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--- In , "Brian Neal" <bgneal@g...> wrote:
> Thanks Ivan. Why do you suppose tape echo wasn't used very much in
> surf? The rockabilly guys were using slapback echo, right? I don't
> know much about rockabilly; was that primarily a studio thing, or did
> the rockabilly guys drag tape machines and/or echoplexes with them on
> stage?
I think it was mainly a studio thing - there weren't really reliable,
affordable and transportable echo units in the fifties. I know that
Scotty Moore and Chet Atkins had their custom-made Ray Butts amps with
the echo built-in, but I think those were pretty fragile. (However,
Deke Dickerson was using one of those ULTRARARE amps - with a working
echo - on the road a few years ago, and may still be, so I guess
they're not THAT fragile!)
I don't know much history behind the Echoplex - anybody know when it
was first introduced? The Shadows were using mostly Italian echo
units (Meazzi) that were very unreliable, but were also much more
advanced than the Echoplex - featuring multiple heads allowing for the
famous staggered-echo patterns used to such great effect by Marvin, as
well as the Atlantics (who actually used German Klempt Echolette
machines).
Anyway, the answer is, I have no idea why more surf bands didn't use
echo. I guess cause no big name did, cause they were rare, and cause
they were a pain in the ass! (And have no doubt, tape echo units ARE
a pain in the ass - I've long ago given up using one. I'll take my
digital units any time - the ones that emulate tape echoes, anyway!)
Ivan
