Polychorus Alternative for Nirvana Tones | Radio Friendly Unit Shifter Sound For $80? 

Buy this budget polychorus alternative here: amzn.to/3XUT8IU

"WawowawoWAEOWO” wise words from the polly chorus

People thought I was crazy when I spent nearly $500 on an all original, rust free, nearly mint condition 1980 Polychorus back in 2016. It's still in near mint condition today, barely a scratch on it. I'll easily double my money if I ever decide to sell it. I didn't buy it as an investment, although it's pretty much become one as they get harder and harder to find. I've never even seen a photo of one as clean as this one.

I remember posting about the delay pedal in the nirvana gears and guitars Facebook group I’m so happy that it’s well recognized now

Holy WOW. really cool video. The sound is EXTREMELY close

If you already have a small clone, just max out all the settings for radio friendly, thats what i always do.

Try out the Ibanez CF-7. It's harder to find because they were discontinued and they cost about $80, but they are super versatile. With it I'm able to get the tones from every song with chorus, Curmudgeon, Scentless Apprentice, HSB and even RFUS pairing it with a FAB Flange with the "Space Mod" wich is super cheap

I can't thank you enough for these suggestions, I was thinking about how to get a cheap "PolyChorus", and then this video came up. Thank you!!

Excited for this video!!

Thank you!! I got a drop pedal, a DS-1, DS-2 and CH-1 super chorus so this should help. Thank you for all you do!!!

I just watched your sansamp alternatives video and i was thinking about polychourus alternatives,then this video came out!!Thanks a lot man

The most interesting thing about this pedal is under the cover. Controls include internal trim pots for modulation rate and depth. I've heard before that this pedal can get close to poly-chorus tone, and even tested it in a store, but didn't buy it. Thanks for the comparison with the originals from Electro-Harmonix

Great video Erick!

Another very fun option is mariana modulated reverbs. When you look at the art work you will know what it was inspired by lol

For me, the echo delay time space pedal really nails the echoflanger and polly chours tone. It's what I use for those songs, and it was really adorable, I think it was like 40 bucks. I really recommend it for anybody who wants a budget polly chours pedal.

oh my god, i remember i asked this so long ago. glad to see you finally found one !!!

I can't express how glad I am that you have such a collection of guitars and pedals from completely different eras of Nirvana. This is just amazing

Awesome video! I have the Fender Hammertone Space Dealy and I can get pretty similar Echo Flanger tones from it too. Keep up the awesome work!

Love it man 👍 keep it up

Love the vids dude!!

Your content of covering anything Nirvana is insane. Like to think Kurt would be impressed! ❤

Great work Eric!

YOU ARE A LEGEND

Definitely the go-to channel for Nirvana stuff! Hope you do a tone recreation of SNL 92 someday :)

That sounded really nice. I think I'm going to spend some time this weekend messing around with my delays to see if any can come close.

thank you so much for this video dude.

Hey, man! Really appreciate these videos. You are doing a great service for Nirvana fans everywhere. But would you mind sharing a few of the more expensive pedals that can sort of recreate the polychorus?

This is an incredibly useful video, i was constantly wondering what the alternatives to the polychorus were, the fender delay is close enough to evoke the sound but it's definitely missing some of that extra wobble from the chorus/flanger effect, still incredibly valuable, nice video Eric.

thank so much for making this video that fender almost identical now i know what im gonna ask for christmas

Great video! Would you be able to do a video on the other non-budget options too?

That is impressive. I wouldn't have thought an inexpensive delay could create that madness. Great vid.

Sounds insanely close! Great work as always!

I was just looking this up last night so I could cover rfus thank you so much 😭😭😭😭

Good pedal, Eric. I'm looking at it myself. As someone mentioned below, try out the Mariana Modulated Reverbs by Caline. There's a short on here by a guy named Jason Beane, and my suggestion to check it out seems to be flagged and deleted every time I try to post too much info. Just look up his name or RFUS on a budget and it's probably going to be the first short you see. Killer sound. I would love to see you review it.

YEES, I love your content. i watch it everyday. now i know what pedal i can use!

the best way to get this sound is just to use a memory boy with the modulation all the way up. put is before distortion and it sounds exactly the same as the record trust me :)

I agree with you on it sounding very close for Scentless Apprentice and the HSB Solo, but I think RFUS is okay, but definitely missing that craziness that the Polychorus and Echoflanger give the song. Great Video as always!

i love your video and as a young guitarist you, kurt, krist, and Dave inspire me and my band. And is there any cheap alternative to the Boss ds and/ or the ProRat?

Another super affordable option is the FAB Chorus (Danelectro) The mix knob full and depth knob full The speed passed half and sounds more closer to the polychorus, than that Fender Delay

Y'all already know if this man uploads its already a great day

Yeeeaaaaaa boooyyy, another nirvana guitars video! 😃

Wanted to drop a mention for the Memory Boy, I've recreated the RFUS, HSB solo, and Sentless Apprentice tones semi-faithfully. Its baseline "good enough."

Luv ur vids 🔥

hey eric! I'm a big fan of your channel and you helped me a lot with Nirvana tones/guitars doubts I used to have, but I got a thing to say. After watching the video, I went searching after a Fender Delay (I'm from Brazil, and the chance of finding a Polychorus here is almost 0), and I found out they are very expensive here, so I went to another option, it's a pedal that is quite similar to the Polychorus when it comes to effects, the Sonicake Warped Dimension. I wanted to ask if you have the opportunity to test one, do a video reviewing it and saying if it is a good option for Polychorus. Nirvana forever!!!

Thanks, man! Awesome alternative, really! I'm from Brazil. I have a broken Polychorus that nobody knows how to fix it. I was really looking for a good affordable replacement.

hey man, i just wanted to say that ive found that the gokko super chorus might also be fairly similar, and its WAAAAY more budget, it can be found for as little as 40-50 bucks on temu if youre willing to buy from there and i love how much control it gives you over what it does. it has 5 seperate knobs for all the various settings as well as a bass filter button which ive heard is more suited for bass players, it also even supports stereo output for anyone who might be into that. i dont know a ton but just thought id give some knowledge ive learned since ive seen barely anybody talk about the gokko superchorus online at all

Thank you so much before I was recreating a polychorus by putting on my Electro Harmonix small clone the switch up and maxed out the rate😅

Just ordered one

Another pedal that’s gotten me the Radio Friendly Unit Shifter sound is the Earth Quaker Devices Space Spiral. Not as affordable as the Fender Delay, but it gets the job done.

Thanks Eric!! 🙏

I saw this video after i learned how to Play Heart Shaped Box, i am thankful

Have you ever tried the behringer vibrato pedal? I use it and for the hsb solo i come really close to the live version. Nice video Eric!

Eric pls do the big long now tone video. I love this song

I saw Mosky's blue ocean chorus pedal in a kristone video, I bought it and to my taste it sounds incredibly identical to RFUS and the other tones , and you can use it like a normal chorus too , i love that pedal and i recommend it , It cost me approximately $25 in Amazon

YES FINALLY

You should check out the ''Ibanez ES3 Echo Shifter Pedal'' While I don't have one myself, I do have an Ibanez HD1500, which is an amazing bit of 80's rack gear which can, as I said in an earlier comment get a spot on Poly-Chorus tone. As far as i'm aware, the ES3 is based off of the Ibanez HD1500 so it might be perfect for a cheap Poly-Chorus alternative. Great video BTW!

Have you tried out the Rowin Time Maker? That's the closest to a genuine Polychorus sound i've been able to get whilst my 90's Polychorus is in need of repair. It takes some tweaking but it's a highly underrated pedal and doesn't get enough attention. It also goes by different brand names like VSN & Vivlex. Thanks for this one Eric, great content as always!

while not a budget pedal necessarily, another good alternative for the RFUS polychorus sound is the ehx canyon delay. i picked it up about a year ago and i was very surprised to find that that tone could be pretty closely replicated. you can also get pretty much all of the other sounds as well. if anyone is interested in the settings, let me know!

That Fender peddle is incredible! And for $80? WOW! It sounded the best on most demo’s. Kurt would have played that peddle if it was available then. 🤷🏻‍♂️🥃

Hey i wanted to ask if you could do a Video about the tone from the rio de janeiro live concert? I think its unique and really cool. You did the come as you are Cover wich soundet great i think it would be cool doing a whole Video mayby about the concert. In any way have a great day/night 👍

In my experience, I think a pedal that gets pretty close to the PolyChorus was the Ibanez FL-Mini. It’s a flanger pedal that, when messing around with a couple of the knobs, it can get pretty close to the sounds a Small Clone/PolyChorus/Leslie Speaker make for a cheaper price. Despite the fact that it can’t replicate these sounds 1-to-1, I think it’s something that can get you in the ballpark. The only problem is that it’s pretty tiny.

I had thought I got very close with an EQD Sea Machine. You can control the pre delay on it and you can matrix oscilloans together with the animate knob.

Cool man🤘

Amazing!! Also... since u sold your budget oranj stang, are u gonna get another oranj stang??

For example, I have a gertaria chorus delay and ds multi effects pedal and it gives so many tones. And if you want a lot of tones you should buy an early 2000s multi effects pedal wich usually have direct nirvana rcreations such as settings titled just punk chorus oregon and black.

Are you aware of the trim pots inside the Fender Delay that affect the mod setting? Did you tweak those to get closer? If not, do you think you could? If so,I’d love to see a follow up video explaining what adjustments you make. I just bought one and can’t wait to mess with it!

This was a really good and interesting video I think you might have perfectly recreated it with the echoflanger!! But pls do cow palace 1993 I’m dying to hear how you could recreate it.

I use an Ibanez DML 20 - it’s a little pricier than the fender but can do those sounds pretty perfect for me. the modulation works by automating the (100% digital) delay time, which gets this time bending effect pulling the pitch up and down. Death By Audio Space Bender can achieve similar but again it’s more expensive, though cheaper than a polychorus.

Let's goooooo I love your videos

I used a g1xfour zoom pedal for these tones and effects. I get extremely close with this one pedal. Its a multi patch pedal with programmable amps and pedals. I swear you will not regret getting this pedal.

Hi nirvana guitars, i have three questions , 1: can you do argentina 1992 tone?. the second question is if you can munchin 1994 tone (i think that if you do the munchin tone is going to be pretty cool becausa munchin 1994 was the last concert from nirvana. and the third question if you can do the tone of in utero sessions idk if you want to do all this tones is going to be soooooooooo cool (please do lol)

What will happen if you put the hammertone delay with small clone?

The hammertone gets close to the tone of the modern reissue

Thanks

Please make the same video recreating the sound of the Aneurysm on the Rio '93 🙏🙏🙏

Hey eric you should probably check out the pedal Mariana modulated reverbs by Carline, I remember watching a shorts video of a guy doing a rfus cover using the pedal I think it would be a great alternative polychorus comparison video!

Sold :) just scooped one on eBay for 50 bucks. I used to have that same shit back in the early '00s - wish I knew where it went.

I use a wave machine chorus with all settings completely up Al the way and I think it sounds good it’s like 40 bucks on amazon

Are you putting the chorus before or after distortion pedal?

If I wanted a polychorus would you suggest the 90’s or the reissue version

Is there a way to make this petal emulate the sound of the boss waza delay, i bought this as soon a i watched this video and heard the demo. So if i can get a 2 in one for nirvana ill be really happy with it

the hammertone can probably get even closer, with some messing with the internal pots to change the chorus sound

Try the Mariana pedal. It gets a lot closer than that Fender pedal you just demonstrated.

Anyone know if the Fender Spacedelay is the same pedal/circuit as the Delay being used here? Is has the same form factor and switches, but have never try either. Thanks!

I always use a plate reverb or a delay with any chorus pedal to get close to the sound

No way I was literally just thinking if there were any budget alternatives to the poly chorus

i use my JPTR FX Bleach pedal as an alternative to the Polychorus / Echoflanger, imo it gets pretty close to how these pedals sound on the middle or top setting for the chaos switch. still, i may get the Hammertone eventually because of how close it can get!

You should have made this video sooner 😭😭 Yesterday I bought a poly chorus because I could find another pedal with closer tones. Good video though! 👍

Hey Eric, a lot of the tone settings you show work well with a Mustang LT50/LT25 without any sort of pedals. But a DS-1 or DS-2 works best rather than using the built in distorted stompbox. I think it's the best amp for people who don't want to spend a lot of money on extra equipment but want to get really close tones. You should check it out and maybe make a video on it.

Since you're doing cheaper versions of pedals, can you take a look at the Caline Osmium as a DS-1 clone? From the few comparisons I see online, the Osmium seems to sound like a retro DS-1. They usually compare it to a modern DS-1, notice the lack of piercing high end and say it sounds vintage whereas you have a proper vintage DS-1to compare it to.

Ive long lusted for the inbetween missing link between echoflanger and polychorus. The rare polyflange. Looks just like a polychorus but says polyflange instead. I wish EHX would remake it in the same style they did their Attack/Decay. More square-ish but with same color and aesthetic as the vintage one, which looked like a polychorus except instead of teal green accented it has orange as its color.

Please do the mariana modulated reverb pedal its very cool and the name obviously hints at its inspiration

Well, I use a Boss GT1 and the Space Lead patch does a great job in recreating Scentless Apprentice and Radio Friendly…

its crazt how close that delay pedal gets!

Try the Caline CP-507 Mariana Reverb on "Mermaid" setting and A: just over half B: all the way C: all the way

Please Do The Boss DS1 Pedal History And Kurt Cobain’s 1969 Competition Mustang Guitar History Video

not seen anyone mention one but ive had a behringer uc200 for a while now, its not perfect but i get some pretty good come as you are esque chorus tone. and dirt cheap too, theyre like $40 to $50 max

The polychorus is insane (the old one) I'm a happy owner of this pedal! BTW, I don't understand why the sansamp (vintage) doesn't increase that much in price...

bro looking at your cool nirvana shirts

Buying a Polychorus / Echoflange for playing RFUS live is completely unnecessary. People who go watch a band live don't really care about the pedals being used (unless they are guitarists). Focusing on execution, stage presence and making a good show, on the other hand, is what really matters. On my band, we found that the cheap as chips Danelectro Fab Flange with the "Space Ship Mod", when plugged before the distortion, makes a great RFUS intro sound. Great video, Eric! (BTW, I noticed that your last name is Peixoto. Do you happen to have anything related to Brazil? It is a common last name here.) Cheers!