Boss CE-2 Chorus vs MXR Phase 90
The Boss CE-2 Chorus and the MXR Phase 90 are both pedals sharing smooth, analog warmth, warm. The Boss CE-2 Chorus leans modulated and shimmer. The MXR Phase 90 leans fuzzy. Current prices: $185 vs $89.99.
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Blended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.35% — somewhat different
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Genres both listings are associated with.- Rock
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Derived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.- smooth
- analog warmth
- warm
Boss CE-2 Chorus
Boss · pedal
MXR Phase 90
MXR · pedal
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Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$185via Reverb
$89.99via Reverb
The Boss CE-2 Chorus Ensemble was the industry first compact chorus pedal, an all-analog BBD design known for a warm, lush, three-dimensional shimmer. It thickens the guitar with liquid, watery modulation that rounds out the tone rather than drastically altering it, with rate and depth controls spanning subtle movement to expansive, sparkly textures. The CE-2 shaped countless 1980s rock, new wave, and post-punk records and is associated with The Police, The Cure, the Pretenders, Rush, and clean Metallica tones. It sits well on clean and lightly driven sounds, adding depth and width while staying musical, and it remains a benchmark vintage chorus that modern reissues like the CE-2W emulate.
The MXR Phase 90 is one of the most iconic phaser pedals ever made, a single-knob, four-stage analog phaser known for its warm, organic, liquid sweep. With just a Speed control, it is effortless to use, producing everything from a slow, gentle swirl to a fast, watery throb that animates both rhythm and lead playing. Its rich, musical phasing has appeared on countless recordings across classic rock, funk, and beyond, and it is famously associated with Eddie Van Halen's early tone. The compact orange enclosure and simple operation make it a pedalboard staple. It sits early in the chain into clean or driven amps, adding three-dimensional movement without thinning the core guitar tone.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- New Wave
- Post-Punk
- Alternative Rock
- Funk
- Classic Rock
- Blues
- modulated
- shimmer
- lush
- low gain
- fuzzy