What should i Buy?
Looking to doctor your delay? Here’s a prescription…
I’m in the market for a new echo box. I’d like something with a tap tempo function, but what’s most important is the switching. I want the delay trails to fade away naturally when I turn the effect off. I think it sounds weird when they just cut out. Do you have any suggestions? H Barker, via email When looking for a new pedal, guitarists have become conditioned to look for true bypass circuitry on the specs list. But, in your particular case, to satisfy your needs and avoid your delay trails being cut off in their prime, you need to limit your options to a delay that has buffered circuitry. Good news is we’ve done the hard work for you: here’s a trio for you to consider.
1. Boss DD-7 Digital Delay c£116
Boss has always preferred to produce buffered pedals over true bypass gear. The high-spec DD-7, the latest in Boss’s long line of digital delays, has the tap tempo function you need and offers a delay range of between one and 6,400 milliseconds. You can also record up to 40 seconds of audio using the ‘hold’ mode.
2. DigiTech Obscura altered Delay c£107
With a delay range from rockabilly slapback to a maximum of two seconds, the Obscura falls way short of the 6.4 seconds offered by the Boss. The DigiTech is still a contender here, though. thanks to its warm-sounding vintage tape-like delays. Plus, get this: you can set the delay trails for instant cut-off or gradual fade.
3. Walrus audio aRp-87 c£179
Like the DigiTech Obscura, this boutique offering from Walrus Audio can be run in trails or no trails mode. Versatility is the name of the game here. You have the option to run the ARP-87 in Digital mode for icycool modern sounds; Analog for 70s and 80s tones; or Lo-Fi for an ancient sonically degraded tape echo vibe.
legit, is it likely to be chambered? It feels lighter than I expected. I need this guitar to be authentic in every way for my peace of mind. I’ll ditch it if it turns out to be chambered…
J Wilkins, via email
Some players won’t touch a chambered Les Paul with a bargepole. It wouldn’t be a problem if the original 50s models have hollow bits, but they don’t. And, naturally, that means reissues shouldn’t have them, either. Such is our desire for authenticity.
Standard production Les Paul models are chambered, and have been since the early 80s. Gibson has produced chambered R8 models, but these have ‘CR’ in the serial number. The remainder of Custom Shop R8 LPs are not chambered. Just because your Les Paul doesn’t feel like a ship anchor hanging around your neck doesn’t mean it’s hollowed out. So, rest easy.
Even the best fake ‘Chibsons’ will not match the quality of your genuine R8. Not even close. You should begin by dating your guitar via an online serial number checker. Yes, a serial number can be faked, but if the results fit with what you already know about the guitar, it’s likely to be genuine.
Your Les Paul will also have a vintage-correct fat neck profile. The fakers don’t tend to go to these lengths in the pursuit of detail. Also, have a peek in the control cavity of your guitar and you should see the legend ‘R8’ stamped on the timber. The bridge posts will have smooth rounded tops, and not be slotted like Epiphone Les Pauls and those pesky Chibsons. The fact is, it should be obvious if your guitar is an imposter.
If you’re still not 100 per cent on it, take your guitar to a dealer and have it looked over. Once you’ve settled your conspiracy issues, you can begin to enjoy your new instrument.
Tips? Well, talking of which, don’t let your soldering iron’s hot tip touch you, your immediate family, or the guitar’s wood or plastic bits. Wear safety glasses. Solder spits like an angry snake when it’s hot and you don’t want that stuff anywhere near your peepers. Also, get yourself a solder sucker. This simple yet clever spring-loaded device removes old or excess solder at the click of a button. Get
a solder sponge, too. You’ll need to clean the tip of your soldering iron occasionally.
Soldering takes patience and a steady hand. Practise on old wires and pots if you can. Oh, and work in a ventilated room. Yeah, that means open a window. Hot solder gives off fumes and smoke that can irritate if it gets up your hooter.
Soldering is a fantastic skill to master. Believe us. Over the years, we’ve seen the uninformed and bewildered use all sorts of stuff in place of solder. That includes plasticine, Blu Tack, sticky tape, Super Glue, even chewing gum. As each one of these hapless souls will tell you, nothing beats properly applied solder when you want to connect two different metal things to each other. Just make sure that when you’ve soldered something that the solder is bright and shiny. If the connection looks dull, with a matt silver finish, then you need to do it again.