Electro-Harmonix Clone Theory (Chorus/Vibrato)

Very easy to use. Three Knobs and one switch. Rate, Depth, And Chor-Vibrato. They are all pretty self-explanatory. The manual for it helps with some sample settings and explains how the knobs will effect the sound. With the Vib-flange switch on, it can take a wile to get a good setting because it kinda sucks, but It can be good for some sound.

This thing isn't noisy at all by itself. With distortion on it can make a little noise but it's not at all as bad as other people make it seem.
The sound on this thing are great. They sound so real and non-digital. With the vibrato on full, it doesn't even sound like I'm using a pedal: it just sounds as if I am doing it manually on the fret board. It's amazing.
You can get really good blues tones with it when the Chor-Vib knob is turned all the way clockwise, and the depth close to full on. If you Have it more turned to the vibrato side of the knob, it sound very live-nirvana-ish. You can do the heart-shaped box solo with this and distortion. If you flip the switch to the Vib-flange, and get some good feedback going, you can get the Radio-Friendly Unit-Shifter intro. I heard Kurt Cobain used one live for a while until it broke. Then he just got an EchoFlanger.

I think I could depend on it. I bought it from some guy that used it a few times back in 1982 then stuck it away. It is in mint condition! It even has the original box, warranty and instructions.
I think I could gig without a backup, but just in case, I bought two others ones as well(they are more scratched up, but they're backups, who cares?)
So far, none of the three have failed me yet and I don't think they will for a while.

I haven't had to deal with the company. I heard they suck though.

This thing is my new favorite pedal. You can make it go from lite chorusing to full blown show-stealing vibrato. It is capable of so many diffent sounds that I look forward to working with it every time I pick up a guitar and find new settings.
If it was stolen... well, I wouldn't let it get stolen. I would defend it with my life.
I've had many other chorus pedals before (Boss, Ibanez, DoD, even a small clone) and this one is by far the best. All the other pedals depth/rate knobs' range is in the first quarter turn of the theory's knobs. It takes chorusing to another level.
I wish it had a built in clock on the top of it so I know how much time I've spent playing it because I can get carried away. I've spent hours playing with it to find new settings and I stil am.
I've come up with so many new parts to songs using this thing. It's incredable

Very simple setup,its easy . 3 knobs, Rate-Depth-Chorus/Vibrato, and slider EDGE switch.

The noise, lack of rate, and no led status light are my only complaints.

It was noisy, then i ran it through a Zoom 505 (cause there is a Noise Supressor in it). It wasn't as noisy but some noise was still evident.

If you are a person that likes the rate to be capable of a fast speed then look elsewhere. The Rate knob isn't that critical when adjusting it.

No led status light (yeah who cares) but when your runing alot of effects, its nice to have them.

This unit does sound GOOD though. If you can get past the noise, lack of rate and no light. I would give it a 8 if it wasnt so noisy.

I suppose that i coulda of fiddled with the trim pots but i didnt even wanna bother.

Its old, i dont know how reliable it could be.

The Noise is the biggest complaint i have about this unit.

The main reason why i bought this was because of the Chorus Vibrato seperation and Depth dial. I wanted a Small Clone, but i dont like the switch on the Small CLone for depth, id rather have a dial. Im sure it could be moded but i dont wanna bother.

Id never buy another one.

Three knobs - Chorus/Vibrato blend, Depth and rate. Theres also a switch on the top edge for choosing between chor/vib and vib/flange. This is one of the later models - the older ones had an Edge switch.

I don't have the manual or the box but it doesn't matter - its easy with all EH pedals to sit down,plug in and start finding new sounds straight away. Good sounds come naturally with EH pedals and all it needs is 5 minutes to find your favourite and your set.

Amazing! This is such a cool pedal. You must however ensure your guitar is well sheilded though - I plugged in with a knackered Squire Tele and the background swirls and noise were unbearable. They drowned out the signal and I thought the unit was broken. I plugged in my Fenix Tele and the sound was perfect. There was no AC hiss and no more noise than any other chorus type effect I own - make sure your guitar is in good nick and you'll be fine. Ignore the AC hiss complaints elsewhere in these reviews - mine has no problem at all with noise.

The effects themselves range from subtle shivers,wobbles and swirls to full on out of tune pitch bending,under water gargles and sci-fi effects.

The analog tones are nice and grungy - you'll find yourself playing new stuff with this pedal - it makes you think differently depending on the settings.

Two of my favourite guitarists of alltime - J Mascis and Ace (formerly of Skunk Anansie) use the Clone Theory on record and I always loved the sound and it was a factor in me wanting to buy one. Not the only reason but I have to admit that these two guitarists turned me on to the Clone. I also listened to the sound bytes at Tonefrenzy.com and that did it for me.

I'm using the Clone with alot of other pedals - my board at present looks like this - Red DOD Compressor(not the Milkbox...it sucks), Doctor Q, BigMuff, MoogerFooger RingMod, Boss Digital Metalizer, DOD Buzzbox, Ibanez CS9 chorus, Boss DD3 delay. I'll be adding a ShinEi fuzz to the mix next week aswell as my homemade Octa-fuzz pedal.

Too soon to say really - I've never had an EH pedal cut out me yet though.

Obviousley discontinued pedal but EH customer support for new products is excellent.

I absoloutly love this thing. I wish my pedalboard could fit it on but I'd have to take off a couple of pedals to accomodate the Clone. That in all honesty is my only gripe. The size of the thing is what gives it its character anyway. I love this rusty old tin - it makes sounds that simply aren't afforded to you by todays modern pedals/racks/reissues.

I'm looking forward to using it in a couple of months when I begin recording - its bound to crop up in more than a couple of tunes. Not just on guitar too - this works a treat with keyboards. 10/10.

I have had this pedal for almost 4 years. I still find new sounds in it. Very easy to use except for plugging it into the wall(difficult at gigs).

Very noisy pedal but this isn't neccesarily a bad thing. If you like feedback and know how to control it the Clone Theory is your ticket to noise. There is a pretty dramatic volume boost when I step on it especially when using my Guyatone HD-2 with it. The sounds of the clone theory simply can not be duplicated with boss/dod chorus.

I have broken the unit and repaired myself a few times. The swith has gone on me twice. This thing is older than me so I can't really complain. Electro Harmonix stuff is easy to fix. I do gig with it 5 or 6 times a month and it has only failed me once.

I ordered a new swith twice and it wasn't a big deal.

I really like and need this pedal. The clone theory is crucial to my sound. If it were stolen I would be pissed but I might try the the small clone (original of course) because I am curious and it would take up less space.

3 knobs - Chorus/Vib mix, Depth, Rate. 2 swithes - Chor/Vib and Vib/Flange (very useful). Two outputs - effected and dry (also very usuful. Just mess and come up with cool sounds - especially during performance - get on your knees and twiddle!

im saying 10 coz despite the ac noise the rest of the noise it makes is wicked! Im using a Marshall Silver head, fender strats, a heughs and kettner valve 2 stage distortion unit and a cry baby - awesome - and i DIDNT get coz of Nirvana coz i didnt know he used a Small Clone - didnt know the S/Clone exixsted . . .

Mmmm . . . iv had this pedal in a box for about 5 years coz im sure when i tried last time it didnt work - i put a plug on it the other day (coz i had a dream about what sound i needed for a new song i was rehearsing) AND it worked . . . maybe the fuse had blown coz i believe the dry signal still goes thru both outputs . . . i would risk depending ont for the sound (and the danger!)

never tried to get support - good job it started working . . .

been playing about 10 years and i play everything from gypsy jazz to total rip yer *uts off noise (as well as singing!).
this pedal is totally unique - the sound and versatility. i dont know how it compares to the reissue BUT i wish i still had my 70's Big Muff . . . still iv got an EH Linear Power Booster II - 1 knob for extra gain and it doesnt color the sound at all just kick ass - i wish i still had my Screaming Tree and Little Big Muff (they got stolen . . . sigh!)

this is a fairly easy pedal to use. Mine has the flange /chorus switch at the top so, you can get some mild flange sounds too. It has three knobs, the chorus/vibrato ratio, rate and depth knobs thats it. Just play around with it till you find something you like, i know i did.

The sound quality of this unit is very good, it can get a bit noisy but i really didnt care, i run my effect through 18 other guitar effects so noise wasnt a problem. When i brought it, there were three little black felt tip marks on the knob positions, indicating someone had it set up for a good chorus sound, i tried a bit of messing, but this person had a magic chrous sound so set it up like that, it really great. I also have it set up for a out of tune vibrato sound as follows: vibrato full, rate at 12 o'clock and depth at 9 o'clock. Try it and see what you think. Also if you have the following effects all patched together you can get some awesome effects sound with the clone theory: an electric mistress, small stone, roger mayer voodoo vibe and a boss t-wah, then bang on some delay, i have a boss digital delay/pitch shifter and a old dod preformer delay, the maddest sound this side of sid barretts hi-fi

the reliablity of this is very good, it has broken down yet and if it did i could possiably fix it since i went to university to study electronics. its stands up better than any rocktek pile of pants anyday

if it broke i wouldnt even bother contacting eh cuz it about 25 years old, its like taking a tv back to dixons you brought back in 1972, do you think they would sort it out? If it does break, i will try and fix it or look for another or try a polychorus

i play mad over the top stuff, it not really music sometimes, i just love creating noises. A lot of people will go and try this for the Kurt cobain sound which in my opinion will be a great thing but i use it for soft touches, more, unusual elements of guitar playing. this is my opinion though, go try it your self, i love it but you might find a boss chorus or a dod chorus might suit you, and your wallet, i wouldnt just buy this if i had a cheap guitar and cheap amp and try and get the nirvana sound because he used one nce or twice, i would stick to cheaper stuff, but seeing as i have two great guitars and a great laney amp, i can splash out on such things as a clone theory, also i have been playing for 7 years now so i can play good but my own style. True i do wish i had all this stuff 7 years ago, but it has made me a better person for it. So remember kids, take your time and think carefully, it is sometimes good to take musical steps, exspecially if your buying guitar effects, a crap rocktek chorus pedal may sound crap to start of with, but if your just in your bed room playing, do you really need to splash out over $150 or #150 on a clone theory?, oh yeah great pedal guys.

This pedal is really simple to use. It has three knobs, chorus/vibrato, rate, and depth. You don't necessarily need a manual for this thing, you just screw around with it and you'll find what you need. It also has an "edge on" switch, which just boosts the volume a little.

I either use a beat up Squier Bullet with a humbucker in the bridge, or an old Univox Mosrite copy with a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge. I play into a Fender Pro-185(LOUD!!!) and run my guitar into a Boss DS-1 or my friend's Big Muff Reissue, and then into the Clone Theory. The chorus is very lush, and that's the main reason I got it. I never had much use for the vibrato, but if you were trying to simulate an old Atari-version of space invaders, it would be perfect! I only have two qualms about the Clone Theory, I wish the rate was a lot faster(more like a Small Clone) and since it's AC powered, it's kinda noisy.(This makes for some great feedback, and if you're into Nirvana, it's great for imitating Kurt's live In Utero stuff.) This is an incredible, all-purpose chorus pedal. You can get the sounds of really early REM, it does a great Red Hot Chilipeppers(ala "Under The Bridge), of course, Nirvana, Live(Turn My Head), and I've used it for some Smashing Pumpkins stuff, too. The bass player in our band loves it too, and he thinks it's an excellent chorus for bass.

When I first got it, it sometimes wouldn't turn on. It was just the connections to the switch, so re-soldered it and haven't had any problems since. It's built rather well, not quite as strong as a Boss pedal, but it's up there. I doubt I'd need a back-up, ever.

I've never dealt with them. I bought this pedal used. Besides, they haven't made this pedal since the late 70's-early 80's so they probably couldn't do much for me anyways.

They can be really overpriced(mine actually wasn't that much, I've seen them go for upwards of $200)but you get what you pay for. This was really my first decent pedal, and my first chorus pedal. I wouldn't say the last, but anything else I ever buy will be Electro-Harmonix. No one has been able to duplicate their sound. I've been playing for about 4 years now, and I'm a decent guitar player. My equipment isn't all high-tech, expensive, and digital, but I don't think that digital compares to analog, and I get the sound I want from the stuff I have, and this pedal adds to it. I like to paly all kinds of rock, from the Beatles,Zeppelin,the Doors,and Hendrix, to new stuff like REM, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, etc. It doesn't work for everything, but it comes in handy a lot. If it got stolen, I'd be incredibly pissed off adn hunt the prick down who stole it and get it back...or buy another one:)

I bought it used so no box or manual came with it. That doesn't matter anyway. Its really easy to get a good sound out of it. Only 3 knobs.....rate, depth, and chorus/vibrato ratio.

I have a BOSS DS-2 pedal and a really crappy amp. It is a bit noisy.....but thats mostly because of the crappy amp and the crappy cords I'm using. Well......the chorus is really strong.....much stronger than most other choruses I've heard. The mix with vibrato sounds great.....very rich and full sounding. You can make all kinds of cool guitar sounds/noises from it......thats what I bought it for. For all you Nirvana fans.....this sounds very much like the Polychorus Kurt used. Nirvana is my favorite band. Please send me flames by email if musicians who love to play guitar in a band and have alot of passion and talent offend you. Send me flames if you play guitar because you want to get rich and you think that you are cool. Ohh yeah......this pedal is really great

I've only had it for one day but it works fine and its over 20 years old I believe so I guess its pretty reliable

Yes I bought this pedal because I want to be just like Kurt Cobain.......not because it sounds awesome. I love the fact that this pedal sounds so incredible. If you are looking for an effect pedal to make wierd guitar sounds......and you love the guitar parts on Nirvana's In Utero album......then I recommend that you buy this pedal

Three knobs. Rate, Depth, and Chorus/Vibrato ratio. One Edge switch on top that does nothing with the effect but only adds a bit treble boost. Not that hard to figure out.

This is one of the most unique effect i have ever tried. If youre looking for just the basic chorus sounds, dont get this because this thing set on very low settings sounds like most chorus pedals on its maximum settings!! Its really weird..For a nice, warm chorus shimmer, i set the rate and depth around 20-40%. Set this thing higher and it would start to sound really neat. Awesome vibrato sounds. It takes a note and bends the pitch up an down..Its like hitting your whammy bar really fast and hard. Very neat. Combine it with distortion and its sounds even better. I even got this thing to sound like an uzi gun firing!! The only problem i have with it is that its noisy(only operates through AC). Other than that, this is one unique pedal.

Very Solid. This was made in the 70's and it still works.

Ive been playing for about 8 years now and have bought/sold a lot of pedals in the past. The clone theory would be something i would keep for a long time. I use this pedal a lot when i get tired of using the same basic effects...Combine it with other effects and it sounds great..I defenitely recommend this pedal to those who are looking for unique sounds...

Very Easy to use. Three knobs-Rate-Depth-and Ratio. If you crank th erate it get a really spacy sound. Has an Edge swith whitch doesnt do very very much that i can tell except add more noise.

I got this because i am a big NIRVANA fan. I know that Kurt used a Small Clone but the theory is just as good plus it has vibrato. My friend paid $300 for a Small Clone- i like the theory better and it is cheaper. it sounds good with distortion, flange... pretty much anything. Because it is old it is a little noisy but who cares just crank it and keep playing.

It Is very well built like the new (and old) Electric Mistriss very sturdy. I would gig without a backup.

went out of business in 85(?) Sovtek is reissuing some of thier pedals.

I think this pedal is bad ass. I also like the Uni-vibe which has the same functions. The uni-vibe is more "dry" sounding where as the Clone Theory is more "wet" sounding. The only reason this is an 8 and not a 10 is because it is noisy. But it is worht it.