Electro Harmonix Nano Neo Clone

A Legendary Chorus Revisited: The Small Clone Heritage in a Compact Format

The EHX Neo Clone carries the DNA of the Small Clone, a chorus that became iconic for its lush texture, analog warmth, and ability to thicken a clean tone as well as widen distortion. Electro-Harmonix preserved the spirit of the original circuit while "massaging" and adjusting it to aim for better precision and an even more flattering musicality. The result: a pedal designed to recapture the vintage chorus that defined decades of rock, with a format easier to fit on a modern pedalboard.

If you're looking for a chorus that doesn't sound "hi-fi" or clinical, but rather alive, slightly silky, and naturally thick, the Neo Clone positions itself as a very direct gateway to this type of analog texture.

For Which Guitarists and Styles?

The Neo Clone is aimed both at beginner musicians seeking a simple and inspiring analog chorus, and at experienced guitarists looking for an immediately recognizable tone. Its character suits particularly well grunge, alternative rock, indie, pop, new wave, funk clean tones, as well as broader soundscapes in atmospheric rock.

In a studio context, it brings a very natural width and movement, perfect for doubling a clean rhythm or adding a "3D" dimension to arpeggios. In live settings, its compact size and true bypass make it easy to integrate, with consistent behavior from one amp to another. It also works very well with single-coil guitars to emphasize sparkle, or with humbuckers to thicken and round out the upper spectrum.

Controls, Design, and Pedalboard Integration

The EHX Neo Clone focuses on efficiency: a straightforward interface designed to quickly adjust the effect's intensity. Its Depth control allows you to set the modulation depth, ranging from a subtle slight widening (ideal for thickening a clean tone without drawing attention) to a more pronounced, hypnotic, and textured chorus. The footswitch instantly activates the effect, and the true bypass prevents coloring your tone when the pedal is off.

Its fully analog design based on a BBD chip contributes to the organic movement feel: the chorus seems to "breathe" with your playing rather than layering as a fixed effect. In the effects chain, the Neo Clone is generally placed after distortions (overdrive, distortion, fuzz) for clearer modulation, but it can also be tried before gain pedals for dirtier, more experimental textures.

The Sound

The Neo Clone delivers a meaty chorus, with a round modulation and a slightly "sultry" (silky, enveloping) texture reminiscent of great vintage analog pedals. It excels at adding width without losing the instrument's personality: attacks remain present, dynamics stay natural, and the output retains a warmth that flatters both clean and crunch tones.

Its character fits within the aesthetic of the chorus popularized in '90s alternative rock, notably around the "Small Clone" sound. With moderate depth, you get a simple harmonic thickening; pushing the Depth control makes the modulation more immersive, perfect for bright arpeggios, open chords, or melodic lines that need to stand out in the mix without raising volume.

Technical specifications

Effects	Chorus	Type	sector
Technology	Analog	Use	electric guitar
Format	Pedal	Color	Grey

Circuit	analog	Operates on	9V battery (included)
Design	total analog	Adapter (optional)	9.6VDC - 200mA (not included)
Bypass	true bypass	Dimensions (in)	4.5 x 2.75 x 2.1
Audio	mono	Consumption	12 mA