With its S000001 serial number, this example is said to be the first Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble made – and it might become the most expensive pedal ever
(Image credit: Reverb)
Every now and then, a piece of vintage gear crops up on Reverb that carries with it some significant history, and with that significant history often comes a pretty significant price tag. Having said that, this Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble – purportedly the first to ever exist – exceeds all expectations.
Flashing the serial number S000001, this example of Boss’ game-changing chorus effect pedal is listed with an eye-watering price tag of $1,000,000. Yep, you read that correctly: one million big ones.
If Reverb’s page listing is anything to go by, though, the Boss CE-1’s whopping price tag might make sense – kind of.
Calling out “a member of the Beatles, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk or tipsy John Mayer” as prospective purchasers, the pedal’s page recites the history of the Boss CE-1 and seeks to justify the $1,000,000 price tag.
Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble: Andy's Vintage Picks | Reverb Tone Report - YouTube
Made in 1976, the Boss CE-1 was the first chorus effect placed in pedal format, with this example in particular said to be the first one off the production line.
“I once promised myself to never sell this grail,” the seller Pedal Palace states. “It's too special. But times are tight and medical tragedies have afflicted my family, so here I am.
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“Anyways, this is it,” they continue. “You won't find a more special piece of gear. This is as rare as it gets. More rare than the $500k Klon Serial #2, more rare than your old guitar with 7 pickups and weird vibrato. This is it. This is the one. Nothing can compare.”
The seller then went on to shoot down any possibilities that he’d “open it up and show you the guts”, partly because they “don’t want to release the old mojo air that lives inside." A fair point, if you ask us.
“That air can only be smelled by people that give me one million dollars,” the listing goes on. “Yes it works. And yes I will include the case with the sale. Might even hand deliver in person if you live somewhere cool like Australia or Tokyo. That's all. Have a nice day.”
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(Image credit: Reverb)
(Image credit: Reverb)
They also – perhaps rather optimistically – predict the Boss CE-1 in question will be worth 10 times the value they’ve placed on it right now in 20 years. While that may not be precisely true, the value of this thing is definitely going to go up.
We’d usually be skeptical about this sort of thing, but the photographic evidence gets us onboard.
And, amazingly enough, Reverb has predicted that the Boss CE-1 will sell soon – in fact, four people have it in their carts right now. Maybe Musk, Bezos, Mayer and Paul McCartney all saw the listing after all.
If you’d like a more affordable version of the Boss CE-1, mind, Behringer recently announced they would be making a far more budget-friendly version of the iconic chorus pedal. There’s been no word on price yet, but we can’t imagine it will be anywhere near $1,000,000.
To read all about the OG Boss CE-1, head over to Reverb.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
