Way Huge Blue Hippo III | A Quick Overview

Having grown up in the 80’s and, if not clearly demonstrated in previous articles, I have an obvious affinity for certain guitar effects; this, for sure to include, delay and CHORUS. Thus, it only makes sense that, at the start of my DecoWaves project many years ago, one of the first pedals acquired and reviewed was the Way Huge Blue Hippo MKII (link to review, c.2015).  Shared at that time, while the pedal faithfully delivered the classic chorus effect, I found it to over-emphasize the mid EQ frequencies just enough to make the resulting tone feel a bit muddled or congested. Admittedly, having learned how to better work with the chorus effect since, choosing the right guitar/pickups or deploying an EQ in the pedal chain can certainly help address expressed concerns. That said, I parted ways with the Blue Hippo and and, in continuing the search, enjoyed quality time with both the MXR M234 Analog Chorus and the Boss CE-2W. For the past two years, the JHS Emperor has found residency on my board and continues to serve faithfully to this role.

This past month I was afforded the opportunity to demo the Way Huge Blue Hippo MKIII and, having spent a few days with the pedal, here are some quick highlights:

• I love the blending of classic Way Huge aesthetics with the new smaller footprint; very fun vibe. As shared in the recent review of the MXR Deep Phase, I’m generally not a fan of the micro/mini format BUT, in this case, Way Huge found just the right balance of size and scale. As seen in the picture, the pedal is smaller than the typical MXR enclosure but retains a similar ratio of width vs length (read: wider than the typical narrowness of the most micro pedals).
• An analog chorus effect delivered in spades, I was quickly and easily able to dial in a nice range of popular settings. To my concerns from the MKII, I found that this has a more neutral EQ which plays friendlier with the diversity of gear in my setup while keeping the resulting signal rather articulate.
• I was quite enamored with this newest version of the Blue Hippo (MKIII). With the vibrant colors, smaller size, and classic chorus voice, it certainly ticks off a great many boxes. While the JHS Emperor has some nuanced differences (based on the Arion circuit versus that of the Boss) and additional controls, the Blue Hippo will cover a lot of the same ground as the JHS or Boss options while being a tad bit more budget friendly.

What has become a repetitive recognition on my site, I’m more than happy to provide another quick, but just as meaningful, shoutout to my friends at Z String Music who, as always, graciously afford me the opportunity to demo some of the wonderful products they carry. A boutique music store, owned and operated by musicians for musicians, offering a curated selection of products, please feel free to use the following ‘Friends of’ promocode for 12% off your next purchase (Limited Time & Typical Restrictions apply): DECOWAVES12