The Twelve Days of Chorus - Part 8

Now Yes, Chorus is typically an 80's effect, and when I really came into myself as a player it was the 90's. I'll admit I wasn't much into Grunge or any alternative music from the start. I did like some; Alice & Chains, Soundgarden, but it took awhile for me to shake the influences that were so ingrained in my playing and sound that were so 80's.

Admittedly, I wasn't a big Nirvana fan. I blame it on every time I was in a music store some one was playing smells like teen spirit. It was an easy tune so many bands started to cover it. One night at a battle of the bands, EVERY band played it in their set. I can really appreciate them now, Kurt's approach was very refreshing in guitar playing, and songwriting that really brought a simplicity of what really makes things work in music, and it formed a pretty good foundation for a ton of musicians to build their future on.

Kurt did have a chorus, and like alot of his gear, was a piece that was pretty much relegated to swap meets, and pawn shops. The Electro Harmonix Small Clone.

These things were pretty cheaply made, with a sheet metal casing, a rate control, and a depth switch. It can be subtle, but it's like using a Lamborghini to deliver pizzas. It really does a great leslie, swirling like effect, and almost too much out of tune-ness. Listen to "come as you are", it's all over that. No tap tempo, no stereo spread, it's an effect that when you turn it on, you feel it!

EHX still makes this, in the sheet metal case, and also in a MXR Phase 90 like die cast case. Other high end chorus pedals say they can do this EHX sound, but it's almost like seeing a comedian do an impression of christopher walken, and then you see Christopher Walken in a movie. Nothing beats the real thing.