Rocktek or tin ears?

[Ge_Whiz]

On my recent travels, I had the opportunity to buy a second-hand Rocktek chorus pedal cheap (£20). It looked in great condition, and I watched the guy in the shop load in a brand-new battery before I tried it. I used a nice guitar and amp, and thought that the Rocktek pedal sucked. Thin, weedy, wobbly, not like a chorus sound at all to my ears. So, I said "no thanks" (and left with just a 1981 Washburn Raven, but that's another story). Normally, I'd buy anything at that price.

Since then, I keep coming across references to the pedal, who uses it, how great it is, etc. etc. So here's the question: was I a duffer, or was it the Rocktek? And was I unlucky with this one, or are they all like that? I have considered building a chorus pedal in the past, but if I went to all the time and trouble and ended up with something that sounded like that Rocktek - well, I'd cry.  :cry:  :cry:  :cry:

[gez]

I used to own a black Washburn Raven, bought it around 1981 too.  Has it got a tiny nick (filled in with felt tip) just below the first string where you pick by any chance?  

Might have been worth buying that chorus for that price, maybe you could have modded it to get it to sound better.  BBDs go for such silly money these days (in the UK at any rate - unless someone knows better?) it's cheaper to buy a pedal sometimes.  I'm thinking of going digital to do all that sort of thing...(wow, did I really say that?!)  :shock:

[Ge_Whiz]

You'd have a bit of trouble spotting "a tiny nick" in my (red) Raven for all the historic dents and gouges in it. Obviously well gigged. It's rather funny to spot what must have been the 'first' nick - the one the owner tried to fix with nail varnish.  

Truth is, I already have a good chorus - the one built into my Digitech RP100. Actually, the best chorus I've heard, by far, is the insert effect on my little Zoom MRS4 digital recorder. It's fantastic. Just a shame that I can't use it 'live' - only when recording. Now that I have used the 'D' word twice, I might as well reveal that on the same day I turned my back on the Rocktek, I had already scored two Digitech pedals - the 'Digiverb' and the 'Hyper Phase' - at less than half price (second-hand and ex-demo respectively).

[Lonestarjohnny]

I've got an older SC-1 rocktek, it's got 1 of the best B3 hammond sound's i've ever heard out of a pedal, i have tried 1 of the newer versions but did'nt care about it, David Grissom told me about his after I spyed it on his board, and I guess he still use's it now, this was when he was playin for John Cougar, he now play's for the Dixie Chick's.
Johnny