TC Electronic reissues its first-ever pedal as the Stereo Chorus Flanger returns new and improved
The 1976 BBD classic was a leap forward for modulation stompboxes and now it's back with extra headroom and a few choice upgrades
TC Electronic has turned the clock back 45 years to reissue its first-ever pedal with a faithful but subtly improved Stereo Chorus Flanger.
Returning as the SCF Gold, it presents its trio of modulation flavours in similar fashion, but has added extra headroom and a 9V DC input so that it runs on a regular pedalboard power supply.
Also, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than a vintage 1976 units, which can turn up on Reverb for over £300. The text on the enclosure has gone from white to gold but the pedal’s format is otherwise unchanged, presenting players with a wide range of analogue modulation, from stereo chorus through pitch modulation and flanger.
The modulation modes are selected via a three-way switch, with controls for Speed, Width and Intensity. There is also a mini-knob for adjusting input gain, and a handy overload LED to let you know if you need more headroom. But with SCF Gold’s upgraded preamp, there should be plenty of that.
You will notice an improved low-end response too, and TC promises a dynamic range that will complement any playing style. And, like the originals, it has a low noise floor to make it run as quiet as a church mouse.
All the SCF Gold’s jacks are top-mounted, and of course you can run the SCF Gold in mono or stereo, with both routing options clearly marked on the top. Available now, the SCF Gold is priced £149 / $199 street. See TC Electronic for more details.
Get the MusicRadar Newsletter
Want all the hottest music and gear news, reviews, deals, features and more, direct to your inbox? Sign up here.
Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars and guitar culture since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitar World. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halen’s Panama.
“Meticulously crafted analogue and digital circuits all curated from the ground up for bass-centric tonal expansion”: Fender unveils the Bassman effects line – 5 pedalboard essentials for bassists
“Imagine standing in front of a wall loaded with tube amp heads and 4x12 speaker cabinets, grabbing your guitar and hitting a chord”: Crazy Tube Circuit’s Heatseeker is an amp-in-box to help you nail Angus Young’s high-voltage AC/DC tones