Dunlop

DUNLOP
ECHOPLEX DELAY
£189
A tape echo sim that revives a classic name
IN
the pre-digital delay days,
the Echoplex found its way
into the rigs of such legends as
Jimmy Page, Brian May and Andy
Summers to name a few. Launched
in 1961, the Echoplex had two
valve-based incarnations before the
solid-state EP-3 appeared in 1970.
Unlike the multi-head designs
typical of Copicats and Roland
Space Echoes, the Echoplex
featured just a single replay head
alongside a record/erase head that
could slide along a fi xed axis – the
distance between the two heads set
your preferred delay time. The
typical Echoplex sound had
consecutive repeats with a natural
decay, but guitarists also liked the
EP-3’s FET preamp, which could
boost an amp and add a pleasing
colour to the sound. Production of
tape-based Echoplexes ended in
1991, but the Echoplex name was
bought later by Jim Dunlop and
has recently been revived for its
preamp-aping Echoplex Preamp
and now, the Delay, designed to
replicate the actual tape echo.
Like many delay pedals, the
Echoplex has knobs to control
delay time, feedback and volume,
but it also has an Age parameter,
brought in and out by a press on the
volume knob, which is designed to
emulate sonic artefacts, refl ecting
the idiosyncrasies of tape echoes.
Turning up the Age (by pressing
and hold the volume knob) dials in
increasing modulation to simulate
the ‘wow and fl utter’ typical of tape
transport mechanisms, but also
changes the tonal qualities of the
repeats from a clean yet vintage
timbre through edgier and grittier
to repeats that are quite fat and
distorted, saturated tape-style.
Where the standard mode does
a pretty good impression of a tape
echo in good working order with
new tape, the various degrees of
Age offer up plenty of options to
replicate a machine that may have
issues and tape that’s well-worn.
If you’re looking for esoteric delay
types, this might not be the one for
you, but with delay times from
doubling up to 750ms (increased
to a whopping four seconds with
Dunlop’s sold-separately Tap
Tempo footswitch), plus character
and blending from the Age
parameter, there really is scope
for all fl avours of vintage repeats.
If it really has to be tape, you
could search eBay for a vintage
Echoplex or plump for Fulltone’s
modern take, but Dunlop’s offering
gives you a delay experience that’s
similar to an original without any
of the maintenance issues – plus it
will fi t on your pedalboard. The
pricing may seem about right
compared with the competition
from Strymon, but getting the full
vintage EP-3 sound by pairing the
Preamp and Delay will set you
back over £300, which seems a lot,
given Catalinbread’s Belle Epoch
makes a similar claim in a single
pedal at around half the price.
However, the Echoplex’s authentic
vibes are hugely addictive, and
once you’ve played with it, you
may struggle to play without…
Trevo r Cu rwen
The Echoplex’s authentic
vibes are hugely addictive
Photography: Simon Lees
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
GEAR DUNLOP ECHOPLEX DELAY
OCTOBER 2016 89
TYPE: Delay pedal
CONTROLS: Sustain, volume,
delay, age, internal mono/stereo
switch, bypass footswitch
SOCKETS: Standard TRS input
and TRS output (stereo operation
possible by using splitter cables),
tap tempo pedal input
BYPASS: True relay or
trails bypass
POWER: 9V DC adaptor
(supplied), 240mA
CONTACT: Westside Distribution
0844 326 2000
www.jimdunlop.com
AT A GLANCE
AGE
THIS LED lights up red
when you engage the
Age function via a
press on the volume
knob – it simulates the
sonic qualities of an
ageing EP-3
TAP TEMPO
IF you plug the MXR Tap
Tempo footswitch (£39) in
here, you get increased
delay time of up to four
seconds, with instant
foot control
FOOTSWITCH
TWO bypass modes are
on offer: true bypass,
which cuts the delay
stone-dead, or a
buffered trails bypass
where repeats continue
and fade naturally
TGR285.gear_dunlop.indd 89 9/7/16 11:40 PM