Jacques MS-2 MeisterSinger Analog Chorus Pedal

I've owned a number of chorus pedals and this is flat out is one the best. It's very transparent and doesn't overwhelm your original tone. It has a lot of versatility and is very quiet. I would highly recommend this pedal.

I just recieved this pedal after trying out what I thought would be preferable first choices. I am a huge fan of The Police and Andy Summers' guitar tone, especially pertaining to the chorus. So I decided to bench my very first pedal, a plastic Rocktek chorus (which actually sounds pretty good!) for a professional grade analog product. I wasn't about to shell out for a CE-1, so I did my research thoroughly. The tone I was looking for was "Message In A Bottle" specifically. I had read that Andy uses the Electric Mistress on that song, but I have a feeling it is more of a blended effect (chorus and flanger). At any rate, I tried out the newer Stereo Electric Mistress, and while it had some sweet vintage sounds, it just didn't have that smoothness to it. It was more of a Jet Plane flanger/De Do Do Do, De Da...It was cool, but not for me. Then I tried what Visual Sound just came out with, essentially the chorus half of the H20 Pedal. I had played the H20 previously with a compressor as well and it was very cool, and very Summers-esque. However, this half of the pedal called the Liquid Chorus, just didn't have the thickness or decay I was looking for. It seemed like the effect rolled out too quickly and didn't stick out much. Some people might prefer that subtle sound, but for the price, I'd rather be able to DIAL in subtle, not stuck with it. On to the Meistersinger: This Jaques guy or company knows what's up. I've checked out their site and they seem pretty dedicated to pedals only and getting them right. I thought I'd take a chance on the "little" brand that I knew nothing about, only what I heard on their sound clips, which were many. So after I fired this guy up, At first, with only the effect on, I wasn't too impressed but not turned off either. It sounded like a semi-lush chorus. I think the reason is because this pedal is so warm, it almost melts right into the notes of your riffs. Once I got adjusted to that and put the effect level and depth all the way up, I got some sick, lush tones. The best is always to pair a chorus with an MXR compressor, it always seems to extend the notes, especially in arpeggios. Obviously, this is what a compressor does, sustain notes, but with the chorus, it just seems like a perfect compliment to it and it brings it even more life and fullness. Talk about lush. Also, the build quality is great on this thing, it can be powered by a 9 volt, a plus if you are running a pedalboard like me and it barely takes up any room, MXR style. I added a slight touch of delay for spaciousness and some light distortion, and I basically had my own personal rendition of "Message In A Bottle". I can't wait to try this out live with my band, but it def. sounds like it came from the 80's, which I totally dig. It doesn't quite nail The Police tone to a T, I figure unless I talk to Andy himself or the studio tech, I'll never figure that out. However, this is the closest thing I've ever heard yet. It also allows you to dial down the chorus and get some more elegant stuff going. It's the type of pedal where the knobs have a lot of variance and you can still make purely original music on it. But when you feel like sending out an S.O.S., it'll do the job admirably.

I've owned several CE-1 pedals and they are surely the best sounding chorus, but a tad noisy. I read some reviews on this pedal and thought..yea..maybe... But, I've owned Jacques pedals before and they always sounded great, so I figured I'd give it a try. Well I played it Thursday and didn't have much time to fiddle with it...didn't need much time..it sounded awesome out of the box. I'm impressed. Very clean tone and doesn't "overcolor" your tone as most modern chorus pedals do. It has a sound like a CE-2 also.. I know, some guys are saying..yea sure..then don't buy it...but you'll be missing out on what will be one of the best chorus pedals every.

You're looking at the price tag and asking yourself "Is it really worth THAT much?" You realize that manufacturers hype their wares to the furthest reaches of the universe and you wonder what the plain facts are. I did all this, and I took a gamble. Bottom line... Believe the hype. I've had a Boss CE-5 and a CE-20 and liked them both. They helped me to realize that chorus, for me, was not just a dash of seasoning on my tone or a way to thicken it up a bit. Chorus is an ESSENTIAL component of the sound I'm looking for. This is the pedal. Here's what you can believe - 1)Gives you what you want w/o taking or perverting what you've got. Keep your tone, just make it better. 2)The LEVEL control is not just an aggravating, extra volume knob that none of us need. It determines the audibility of the effect. Dial it from "subtle" to "inescapable". 3)Ever play with the rate knob on your chorus and suddenly your fiddle sounded like you hadn't tuned it for a year? Not a problem with this box - it uses negative detune, so you can have it wavy, you can have it warbly, and you still sound good. One word of caution: if you're used to jumping up and down on a Boss, rethink that. A gentle tap is enough to turn this baby on. Summary: I love this stomp. You might, too.

This is one of the best choruses on the market.  I've tried all the big money mod units and the only one I prefer to this is the Mayer Voodoo Vibe ($$$).  If you're looking for a chorus that you can run subtle or freaky, this one is as flexible as they come.  Better rotating simulation than most vibes.  Just about nails the Lifeson tone.  Worth a try for the price.  I've got three of these for different paths.  You'll never miss the stereo option.  This unit prompted me to look at the rest of the Jacques line, I now own every pedal he makes.  None of them have been disappointing.