Chorus Pedal for STP Tones

I recently joined an STP tribute band. It's been pretty fun learning songs from my college days again. I can cover most of the base tones using my Spawn QuickRod and my Les Paul. What I am struggling with is the chorus sounds. Songs like Plush have a thick chorus to them. In fact, the entire Core album has a slight chorus effect on all of the songs. I know that Dean uses an Intellifex in his live rig and in the studio. I've also read that he uses an old Boss CE-1. So what chorus pedal can I use to get close to the tones that he gets? I currently have a TC Corona, but I really don't care for it. To my ears it just meh... I'd like to get that thick lush chorusing that doesn't overpower the core tone. I don't really want to drop the kinda money that original CE-1s are now commanding. So what do y'all suggest? Thanks in advance.

SFW":3ln4pa94 said:

I recently joined an STP tribute band. It's been pretty fun learning songs from my college days again. I can cover most of the base tones using my Spawn QuickRod and my Les Paul. What I am struggling with is the chorus sounds. Songs like Plush have a thick chorus to them. In fact, the entire Core album has a slight chorus effect on all of the songs. I know that Dean uses an Intellifex in his live rig and in the studio. I've also read that he uses an old Boss CE-1. So what chorus pedal can I use to get close to the tones that he gets? I currently have a TC Corona, but I really don't care for it. To my ears it just meh... I'd like to get that thick lush chorusing that doesn't overpower the core tone. I don't really want to drop the kinda money that original CE-1s are now commanding. So what do y'all suggest? Thanks in advance.

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I picked up some old Roland units...SDE 3000, 1000 and the Reverb SRV 2000. I set the SDEs up with a nice chorus patch and I've been playing Plush, Dead and Bloated and Sex Type Thing with it and to me it's pretty damn close. I paid 50 bucks for the 1000 and 150 for the 3000.

SFW":3oid1m67 said:

I recently joined an STP tribute band. It's been pretty fun learning songs from my college days again. I can cover most of the base tones using my Spawn QuickRod and my Les Paul. What I am struggling with is the chorus sounds. Songs like Plush have a thick chorus to them. In fact, the entire Core album has a slight chorus effect on all of the songs. I know that Dean uses an Intellifex in his live rig and in the studio. I've also read that he uses an old Boss CE-1. So what chorus pedal can I use to get close to the tones that he gets? I currently have a TC Corona, but I really don't care for it. To my ears it just meh... I'd like to get that thick lush chorusing that doesn't overpower the core tone. I don't really want to drop the kinda money that original CE-1s are now commanding. So what do y'all suggest? Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

There's a bit of confusion I think when it comes to the Core sound, mainly that the Boss CE-1 was used for it's chorusing. The CE-1 was mainly for splitting the signals to two amps, with the exception of a few songs that made use of the pedal's Vibrato side. However anytime you hear that signature overdriven chorus sound on songs like Sin, Plush, ect, it's always the Rocktron Intelliverb.

One of the reasons I never could get pedals to do this sound, is because the Rocktron is much more psychadelic in nature due its presets having multiple choruses, swirling around each other. I never got to try a pedal that has this feature. Not to mention there's a particular setting on the Rocktron that gives the chorus a bit of a flangey bite to it that is pretty unique and further distances itself from pedals.

The other part is the Demeter TGP3, in it's own right is a very unique sounding piece of gear and accounts for a lot of that tone. The sound of the TGP3's gain stage hitting a modulation effect is pretty special, but even moreso when it's the Intelliverb. For whatever reason these 2 were made for each other. I've tried my Rocktron with other Marshally style amps and it just doesn't have that mojo. Probably close enough to make most people happy but I was a bit OCD about chasing that tone so the pairing of the 2 really did it for me.

My advice would be to buy / save up for an Intelliverb when one pops up if you're really trying to nail that sound. Maybe the Intellifex is another decent option? I've never tried one but I hear they're close. Otherwise look for some kind of multi-voiced chorus preferably with control over the depths of each chorus.

Here's Dean in a live setting, back in the day when he made a lot more use of the effect. Compare that to what you hear in the demos of most pedals and I'd say there's a difference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgrS3fwLUiM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FEdYQUUgzA&feature=youtu.be&t=77

Personally I settled on this, found it to be the best tool for the job.

Yeah, to really nail it you need a stereo rig. I’m running a mono setup at the moment. If this gets serious, then I’ll think about going stereo. I knew the CE-1 was mainly to split the signal. And for some of the fluttery stuff on some of their songs. I know a rack unit will be much more flexible, but for the moment I’m just trying to get into the ballpark. I just know that the Corona leaves me flat.

I'm in a similar boat. I'd love to rock a stereo rig, but it's just not practical for me to lug two rigs to gigs. I've thought about going with digital setup like an AxeFX/Helix/Preamp Pedal + Power Amp & Cab to get a more practical stereo rig, but I'm just attached to a simple tube head + 4x12. I've been using a Boss CH1 here and there during solos but I've never been thrilled with it. The Pete Thorn demo of the EVH Chorus has got me interested, but again, I don't know if it'll be anything substantially better in a mono setup.

I had mine wired up in mono initially and it was still that sound. Switching it up to stereo didn't make a massive difference although I do prefer it. It seems to be much more about the Rocktron's multi-voiced chorus being pummeled by a preamp rather than stereo/mono. And from what I understand Dean's rig is wired up in mono.

When you get in the room with the real thing you realize just how much it's not a BBD type of sound. I think that's where I went wrong with all the pedals I bought. Kept trying to go for that old school analog thing when it's actually a really processed, digital sounding chorus.

Try the Neunaber Chroma Chorus, does a detune that sounds great for STP stuff

Man check out the Source Audio Gemini. Can store 6 presets in the pedal all sorts of routing options AND you can load any tones from their other mod pedals to it.

JT087":2hhz17hc said:

SFW":2hhz17hc said:

I recently joined an STP tribute band. It's been pretty fun learning songs from my college days again. I can cover most of the base tones using my Spawn QuickRod and my Les Paul. What I am struggling with is the chorus sounds. Songs like Plush have a thick chorus to them. In fact, the entire Core album has a slight chorus effect on all of the songs. I know that Dean uses an Intellifex in his live rig and in the studio. I've also read that he uses an old Boss CE-1. So what chorus pedal can I use to get close to the tones that he gets? I currently have a TC Corona, but I really don't care for it. To my ears it just meh... I'd like to get that thick lush chorusing that doesn't overpower the core tone. I don't really want to drop the kinda money that original CE-1s are now commanding. So what do y'all suggest? Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

There's a bit of confusion I think when it comes to the Core sound, mainly that the Boss CE-1 was used for it's chorusing. The CE-1 was mainly for splitting the signals to two amps, with the exception of a few songs that made use of the pedal's Vibrato side. However anytime you hear that signature overdriven chorus sound on songs like Sin, Plush, ect, it's always the Rocktron Intelliverb.

One of the reasons I never could get pedals to do this sound, is because the Rocktron is much more psychadelic in nature due its presets having multiple choruses, swirling around each other. I never got to try a pedal that has this feature. Not to mention there's a particular setting on the Rocktron that gives the chorus a bit of a flangey bite to it that is pretty unique and further distances itself from pedals.

The other part is the Demeter TGP3, in it's own right is a very unique sounding piece of gear and accounts for a lot of that tone. The sound of the TGP3's gain stage hitting a modulation effect is pretty special, but even moreso when it's the Intelliverb. For whatever reason these 2 were made for each other. I've tried my Rocktron with other Marshally style amps and it just doesn't have that mojo. Probably close enough to make most people happy but I was a bit OCD about chasing that tone so the pairing of the 2 really did it for me.

My advice would be to buy / save up for an Intelliverb when one pops up if you're really trying to nail that sound. Maybe the Intellifex is another decent option? I've never tried one but I hear they're close. Otherwise look for some kind of multi-voiced chorus preferably with control over the depths of each chorus.

Here's Dean in a live setting, back in the day when he made a lot more use of the effect. Compare that to what you hear in the demos of most pedals and I'd say there's a difference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgrS3fwLUiM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FEdYQUUgzA&feature=youtu.be&t=77

Personally I settled on this, found it to be the best tool for the job.

Click to expand...

+1 on the Intelliverb, I have two units and buy more if I can find one for a reasonable price. As in less than 300 dollars.

Cantrell also used the Intelliverb with his.Fish. Jar of Flies is all Intelliverb chorus.

JT087":vscnp9c2 said:

SFW":vscnp9c2 said:

I recently joined an STP tribute band. It's been pretty fun learning songs from my college days again. I can cover most of the base tones using my Spawn QuickRod and my Les Paul. What I am struggling with is the chorus sounds. Songs like Plush have a thick chorus to them. In fact, the entire Core album has a slight chorus effect on all of the songs. I know that Dean uses an Intellifex in his live rig and in the studio. I've also read that he uses an old Boss CE-1. So what chorus pedal can I use to get close to the tones that he gets? I currently have a TC Corona, but I really don't care for it. To my ears it just meh... I'd like to get that thick lush chorusing that doesn't overpower the core tone. I don't really want to drop the kinda money that original CE-1s are now commanding. So what do y'all suggest? Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

There's a bit of confusion I think when it comes to the Core sound, mainly that the Boss CE-1 was used for it's chorusing. The CE-1 was mainly for splitting the signals to two amps, with the exception of a few songs that made use of the pedal's Vibrato side. However anytime you hear that signature overdriven chorus sound on songs like Sin, Plush, ect, it's always the Rocktron Intelliverb.

One of the reasons I never could get pedals to do this sound, is because the Rocktron is much more psychadelic in nature due its presets having multiple choruses, swirling around each other. I never got to try a pedal that has this feature. Not to mention there's a particular setting on the Rocktron that gives the chorus a bit of a flangey bite to it that is pretty unique and further distances itself from pedals.

The other part is the Demeter TGP3, in it's own right is a very unique sounding piece of gear and accounts for a lot of that tone. The sound of the TGP3's gain stage hitting a modulation effect is pretty special, but even moreso when it's the Intelliverb. For whatever reason these 2 were made for each other. I've tried my Rocktron with other Marshally style amps and it just doesn't have that mojo. Probably close enough to make most people happy but I was a bit OCD about chasing that tone so the pairing of the 2 really did it for me.

My advice would be to buy / save up for an Intelliverb when one pops up if you're really trying to nail that sound. Maybe the Intellifex is another decent option? I've never tried one but I hear they're close. Otherwise look for some kind of multi-voiced chorus preferably with control over the depths of each chorus.

Here's Dean in a live setting, back in the day when he made a lot more use of the effect. Compare that to what you hear in the demos of most pedals and I'd say there's a difference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgrS3fwLUiM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FEdYQUUgzA&feature=youtu.be&t=77

Personally I settled on this, found it to be the best tool for the job.

Click to expand...

Thanks for this info. I love reading this depth of detail, particularly about the Intelliverb.

Philhouse":1bc4cukj said:

Try the Neunaber Chroma Chorus, does a detune that sounds great for STP stuff

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I've been doing this recently with my Neunaber Chroma. It's interesting how it makes everything swirl and shimmer, yet its a static chorus effect. It's like an old piano going slightly out of tune but sounds so rich. I guess it is the beating that occurs when you have two slightly separate frequencies harmonising?

When I ran a rack, I always had a detune running. Helps to thicken up the sound in a single guitar player situation. Right now I'm running a tri-chorus tone print on my Corona. It's ok, but just doesn't get the exact tone I'm going for. I guess I'll have to start saving pennies for an intellifex.

I'll record a video showing the Intelliverb vs some chorus pedals, and how you can tweak certain parameters on the rack that give it that psychedelic sound. Particularly the 116 Chorus/Verb preset, when that one gets tweaked the right way hitting a G chord sounds like you've woken up Frankenstein's monster when running a bunch of gain into it. I'd say this one sounds closest to what I hear on songs like Rooster or Plush. Not sure if it's the exact one they use as there's a metric shitload of chorus patches, all of them are highly tweakable and have the potential to sound somewhat close or very different.

SFW":3f524bpj said:

When I ran a rack, I always had a detune running. Helps to thicken up the sound in a single guitar player situation. Right now I'm running a tri-chorus tone print on my Corona. It's ok, but just doesn't get the exact tone I'm going for. I guess I'll have to start saving pennies for an intellifex.

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The Intellifex doesn't do a tri-stereo chorus either, but that's it's own thing

The ducking delay on the Intelliverb is awesome. Isn't the chorus a eight tap ?

stephen sawall":tvvmaemh said:

The ducking delay on the Intelliverb is awesome. Isn't the chorus a eight tap ?

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8 voice, but I don't remember taps on the Intellifex. I wasn't that hip, back then. LOL I think the same is true for the Intelliverb. Nice units. I used an Intellifex for a really long time, and only messed w/ the Intelliverb a handful of times, but that was a LONG time ago. GREAT units though. Big Bang for the buck

How transparent is the Intelliverb?

Zachman":2rz5z3a1 said:

stephen sawall":2rz5z3a1 said:

The ducking delay on the Intelliverb is awesome. Isn't the chorus a eight tap ?

Click to expand...

8 voice, but I don't remember taps on the Intellifex. I wasn't that hip, back then. LOL I think the same is true for the Intelliverb. Nice units. I used an Intellifex for a really long time, and only messed w/ the Intelliverb a handful of times, but that was a LONG time ago. GREAT units though. Big Bang for the buck

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I mean 8 voice when I say 8 tap.
Same here....it was twenty years ago I owned one.

GregM":3vd0otbr said:

How transparent is the Intelliverb?

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That's one of its strong points I think. There was a post on hugeracksinc.com before it went down, from Dave Friedman I believe talking about how the Rocktron's analog dry thru had something to do with why Dean favored it.

You hear it a lot in live STP stuff where it's not heavily modulated like the early days, and using the chorus for a little bit of movement and texture. Can be a really cool always on effect.

It’s been forever since I’ve tried to get the sound. But I remember being able to get close with a Boss pitch shifter or harmonist pedal. I certainly can’t remember settings but you can get that wide thick sound going with either of those pedals.