The Boss CE-2 Chorus is a Boss chorus pedal, currently around $165. Close alternatives include the MXR Analog Chorus and the Dunlop JHMS3 Hendrix Shrine Series Uni-Vibe. It pairs well with the Randall Lynch Box and the Marshall Super Bass.
Boss CE-2 Chorus
Boss · pedal
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.
What stands out
“Most praised for the liquid, organic modulation heard on records by The Police, The Cure, and Rush”
— from the community notes
“Limitations include only two controls limiting fine tweaking, a tone that can feel too soft or vintage for players wanting pristine modern shimmer, and vintage units being costly and inconsistent”
— from the reviews
“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”
— from the listing
“It thickens the guitar with liquid, watery modulation that rounds out the tone , with rate and depth controls spanning subtle movement to expansive, sparkly textures”
— from the listing
“Lush, organic analog chorus with a warm, slightly dark voicing and a liquid, swirling movement that adds width and depth to clean tones”
— from the reviews
- modulation
- shimmer
- clean
- watery
- lush
- liquid
- chorus
- new wave
Price updated Oct 24, 2026
Genres the Boss CE-2 Chorus is commonly used in
- New Wave
- Rock
- Post-Punk
- Ambient
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Indie
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Neo Soul
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Boss CE-2 Chorus
Randall Lynch Box
Randall
30% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run Boss CE-2 Chorus after Randall Lynch Box in the signal chain, clear of Randall Lynch Box's own gain stage
Comes later in the signal chain
Marshall Super Bass
Marshall
25% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (warm → bright)
Marshall Super Bass leans toward bright, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Comes later in the signal chain
Vox AC30 Guitar Combo Amp
Vox
25% matchUsed together by 1 artist
fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (warm → bright)
What Vox AC30 Guitar Combo Amp brings here leans toward bright — that's worth building a pairing around
Comes later in the signal chain
EVH 410
Evh
22% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Boss CE-2 Chorus's modulated voice goes after EVH 410 in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with EVH 410's own tight character
Comes later in the signal chain
Fuchs ODH
Fuchs
16% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep Fuchs ODH's bright voice out front: Boss CE-2 Chorus goes after Fuchs ODH in the signal chain so its modulated voice doesn't muddy it
Comes later in the signal chain
Blackstar 1RH MKII
Blackstar
13% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep Blackstar 1RH MKII's crunchy voice out front: Boss CE-2 Chorus goes after Blackstar 1RH MKII in the signal chain so its modulated voice doesn't muddy it
Comes later in the signal chain
Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head
Marshall
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head after Boss CE-2 Chorus
Vox Mini SuperBeetle Bass
Vox
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Vox Mini SuperBeetle Bass goes after Boss CE-2 Chorus in the chain
Pedals that stack with the Boss CE-2 Chorus
Boss DD-200 Digital Delay
Boss
29% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Boss CE-2 Chorus's modulated voice goes after Boss DD-200 Digital Delay in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Boss DD-200 Digital Delay's own shimmer character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive
Fulltone
25% matchWhat Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive brings here leans toward op-amp — that's worth building a pairing around
Comes earlier in the signal chain
RHC Rat Turbo Rat Distortion
Rhc Audio
25% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (warm → bright)
RHC Rat Turbo Rat Distortion's own aggressive character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Walrus Audio Warhorn
Walrus Audio
23% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run Boss CE-2 Chorus after Walrus Audio Warhorn in the signal chain, clear of Walrus Audio Warhorn's own gain stage
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Benson Amps BA-Pre
Benson Amps
23% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep Benson Amps BA-Pre's bright voice out front: Boss CE-2 Chorus goes after Benson Amps BA-Pre in the signal chain so its modulated voice doesn't muddy it
Comes later in the signal chain
Alexander Pedals Hot Pink Drive
Alexander Pedals
21% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Put Boss CE-2 Chorus after Alexander Pedals Hot Pink Drive in the signal chain, clear of Alexander Pedals Hot Pink Drive's own gain stage
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Silktone Overdrive Plus
Silktone
21% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep Boss CE-2 Chorus after Silktone Overdrive Plus in the signal chain, clear of Silktone Overdrive Plus's own gain stage
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Crazy Tube Circuits Constellation OC41
Crazy Tube Circuits
20% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep Boss CE-2 Chorus after Crazy Tube Circuits Constellation OC41 in the signal chain, clear of Crazy Tube Circuits Constellation OC41's own gain stage
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Cheaper alternatives
Providence ADC-4 Anadime Analog Chorus
Providence
67% similarityShared character: dark, modulation, subtle
Electro-Harmonix Small Clone
Electro-Harmonix
62% similaritySimilar voicing: analog warmth, lush
TC Electronic Corona Mini Chorus Effetto A
TC Electronic
61% similarityShared character: warm, chorus, modulation
Walrus Audio Fundamental Chrous
Walrus Audio
61% similarityShared character: chorus, modulation, subtle
Electro-Harmonix Good Vibes
Electro-Harmonix
60% similarityShared character: chorus
Fender Bubbler Chorus
Fender
58% similarityShared character: modulation, warm, clean
Boutique & premium upgrades
Dunlop Uni-Vibe UV-1 Chorus
Dunlop
61% similarityShared character: reissue, chorus, modulation
Red Witch Empress
Red Witch
61% similarityShared character: chorus, modulation, subtle
Boss CE-2W Chorus Waza Craft
Boss
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Alexander Pedals Equilibrium DLX Vintage Modulation
Alexander Pedals
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
MXR Analog Chorus
MXR
64% similarityShared character: sparkly clean, dark, modulation
Dunlop JHMS3 Hendrix Shrine Series Uni-Vibe
Dunlop
63% similarityShared character: chorus, modulation, clean
Univox Uni-Vibe
Univox
62% similarityShared character: chorus, subtle
Keeley Seafoam Plus Chorus/Vibrato
Keeley
62% similarityShared character: low noise floor, chorus, modulation
Electro-Harmonix NC
Electro-Harmonix
59% similarityShared character: subtle, warm, clean
Strymon Eventide TriceraChorus
Strymon
58% similarityShared character: chorus, modulation, warm
See all alternatives to the Boss CE-2 Chorus (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Boss CE-2 Chorus?+
The closest matches in character are the MXR Analog Chorus, the Dunlop JHMS3 Hendrix Shrine Series Uni-Vibe, the Univox Uni-Vibe. Budget picks: Providence ADC-4 Anadime Analog Chorus, Electro-Harmonix Small Clone, TC Electronic Corona Mini Chorus Effetto A. Boutique upgrades: Dunlop Uni-Vibe UV-1 Chorus, Red Witch Empress, Boss CE-2W Chorus Waza Craft.
What pairs well with the Boss CE-2 Chorus?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Randall Lynch Box, Marshall Super Bass, Vox AC30 Guitar Combo Amp — Run Boss CE-2 Chorus after Randall Lynch Box in the signal chain, clear of Randall Lynch Box's own gain stage.
How much does the Boss CE-2 Chorus cost?+
Around $165 (live listing price, updated Oct 24, 2026).