Need an education...

[JimP]

It's been a long time since I've made a post on the Chetboard. I have been checking in though and I know this is the place to go to when you have a fingerpicking question. So here goes...I have a 2005 6120 that I play through a Pevey Delta Blues amp. I had Sonny Thomas put in a new neck pickup a couple of years ago, I think it is the "Supertron" just like the 6122-59. I really love my guitar and amp combo. It gives me the sound I am looking for. I really don't know much else about electric guitars though. I have my amp and guitar adjusted the way I want them to sound and I never change it. Lately, I have been wondering about "pedals", delay, and especially the echo effect as in the "Rockabilly" sound. Could you guys give me a primer and maybe point me in the right (inexpensive) direction to purchase some toys to play with? Oh, by the way, did I mention I am a gentleman? I can play the banjo but usually don't ...Jim

[JeffS]

Hi Jim,

I also play the banjo, so it's nice to meet a fellow admirer of Chet and Earl.

As far as echo/delay, I use a Boss DD3. I have a 59 NC, '65 Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue, and a Musicman RD50 112. I chose the Boss DD3, because I read that Paul Yandell liked that particular unit. I like it with the Fender amps, and I'm sure it would sound fine through the Peavey as well.

Jeff Stovall

[Norm]

You might go to a site like

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/delay-re ... stid=72590

and look at the price range of the pedals. They all do essentially the same thing, some with more knobs than others.

Once you get an idea what prices and descriptions are like then go to a well stocked store and tell them what you want and how much you want to spend. Sometimes it's a good idea to bring along a guitar playing friend so you can listen more objectively as the units are demoed

[Richard Hudson]

One thing to remember is that for every pedal you add, there is a sacrifice in tone. Most of the time there is an increase in electronic noise also. My preference is to keep add ons at a minimum. It is really easy to over do it.

[JimP]

Am I correct to understand the term, "delay" to mean "echo? Is the delay the amount of time that lapses until the next echo? I'd like to play "Mr. Sandman" with that original kind of echo that Chet used...I guess that was the Echo-Sonic but a delay pedal would do the same thing, right? Is "slap-back" echo just a term for the rockabilly kind of echo that they got back in the day with the equipment that was available?...tubes and tape? When I first heard Mr. Sandman played by Chet, I thought it was just reverb...but it is also laced with an echo.
Somewhere down the road, I would like to learn "Snowbird". Do you all think the same pedal would work for both tunes? Thanks so much for your answers and patience. Jim

[Norm]

To me "delay" is echo, a clearly defined repeat of a primary note. As opposed to the sound generated by the spring pan reverb.

I think any delay unit should be able to copy the EchoSonic. I think the EchoSonic had a preset distance between the heads. The user can vary the relative strength between the repeated note and the primary note and also control how many times the taped note gets fed back into the recording head to increase how many repeats you end up with. You can do the same variance on most modern delay units and have the added ability to control how far apart the primary and repeat notes are.

Having said that, the EchoSonic, as a package, had its own overall sound. What you hear on those old original records is a combination of amp, a specific guitar and studio setup. Add to that the musician and you find that it is likely you can come close to what you hear on a record but to perfectly duplicate it requires a time machine.