I recently got myself a 90s era made in the USA DOD FX65 Stereo Chorus. Even though for years I used a DOD FX75-B Flanger as a chorus (it handles that job well if you experiment with the knobs), later got a Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble, and have chorus modeling on my Yamaha THR5 amp, I've been curious to hear what a well-made analog chorus pedal sounds like. My nostalgia for DOD pedals won out.
Although Boss's CE-1 and CE-2 are people's gold standards for chorus, they (and the CE-2 Waza reissue) are expensive. The FX65, however, is a sleeper hit. It gained some notoriety due to John Frusciante using one," and I suspect Josh Scott's video, where he said it was his "favorite chorus pedal in the entire room," helped as well. I'd been searching for one for a while, and finally snagged a unit for the darn good price of $50. It even has the battery cover, which most people lose!
There's no denying it's a good sounding pedal. The delay time knob, which most standard chorus pedals don't have, allows for some extra versatility. With it I can get some mild flange effects. Since I can also get chorus sounds out of their flanger, it indicates the two pedals likely share specifications. The speed knob has a good range, allowing one to push toward a Leslie speaker type sound.
I haven't directly A/B compared them, but the DOD seems to be a little darker and have more "character" than my Boss CE-5. The latter, much like my Boss PS-2 Pitch Shifter/Delay (vs. my DOD FX90 Delay), feels cleaner, brighter, and more "perfect" in its tone. I've noticed the FX65 and 90 tend to inject a tiny bit of breakup through my amp if I play a hard, loud chord. The CE-5 also has more options. You can apply the chorus sound to only certain frequencies, for example, so experimentation and patience will pay huge dividends.
Neither the FX65 nor the CE-5 are as "deep" sounding as some others, so if you're looking to exactly replicate Zakk Wylde's tone on Ozzy's "Road to Nowhere," you'll have to look to a Boss CE-1 or clone unit. But to approximate it? The FX65 is a great option!
So if you want a great sounding chorus, for a decent price, and are the type that gets inspired by using an actual classic effect, the FX65 is a good choice. For something new that has more features, the Boss CE-5 is perfect. The chorus modeling in my THR5 is also solid, and while more limited in options, it easily allows me to record that effect in stereo!
You can't go wrong with any well made effect pedal, so my overall advice is to get whatever motivates you to make great music. And remember that it's better to recognize and appreciate a thing for it specifically is rather than lament what it isn't.
