Can someone suggest a tape delay unit

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Can someone suggest a tape delay unit

Postby rickr » Tue May 14, 2013 2:29 pm

I wuld like to get the effect Chet got,, but without a high price tag,,
any suggestions??

Thanks,
Rick
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Re: Can someone suggest a tape delay unit

Postby PhilHunt » Tue May 14, 2013 3:08 pm

You can't beat an Echoplex EP-3. But they are high maintenance and are getting up in price. Your best bet is a "Danelectro Reel echo", they sound and work just like the echoplex minus the tape. It even has a warble switch to get that worn echo sound.
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Re: Can someone suggest a tape delay unit

Postby Norm » Tue May 14, 2013 8:29 pm

Fulltone makes a tape delay unit but were I thee I would take a trip to a well stocked guitar store and say "Whatcha got?" What you want is something that echos and is quiet enough to use for recording

There are a lot of interesting echo pedals out there. Bring your own guitar and use an amp close to what you have to test the units.

Tape units are high maintainance and the amount of echo a wise guitarist uses really isn't all that much so I'm thinking a pedal will make you happier in the long run.
...that's how it looks to me...The opinion expressed above is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of this station. Your mileage may vary...

Audio samples: http://www.youtube.com/user/acountrygent/videos
That should do it.
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Re: Can someone suggest a tape delay unit

Postby albertgen » Tue May 14, 2013 9:47 pm

You really have to be careful with how much echo and reverb you use, too much and it ruins the sound. Most guitarist use too much reverb and echo. Also echo's should be in adjusted to the beat which Chet was a genius about it right. I keep my echoplex with a barely audible repeat and no reverb. Reverb eats up your finger vibrato. Al
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Re: Can someone suggest a tape delay unit

Postby senojnad » Tue May 21, 2013 4:55 pm

I used to own an early Roland RE100 tape delay (middle 1970's). While it could produce interesting echos, it was very unreliable and prone to trouble. The maintenance was difficult, expensive and frequent. I finally gave up on it.

I agree 100% that delay/echo and reverb should be at minimal levels. There are many tapeless pedals out there that will be excellent for simple and subtle echo sounds. If you check out the sales demos on many of the high priced gear (including the Fulltone tape machine), many of the sounds "achieved" seem more suitable for 23rd century space movies than for Chet-type music.

I've had several pedals over the years. My personal favorite is the Strymon ElCapistan. However, I don't use most of its functionalities.

Good advice by Norm -- take your guitar to local shops where you can try different pedals with an amp that is close to yours (or take your amp with you). Do this is a store where you can hear, which precludes Guitar Center stores (at least in this part of the country). Be alert for and detration in tone quality with the pedals you try.
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Re: Can someone suggest a tape delay unit

Postby Randy Finney » Thu May 23, 2013 8:55 am

I have a DAnelectro Reel Tape Echo but have used it since I got a Wampler Faux Tape Echo. The Wampler is double the money but, in my opinion, double the quality.

Randy
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Re: Can someone suggest a tape delay unit

Postby guitarchuck » Thu May 23, 2013 12:03 pm

Randy,
Does your Wampler have the tap tempo function? If so, do you use it much and how well does that function work on that pedal?
I'm currently using a Zoom G3X. I mostly use the built in tuner and the echo & delay functions. Sometimes I use the reverb. I also use it as a usb interface to record with. I bought an external pedal for tap tempo, but I haven't been real happy with that function. Otherwise, I love this pedal. It's quiet and easy to use.

Over the years I've had many units that I've used for Echo/Delay:

Stage analog DE-1 (noisy)
Alesis Quadraverb
Lexicon JamMan
Danelectro Danecho
Danelectro Reel Echo
Line 6 DL-4 Delay
Boss DD-20 Giga Delay
Boss ME-1
A couple of different Behringers
Digitech RPX400
Zoom g2
TC Electronic ND-1 Nova Delay
Zoom G3X

My guitar teacher had a tape Echoplex back in the day. It sounded great when it had a new tape and when everything was working. It required too much maintenance. At the time he recommended the newfangled analog echo boxes that were fairly new at the time. They hasn't come a long way in technology since then!
Last edited by guitarchuck on Thu May 23, 2013 1:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Can someone suggest a tape delay unit

Postby Norm » Thu May 23, 2013 12:46 pm

A little side note about the echoplex of the seventies

they have a switch that turns off the erase head. A couple of times I would unbox them at the store and turn off the erase head just to see what was on the tape. It was invariabley radio station tapes. Commercials, mostly.
...that's how it looks to me...The opinion expressed above is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of this station. Your mileage may vary...

Audio samples: http://www.youtube.com/user/acountrygent/videos
That should do it.
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Re: Can someone suggest a tape delay unit

Postby PhilHunt » Thu May 23, 2013 9:35 pm

I had been wanting another Echoplex Ep-3 for the longest time since I sold my other one some years ago and as luck would have it....my uncle (who I just visited in Nashville) gave me his Echoplex EP-3. It is in Super Mint Condition with 3 spare catridges inside the case. Thanks to my Uncle Jack.....he's probably one of the biggest Chet fans out there....Eddie can testify to that!
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Re: Can someone suggest a tape delay unit

Postby DagerRande » Tue May 28, 2013 10:08 am

Hi Phil,

Compared to many of you I feel like I grew up on an "island" when it comes to music mentors and Chet fans. I discovered Chet when pianist friend of mine gave me one of his albums "Teen Scene". Nobody around me was a musician and it was just my determination and a small well used record player. Now there is so much out there to help everyone. I wonder how many people who felt that they had no help in learning Chet's style back in the 50's and 60's would even bother with it now because they feel that they are "too old"?

Rande
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