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Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus

Summary
Price New Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus @ Musician's Friend
Manufacturer URL http://www.danelectro.com/
Ease of Use 9.7 (166 responses)
Sound Quality 9.0 (164 responses)
Reliability 8.8 (142 responses)
Customer Support 7.3 (22 responses)
Overall Rating 9.0 (158 responses)
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Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 03/08/2009 at 12:55am by MarkL

Ease of Use : 10
Very easy

Sound Quality : 10
I recently bought a TC Electronic chorus...great pedal...but I went back and plugged in my 1996 Cool Cat...18v...and wow...I had to write this review after all this time.

I prefer to keep mine 9 or 10 o'clock for both settings and I luv the sound of my EJ strat thru this thing into an EL84 based amp.

A gorgeous chorus. Yeah..I'll leep the $300+ TC chorus...and it's especially useful if I have more than 1 effect in thr chain.

But I cannot say enough good things about this old pedal. I have no idea if the 9v versions are any good...but my 18v just sounds fabulous at the setting that I like.

Reliability : 10
Built like a tank...these things were very well designed stomp boxes...maybe the best designed ever.

Customer Support : No Opinion
I've never even had to think about calling them and I bought all of the Danelectro effects when these things started coming out ~1996.

Overall Rating : 10
I'm just guessing that I paid around ~$70 in 1996...I don't remember exactly. As mentioned...I like my new TC chorus very much...but for me...that dialed in sound that I like on the Danelectro...well..I think that one sound is better than anything I'm hearing on the TC.

The TC has that very glassy and very glassy sound that I like alot...but there is a specific sound on the Cool Cat 18v that's juat great.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: USD 35
Submitted 05/12/2008 at 12:47pm by UF

Ease of Use : 10
Rate and "Chill" (depth). Anyone can handle this one.

Sound Quality : 8
It sounds very nice. It's a very smooth sort of chorus. At 18 volts there is plenty of headroom. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of chorus effects, but I bought this for the pitch vibrato.

To get pitch vibrato, ala the Boss VB-2, just stick a "dummy" cable into the stereo out jack, a cable that leads nowhere. Now the mono output jack will be putting out pitch vibrato, 100% wet.

It doesn't have the smooth sine wave of the VB-2, but it's a reasonable approximation, and sounds quite nice.

The pedal seems to be free of noise, as well.

Reliability : 10
Danelectro pedals, in my experience, are very dependable.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 9
For my purposes - pitch vibrato, this is very nice. As a bonus, it looks very cool, and it can be had cheaply on the used market.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 03/12/2008 at 07:44am by Bert "Foef" Meis

Ease of Use : 10
Two dials, one switch...
Sounds great right away. Can't remember the manual, since i own the thing for several years now... But there was one in the box.
This is the original 18 volt version.

Sound Quality : 9
I'm using the Cool Cat on my effect board, before ditortion, but after the fuzz. Guitars are Fender American Standard Strat, Tokai Breezysound tele copy, Ibanez SA120. Amp is a Brunetti MC2 three channel all tube combo. It's not notacibly noisy, and i power it (and my other effects) with a voodoo lab pedal power 2 plus. This one eats batteries for breakfast. Have recorded with it. My favorite chorus sound is the sound john frusciante has on the chili peppers blood, sugar, sex, magic album and this one nails it, to my ears.
Nice and fat chorus. Like it!

Reliability : 10
I own it since it first came out, and has never failed on me. Also never had a backup.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never dealt with them.

Overall Rating : 9
Playing in a cover band was the reason for buying a chorus. Does the thing i want it to do in a great way. Play since "88, but purchased the chorus in "99, i guess... Didn't want to spend too much money on it, because i did not care that much for chorus in the first place. So i got this one. As soon as i started using it, it grew on me. Still think that it doesn't have to be this large. Takes up a little more space on my pedal board, than i would like to spend. Never compared it to other choruses. Bypass sounds okay to me. This will stay with me as long as it keeps working.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: USD 50.00 USED
Submitted 01/16/2008 at 04:03pm by david

Ease of Use : 10

Sound Quality : 10
I've read some reviews here complaining that the Cool Cat cuts off long sustaining tones and that it makes noise as it dies away.

This will only happen if there is too much gain AFTER the Cool Cat's place in the signal chain. I experienced this with mine, but the solution is easy...make sure that the gain comes before the Cool Cat and/or run the amp in clean mode with little or no gain at the amp.

Used this way it sounds great, and is totally noiseless and will not cut off long sustains.

Reliability : No Opinion

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 10
A great sounding chorus. Wonderful for fattening up leads or rhythms.
Put your high gain or distortion before it in the signal chain and it is fabulous.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: USD 80.
Submitted 12/08/2007 at 01:30pm by Lewguitar
Email: Lewguitar<at>aol dot com

Ease of Use : 10
It's super easy to use! Nothing to it.

Sound Quality : 9
I love this device plugged into two amps. Spread them out a little and the stereo effect is HUGE! I use it with two Fender Deluxe Reverb amps.

Reliability : 10
Had mine for several years. Goes through batteries quickly but use it with the 18 volt adapter and your problems are over.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 10
I play a little bit of everything: blues, rock, soul, jazz, folk...

I've compared this unit to my Boss Stereo Chorus and the Boss sounds weak compared to the Dano.

Only thing: I wish it wasn't made in China. I'm a member of the Colorado Friends of Tibet and I dislike supporting China because of the horrible things they have done to the people of Tibet.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 05/24/2007 at 01:25pm by ashbass
Email: abass at DominoCS<dot>com

Ease of Use : 5
Not impresssed at all with the sound. With speed on 0 and depth on 10 you'd expect a nice almost invisible shimmer. Not there. It is still pretty damp and there is an annoying swoosh almost flanger-like. Not chorusy at all, that.

Sound Quality : No Opinion
Said it above. It's not really chorusy. It is colory in that it colors your sound with its sound. One good point is that there is no noticeable volume drop or boost when it is engaged.

If you want the spacey tripped out chorus sounds for cartoon or goofy music interludes you may be good to go with this one. All I want is the capability for a faint shimmer of two guitars beating as one. It's not here.

Reliability : No Opinion
nice and heavy pedal. If I used it I would depend on it.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : No Opinion
I test my chorus pedals playing the verse parts of Red Barchetta. Alex Lifeson's chorus sound is the elegant efficiency that I'm after. I don't care for swirly swishy sounds that this pedal has to offer.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 10/02/2006 at 02:25am by x51out
Email: x51out<at>cox dot net

Ease of Use : 10
Very easy to use. On/Off button and two dials. Effortless.

Sound Quality : 9
I have the 18v version. Chorus can be set from light and transparent to annoyingly warbly, spinning drunk and trippy-please-make-it-stop. Oh well, I suppose it is good to have the whole chorus range covered. As a note decays, there is a dead drop-off that is accompanied by a sound that reminds me of somebody choking on their own tongue. Other than that, I find this Cool Cat pretty good... I have had it for three years and I since tire of substandard gear quickly, I suppose that means me likey. In stereo mode, with two amps, this stereo-chorus pedal shines. The drunken warble in stereo is something that has to be experienced to be fully depreciated.
There is no noticable noise except for the 115v humbuzzing which seems to permeate through every piece of gear I have. The electro-magnetic noise on this planet is getting obnoxious.

Reliability : 10
Metal housing goes a long way and this Cool Cat can't be destroyed. Personally, it has been outstanding thus far. Like most boxes, this thing is a battery guzzler, so I use the adapter whenever possible, which is always.
I noticed that if you play with one amp, you must pay attention not to plug into the stereo-out plug, lest you think that the pedal has ceased to function. I have read a few reviews concerning the suddeness of this non-function issue and wonder if this has been the fate of these misunderstood pedals. The stereo-out is reserved exclusively for the second amp.

Customer Support : No Opinion
n/a

Overall Rating : 10
I play anything and everything. I am an old geezer, so now I play more self-inflicted psychops and experimental stuff. This chorus pedal covers it all for me, except for the extreme warbley end of it, which makes me wanna heave. For the price, this is a very good stereo chorus pedal.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: US $50 used
Submitted 07/05/2006 at 07:37am by mark
Email: poisonchef<at>yahoo dot com

Ease of Use : 9
ez enough to use with 2 knobs but still was confused when REALLY finding out all the sounds I can get from it, manual is helpful and nice cause it gives advice for different sounds

Sound Quality : 7
This is OK chorus but for me im not really into it I dont know why maybe its my gear or maybe im not into the retro sound or somthing but its really aggravating sounding to me I dont know why but its better than other pedals so i give it a 7 -I should also note that one of the reasons I bought this pedal was because it got good reviews here and like the digitech 'bad monkey' I wasnt that impressed upon testing it out-(so it may or may not have an effect)

Reliability : 6
this thing needs an adapter because it doesnt do well on a battery for very long but its tough steel except for maybe cheap knobs

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 7
Im into mellow rock like beatles, nirvana, radiohead, minus the bear, interpol, etc. been playing 11 years (I own fender hrd and american tele and epiphone sheraton 2) and so far ive tried dano milkshake chorus and boss chorus ensemble and amp chorus cause im not really into chorus but i guess im still on the search for a better chorus pedal to suit my taste because this pedal was just something to try out really but its not bad sounding but I know its not for me because of the overall Tone of the pedal is not natural or lush enough or something I dunno it sounds harsh and not punchy at the same time


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: 60 (pounds) used
Submitted 06/22/2006 at 07:36am by Derek, Manchester

Ease of Use : 10
So simple to dial in and get the sound you want. Can't get much easier than that!

The Manual was fine, suggested settings etc...

Sound Quality : 10
I use with a Gibson SG, Ibanez Jem and also tried my girlfriends Daisyrock heartbreaker (sounded breath-takingly lovely through the lipstick pickup!) Used through a Vox ad50vt and various other amps through out the years!

I have the 18v version and have been told it has a much better sound, although i don't know. I know people comlained about it sucking up the two batteries and that it was hard to find an adapter but i bought one of those multi adapters for it and it has never failed me!

I don't find this pedal noisy in the slightest, the chorus is really great! I believe it's the best chorus pedal I have ever played in my honest opinion!

I can get it on the nail or close enough to any chorus effect used by my favourite artists!

Reliability : No Opinion
SOLID! It was actually the first pedal i bought when i started playing 8 years ago. I have used it a lot since then and I have never needed it fixed... it hasn't even lost any of it's paint work!

Customer Support : No Opinion
never had to deal with them so i don't know... The pedal is just that solid!!!

Overall Rating : 10
I play loads of styles of music and I have jumped from grunge to metal to punk through out the years. Now I am more laid back and play Vai and Satriani type stuff. This pedal has been a great match for my styles and playing from the very begining.

I am a compulsive buyer who loves to get new effects and I'm never 100% happy with my sound! I have never left this pedal out of my effects chain... the fact that i have never even considered buying a new chorus pedal in 8 years just blows me away! IT IS THAT GOOD!!!... If you haven't got one buy it now!


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: US $85
Submitted 02/23/2006 at 10:52pm by Dan F.

Ease of Use : 10
If you can't operate this thing you really shouldn't be near anything sharp..

Sound Quality : 10
I bought this fella(the 18-volt version)brand new when they first came out; I was looking for a back-up for my old blue Boss chorus, tried this out, and the next day it became the #1 chorus, not the back-up. In my opinion, it is a much thicker, richer and fatter-sounding chorus than the Boss, and is extremely versatile. Andy Summers is my favorite player and this box can really get that old Police tone, with some echo and compression. Very nice. It does great rotary sounds, and some real subtle chorus/doubling stuff too. This is an excellent chorus for the bucks, don't let anyone tell you differently. I stowed it away in the last couple years, when I went to using a multi-effects unit live, but I still play it at home, and I still love it. Lush!! Great job on this one, Danelectro.

Reliability : 10
Very reliable, I never have had a problem with it, with the exception of my own stupidity resulting in destroying the original 18-volt adapter cord. As you know, the first issue of Danelectro pedals were built very sturdy, and can be used as weapons on a dark stage.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 10
I've used this unit playing in bands that play classic rock, 60s and 70s, newer stuff and some chick rock and I could always get great usable sounds out of it. I'm an old bastard, and I've used and heard quite a few choruses, and this one really stands out. Sure, you can spend your paycheck on somebody's boutique chorus if you want, that's your right. However, I think the Danelectro, the EH PolyChorus and Small Clone, as well as the old Ibanez CS-series chorus are just as darn good as anything out there. Just my opinion, I don't mean to offend anyone. I just love effects and tone, and I really love the aforementioned choruses. Anyway, buy one of these Danelectros! They sound great and can even dent a drummer's skull if thrown properly!


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 01/26/2006 at 07:33pm by madela

Ease of Use : 10
as straightforward as every other chorus pedal out there, two knobs and a foot button

Sound Quality : 8
i own two other good chorus pedals (Ibanez CS9 and EHX Polychorus), so i'm aware of the range of chorus sounds out there at various price points. and i've always liked the Cool Cat a lot, it's quiet, sounded good, and it always stood up pretty well against my more expensive pedals...

Reliability : 1
...until one night this week, when a girl i was trying to impress came over to hear me play guitar, and the thing crapped out for no reason. i mean, i've used this pedal regularly with no problem since i bought it new six years ago. and on this night, when it actually mattered...nothing. (yes, this was with a fresh battery AND an adapter.) piece of crap.

Customer Support : 1
i've had enough Danelectro products over the past six or seven years to know that some are great, some stink, and the company is utterly indifferent. i'm not even going to bother trying to reach them.

Overall Rating : 5
what can i say? it was a fine enough pedal, but it has s****** timing.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: 25 (GBP) used
Submitted 08/13/2005 at 03:04pm by Herbedaceous

Ease of Use : 9
2 knobs is pretty straightforward and some good suggested settings in the accompanying manual.

Sound Quality : 9
Use predominantly with Simon & Patrick SP 6 Electro Acoustic and pedal has a beautiful deep rich chorus and no unwanted noise. Not as flexible as my Boss CE-5, but overall I prefer the Cool Cat

Reliability : No Opinion
Sseems OK so far, would probably be happy to gig w/o a backup

Customer Support : No Opinion
N/A, however website seems to have no company contact details should I need them which is annoying...

Overall Rating : No Opinion
Excellent piece of kit, sturdily built and nice retro styling.

Tracking down a suitable 18V adaptor was difficult, however this guy www.owenelectronics.co.uk provided a great friendly service and was able to provide one which was delivered next day!


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: N/A used
Submitted 06/10/2005 at 03:36pm by Grant
Email: gpetty at aos<dot>wisc<dot>edu

Ease of Use : 6

Very easy to set up and adjust -- two knobs.

Main shortcoming is that mine requires 18V supply. It's therefore the only pedal in my chain that I can't drive with my external 9V supply. So I have to stick two 9V batteries in it, and I have to remember to unplug the input jack after each use; otherwise the batteries are dead the next time I use it. Since I'm a scatterbrain, especially after a 3.5 hour gig, this is a problem. Even when I remember, it seems to eat batteries fairly quickly. Had I known about these issues, I might not have bought it.

Sound Quality : 7


It sounds much better (more musical) to my ear than my (much cheaper) DOD Ice Box. My only complaint is that, when engaged, it seems to boost the level noticeably. This could be an advantage if you wanted to engage it only when playing a solo, but more often, I'd prefer that the level stay the same.

Using it with a strat through a bunch of other effects into a Gibson GA-15RV tube combo. I'll use it for the intro riff for Message in a Bottle, Come as You Are, and for lead solos on modern rock songs; otherwise I mostly leave it off.

Reliability : 9
Seems solid. If it failed during a gig, I'd simply do without... no biggy. I'm giving a 9 based on the presumption that it's unlikely to fail, but honestly, I've only had it a few months (bought it used, though).

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 8

Bought it based on a recommendation that it was a good all-around chorus. I haven't compared too many; just knew that my DOD wasn't doing it for me. If it were lost or stolen, I would probably switch to a 9V model (this or some other brand), as my inability to use my external power supply is a serious annoyance.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 03/25/2005 at 09:10am by Dave
Email: davedegrandpre at hotmail<dot>com

Ease of Use : 9
Very simple! Turn the knobs, step on the switch. Doesn't get any easier than that.

I had the 18V version but now have the 9V version... a bit more on that later.

Sound Quality : 9
Fantastic! Even the 9V which isn't quite as good as the 18V has a rich, warm chorus. It doesn't effect my sound when it's off, so I'm happy with that. At least, not anymore than I can tell given me chain of pedals.

My setup is: Raven RP450 > Ernie Ball Volume Pedal > Vox Wah > MXR Blue Box > Dano Compressor > Proco Rat > Ibanez TSDX9 > Dano Cool Cat Chorus > Dan Vibrato > EH Small Stone > Vox Amp

It gives me a nice mellow chorus that I love having for my clean sound to give it a bit more depth. Combining it with the vibrato and small stone creates insane psychedelia. I love it.

Reliability : 7
Okay... so here's the deal... my 18V copy of it died. No reason, no rhyme to it. Tried batteries, tried the adapter...couldn't get anything out of it....no idea why it died... read onto the customer support section for the rest of this story....

Customer Support : 7
...so after searching for a few weeks, I finally found contact info for Evets Corp, who owns Dano. I called their 800# and they said that if your pedal wasn't working to mail it back and they'd fix or replace it. So, figuring I had nothing to lose, I put it in a box, put in a note explaining it, and sent it out. Four weeks go by, nothing. I was ready to write it off. I went abroad for business, got home, and lo and behold, there's a package for me from Evets Corp. Open it up and what's in it? A brand NEW chorus pedal. Granted it is the 9V version rather than the 18V version, but honestly, I'm not complaining. The fact that they replaced it was fantastic. I have to take points off because of how long it took me to get in touch with them, and for not being able to speak to someone, but in the end, I'm happy. I have a new chorus and it sounds great.

Overall Rating : 9
Fantastic chorus. One of the best I've played through. Gives me sweet mellowness, or some crazy psychedelia if you turn the speed up.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: US $45 used
Submitted 02/16/2005 at 12:43am by TBarsell
Email: TBarsell at sisna<dot>com

Ease of Use : 10
Very easy to use. I have had mine about 8 months and have now gotten to know it enough to post a review. Manual has some very good starting points. I wish I could say the same for some of the other manufacturers "suggested settings." This is the stock 18v unit.

Sound Quality : 7
I have used this in two distinctly different setups. One is with my Ibanez acoutic/electric AE40 TBL into the Cool-Cat into a cheap delay into a 18 year old Peavey Rage practice amp or an Acoustic 130 4x10 combo. Simply amazing! I could not believe what I was hearing! Just couldn't quit playing simple chord progressions. So sweet.

My Electric rig at the moment is either a '81 Gibson Les Paul or an '02 SG special with a SD Custom/Custom bridge pup into Crybaby > old (pre LED) Small Stone phaser > MXR Zakk Wylde OD > 2 channel LOOOPER (Channel 1: Boss MT-2 > Boss EQ-7, Channel 2: Boss DS-1 > Boss CE-2) > Dano Cool-Cat. From there I run the DC-1 into two seperate paths. The wet path goes into a cheap-ass chinese Leagion Sound delay into my homebrew 6V6 (1987 Marshall) plexi amp and the dry channel goes into a modified Electar Tube 10 (running an EL34 power tube into a Weber 8" speaker.) Running this in stereo sounds so beautiful! In mono was good but in stereo.. WHOA! Seperate the two amps a bit or turn them at 90 degrees to each other with you in the middle... amazing!

This unit does not make any noise in and of itself that I can tell that is intrusive or uncharacteristic of a chorus pedal. Compared to CE-2 it is a bit more open and has a bit more headroom. BUT, if you are going to hold chords or notes for asignificant amount of time, the DC-1 will simply cut out. Bummer! Someone has to find a cure for this and then I would not have any qualms about this pedal.

I like to use this to add depth to my clean tones and with distortions. Does not completely overtake your sound like the Small Clone (another excellent chorus) or the CE-2. It has an airy/spacey feel to it and adds body. I have tried all the possible combinations on the knobs and while they all sound good, I usually run mine with both of the knobs at about 10'oclock. It does sound better clean than distorted, but with a bit of tube amp breakup it simply shines!

I have compared it to the CE-2 which is an awesome pedal, but is not stereo. I may get a CE-3 just for a taste test.

While the sounds a textures created by this pedal are superb, I have to give it a 7 just for the cutting out due to the degredation of the input signal. Maybe a Compressor/Sustainer would take care of that, but in alive situation you can adjust for that shortcoming.


Reliability : 10
I do gig with it but I do have a back up, the CE-2. But I have it set for a much deeper and quicker tone. There has been some concern over the reliabilty of the input jacks. Theses are soldered directly to the PC board. Inserting and removing the guitar cable can put some stress on the solder joints. If yours has trouble, take it apart and reflow the joints. No biggie. I am also gentle with my gear. If you have in living on a pedal board with everything hooked up, you shouldn't have any trouble.

Just for the PC mounted jacks: 7 (But that is the way it is when you want to save money and kick out a mass-produced item these days... OH well)

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never dealt with them. Not sure I even could with success. Haven't read anything good about their customer support.

Overall Rating : 9
I have been playing for roughly 18 years. I play just about everything from clean acoustical ballads to jazz, rock, blues, metal, speed metal, spacey ambient stuff. I also play praise and worship at church as well, which places greater demand on getting exactly the sounds you want for the moment. This pedal does fit the bill and it would perfectly if it weren't for the note decay issues.

I did compare it to the Small Clone, which would be useful a boost for chorused leads. And to the CH-1 (way too thin, kinda fake) and the CE-5, which was ok but sterile, may have to try again. I did get the CE-2 after having this for about 4 months. The Ce-2 is good, but in alot of ways overpowering. The Dano is the right mix for me, just fix the note decay thing!!

It has helped me make music. Oh man, has it helped me make music! For the acoustic guitar alone it would be worth it. If it were lost or stolen, I would try a CE-3 or get another one.

There is nothing more that I wish it had. Yes it does eat batteries, but I use an adapter.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: #40 used
Submitted 12/07/2004 at 06:21am by Anonymous

Ease of Use : 10
Two controls: Speed and Chill: rate and depth in other words. Very easy to get a good sound and even the more way out settings with knobs past 12 o' clock produce useable sounds in the right context. My favourite setting is speed full off and chill full on.

Sound Quality : 10
I play a Gordon Smith GS2 and a Yamaha Pacifica 112 into an MXR Phase 90, Danelectro Tuna Melt, Cool Cat, Danelectro Dan Echo and then into a Fender princeton 65. It's not too noisy. I sometimes put a compressor before everything else and that, together with the chorus, gets you a lovely, 'glassy' sound. Very good for rhythm parts (a la Johnny Marr), but with thick compression you can get an 80's George Harrison sound which is perfect for slide. On its own witha touch of delay you can get some nice jazz sounds like John McGloughlin is currently using- very nice for soling, although it won't get you playing like JM!

Reliability : 8
I gig and practice fairly regularly and it hasn't let me donw, so I;d go wothout a backup. The only slight problem is that when I'm practicisng at home there's a touch of break up at the very end of a note/ chord that you let ring till the very end. I suspect the effect dies off as it stops getting a signal. This is only really noticeable if you're playing by yourself and not as bad as someone mentioned below. I've noticed it about three times now since I've had the pedal, but luckily and thankfully each time the problem has gone. I guess the pedal needs to 'warm up' as it were, because it occurs if I haven't used it for a while.

As other people have mentioned, I would certainly get the adapter, as it eats batteries.

Customer Support : No Opinion
n/a

Overall Rating : 9
I play a little bit of everything. I got this because I saw it cheap, already had a Dan Echo and loved it and knew the company's reputation for sound quality. I wanted to get something that would get close to the sound my friend gets with his Boss CE-2 and I think the Dano matches it. It certianly helps me make music, and has helped me branch out to play different musical styles, like Jazz and Country.

If it ever gives out on me I'd be tempted to get another. Certainly other pedals I;ve heard don't have that warmth to it that the Dano has. Get one if you see one. They're getting rarer and rarer!


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 11/04/2004 at 06:53pm by Anonymous

Ease of Use : 10
Very easy to get a good sound. Its as straightforward as a chorus pedal can get. All the sounds are very useable, too.

Sound Quality : 9
I use a mexican strat through a blues junior. The chorus sounds great. Considering its low price, this is an excellent bang for the buck. The more expensive boss pedals and other chorus pedals aren't as good as this one. The chorus can be pretty thick compared to other pedals. I literally sat in Guitar Center for about 1 hour comparing this pedal with the Boss chorus pedals and one or two other ones. Cool Cat won hands down. It's not wimpy and thin like the other ones. The stereo outputs don't seem to do anything though. I don't know if its just my pedal, but when using two amps, the second output doesn't have as much of the chorus effect as the first one. Perhaps this is how it is supposed to be, just seems strange to me.

Reliability : 10
I don't do any gigging or anything, so I can't say, but its held up a long time just sitting on the floor in my house. All the other Danelectro pedals I have seem to be sturdy as well.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 9
This chorus pedal is good for very subtle effects to very thick chorus and even sounds good with distortion. Like I said before, its your best bang for the buck. The next step up would be a Small Stone chorus, but those pedals break apart easily (so I've heard). One downside is that it requires two 9 volt batteries, so you're definately better off getting an adapter for it.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: US $35.00 used
Submitted 09/29/2004 at 02:09pm by Ziggy Viens
Email: khavok<at>mac dot com

Ease of Use : 10
This ubit is quite simply plug and play. I have never owned a unit so eay to get a good tone out of. On its "turned down setting" (both knobs turned counter clockwise all the way) there is a nice, rich, subtle chourus. All the way up (both knobs turned fully clock wise it still never gets to outlandish. I find that the best sound for me is setting the speed to 10 or 11 o'clock and the chill to 1 or 2 o'clock seeting. this gives me a rich, milky, swirl that fattens the tone without adding unwanted harmonics or muddying up the bottom end. This really is is the best sounding chourus I have ever used.

Sound Quality : 9
I use and OS-30 by Oscar Schmidt (great axe for the money), a Fender US hIghway 1, and a Schecter C-1 Classic, and on each of these guitars I find the cool cat adds warmth and flavor. I use the Strat for a funky sound (think Curtis Mayfield) and it works great, On the OS-30 I get a great, full, warm jazz tone with this pedal, and on the Schector it rounds out the lead sound and is great for adding character to a reggae sound. I use this with a Dunlop CryBaby Wah pedal, an SDD-2000 Multi effect sampling delay by Korg, and an RP-100 by Digitech. I have only played it live through my little Peavey Trans Tube practice amp so far and I am looking forward to using it for some recorded tracks in the near future.
The unit is pretty quiet when your strings aren't vibrating, but as soon as you strike a chord there is some slight white noise that comes through, nothing that a very subtle noise gate (like on my RP-100 cant cure quickly and effectively. All in all there is not anything to terrible for live situations but I can see I will have to work with it a little for recording. It is quieter than my strats single coil hum however. Also, as I said above this unit sounds GREAT!!!. Milky, Fat and Warm without unwanted harmonics or a muddy bottom end. As for Harmonics you play from your guitar, it fills them out and makes them almost bell like. Quite a transparent and useful chourus if there ever was one. It gets a 9 on this only due to my critical ear and having to gate it when recording.

Reliability : 10
This this is steal! It wieghs as much as a brick and I can't forsee any damage from normal use. (I would venture to say that you could drop it from a substantial distance witout any serious damage.) I would use it without a back up only because I am a dope, but Danelectro is a long time company due to Quality not Quantity. I would trust this although I would recommend a power supply and not relying on the two 9v batteries. The power supply I would use with a backup.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never had to deal wit DE so I will hold comment for now.

Overall Rating : 10
I play a soulful, jazzy, funked out style of alternative music, kinda like Tom Waits fathered Nick Cave and then he married Curti Mayfield (figure that one out!) I have been playing professionally for 30+ years and own what I listed above, Have owned much more, Have a digital/analog Studio (Mac based) and have 8 more guitars and basses in my house (acousti and electric), Percussion equiptment, Synthesizers and drum machines, Sequencers and controller, mixers etc... So as you can see I have a well rounded selection of gear. If this unit was lost or stole I WOULD BY ANOTHER, AND ANOTHER, AND...
Compared to my pluggin chouruses fro my recording software and to the chouruses on my SDD-2000 and the RP-100, I like this one head and shoulders more than the rest. Danelectro got it right with this unit! It really is the sweetest, most milky, warm chourus I have ever used. I had a chourus from Electro Harmonix back in the 70's and this is as good and I think better. The Cool Cat is a great device for mellowing out your sound, I would reccommend it for any style from jazz to blues to rock to metal, there is a setting for everyone and it never gets to outthere or obscene. Time to check out other DE pedals and see it they got it right a second time.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: US $30 used
Submitted 09/19/2004 at 12:50pm by Barbara Streisand

Ease of Use : 10
TWO KNOBS, IF THEY CONFUSE YOU, DONT BUY IT

Sound Quality : 10
My Setup
Fender Tex Spec Tele > Boss CS-3 > Dan Chorus > Fender Princeton

I dare you to find a better combo than that, sound is beautiful, just makes your playing sound bright and colorful, the chill is phenominal, I played the Boss version, and being a boss fan, i liked this one better, probably could even do without the cs3 because i can taste a little bit of compression in it. It was used by Nirvana in "Come as You Are" and Collective Soul uses it too and we all know collective soul kicks ass. Its an awesome pedal.

Reliability : 10
When not using it, i carry it in my purse to smack robbers with, still works fine even with that.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Why would u even need it?

Overall Rating : 10
I play mostly alternative and this thing can hit anything i do. I Love it. Played for a while now and it beats any chorus on the market. Its the only dan ill own. If stolen, Id buy 2 more, 1 to play with, and the other to beat the hell out of the robber with. actually, in that case id only need one cuz they are built to endure. The only flaw is that its 18v. O well, i can live with that. BUY THIS PEDAL


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: US $30 used
Submitted 09/01/2004 at 09:27am by Pat Tucker

Ease of Use : 10
Easy to use.
I also use it as a splitter to send my signal to 2 amps.


Made in China.

Sound Quality : 9
I don't use effects often and I use this one on minimal settings to add a slight amount of chorus to my plugged-in acoustic sound.
I also use it with my Guild Bluesbird P-90 through a JCM Marshall half stack to recreate some Skynyrd sounds and to get weird on occasion.

Reliability : 10
This is a newer 9 volt model but I had an 18 volt model many years ago.
The old one never failed me.
I have only gigged with the new one a few times.
No problems so far.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 9
I play everything from jazz to hard rock to country.
Both acoustic/plugged-in and electric.
Been playing over 30 years.
This is my second one.
I like it.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: 60 w/shipping from California (Canadian) used
Submitted 08/15/2004 at 04:15pm by Bender Dude

Ease of Use : 10
2 knobs, speed & chill (depth). Super easy.

Sound Quality : 9
It's really quite good. Very versatile, from lush 80's sounds to an excellent rendition of a rotary speaker... I mean reallllly excellent rendition. I haven't owned any other chorus's, I've never been an effects guy, but chorus's are almost a necessity. Listen to "Let It Loose" by the Stones... it get's that no problem. You can do a good approximation of an organ with this ala "You Make Me Feel Good" by the Zombies. It's sonic vibe is a welcome middle ground between the gruesomely 80's sounding BOSS chorus's, and the dehydrated sound of Electro Harmonix chorus's. I'm using this with a Fender Telecaster Deluxe (non-reissue, mwahahahaha), a G&L Legacy Special into a Peavey VTM and Fender Twin. It sounds real psychedelic with the Tele, and insanely soothing and lush with the G&L. Mixes well with distortion, but that will nullify the effect if used improperly. I find it sounds best with some nice warm tube overdrive. From my cited examples, you can probably tell what music I play - old stuff, but I also dig into Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Collective Soul, Everclear, Goo Goo Dolls and a plethora of other rockers and alt-rockers. I write in the alt-rock vein, and this sounds great for my stuff. Sounds great with acoustics and basses too.

Reliability : No Opinion
Dunno yet, but I'd assume most stuff would last if you treat it well and reasonably. It's heavy for sure, but the jacks are kinda shitty. Whatever, just get an adapter so you don't have to constantly rack up the miles on the jacks. Also, buy an adapter to save yourself money and time, as this fucker eats the batteries.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Couldn't say really.

Overall Rating : 10
It's a very good pedal that is widely liked and recognized for it's sound. If you want a good sounding chorus that you don't have to piss around with to get a good sound out of, then you'd be doing yourself a favor by getting the Cool Cat. Cheap used, and lots of 'em around.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: 55 (euros) used
Submitted 08/01/2004 at 03:46am by Juha U.

Ease of Use : 10
It's very easy, just dial in the amount of chorus (Chill) you want. You can also tweak the amount of repeats (Speed), to go from a more lush sound to a Univibe style wild chorus. Whatever settings you use, it always sounds excellent, which is very nice.

Sound Quality : 9
I use the pedal with my Jackson DX7 and ENGL Powerball, and it sounds very good with this combo. Very Zakk Wylde-ish. That Type O Negative sound is also easy to get. The pedal isn't noisy at all, at any settings.

Mine is the older 1996 model with the DC 18V power connector, which I've heard sounds better than the new DC 9V model.

Reliability : 9
It seems sturdy, but hearing about all those jack problems, I can't comment on that yet, I'll do that a few years later, when I've used it more. So far it seems reliable enough to gig with.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Haven't dealt with them.

Overall Rating : 10
I mainly play metal and some stoner rock style stuff + jam along to Satriani. It's very good for all that I play. I've played electric since Jan 2000. If this pedal was stolen, I'd buy another one, but test out the DC 9V model too, as a power supply for this DC 18V is a bit difficult to find. I really like it how you can just turn it on and get a excellent sound at any settings. I was between two choices when I was looking out for a chorus pedal; this one and the Boss CH-1 Super Chorus. I spotted this for sale for a very nice price and I just went for it. It's also fun to play around with just jamming on for hours, playing classic stuff. Very nice pedal, all in all. For this price, it's perfect.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: US $31.00 used
Submitted 06/09/2004 at 07:31am by Anonymous

Ease of Use : 10
Two knobs,very easy to use.

Sound Quality : 10
I run this thing in the front of my amps and through the effects loop.when going in the effects loop,you loose a little depth,but thats ok because this thing is lush.Going through the front end it sounds amazing.I do sometimes hear the effect cutting out on the tail end but who cares, how many times are you going to let it decay that much anyway.This thing sounds as good as the reviewers say.

Reliability : No Opinion
The box is built like a brick shit house.The connection are very flimsy.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 10
Very good for the money.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: N/A used
Submitted 05/28/2004 at 12:17pm by Anonymous

Ease of Use : 10
it pretty easy, you have to play with it a little but thats with every pedal... if you know what you want it to sound like then it shouldnt take more that 2 or 3 minutes to pin down a sound you like. it runs on an 18v source so either use two batteries or get an 18v adapter.

Sound Quality : 10
my set up runs:

guitar > crybaby > danelectro daddy-o overdrive > danelectro dan-echo > cool cat > flanger > voodoo lab tremelo > pedal tuner > amp.

this is probably one of the best sounding choruses ive ever heard. it has a real vintage vibe to it and actually has a fairly wide range of sounds, from soft smooth chorus to a almost vibrato-like flange. it gets a little hard to hear the notes from the guitar with the speed knob up, but it all depends on what type of sound you want.

Reliability : 4
the chasis is built well, however the cool-cat is notorious for having problems. this is my second cool-cat (the first one was irrepairable) and there is something wrong with the adapter jack on the pedal, so i have to use 2 9v batteries to run it. if you come across one that works fine, you have a gold mine... but dont be suprised if it needs a little work.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 8
overall its a great sounding pedal, when it works right. it doesnt have too many problems, but its definatelynot one i would try and tour with without having a major rebuild done. i recommend this pedal to everyone, it sounds wonderful, just understand how unstable they can sometimes be.


Product: Danelectro DC-1 Cool Cat Chorus
Price Paid: US $70
Submitted 05/18/2004 at 07:45am by Leonardo

Ease of Use : 10
Super simple. Speed for cycle rate and chill for depth of chorus. I got it new for $70.00 and was prepared to buy an 18V adapter but this one (are all of the new ones this way?) runs off of my Dano 9V adapter. Pulled the Milkshake, plugged in the Cool Cat, and off I went. Way cool, Cat's!

Sound Quality : 9
I have this in the FX loop of my Tech 21 TM60. Love it clean with my MIM Tele. Also sounds good with my Hamer Stellar 1. Had a Milkshake Chorus. Milkshake put out an obnoxious swirling noise. Also only one setting that I really liked. Milkshake did not sound good with humbuckers. Cool Cat is quiet and has many good sound settings. This is one of (if not) the original chorus pedals and I have no dislikes for this pedal. It is probable not perfect so I'll deduct 1.

Reliability : 1
Big, heavy, metal casing. Seems rugged. I am very careful with all of my equipment so I anticipate not problems.

I will gig it without backup because I don't have enough jack to carry backups.

Don't know how to rate the reliablility. I have had no problems with Dano stuff, not even my mini pedals.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Don't know, never dealt with Dano. Always go thru my dealer and he takes care of me. He's too good to me. Love my uncle Jack!

Overall Rating : 10
I play blues, classic rock, some jazz, 60's-70's folk rock, spacey/jazzy pink floydesque type stuff. Cool Cat works well with what I use it for. Been playing off and on for 30+ years, use a Dan Echo (great echo pedal), Hash Browns Dano flanger (love this pedal) I use for rasta/ska type music, and a Dano Fish and Chips 7 band eq pedal (good eq for the price). Would certainly buy this pedal again.

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