Fulltone CF-1 Choralflange

After reading the easy-to-understand and well written manual, the knob twirling became second nature.

This is the best sounding chorus and flanger I have ever heard in my life. I play bass (Rickenbacker "Chris Squire" Limited Edition). This pedal is thick, lush, and most important to me, handles the bass frequencies so perfectly, it is as if the pedal was designed strictly for bass (which it wasn't). No clipping (like I got with the TC chorus). True bypass. I will never sell this pedal, not as long as I live. I can't say that about any other pedal. I realize this may come across as just another (yawn) raving review, but this pedal deserves the highest rating possible. You know that feeling you get when you click on a pedal and say to yourself, "Oh yeah...I love the sound of this pedal", well that's what this pedal does.

Does the word "tank" mean anything? And what a quality feeling when you twirl the knobs. Total quality. Solid.

Mike has responded to nearly every e-mail I have sent him.

I own two other Fulltone pedals (Supatrem and Bassdrive 2). I play classic rock, and am currently working with a few folks to put together a Yes tribute band. I needed to find a chorus and a flanger that would cut through the mix, sound full, and maintain the full frequency range for bass. $320 may sound like a lot, but it is a bargain when you consider that you get two totally top quality pedals built into one unit. Worth every cent. If you are checking these reviews because you are contemplating buying one of these, buy it. You will be so glad you did. These raving reviews (mine and the others here) are not like some postings with raving reviews for pedals that really aren't that good. The ChoralFlange really is this good. ...and I am damn picky.

In The following review I am amending a previous CF-1 review I did on (2/18/00). You will have to work with this unit some before you can realize all of its varied sounds but it is worth it.

This thing does "Leslys","early boss", and very clean Flanging, and anything in between.Anyway here is the reason Im adding to my original review. In the manual there is a setting for heavy flanging I tried it and didnt really hear anything that was all that great, I thought why did Mike Fuller use this example anyway? Well I now Know why,you have to hit the CF-1 with some dirt, overdrive ,fuzz, whatever( I used a fulldrive 2).The most amazing and inspiring sound, " Studio type Flanging",Like on the end part of the Axis bold As Love solo or the begining of House Burning Down or Eric johnson`s High Landrons.As I recall from a Guitar Player interview Eric used two Flangers in tandom to get his unique sound.Well it only takes one CF-1,sorry Eric.I dont mean to rant but this is one of the most amazing sounds to have ever dropped from my fingers... fingers. Here are the settings;mix-hard Rt,delay time-hard Rt,depth-hard Rt,rate-hard Lft.You need to be in flanging mode and on the wide sweep rate. Try it you'll like it, remember to distort before the CF-1 other wise it wont happen.Enjoy!

Its a well built pedal.

Mike Fuller is always there to most graciusly answer my most stupid questions.

I play many styles and love my favorite guitarists from the 60`s to present day. All of the fulltone pedals allow me to get those golden sounds from yester-year. Beck,Page,Jimi,Carlos, Oh and ofcourse,most importantly Myself!

If you have ever used a chorus or a flanger before, the pedal is very easy to use. The included manual (also available online) is straight-forward, and has some great suggested settings to get you started.

My main guitar is a mongrel strat (fender cstm shop body, suhr neck, etc..) ampwise I usually use a combination of a Budda Stringmaster, a Hiwatt SA212, and a custom made Rivera Proto-type. My pedals rotate day-to-day, but I always use a Fullride2, a wha, an octave pedal and a chorus pedal.

As far as chorus/flange pedals go, the CF-1 is extremely quiet. It can get all of the classic chorus, slow & slushy, to almost trem./leslie-type sounds. The flange is very thick and the gain trimpot makes it leap out of the mix. I was able to get all of the sounds I need for my band's original songs, and any covers that we might do. It nailed Page's tone is "No Quarter" without even trying.

You really need to use the power supply with this pedal to get the most out of it. 9 volt batteries have a tendency when new to sound too 'hot' voltage-wise, and it may sound harsh. when the 9v starts to die (below 8-9v) it starts really affecting the effect negativly.

As with all Fulltone effects, they are solidly built (hand-made with top quality parts and heavy duty cases). I own four other Fulltone pedals, after about four years of use. None of them have had a hicup, burp, or any other problem. None of them have died with the abuse of touring. I can't say the same for some of the other pedal companies out there.

I have emailed and called Michael Fuller on several occasions, he has always been very helpful and friendly. He has always taken the time to help me out and answer even my nurotic pedal/effect questions, and for that I am extremely thankful.

I have 7 other chorus and flanger pedals (Voodoo Lab, Boss CE1&CE2's, etc...) if this pedal was lost or stolen, I would buy another one without blinking or giving it another thought. I love the way it sounds, and all of the sounds you can get out of this one pedal. It is a very versatile pedal that is excellent for studio use and being experimental if you've got the studio time. The only thing that kinda sucks (well, maybe not) is that I have found too many useful sounds out of it, and will have to get a second one for live use.

If you want to know what style of music I play or other gear I use, check out my band's page at: http://www.geocities.com/pretna/

Lots of buttons but a great manual with settings. Not terribly difficult to master.

Un-freaking-believable! Wow! Can you say lush? This is pure tone. Can't find anything bad to say about the chorus or flanger settings. Big, bad, and thick beyond words.

Gigging with Fulltone for a really long time with no problems.

Can usually get Mike on the phone without problems. If a pedal goes bad, you can send it to him and he'll fix and return it with minimal fuss.

There is no other chorus around that can touch the Choral Flange. I got the first one the dealer got in and bought it immediately. I am totally, totally satisfied with this amazing sounding box. I play jazz and rock and am very inspired by the tones produced by the pedal.

The CF-1{choralflange}Is very easy to use once you read the manual and get familiar with it.If you just try out all of the settings you will have it figured out pretty quick.

I use a Heritage Lespual,srat,Jerryjones{page model}and a Dano 12 string for my guitars.I then hit my budda wah,into a Deja Vibe,Fulldrive2,Soulbender,and finally an echo-plex.My amp is a Budda 30 watt superoverdrive amp with a 1x12" speaker.I have not yet decided where to put the CF-1,probably last so I have the option of runing in stereo and boy does it sound lush in stereo.The sounds I have gotten With the CF-1; That George Harrison Chorasing effect you hear on the AbbyRoad L.P. I have never heard that sound from a pedal except in the studio by means of overdubbing.This pedal does great Lesly effects,like in"Crossfire" The pedal is very quiet and it doesnt mess up your basic guitar sound.To me a great pedal can be evaluated very simply, when you plug it in do you want to keep playing through it or do you click it off when the novelty wares off.When I first plugged this effect in I played it for hours without stopping.

This pedal is very lite and sturdy,the dials are retracted into the main frame so they cant get moved, bumped, or wrecked.I could use this pedal without a backup.

I must give fulltone the highest marks in this catagory.I have never had a problem getting Michael on the phone and he always answers E-mail.

I have been playing for 25 years both studio and live gigs.I already own a script logo phase 90,an original electric mistress,an original ADA flanger and ofcourse the smallstone.The afore mentioned pedals are all cool in there own way but when it comes to playing live, I would never put them in my signal chain.I have not had a chorus or flanger be a part of my rig for years except now. I now have both in one pedal.If this pedal were stolen I would replace it.

Not an instant gratification pedal in the sense that there are many interactive controls....the most I've ever seen in a chorus and flanger pedal. The manual is comprehensive , though and features easy to read diagrams of some versatile settings. Once you've memorized them and experiment on your own, it's hard to find a bad sound from the pedal. Takes a little getting used to, but becomes very intuitive and easy to operate after a couple of days of use.

The finest chorus and flanger I've ever heard in my life, rack or pedal....period. It will give such a transparent chorus that you have to check if the pedal is even on, to the fattest and thickest most Jimi Hendrix-ian sounds imaginable. I'm gushing, but this thing really is the last word in chorus and flanging. It's the most musical flanger I've ever played through. There is no metallic nature to it at all. I don't like flangers normally, but I can now use this one and am blown away by it. It's so thick sounding that I can't put it into words. The Choralflange will also do one heckuva Leslie sound. This is total excellence. As an effects guy for years who owns tons of pedals, I must say this might be one of the top two or three pedals I've ever encountered. This is no lie.

This pedal will be roadworthy. When you see and feel the size and weight of it and compare it to the other Fulltone products, you will feel confident that this thing could survive Armageddon. The only downside to this pedal for me is that it is a large unit and I like compact effects. That is minor though, given what this thing will do. I believe that Mike Fuller has a picture of the interior wiring of this pedal at his website.

I've been dealing with Fulltone for years because I simply think their pedals are the most tone-oriented units I've found. Mike seems to have up and down days over the phone regarding his congeniality, but I have never had a problem getting him to perform repairs (if necessary) or reasonable modifications on the pedals I get from him. Customer support has never been an issue with me for Fulltone pedals. Buy them in complete confidence.

I look in here at reviews and see many people give pedals a "10" for so many categories. Sometimes I cringe because people give 10s to pedals I absolutely detest. This is a legitimate 10 in my mind, and I would replace it if stolen without question, even though it is very expensive. It doesn't matter what type of music you play because this pedal transcends genres. It is simply musical and you could use it in anything. I have owned many chorus pedals over the years. It can cop the sounds of the old Boss Choruses, the newer TC units, and the previous standard of flangers...the ADA. Those pedals have been rendered to the shelf by the Choralflange. This is warm and fat if you want it....transparent if you need it, and a first-rate professional piece of gear. The Mercedes of chorus and flange pedals. Best in its class by far.