Boss CE-2 Chorus

The Boss CE-2 Chorus Ensemble is an analog chorus pedal produced from 1979 to 1982, generating warm, lush modulation by splitting the signal and detuning one copy against the original. Its simple two-knob layout — rate and depth — produces a range of effects from subtle thickening to pronounced warble, all with the warm, slightly dark character of its analog bucket-brigade circuit. The CE-2 became synonymous with post-punk guitar after Bernard Sumner used it extensively throughout Joy Division's catalog, and Robert Smith of The Cure made it a permanent fixture on his pedalboard. The pedal's organic, slightly imperfect modulation sits more naturally in a mix than digital chorus alternatives. Original units command high prices on the used market, though Boss's Waza Craft CE-2W reissue faithfully recreates the original circuit with added stereo output and CE-1 mode.