The Ibanez BC10 Bass Chorus is a stereo chorus pedal built for bass, produced from 1986 to 1993 as part of Ibanez's 10 Series1. It is no longer in production and has not been reissued, so it turns up only on the used market, where it is considered rare1.
What it does to a bass signal
Like any chorus, the BC10 combines audible pitch modulation with amplitude modulation, phase shift and comb-filtering, with those extra effects more predominant on certain frequencies1. What sets it apart as a bass chorus is the delay time range: it is longer than usual for a chorus type pedal, giving bassists the ability to "tune" the effect to the bass's low frequency range1. Ibanez described the pedal as maximizing effect potential in this region of the audio spectrum1.
The controls: Delay Time, Width and Speed
The BC10 has three main controls, described in the Ibanez Power Series pocket manual1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Delay Time | Adjusts the delay time range; turning it clockwise allows lower pitches to be chorused1 |
| Width | Sets the range of the sweep as the delay time is swept or modulated1 |
| Speed | Adjusts the rate of the sweep cycle1 |
The manual also describes how the controls interact in practice:
"By increasing the width, more pitch shift is heard. Decrease width for a more subtle effect. Increase speed to hear a vibrato effect."
Longer delay times thicken the sound, so the Delay Time and Width knobs together shape how pronounced the chorus is, while Speed pushes the effect from a slow sweep toward vibrato1.
Stereo outputs
The BC10 is a stereo pedal, with both normal and inverted stereo outputs1. Running the two outputs to separate channels or amps spreads the modulated and inverted signals apart, which is the usual reason a bassist would choose a stereo chorus over a mono one.
Availability and collecting
TONEHOME lists the BC10's availability as rare and its collectibility as average1. Production ran from 1986 to 1993, and the pedal has not been re-issued1. For players after a similar effect from the same maker's bass line, Ibanez later produced other bass pedals such as the BE10 Bass EQ from the same 10 Series era, and chorus as an effect type is covered on the Chorus Pedals page. Other bass-oriented Ibanez effects, including the PUE5B and the Deep Impact, are covered on their own pages, and bass effects generally are gathered on the Bass Pedals page.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Ibanez BC10 Bass Chorus stereo?
Yes. The BC10 is a stereo bass chorus pedal, and according to TONEHOME it has both normal and inverted stereo outputs. That lets a player send the two outputs to separate channels or amps for a wider chorus image, with one output carrying the inverted version of the modulated signal.
Has Ibanez reissued the BC10 Bass Chorus?
No. TONEHOME lists the BC10 as not re-issued. The pedal was produced from 1986 to 1993 as part of Ibanez's 10 Series, and the only way to get one today is on the used market, where the pedal is described as rare.
What does the Delay Time knob do on the BC10?
The Delay Time control adjusts the delay time range of the chorus. Turning it clockwise gives longer delay times, which allow lower pitches to be chorused. The BC10's delay time range is longer than usual for a chorus pedal, so bassists can tune the effect to the bass's low frequency range.
How is a bass chorus different from a regular chorus pedal?
A bass chorus is voiced for low frequencies. On the BC10, that shows up mainly in the delay time range, which is longer than usual for a chorus type pedal so the effect can be tuned to lower pitches. Like any chorus, it combines pitch modulation with amplitude modulation, phase shift and comb-filtering.
How rare is the Ibanez BC10 Bass Chorus?
TONEHOME lists the BC10's availability as rare, though its collectibility as average. It was produced from 1986 to 1993 and has not been reissued, so examples surface mainly on the used and vintage market.
Sources (1)
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME (www.tonehome.de), 1989
