Comparison: Vintage vs. Reissue CS9 Stereo Chorus

The original Ibanez CS9 Stereo Chorus was first made in the 1980s as part of the Ibanez 9 series of pedals, which included the SM9 Super Metal, and the famous TS9 Tube Screamer. (For a review of the original CS9, Click Here)

I spent a great deal of time comparing these pedals, on their own and in conjunction with other pedals. Here is what I noticed:

-The original pedal has a much warmer sound and a purer reproduction of the original signal blended in with the chorus effect.

-With the original, it is possible to dial down the chorus depth to an almost unnoticeable level; with the reissue, you can always tell when the pedal is on.

-The reissue has a noisier switch; it might be the difference in output impedance, but the sound of the reissue pedal coming on is definitely more noticeable

 -The output impedance, residual noise level, delay time, and speed frequency are all slightly different on the reissue pedal. Also, many of the components are not manufactured in the same facilities as the originals, and many consider these parts to be inferior to the equivalent Japanese-made parts of the 1980s.
 
Brass Tacks:
-Price: Both pedals can be had for under $100, though the original ones are generally a little bit less expensive than the reissues (if you don't care about condition).

-While neither of these pedals are collector's items, the original pedal seems to be the better investment, since it sounds better and has better components.

Review: Ibanez CS9 Stereo Chorus

This is the Ibanez CS9 Stereo Chorus. For the price, it is probably the best bang for your buck out there. Don't get me wrong, there are better sounding choruses out there, but all things considered, this one takes the cake.

I have had two of these, and one of the subsequent "power series" CSL Stereo Chorus pedals, and they all sounded great, but this one is my favourite. It was made in 1981, but as far as I can tell, there's not too much difference between any of the ones from the original 9 series.

WARNING: The contemporary reissue of this pedal is NOT THE SAME!!!
                *Click Here for a comparison of these two pedals*

Recently, I started using a vintage Boss CE-2 pedal for chorus, but eventually switched back to the CS9. The Boss pedal sounded great with a clean sound, but not so great when distortion or overdrive was added to the signal. I tried adding gain before and after the pedal, but the only way I could get it to sound good loud was to turn the amp up. The CS9, on the other hand, sounds great clean and with distortion.

Highs:
-Solid construction
-Warm analog sound
-Stereo outputs

Lows:
-A little noisy
-Limited controls

Possible Modifications:
-True bypass wouldn't be a bad mod, although if you have a few 9-series pedals in your path, the buffers tend to work well together.

Rating: 7/10

Ibanez AF9 Auto Filter

Click Here for a review of this pedal!