Fender adds Hammertone Chorus to its Hammertone pedal line
May 1, 2023 · 2 sources
Fender has introduced the Hammertone Chorus, a three-mode mono chorus that is part of a new line of affordable compact pedals, Delicious Audio reported on May 1, 2023. The pedal is a chorus effect designed in-house by Fender, the site said1.
The three knobs cover Depth, Rate and Level, with Level described as an intensity knob rather than an output one. The Type switch toggles between three choruses with 2, 3 or 4 voices; the more voices, the thicker the effect, bordering on pitch modulation on the 4-voice setting. The Tone switch offers a brighter and a warmer overall EQ setting1.
Fender's builder's notes list a Fender-designed chorus effect, Type and Tone switches, top-mounted input and output jacks, true-bypass switching, and power from a 9-volt center-negative AC adaptor that is not included. The enclosure is aluminum with metal hardware, and the knobs carry an "F" logo in colors Fender says pay homage to its historic custom colors1.
Delicious Audio described the pedal as having a noteworthy tonal range "considering the solid build and sub-$100 price tag"1. No specific US list price was given.
"Glassy, shimmering, and bubbly, the Hammertone™ Chorus is a simple and powerful modulation device designed to deliver pristine choral sweeps."
Guitar.com reviewed the Hammertone range in July 2022 and described the Chorus as in reality a chorus/vibrato pedal, because the level control allows full-wet and full-dry sounds. It said two-voice mode offers a traditional 80s-style effect, single-voice mode is airier and better suited to arpeggios, and the four-voice position is the most harmonically complex of the three2.