls are pretty self explanitory. Very easy to use. The booklet that comes with it gives different sound settings, some of which I like.
Sound Quality
:
10
The sound quality is very good also. Very clean chorus. I can get the sound I want. I love that warm chorus added to the warmth of my bass and amp. I'm currently using a Tobias Toby Pro 4 and a Hartke 3500 head hooked up to a Hartke 4X10 cabinet, and I love the sound.
Reliability
:
9
I gave this a nine because this is the only chorus pedal that I've owned, but it seems to be very well built and tough.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never dealt with them.
Overall Rating
:
10
I really like this pedal. I like that the battery is separate from the rest of the electronics in its own little compartment. It gives out very good chorus, and overall I'm very happy with it. I kind of have a jazz, blues, and rock fusion style. I don't play straight jazz or straight blues, and the same goes for rock. I just kind of weave all of it together, but I don't use too much of any of the three. I love warm tone, and this pedal gives a clean warm chorus that is fantastic.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: 110 (Canadian)
Submitted 03/22/2001
at 07:31pm
by Thomas Beckett
Email: tbeckett at ualberta<dot>ca
Ease of Use
:
9
Lots of good sound, lots of crappy ones too. If you have any taste you should be able to find something decent. The manual is good if it's the first boss effect you've bought. The presets are allright, but nothing special.
Sound Quality
:
8
Ibanez SR400 -> 105Q Bass Wah -> Boss ODB-3 Overdrive -> Boss CEB-3 Chorus -> Yorkville BM200T
This effect is slightly noisy when stepped on. You can hear the cycling and modulation it uses on the little bit of amp hum most amps have. Putting it in the effect loop shuts it up a bit but not completely. It's not as bad as a high gain device though. It sounds great on its own. I don't anticipate it sounding too good with other effects. It's allright with overdrive...
It completely nails the Tool/Justin Chancellor 46&2 and Pushit tones. It can also do that gay nirvana thing if you're so inclined.
The best thing about chorus is that it doesn't kill your tone, just kinda makes it more... uhm... atmospheric for lack of a better term.
Reliability
:
10
-Insert witty comment about how great and indestructible boss is here-
The best one i've seen is some guy saying boss should make condoms.. lol...
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
N/A
Overall Rating
:
9
This works good for lush pick-work on the bass. It also sounds real good for real harmonious fingerstyle stuff. If it were stolen i would buy another after looking for a used one. This thing doesn't change how your lines sound much, it just adds another dimension to your sound.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $45 used
Submitted 03/16/2001
at 12:30pm
by Cameron Dye
Email: camerondye<at>yahoo dot com
Ease of Use
:
10
It is very easy to use, no crazy names for the knobs...very straight forward bass chorus pedal. For those of you wondering what the difference between a bass chorus and a regular chorus is that the bass chorus usually can control how much it affects the lower registers of notes. Too much effect can "muddy" up your tone and that ain't good. The manual is good, but the pedal is really easy to dial up a good tone.
Sound Quality
:
9
Very good chorus...good for tapping, slapping and fingerstyle. I wish there was a choice to put even more chorus into the effect, it is a little to subtle for some things I do...although very good though. Very good effect for bass IMO...
Reliability
:
10
Boss is reliable, I would do without a backup. nothing much more to say here...
Customer Support
:
10
I have heard Roland is ass with customer support, but since these are built so well...I have never had to talk to one. That is, in my opinion, the best customer support though...good quality in the first place.
Overall Rating
:
9
This is a very good bass chorus pedal, it would also work with guitar too. If it were stolen, I definitely would buy it again. My only gripe is I wish I could make it a little less subtle at times, but that probably is a good thing for most people. Good solid, fairly inespensive pedal...buy one
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 02/10/2001
at 04:43pm
by Tom Rafter
Email: tgrafter<at>yahoo dot com
Ease of Use
:
No Opinion
I'm using this with a guitar only, so the low pass filter doesn't really have much effect for this application. Very self explanatory controls.
Sound Quality
:
No Opinion
For bass, I didn't like it...for guitar, GAWD! It only effects the bass frequencies of the guitar signal, so you can add a LOT of warmth and the subtle warm, dimensional swirl in the bass frequencies that's the magic of the tone of a REAL Matchless amp (something to do with the amp's transformer).
Reliability
:
9
Eats batteries at standard Boss pedal rate.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
10
If you're looking to acentuate a mild guitar tone, try this! A tight signal doesn't work as well, but this will add a lot of warmth and a unique, subtle texture.
On a bass, it sounds like a regular bass chorus, which is a sound I've never really cared for.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $60
Submitted 02/04/2001
at 06:37pm
by Anonymous
Ease of Use
:
9
As a semi-new player when I bought this, I would have appreciated a text description of what the knobs should have done. Just a paragraph as to what a "Rate" knob does. I had to kinda figure it out on my own, but as I said I was semi-new and had never owned a pedal before this one. After I figured out how it works, it is VERY easy to use.
Sound Quality
:
9
I use a Squier Affinity P bass, and have run that bass through this pedal to a Fender 15 watt POS, and an Ampeg BA115. The sound is wonderous (try playing harmonics while it's running for a wierd and eery sound). I have found that I use it quite extensively. For either a loosening up of the creativity, or to help my accompaniment
Reliability
:
10
I only give it 10 because it is the highest rating this computer will let me give. I being a little bit of a klutz have accidentally dropped about a quart of lemonade on the unit. Other than then knobs sticking a little (which I pulled off the knobs and cleaned manually) there have been no issues with it. Even after I dumped the lemonade on it, it still worked jsut fine, the no shorting out or anything like that.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
As mentioned above, the Reliability is too good for me to know anything about the customer support of BOSS. I assume they stand behind the product, but that is a feeling and not a statement of fact as I have never needed to contact them.
Overall Rating
:
9
Playing in a 3 piece band (guitar and drummer with me on bass) it helps me get a fuller sound. We play everything from Deep Purple to Led Zeppelin to Black Sabbath to Queen. If it were stole or lost, I would not buy again, I would find who-ever is responsible for the theft, take it back, then beat the tar out of the thief. Then I may just beat the tar out of him again. Very satisfied with it after about a year of use. VERY reliable. VERY tough.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: 280 (pln)
Submitted 01/15/2001
at 08:06am
by CosmoSquig
Email: gobbla<at>poczta dot onet dot pl
Ease of Use
:
8
Just step on it and there you go ;)
The battery could be more accessible, since it wears of really quickly.
Sound Quality
:
8
I use it with an active Kania fretless bass, Dean Markley strings, Laney RBG400 bass combo. Sounds really cool - combining it with some reverb you can easily get a nearly professional tone.
Sounds really funny when you turn all the knobs to the max. I can't imagine anyone using that sound while recording a cd...
Reliability
:
9
Pretty reliable. Never broke down.
The battery plug could be tougher... Some manufacturers cover it with hard plastic instead of that delicate material. It's easy to tear it apart.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never had any problem with it.
Overall Rating
:
9
Pretty cool sound. I don't use it much, since for bass most effects are useless except in solos. However, if you want to sound like Mark King performing "Dunetune" that's the first step to take (after learning that song of course...).
I didn't compare it to many other products - only to built-in choruses in amplifiers and some guitar choruses, as well as to Zoom 506, which I personally hate (of course CEB3 sounds muuuuchhhh better).
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $79.99
Submitted 01/15/2001
at 01:19am
by Anonymous
Ease of Use
:
10
GREAT CONTROLS TUNES IN FOR ANY SOUND I WANT EASY TO FIGURE OUT
Sound Quality
:
10
SOUNDS GREAT WITH MY JACKSON C5P 5 STRING BASS EVEN RINGS ON LOW B
Reliability
:
10
NO PROBLEMS
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
N/A
Overall Rating
:
No Opinion
WOULDN'T TRY ANOTHER CHORUS FOR ANYTHING
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $79
Submitted 12/29/2000
at 02:55pm
by DDM
Email: Diek_Head<at>hotmail dot com
Ease of Use
:
10
It's a chorus, what do you expect? All the knobs are labeled, so if you know what a chorus does, it's a no brainer. The only reason I even opened the maual was to find out where to put the battery.
Sound Quality
:
9
I'm using an Ibanez SR645 and a Workingman's 15. Low filter lets through even your B if you turn it to "flat" or you can turn it down to avoid a muddy sound if you're playing higher. The unit can be a bit noisy, especially if you turn up the level, IF you run it bass>boss>amp however, running it trough your effect loop will completly quiet it, even if the effect level is all the way up.
Reliability
:
10
I've never even heard of a Boss breaking down. On a gig, I'd either use an adapter or change the batteries right before. Like most pedals, it goes through batteries pretty fast, but not so fast you couldn't easily make it through a gig if you changed it right before.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
10
I love this pedal. It is the only effect I use almost all the time. Turning the level, rate and depth to 12:00 and turning the low filter all the way flat gives you just enough chorus that your sound isn't different, just much more there. Play dry, then step on this when it's time to play your solo and stand out just enough. This is also a good setting for when you've beat your guitarist over the head a few times (you could use the pedal, it's built like a brick) and finally convinced him to let you have the melody for a song and you'll stand out. A little more level and rate will give you the Nirvana "Come As You Are" effect, which was exactly what I was looking for when I purchased a chorus and exactly what I got. Playing around with it, I can get even more. Very cool unit.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $69.
Submitted 10/30/2000
at 06:18pm
by Anonymous
Ease of Use
:
10
Its very easy to use if you understand how a filter works. That was the only knob I had a problem understanding. The other controls are Effect Level, Rate, and Dpeth making four knobs to tweak the effect with. To use this effect properly I reccomend that you have some understanding of what Chorus does and how it works.
Sound Quality
:
10
The sound is great, you can get really fast chourus or the really slow almost flange like chourus. I can get any Chourus sound I ever want, and there are a million different sounds on this thing, it just has a really beautiful tone, I love it. Try it with the Boss Overdrive, it sounds really great.
Reliability
:
10
Its a BOSS, need I say more?
Customer Support
:
10
Never had to deal with BOSS before but the website is really nice and seems to be really informative.
Overall Rating
:
No Opinion
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $60 used
Submitted 09/26/2000
at 10:12am
by RDF
Email: none
Ease of Use
:
10
It's pretty easy to use. No more difficult than any other pedal that for sure.
Sound Quality
:
9
It think this pedal sounds great. You can get a real warm and smooth sound out of it by using the low cut to leave your low end un-chorused and you can use the effect level to blend in dry bass over the whole spectrum. If you turn the rate all the way up and the rate down you can get a subtle flange effect too. Noise wise, it's nowhere near as bad as a distortion pedal. I use this pedal with a Ibanez ATK 5 string though a Mesa head and 4x10 and it really does a good job.
Reliability
:
9
Boss make tough stuff, I'm sure you could throw this at a drummer and it would still survive. Its a battery hungery little guy though. If you don't mind the added hum and cost buy and adapter (and make sure you unplug your bass from the input when not in use).
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Haven't needed it.
Overall Rating
:
9
I would highly recommend this stomb box. This chorus sounds great and is very practical. I really like how it managed to add sparkle and depth to my sound without taking away punch and low end. I'm sure there are better choruses out there but not for anywhere near the $60 I paid for this pedal.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $70
Submitted 07/17/2000
at 08:12am
by Nick
Email: NickM1154<at>netscape dot net
Ease of Use
:
9
One of the easier Boss pedals. I actually like the manual's suggestions. And it's easy to understand.
Sound Quality
:
8
I use an Ibanez EDC700 w/ a 300w fender amp. I have a Boss enhancer and a crybaby wah105Q. It's a good soundning effect and useful. Actually, it's one of the few effects all bass players should own. It's good a good sound, sounds like chorus should, nuff said
Reliability
:
10
boss pedal
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
n/a
Overall Rating
:
8
I'd replace it instantly. I need this pedal. I highly recommend it. Use it with an enhancer too. The low filter setting makes it great for playing faster songs that are on the lower two strings.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: 110 (Canadian)
Submitted 05/09/2000
at 05:29pm
by WOLF
Email: ADRHH<at>NETCOM dot CA
Ease of Use
:
8
Actually takes a bit of knob turning to get the right sound, but it's pretty straitforward. You don't really need the manual to figure it out.
Sound Quality
:
9
I'm putting a late seventies Vantage 4-string with active electronics into a late seventies CRATE 165-B which has a 15 inch speaker. The Chorus is put through the effects loop, while my distortion, a Boss DS-2, is plugged strait into the input.
The pedal sounds amazing with distortion on top of it or all on it's own. It makes the distortion sound really nice and thick, can make an excellant slap tone and produces a really weird, trippy sound when you turn all the knobs all the way up (COOOOOOL).
Reliability
:
10
BOSS says it all, it's built so strongly, I doubt you could put a dent in it. It's also good at not drying up your batteries, which I can't say about the distortion pedal.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never had to deal with the Boss people.
Overall Rating
:
9
Is really great for Heavy Metal if you're looking for a warped, futuristic sound. Awesome range of sounds as well. I'd definately buy a new one if it was lost or stolen.
Probably the best bass chorus pedal you can get, inspires you to play better.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $75
Submitted 02/05/2000
at 08:25pm
by Shaggy
Email: Orson316<at>aol dot com
Ease of Use
:
9
This pedal is easy to use and no matter if you had the manual you wouldn't need it. It's pretty easy to use.
Sound Quality
:
No Opinion
Reliability
:
8
Well so far the Chorus used the least amout of batteries compared to my synth and it has never broken. It's pretty reliable.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
N/A
Overall Rating
:
8
I play everything from funk to heavy metal and it fits me perectly. I love the sound and i would definatly buy a new one if stolen or lost.
I have been playing for 2 yrs and i love the low end it gives me, i also love vlending the chorus with the synth.(boss also)I own the Boss Bass Synth and the Boss BAss overdrive and the Electro harmonic
Bass balls and the dunlop flea bass wah. I'm a pedal freak.I wouldn't use any other chorus pedal unless it was made for bass and i don't think i would use them because i have this one. It suits me creativity and i gives me ideas. I think boss should come out woth a larger line of bass pedals.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $75
Submitted 09/29/1999
at 07:00am
by Rick Huff
Email: hawkhuff<at>worldnet dot att dot net
Ease of Use
:
10
Easy enough to use; has 4 dials for tone adjustment. Manual was easy to read and understand.
Sound Quality
:
6
Use this with a Fender Bass Guitar, a 5 and a 4 string. The 4 string has passive and the 5 has active electronics. For amplification I use an Ampeg SVT III with a single 15" bottom. For a practice I use a Park 25 watt bass combo with a 10" speaker. All in all, I think the effect is weak when comparing to other chorus boxes.
Reliability
:
5
Haven't had it long enough to know if I can depend on it, although they have a good reputation. Would never use without a backup at a gig. This thing consumes 9 volt batteries faster than Clinton can make up another lie !
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never had to use them.
Overall Rating
:
5
I play many styles of music but my preference is rock, blues and metal. Have been playing for about 14 years.
I also have a Zoom 506 and use it all the time. The chorus on the 506 makes the Boss CEB-3 seem trivial. There is no comparison in terms of quality of sound. The CEB-3 has been a disappointment.
The main concern I have is its battery consumption.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $60
Submitted 10/26/1998
at 09:28pm
by Chris Glandt
Ease of Use
:
8
Four knobs, Effect Level, Low Filter, Rate, and Depth. The first is self explanatory; the low filter determines how much of your low end gets modulated by fading off the low chorus effect (you still get your normal low notes and bottom end, though); rate controls chorus rate, and depth controls the depth of the effect. Nice big foot target FET switch. LED lights to indicate effect-on. In other words, IF YOU'VE SEEN ANY OTHER BOSS PEDAL THIS LOOKS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.
The manual helps you get started with four basic settings (two choruses, vibrato, and slap). However, you'll want to tweak it to get the sound you need. As said in other reviews, it's VERY EASY TO OVERDO IT. But if that's what you're looking for, great.
Sound Quality
:
9
I plug my Fender Jazz 4-string into this and run it direct into my Yorkville 400RB head and 1x15. This box produces a truly funky, drippy, PHAT WITH A P-H chorus effect. Nice and transparent. Also good for adding a sort of detached (for lack of a better term) depth to your sound. Great for warm, melodic basslines (i.e. John Paul Jones).
HOWEVER, this is NOT a power box in the context of distortions, overdrives, and the like. If you like to drop D and pick until your strings clog with celluloid, go and buy one of the above. Nor will it give you a nice raw, grinding tone a la Geddy Lee (but my Jazz alone gives me that). This pedal DOES TAKE SOME OF THE EDGE OFF YOUR TONE.
There's very little noise with this pedal, except when you have the RATE and DEPTH knobs cranked. In that case you'll hear a very quiet swooshing sound when you're not playing, but it isn't noticeable unless you can also hear a pin drop. Otherwise, this pedal is silent.
Reliability
:
10
This pedal is built like a dump truck. I would definitely gig without a backup, but be sure to get an AC adaptor for this box. Like most pedals, it sucks batteries dry.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
I've never dealt with Roland/Boss, and I have serious doubts I ever will.
Overall Rating
:
8
This is great for the music my band plays (sort of a hard rock/jazz/funk mix), as I have to be able to stand out without stepping on the keyboard player's toes. This pedal adds a touch of funk to your average bassline, and works BEAUTIFULLY for tonal-soundscape type songs. If I lost this pedal, I would get very pissed off and go and buy a new one. But like I said before, if you also like to grind or pound on the root, switch this off or buy a different pedal.
By the way, there is an added bonus with this pedal: IT IS STEREO CAPABLE. There are two output jacks, one for mono which doubles as the effect out, and a second output which puts out clean sound only. If you are wealthy enough to afford multiple amps, run this thing in stereo and see if a blind guy can guess how many people are playing at the same time.
When I bought this, I originally stepped into my local music store looking to buy an overdrive pedal to use when a little grind is called for. However, the Boss ODB-whatever sounded like crap and this pedal sounded beautiful, so I bought it instead. I'm glad I did.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 02/28/1997
at 10:16am
by Chad TeBrink
Ease of Use
:
8
Pretty straight forward, it takes a litlle fiddeling to get a good sound, and it's easy to go overboard.
Sound Quality
:
9
Great bass chorus, very clean and lush. It does get a bit metallicy at extreme settings, but that can be useful.
Reliability
:
9
Very reliable, I've never had a problem with it. Boss makes their pedals very sturdy.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
I haven't had to deal with Boss yet.
Overall Rating
:
9
I would buy it again, but only after trying the DOD Deep Freeze. I haven't had a chance, but I have heard good things about it as well.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: US $62
Submitted 02/20/1997
at 05:30pm
by Anonymous
Ease of Use
:
9
Very simple to use. At least it doesn't have undistinguishable names like on DOD pedals. Got it hummin first try.
Sound Quality
:
9
Good funk tone. The maximum rate could be a bit faster and the depth deeper.
Reliability
:
10
No problems yet. No hiss. Just great chorus. Steel housing makes it tough as a rock.
Overall Rating
:
9
Great quality. This is the best Bass Chorus pedal I've played. Constructed well.
Product: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
Price Paid: DFL (dutch florin) 150,-
Submitted 05/23/1996
at 04:38am
by Leon Zandman
Ease of Use
:
9
It's very easy to get a good sound out of it. But you can easily overdo it ! You can set it very extreme (which might be handy sometimes) The manual is very sober, but good enough.
Sound Quality
:
9
The sound is very good if you don't put in too much effect. When you use extreme settings the sound gets a metallic edge to it (not be be confused with heavy-metal !)
Reliability
:
8
It's very reliable. The casing is very strong. The only weak thing is the battery. The bass chorus soaks batteries like a vampire. The solution is buying a adaptor, but that's not very convenient on stage (my humble opinion).
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never dealt with the company, sorry.
Overall Rating
:
10
I like the pedal very much. It's very handy for my fretless work. I don't use it on my fretted basses. I would recommend to the factory that they installed a larger LED, because when the battery runs empty the LED isn't very good to see anymore. (when the battery is empty, you the LED is off, but that's normal !)
Boss makes some of the best pedals around today. This pedal has everything a good pedal needs: reliable, sturdy, no click in your sound when you activate/deactivate the pedal and a great sound !
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