13 delay

Possibly the most versatile guitar effect, delay comes in a range of formats. Early units were used to record and play back sound. As the tape degraded, so did the sound of the repeats, something known as ‘wow’ and ‘flutter’ on modern-day recreations. Bucket brigade delay chips were used to create solid-state analogue delays in stompbox forms in the 70s, while Boss pioneered the first digital delay with the DD-2 in 1983.

Analogue delays have a darker tonality; digital units feature repeats that are exact replicas of your dry sound. Modern digital delays tend to have modes that emulate analogue sounds, as well as tape and other old-school units. Delay pedals feature controls for feedback, effect level and delay time. Shorter delay times yield rockabilly slapback to big solo tones and with higher feedback levels the post-rock orchestration of Mogwai.

Guitarists have played around with rhythmic delays set to specific note divisions, the most famous example being U2’s The Edge on Pride(InThe

NameOfLove). Fully featured delays make getting these sounds easy through the use of tap tempo footswitches (where you literally tap) and subdivision switches, which divide that tempo up into specific note values. modern digital delays tend to have modes that emulate analogue sounds