Review: 1970’s Multivox CB 1 Chorus Box

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It’s always fun when I get to do a post on a rare, discontinued pedal that sounds great and was insanely cheap. So today’s post is about a pedal I found on a recent dig, the Multivox CB 1 Chorus Box. Made in the 1970’s, the CB 1 is an awesome chorus box with a super musical vibrato effect!

Photo credit: studio1525

Photo credit: studio1525

When I am on tour, or traveling for Earthquaker Devices doing clinics, I am always scouring craigslist, vintage music gear shops, and local pawn shops for cool instruments and effects. I was in Indianapolis for a Sam Ash/Earthquaker Devices clinic and I had time one morning to hit some guitar shops. There was a cool little shop out in Noblesville, Indiana called Center Stage Guitars so I took my rental car and drove through some corn fields to get to this awesome store.

Kevin Heffernan is the owner of this cool shop, and as I walk in to Center Stage Guitars, he greets me and immediately asks if I want a beer! Days like this are so damn special! I quickly go through his store and play through some effects, pet his dog and generally rap out to Kevin about music and music gear.

My first find is a weird wah-wah pedal made in Japan in the 70’s with a built in siren and white noise! I wanted to buy it for the novelty but I figured I would never use it, so I pass on it and keep looking. I stop when I come across this Multivox CB 1 Chorus Box! This effect box got my blood rushing and I started playing through it with a old Fender Musicmaster bass that Kevin had for sale.

Originally based out of New York and specializing in modular synth gear, the Multivox company was founded in the 1940’s before closing up shop in the 1980’s.  I happen to own a vintage envelope filter by them that I got in Japan. I love this company and I think I will continue to buy pedals made by them as I find them. The Chorus Box is just so damn musical! The chorus is basic but very lush with just the perfect balance of tones.

Now anyone who has listened to Mars Volta records knows that I used vibrato all over our records. I used the Boss VB-2 and I rarely find vibratos that are as great that one (The Chase Bliss Warped Vinyl and the Behringer Vibrato are awesome too!) but this Chorus Box has a legit vibrato! Check it!