TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus Guitar Effects Pedal, (Used)

The TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus is a vintage-inspired analogue chorus pedal designed to deliver the warm, lush and expressive modulation sounds associated with classic guitar recordings. Featuring a genuine analogue bucket-brigade (BBD) circuit, the Afterglow produces everything from subtle shimmering textures and gentle movement to deep, swirling chorus effects.

Designed with simplicity and musicality in mind, the Afterglow features three intuitive controls — Rate, Depth and Mix — allowing guitarists to shape the speed, intensity and blend of the chorus effect without complicated menus or additional settings.

Its all-analogue design gives the pedal a warm, organic character that complements clean guitar tones, lightly overdriven amplifiers and atmospheric effects setups. Whether adding subtle width to clean chords, enriching melodic lead playing or creating the unmistakable modulation sounds of classic rock and 1980s pop, the Afterglow provides a versatile range of chorus textures.

The pedal also features true-bypass switching, top-mounted connections and a robust metal enclosure, making it a practical addition to both compact and larger pedalboards.

This particular TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus is presented in Very Good Pre-Owned Condition and is supplied without a power supply.

For guitarists seeking a second-hand analogue chorus pedal with classic bucket-brigade warmth, straightforward controls and reliable construction, the Afterglow is an excellent choice.

At A Glance

Pre-Owned Condition Report

Very Good Condition

This TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus is presented in Very Good Pre-Owned Condition, indicating some cosmetic wear consistent with careful previous ownership.

The pedal features its distinctive yellow enclosure, contrasting black controls and traditional TC Electronic styling. Its substantial metal chassis is designed for regular use, while the large footswitch and easily accessible controls make it practical for rehearsals and live performances.

Specific marks, scratches or other cosmetic imperfections have not been individually documented. Please study the product photographs for a closer assessment of this particular pedal.

The condition grade relates to its pre-owned presentation; individual functional testing results have not been separately supplied.

Power Supply Not Included

No power supply is included with this pedal.

The TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus operates using a regulated 9V DC centre-negative adapter or a single 9V battery.

A compatible pedalboard power supply with a 9V output rated at 100mA or greater is suitable.

A battery has not been confirmed as included.

What's Included

- TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus Guitar Effects Pedal

Not Included: Power supply.

No original box, manual or other accessories have been confirmed.

General Operation & Condition Assessment

The Afterglow features a conventional three-knob control arrangement, a dedicated on/off footswitch and mono input and output connections.

Relevant operational checks include the response of the Rate, Depth and Mix controls, correct modulation operation, footswitch functionality and the integrity of the input and output connections.

Individual test results for this particular pedal have not been provided.

Key Features

• Genuine Analogue Chorus: Traditional bucket-brigade circuitry produces warm, vintage-inspired modulation.

• Bucket-Brigade Device (BBD): Creates the smooth, organic character associated with classic analogue chorus pedals.

• Rate Control: Adjusts the speed of the chorus modulation.

• Depth Control: Determines the intensity of the pitch modulation.

• Mix Control: Blends the processed chorus signal with the original dry guitar sound.

• Subtle to Dramatic Effects: From gentle shimmering textures to deep, swirling modulation.

• Vintage-Inspired Character: Ideal for classic rock, blues, pop, indie and atmospheric guitar.

• True-Bypass Switching: Maintains a direct signal path when the pedal is disengaged.

• Mono Input & Output: Straightforward integration into traditional guitar setups.

• Top-Mounted Connections: Efficient cable routing on compact pedalboards.

• Rugged Metal Chassis: Durable construction for rehearsal and live use.

• Battery or Adapter Operation: Flexible power options for different setups.

• Very Good Pre-Owned Condition: An appealing alternative to purchasing new.

Why You'll Love It

The TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus offers the distinctive character of classic analogue modulation without the complexity of more elaborate digital effects pedals.

Its bucket-brigade circuitry produces a naturally warm and musical chorus sound, adding movement and depth to guitar tones while retaining the essential character of the instrument.

At subtle settings, the Afterglow gently enriches clean chords and melodic passages, creating the impression of additional layers without overwhelming the original sound. Increasing the Rate and Depth controls produces more pronounced modulation, opening up the swirling, animated textures associated with vintage chorus effects.

The dedicated Mix control is particularly useful, allowing players to fine-tune how much chorus is introduced. This makes the pedal adaptable to different guitars, amplifiers and musical situations.

With true bypass, durable construction and straightforward controls, the Afterglow is a practical choice for guitarists who appreciate traditional effects that are easy to use and rewarding to play.

Detailed Features & Benefits

Authentic Analogue Bucket-Brigade Chorus

The TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus features an all-analogue circuit built around a bucket-brigade device, commonly known as a BBD. This traditional technology creates chorus by producing a short, continuously modulated delay that is blended with the original guitar signal. The small changes in delay time create subtle pitch variation, giving the impression of multiple instruments playing together. Analogue bucket-brigade circuitry naturally softens some high-frequency content, contributing to the warm and smooth sound associated with classic chorus effects.

Warm Vintage Chorus Character

The Afterglow is designed to reproduce the lush, musical modulation found on countless classic recordings. Rather than producing an overly clinical effect, its analogue design creates a soft, flowing movement that complements the natural tone of an electric guitar. This makes it particularly effective for clean rhythm playing, expressive lead guitar and atmospheric arrangements where the chorus should add depth without dominating the sound. Its traditional character also works particularly well with valve amplifiers and vintage-inspired guitar setups.

Adjustable Rate Control

The Rate control determines the speed of the chorus modulation, allowing players to move between slow, gentle movement and faster, more noticeable pitch fluctuations. Lower settings are particularly effective for subtle chord enhancement, ambient guitar textures and smooth lead passages, while higher settings introduce a more animated character that can approach vibrato-like movement. The ability to control modulation speed independently makes the Afterglow suitable for everything from restrained blues and classic rock to more pronounced experimental guitar sounds.

Dedicated Depth Control

The Depth control adjusts the intensity of the modulation, determining how strongly the delayed signal's pitch and timing fluctuate. At lower settings, the effect introduces a gentle sense of movement that can remain subtle within a musical arrangement. Increasing the control creates wider, more noticeable pitch variation, producing the lush, swirling chorus sounds associated with classic modulation pedals. Combined with the Rate control, Depth allows players to move between understated textures and dramatic effects while retaining a warm analogue character.

Independent Mix Control

The Mix control adjusts the balance between the original guitar signal and the processed chorus effect, giving players detailed control over how prominently the modulation is heard. Lower settings retain more of the direct guitar tone while adding a subtle layer of movement, making them ideal for rhythm guitar and lightly driven sounds. Increasing the Mix introduces a stronger chorus character, helping create richer, more immersive textures. This is particularly useful when switching between different musical styles or using the pedal with guitars that respond differently to modulation.

Classic Clean Guitar Enhancement

The Afterglow is particularly effective when paired with clean electric guitar tones, adding a sense of depth and movement to chords, arpeggios and melodic passages. Its smooth analogue modulation can make simple chord progressions sound fuller without introducing excessive effects processing, while the adjustable Mix control allows players to retain the clarity and attack of the original instrument. This makes the pedal an excellent choice for pop, funk, indie and classic rock guitarists who want to enrich their clean sounds with vintage-inspired chorus.

Chorus for Overdriven Lead Guitar

Although chorus is often associated with clean guitar sounds, the Afterglow also works well with overdrive and distortion. Used after a drive pedal, it can introduce subtle width and movement to sustained notes, adding a more expressive character to melodic lead passages. Moderate Rate and Depth settings can enhance the richness of an overdriven tone without making it excessively unstable, while higher settings create more dramatic textures suitable for alternative and experimental guitar styles.

Atmospheric & Ambient Soundscapes

The Afterglow can form an important part of an atmospheric pedalboard when combined with delay, reverb and other modulation effects. Slow chorus settings can create flowing textures that add movement to sustained chords, while deeper modulation produces a more pronounced swirling sound. When placed before a delay or reverb pedal, the chorus effect can become part of the repeated or reverberated signal, creating evolving layers that work particularly well for ambient, post-rock and cinematic guitar arrangements.

True-Bypass Switching

The Afterglow features true-bypass operation, allowing the guitar signal to pass directly through the pedal when the chorus effect is disengaged. This is particularly useful for musicians who prefer a straightforward signal path when modulation is not required. The integrated footswitch provides convenient effect switching during live performance, while the status LED makes it easy to see when the pedal is active.

Durable Construction & Pedalboard Compatibility

TC Electronic housed the Afterglow Chorus in a robust metal enclosure designed to withstand regular use in rehearsal rooms, recording studios and live performance environments. The top-mounted input, output and power connections allow efficient cable routing, making it easier to position the pedal alongside neighbouring effects. Its large rotary controls and conventional stompbox layout also make the Afterglow particularly approachable for players who want immediate access to their sounds without navigating digital menus.

Who Is It For?

Beginner Guitarists: A straightforward introduction to chorus effects with three intuitive controls.

Classic Rock Players: Ideal for warm, vintage-inspired modulation and expressive lead guitar.

Blues Guitarists: Subtle chorus settings can enhance clean and lightly overdriven tones.

Pop & Funk Guitarists: Excellent for shimmering clean chords, rhythmic playing and articulate guitar arrangements.

Indie & Alternative Musicians: The adjustable modulation provides a useful selection of atmospheric textures.

Ambient & Post-Rock Guitarists: Works particularly well alongside delay and reverb for evolving soundscapes.

Pedalboard Enthusiasts: A practical analogue chorus pedal with conventional power requirements and true-bypass switching.

Playing Styles & Applications

The TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus is particularly well suited to classic rock, blues, pop, funk, indie, alternative rock, ambient and post-rock.

Its lower Rate and Depth settings provide subtle enhancement for clean rhythm parts, while moderate settings deliver the lush chorus associated with classic guitar recordings.

Higher modulation settings create deeper, more animated textures suitable for experimental playing.

For lead guitar, the pedal can add warmth and movement to sustained notes, particularly when placed after an overdrive or distortion pedal.

The Afterglow also combines effectively with delay and reverb, making it a versatile component in ambient and atmospheric effects setups.

How It Compares

TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus vs Boss CH-1 Super Chorus

The Boss CH-1 offers a different approach to chorus, with an EQ control and stereo output capability on standard versions. The TC Electronic Afterglow focuses on traditional analogue bucket-brigade modulation with a straightforward Rate, Depth and Mix layout. Players seeking additional tone shaping and stereo connectivity may prefer the CH-1, while those wanting a warm analogue chorus with simple controls may favour the Afterglow.

TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus vs Electro-Harmonix Small Clone

The Electro-Harmonix Small Clone is famous for its distinctive, lush analogue chorus sound and extremely simple control arrangement. The Afterglow provides additional flexibility through its dedicated Rate, Depth and Mix controls, allowing players to fine-tune the intensity and balance of the effect more precisely. Guitarists seeking a familiar Small Clone character may prefer the Electro-Harmonix, while those who value independent wet/dry control may find the Afterglow more adaptable.

TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus vs TC Electronic Corona Chorus

The TC Electronic Corona Chorus is a more feature-rich chorus pedal incorporating digital processing, multiple chorus styles and TonePrint functionality, with stereo connections for more elaborate setups. The Afterglow takes a simpler, all-analogue approach, concentrating on warm bucket-brigade modulation with three conventional controls. Players requiring presets, extensive tone shaping or stereo processing may prefer the Corona, while those wanting a traditional analogue chorus without additional complexity may appreciate the Afterglow.

The Heritage of Analogue Chorus

Chorus became an important part of guitar effects during the 1970s and 1980s, helping define the sound of countless rock, pop and alternative recordings.

Early chorus effects used analogue delay circuits to create small, continuously changing differences in pitch and timing. When these processed signals were combined with the original guitar sound, they created the impression of several instruments playing together.

Bucket-brigade technology became particularly important to chorus pedal design, offering a practical method of producing short analogue delays within compact effects units.

The natural frequency response and subtle imperfections of BBD circuits contributed to the smooth, warm modulation that many musicians continue to associate with vintage chorus sounds.

The TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus follows this tradition, combining classic analogue circuitry with modern construction and straightforward controls.

Technical Specifications

Power Requirements

The TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus operates using a regulated 9V DC centre-negative power supply with a standard 5.5 x 2.1mm barrel connector.

Published specifications list a current draw of approximately 20mA, making the pedal straightforward to integrate into conventional pedalboard power systems.

A regulated 9V output rated at 100mA or higher is recommended, provided the polarity and connector are correct.

The Afterglow can also operate using a single 9V battery, allowing standalone use without an external power adapter. A battery has not been confirmed as included with this particular pedal.

Please Note: No power supply is included with this pre-owned TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus.

🎵 Fair Deal Music Expert Verdict ★★★★★

The TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus is an excellent example of a straightforward analogue effect that delivers far more musical versatility than its simple control layout might suggest.

Its genuine bucket-brigade circuitry produces warm, lush modulation, making it particularly appealing to players who enjoy the smooth character of classic chorus pedals.

The dedicated Rate, Depth and Mix controls provide an excellent balance of simplicity and flexibility, allowing players to create everything from subtle clean-guitar shimmer to deeper, more dramatic modulation.

Its true-bypass design, sturdy construction and conventional power requirements also make it a practical addition to almost any pedalboard.

This particular example is presented in Very Good Pre-Owned Condition and is supplied without a power supply.

Best Suited For: Blues, classic rock, pop, funk, indie and ambient guitarists seeking warm, vintage-inspired analogue chorus.

Customers Usually Upgrade From: Entry-level digital modulation pedals, basic multi-effects processors and guitar amplifiers without built-in chorus.

Most Commonly Paired With: Clean and lightly driven valve amplifiers, overdrive pedals, analogue delay, reverb pedals and compatible isolated pedalboard power supplies.

Our Tip: For a subtle classic chorus sound, begin with Rate around 9 o'clock, Depth around 11 o'clock and Mix close to noon. Increase Depth for a more dramatic effect, or reduce Mix to retain more of the guitar's original attack.

Showroom Advice: The Afterglow is particularly effective with clean guitar sounds. Try it after an overdrive pedal for a more defined chorus effect, or before overdrive for a more blended, saturated modulation character.

Why Buy Pre-Owned From Fair Deal Music?

Buying a pre-owned TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus from Fair Deal Music provides the opportunity to enjoy genuine analogue bucket-brigade modulation at an attractive alternative to purchasing new.

Our experienced team understands the importance of accurate condition descriptions, clear technical specifications and transparency about included accessories.

This particular pedal is presented in Very Good Pre-Owned Condition, with the absence of a power supply clearly identified.

Choosing pre-owned equipment can offer excellent value while extending the useful life of quality musical gear.

Why Buy From Fair Deal Music?

When you buy from Fair Deal Music, you're choosing one of the UK's most established, independent family run music retailers since 1987.

Based in Birmingham, Fair Deal Music specialises in new, used, vintage and collectable musical instruments, amplifiers, effects pedals and professional audio equipment.

Our experienced team of musicians provides knowledgeable advice and friendly personal service, helping customers find equipment suited to their playing styles and requirements.

Customers benefit from:

• Independent family-run retailer established in 1987

• Birmingham's largest independent music store

• Experienced musician-led product advice

• Extensive range of new and pre-owned equipment

• Competitive pricing

• Secure online ordering

• UK delivery options

• Birmingham showroom

• Part-exchange and trade-in services

Part Exchange – Trade In. Trade Up. Save More.

Fair Deal Music buys and part-exchanges a wide range of musical equipment, including guitar effects pedals, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, basses, amplifiers and keyboards.

Your existing equipment could help towards the cost of this TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus.

Contact our team for a no-obligation valuation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What condition is this TC Electronic Afterglow Chorus in?

This pedal is presented in Very Good Pre-Owned Condition, indicating some cosmetic wear consistent with careful previous ownership.

Does it come with a power supply?

No. A power supply is not included.

What power supply does the Afterglow Chorus require?

It requires a regulated 9V DC centre-negative adapter with a compatible 5.5 x 2.1mm connector.

Can I use a 100mA or 500mA power supply?

Yes. Either rating provides sufficient current, provided the adapter supplies regulated 9V DC with the correct polarity.

Can the pedal run on batteries?

Yes. The Afterglow Chorus supports a single 9V battery.

Is the TC Electronic Afterglow analogue or digital?

The Afterglow is a genuine analogue chorus pedal using bucket-brigade circuitry.

What is a bucket-brigade device?

A bucket-brigade device is an analogue circuit used to create short delays. Modulating those delays and blending them with the original signal produces a chorus effect.

What does the Rate control do?

Rate adjusts the speed of the chorus modulation.

What does the Depth control do?

Depth adjusts the intensity of the modulation, from gentle movement to more pronounced pitch variation.

What does the Mix control do?

Mix adjusts the balance between the original guitar signal and the processed chorus effect.

Does it have true bypass?

Yes. The Afterglow features true-bypass switching.

Does it have stereo outputs?

No. The pedal features one mono input and one mono output.

Can the Afterglow Chorus produce subtle modulation?

Yes. Lower Depth settings and a restrained Mix setting are particularly effective for subtle chorus.

Can it produce deep, swirling chorus sounds?

Yes. Increasing Depth creates more pronounced modulation, while Rate adjusts how quickly the effect moves.

Is it suitable for clean guitar?

Yes. The Afterglow is particularly effective at adding warmth and movement to clean chords and melodic passages.

Can I use it with distortion or overdrive?

Yes. It can be combined with overdrive, distortion and fuzz pedals to produce more complex guitar textures.

Where should I place chorus in my pedalboard?

Chorus is commonly placed after overdrive and distortion, although positioning it before drive effects can create a different, more blended sound.

Can I use it with delay and reverb?

Yes. The Afterglow works particularly well alongside delay and reverb for atmospheric guitar arrangements.

Is it suitable for bass guitar?

It can be used with bass guitar, although its frequency response and modulation character may influence the low-frequency content of the instrument.

Does it have tap tempo?

No. Modulation speed is adjusted directly using the Rate control.

Does it have presets?

No. The pedal uses a conventional three-knob analogue control arrangement.

Can I use it in an amplifier effects loop?

It can be used with a compatible effects loop, provided the signal level is suitable for the pedal.

Is the Afterglow Chorus suitable for beginners?

Yes. Its simple controls make it an excellent introduction to chorus effects.

Can I use the pedal for recording?

Yes. Its analogue chorus character can add warmth, movement and depth to recorded guitar parts.

Can I part-exchange another pedal towards this Afterglow Chorus?

Yes. Fair Deal Music considers effects pedals and other musical equipment for part exchange.