Any thoughts?

Last edited: Jun 01, 2012 19:25:45

image This does me quite fine.

Last edited: Jun 01, 2012 19:24:57

I like old analog delays. Maxon, Boss, and the old Ibanez. I also have a 80s DOD analog delays I'm a big fan of.

I have never played but I would recommend on hearing them:
Boss-DD-6
Boss Loop Station
Guyatone TD-X Tube Echo(I want one of these)

I have never played and I won't recommend but might as well take a look:
Akai Headrush II

I went through many delay pedals that I disliked, trying to emulate my favorite Echoplex EP-1, until I stumbled upon Atomic Echo Clone. I bid on a Way Huge Aqua Puss, lost the auction, and the seller said he would send me the last Clone he had to sell, and that it was an Aqua Puss in a different box, for $300. Sure, I'll bite I said, not believing him. (he was close by, I could return it). I loved it, closest to the EP-1 yet. Way Huge had sold this builder all the left over completed circuits for pedals when he went to work for Line 6. It impressed me so much that my EP-1 sits in its custom rack gathering dust, along with the much quieter and more reliable Fulltone TTE, which has an unfortunate curse attached to it (guess who). I was concvinced at this point to trade some high end effects to the same guy for an Aqua Puss. No difference, it is the same pedal. at three times the price. I don't know how many Clones were made, but if you see one on ebay, grab it before I do. On the very cheap, I tried the new MXR Carbon Copy in a store, it was amazingly close to the aforementioned at $150, so I bought one new in box, as did my Way Huge friend. Mine does one sound, degraded uncontrollable space echo with hiss and hum, and solder that looks like the Heathkit radio I built when I was ten. Awful. His does very faint background echoplex. Neither is like the one I tried in the store. So much for Asian child labor. The MXR and another brand I tried ( duh, I forgot) have a new chip that is quite good, when built right. Watch for improvements in the MXR, or a better company using the same new chip, could be good, and cheap. Watch ebay for an Atomic Echo Clone. $900 pedal for $300.

Spud
imageThis does me quite fine.

..................me too...............if you just need delay. If you need reverb, chorus, delay, flange, tremelo, etc, etc,.....then you need an effects processor w/o the pre-amp. But as far as Delay goes, I'm stickin with BOSS. They've been making effects stomp boxes since 1975 (current shape and size s.box) and you can't kill these things unless you drop them in a canal or back over them with your car........and then some....

.......make the Mos' of it,
.....choose the 'rite stuff!
.........owner of 9 Mosrites
proud owner and documented:
1963 "The Ventures" Model s/n# 0038
http://www.vintagerock4.com
www.mosriteforum.com

I bought a used DD-3 in about 1986 and it is still going strong. Never had a minute of trouble with it and I use it a lot.
I prefer the Hughes & Kettner Replex because it has a nice warm gain but they are discontinued and used ones are selling for $650!

Yes there are different delays for different uses, but I thought this was a surf music site. That is why I stated my closest match to Echoplex, which is what we are talking about in this genre. Why then all the talk of chorus/flange/space echo combination pedals? Those are not in this genre, and they are stretching their limitations for each individual effect. If you want the sound of this era, spend $300 to match the sound of a $1000 EP-2 or TTE, not $300 on a multi effect. If you want that, go all the way and get a TC or Lexicon, and a rack system. This is much like every boutique amp whose clean channel is blackface, and od channel is Marshall. They are not. That said, delay is less than 5-10% of this period's sound, not on many records. Mainly, you have to force yourself to turn it off most of the time. I can hear the difference, and so will most musicians and general audience, as long as what they are hearing is not the slapping of light guage strings against the fretboard vainly trying to emulate the sounds from an era when there were no light strings. You can't effect that into a true surf sound, roots sound, or blues sound. Until we get past that, you may as well forget talking about guitar brands, amps, or least of all effects. Everything in between the strings and the speaker cone is a middleman. $300 for a delay pedal and $1000 - $2000 for a decent silver or black Fender amp with reverb and vibrato is not break-the-bank-boutique if you are going for a pro sound. Not compared to all the money you can and will waste trying to turn apples into oranges. I played the same black Super Reverb for 30 years, all styles, and fed myself with it six nights a week steadily. There, I've said my piece on this, but what the hell do I know, after 48 years of playing the music and gear this site is all about for a living. If they ever get my clips up, we can all just listen to each others playing and shut up, except for a simple thumbs up or down. I will take my black Twin with JBL's, modest $1800 (when I bought it) Tyler strat with 13-56 and the chops to play it, straight into the amp with NO effects but the reverb turned up to 4, over any alleged surf sounds I have heard here or elsewhere. A set of 13-56 is about $8. In my biased but experienced opinion, I would suggest to start there. Surf's up.

Surfboy,
I get worried when phrases like "true surf sound" are used because when I listen I hear many different sounds. You didn't even mention a reverb tank as a factor in getting the sound. If you don't use a tank ...well.

a lot of good food for thought here, thanks for the responses guys.

I guess i am still a bit unclear about th differences in sound between analog and digital. Is it something stark like spring reverb vs digital reverb? Which delay suits vintage surf guitar with spring reverb best? (I am sure that question has no single answer)

badash

SurfBoy
Yes there are different delays for different uses, but I thought this was a surf music site. That is why I stated my closest match to Echoplex, which is what we are talking about in this genre. Why then all the talk of chorus/flange/space echo combination pedals?

Ummm... Because lots of folks who love surf also like Sonic Youth... Or Metallica, or Los Lobos (possibly my faves), or The Ramones, or Cake (one of my favorite consistent guitar tones ever, and great use of space)... I don't play onstage anymore, but when I was younger one of the funnest things we did was a Ted Nugent AND Aerosmith tribute band. We played under the name Wang Dang Sweet Emotion. Weren't particularly crazy about either band, but one or all of us (hard to remember through the haze... or should I say smoke ) came up with the name and thought the concept was FUNNY! That's generally a problem with gear obsessed folks. A definite lack of a sense of humor...

Anyway a true "working musician" needs versatility. And if that versatilty comes at a low price all the better. He may need to play Jimmy Buffett covers on wednesday "marguerita" night, and 38. Special on Thursday, and Tommy Tutone twice a month on 80s night... Yes I can still probably play "Hold on Loosely" and "Caught up in You". Played those twice a night. They were popular back in the day in Arcata Ca. Probably were everywhere a Mullet was a legitimate styling choice...

Playing surf music once every 3 months doesn't make you a working musician. It means you have a surf band. I wish I had the time for ANY band at this point in my life (stay at home dad to two sub 10 year olds) so I'm not dissing anybody. I'm jealous of anybody who gets to play with others more than once a month. But that's the basis for my reference to "home enthusiasts" with the rolley eyes after it. Lots of folks have alot of money, and little skill, because skill requires time, and making money requires time. There's generally an inverse relationship between skill and money, so in my personal experience my greatest skill levels were achieved in the eighties when I had next to no money. I made do with 3 boss pedals, a DS1, a Phaser, and the purple delay which they no longer make.

If all someone wants to do is assemble the perfect surf setup, and only play first wave surf music for the rest of their life that's cool. I just personally don't want to be that guy. Just like I don't want to be like Angus Young of AC/DC. Or the Edge. Or "Dimebag Darrel" Or Clapton or anybody else who is instantly identifiable. It's just a little boring to me. I want to play whatever catches my ear, and if a handful of pedals lets me nail the tone, all the better. If I can't nail the tone, I may turn it into a surf instro if it pleases me. Play "ain't talkin' bout love" by Van Halen (the kid across the street is learning guitar and I relearned it so I could help out) clean with a tank, tremolo picking the solo! Any over 30 surf audience in LA would love it!

Please don't take this as an attack. It's just a long winded answer to why bring up multiple effect pedals. And for the record the Deluxe memory man isn't exactly like a line6 Pod or anything! It is an analog delay at its heart.

Badash makes a VALID POINT! I am actually in that EXACT Situation at this moment (BEATLE BAND). It's fantastic for a while, but then it starts to get monotonous. Think of it as having New York Steak for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner every day of the year. You're gonna get 'burned out' on it. I am working with a new project (VR-4) which will become a full time Band once the Beatle Band finds a Lead Guitar replacement. Besides, Harrison never played a Mosrite! A Beatle setup was pretty simple: Either a Gretsch or a Rick with an AC-30. But if your playing "other" music, then you'll probably need more "toys" to accommodate your needs for other styles of music.
I personally think this was good to point out the different possibilities of SURF or ANY other Style of Music that just may call for more than just one effect...........

.......make the Mos' of it,
.....choose the 'rite stuff!
.........owner of 9 Mosrites
proud owner and documented:
1963 "The Ventures" Model s/n# 0038
http://www.vintagerock4.com
www.mosriteforum.com