The PastFX Kurt's Cologne is a chorus pedal from PastFX, an Australian maker known for compact takes on classic modulation circuits. PastFX describes it as "based upon the classic chorus circuit associated with the 90's Grunge sound", the Electro-Harmonix Small Clone, and Guitar Pedal X's review frames it as a pedal that "gives you 3 decades of Small Clone and more", covering the 70s, 80s and 90s versions of that circuit in one box12.
What it does
The Kurt's Cologne takes the Small Clone chorus, the circuit behind the chorused tones of the 90s grunge era, and extends it with three selectable era voicings. A review by Stefan Karlsson at Guitar Pedal X described it as "Probably my favourite sounding Chorus to-date, and easily one of the most handy and expansive units", covering three eras of the Small Clone including most of Kurt Cobain's favorite chorusing tones3.
"Probably my favourite sounding Chorus to-date, and easily one of the most handy and expansive units"
The ERA voicings
The pedal's central feature is the ERA selector, which switches between three voicings of the Small Clone circuit321:
| ERA position | Character |
|---|---|
| 70's | Mildest, most subtle option2 |
| 80's | Strongest3 |
| 90's | Best balanced, the "goldilocks" setting3 |
Guitar Pedal X summarized the three as "mildest, strongest and warbly, or balanced"2. Alongside the era voicings, the pedal covers chorus and vibrato modulation, and it carries a 2nd Output Phase Inversion Button for its second output2.
Where it sits in PastFX's chorus range
PastFX builds several choruses, and the Kurt's Cologne is one of a line of compact, expanded takes on classic chorus circuits. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer noted having "loved each of Verlie's Choruses", naming the Chorus Ensemble Mini, the PastFX Stereo Chorus PX65, the PastFX New Division and the Kurt's Cologne, and called the Kurt's Cologne probably his favorite of them, though a close call with the others overall2. For a wider view of the effect, see the site's Chorus Pedals page.
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Questions
What is the PastFX Kurt's Cologne based on?
PastFX describes the Kurt's Cologne as based on the classic chorus circuit associated with the 90s grunge sound, the Electro-Harmonix Small Clone. Guitar Pedal X's review frames it as covering three decades of Small Clone voicings, with ERA positions for the 70s, 80s and 90s versions of the circuit, including tones associated with Kurt Cobain.
What do the three ERA voicings do?
The ERA selector switches between three voicings of the Small Clone circuit. Guitar Pedal X describes the 80s voicing as the strongest, the 70s as the mildest and most subtle, and the 90s as the best balanced of the three, which the reviewer called the goldilocks setting.
Sources (3)
- Kurt's Cologne, pastfx.com, 2026
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-10-25
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-19
