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Danelectro DTE-1 Reel Echo

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4.5 (27)

4 Reviews

This product is Vintage or Discontinued

Find out who is using Danelectro DTE-1

2 community setups

57 wishlisted

115 saved

Page last updated Jul 04, 2026

Pricing and availability

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Price

Average Price: $125

Standard/Professional

$100

$251+

Price Tier

In the Delay Effects Pedals category, Danelectro DTE-1 Reel Echo is priced in the Standard/Professional range. This is quality gear at a fair price point, suitable for beginners, hobbyists, and pros alike.

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Description

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Immerse your music in the warm, atmospheric tones of yesteryears with the Danelectro DTE-1 Reel Echo Tape Simulator Pedal. This versatile gear effortlessly conjures the organic pitch deviation of an analog tape delay, transporting you back in time with its tube/solid state styles. The pedal's speed range control of up to 1500ms brings about haunting trails and delay, making it a phenomenal tool for ambient, post-rock, or shoegaze musicians. A standout feature is the unique Sound on Sound stomp switch, adept at layering multiple tracks to create depth and richness in your sound.

Key Features:

Tube/Solid state styles for authentic analog tape delay experience
Speed range control of up to 1500ms for diverse delay effects
Unique Sound on Sound stomp switch for multi-track layering
Warble switch for natural tape pitch variance
Highly suitable for ambient, post-rock, or shoegaze music styles

Product specs

Brand	Danelectro
Model	Reel Echo
Finish	Green
Year	2000s
Made In	China
Categories	Delay Pedals

FAQs

What type of delay does the Danelectro DTE-1 Reel Echo emulate?: The Danelectro DTE-1 Reel Echo emulates vintage tape echo effects, providing a warm, analog-style delay reminiscent of classic tape machines.
Can the Danelectro DTE-1 Reel Echo be used with both guitar and bass?: Yes, the Danelectro DTE-1 Reel Echo is versatile and can be used with both guitar and bass, offering rich echo effects for both instruments.
Does the Danelectro DTE-1 Reel Echo require a specific power supply?: The Danelectro DTE-1 Reel Echo typically requires a 9V DC power supply, which is standard for many guitar pedals. Check the manufacturer's specifications for precise requirements.
How does the Danelectro DTE-1 Reel Echo differ from digital delay pedals?: Unlike digital delay pedals, the Danelectro DTE-1 Reel Echo provides a more organic, warm sound with slight modulation, mimicking the characteristics of vintage tape echo units.

Videos

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Reviews

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PROS

Mimics vintage tape echo sounds closely
Offers a variety of echo options and settings
Unique sound-on-sound feature for micro-looping
Toggle switch simulates solid state or tube preamp
"Lo-fi" control for varying signal decay
Infinite delay options without self-oscillation
Can achieve large slapback sounds ideal for certain genres
Intuitive interface with a unique design
Slide control for precise delay adjustments

CONS

Requires specific DA-1 adapter; not universally compatible
Footswitches can be unreliable and may get stuck
Does not mimic tape delay speed change effects accurately
Large size takes up considerable pedalboard space
Lacks tap tempo feature

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Danelectro DTE-1 Reel Echo.

Features and functionality

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The pedal's SOS function allows creative looping, offering 1.5 seconds of sound to explore complex harmonic soundscapes.
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The delay time adjustment doesn't alter pitch but shortens repeats, maintaining pitch accuracy unless delay time is extremely short.
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The warble effect resembles a fast chorus rather than traditional tape warble, providing a unique sonic characteristic.
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The self-oscillation manipulation is favored by Mike Einziger from Incubus, especially due to the large sliding knob that allows for precise control.
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For the Sound on Sound feature to work effectively, Lo-Fi must be set low and repeats high; incorrect settings can make the pedal seem faulty.
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Use cases and applications

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Ideal for garage rock setups, providing a clean slap echo, particularly effective when set to solid state mode.
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Offers a freeze effect technique by quickly toggling Echo on/off with SOS engaged, enabling complex sound layering.
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Highly effective for use with bass guitars due to its bright sound, preventing muddiness and allowing low frequencies to cut through.
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The pedal is praised for delivering great slapback tones, particularly effective for rockabilly styles.
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User experience

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The slider can behave glitchily during adjustments, which might be a concern for some users.
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Susceptible to interference from devices like phones, which can introduce unwanted noise during operation.
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The time slider's adjustment mimics the non-smooth operation of a real tape echo, adding authenticity but also causing occasional user frustration.
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Users report that being gentle with the switches is crucial, as they are noted to be of lower quality and prone to issues.
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Comparisons

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Some users compare the pedal's sound to an Echoplex, highlighting its ability to deliver a lush, luxurious echo even at the brightest settings.
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El Capistan is suggested as an alternative for those seeking more refined effects, though the Reel Echo has a unique charm appreciated by users.
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Build quality

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The large size of the pedal is considered excessive by some, making it impractical for pedalboards with limited space.
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4.5 out of 5

Based on 4 Reviews and 27 Ratings

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h_pr

1359

over 5 years ago

Unique tape-style delay

The Danelectro Reel Echo is a digital delay that simulates a tape delay and offers quite a few options to shape the sound. There's a toggle switch to simulate a solid state or a tube preamp and another one to simulate tape warble, and there's a "lo-fi" control to dial in the desired amount of signal decay, from none at all to a very unstable sound that disintegrates almost immediately. With the lo-fi control at minimum and the repeats knob at maximum, the delays will repeat infinitely (without self-oscillation), so the pedal can be used as a micro-looper with loop lengths between 0 and 1.5 seconds, which allows interesting possibilities in conjunction with the sound-on-sound button.

What are the drawbacks? First of all, I'm not a big fan of the footswitches, which haven't aged well. Sometimes they won't register when I step on them and occasionally one of them gets stuck (stepping on them again usually works though). It can also a bit of a disappointment for some that the pedal behaves more like a digital delay than a tape delay when you change the delay time: it will not create the sound of a tape speeding up and slowing down, but it will simply chop up the signal into smaller bits or add breaks to the signal. This can result in interesting effects and be very useful for experiments, but it's not exactly what a tape delay would do, and it also means that you can't create any "space ship" sound effects. Finally, the pedal is big and takes up a fair amount of real estate on your board.

Nevertheless, I like it a lot. It sounds good and sports a unique design with a very intuitive interface, and if you are aware of what it can do and what it can't do, it can be put to uses that other delays cannot offer.

Roles:

Guitarist Composer

Genres:

Dark ambient Electroacoustic music Musical improvisation

From Gear Setup

atr89

210

over 11 years ago

One unique delay pedal.

If you want a delay out of the ordinary, this is the right pedal for you. The thing I like the most is the slide control of the ms of delay. It can give very awkward sounding delays or some really warm delays. I don't use de Sound On Sound feature that much, I don't like it. I would have loved a tap tempo instead. That's the only down side I see on this pedal. Maybe the size. It's really big. If you have a small pedalboard, prepare for losing A LOT of space on this guy. Great pedal anyway, lots of possibilities.

joenormalusa

over 10 years ago

Classic Rockabilly Slapback and more

I run 2 Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue amps with this Danelectro Reel Echo, splitting the main signal to the left and the delay signal to the right. It gives me a huge splapback sound that comes as close to Gliff Gallup (Gene Vincent) as it gets.