Maestro Echoplex

"I have about five Echoplexes, all of which have unique qualities"

On pg. 3 of [this interview in *Tone Quest Report* Vol. 9 #5](http://www.tomguerra.com/images/TQRMar08_03_Proof.pdf), published March 2008, Mike Campbell states the following about the Echoplex: > In the early days, there weren’t many pedals that I’d use. I would use the preamp in the Echoplex for my edge if I needed distortion, as the Super Beatles were really clean. I think the secret to my distortion and sustain is the Echoplex driving into the Super Beatle. I occasionally used a wah wah, but most of my sound is that old, noisy tube Echoplex into the Super Beatle. The Echoplex is also mentioned in [this March 1983 *Musician* article](https://www.thepettyarchives.com/archives/magazines/1980s/1983-03-musician). > Ever loyal to their roots, both Petty and Campbell play through very cool looking Vox Super Beatle amps, jazzed up with Echoplex and MXR Dyna Comp.

"Eventually I switched from the Echoplex to a Lexicon PCM 42, but these days I use a Korg A3—it’s my favorite effects unit. In fact, I’ve got five of them."

"Lead is just what I always was. A 50 or 100 watt Marshall, a Echoplex and a BK Butler Tube Driver. Same thing for many years."

In this photo EVH can clearly be seen with 2 Maestro EP3 Echoplex tape delays. Eddie was known to favor the EP3 for delay throughout the 70s and into the 80s.

Starting at 1:04, Nardwuar asks Kurt about using an Echoplex, To which Kurt replies "I have one", though it is unknown if it is on any recordings that have been released, and it was likely not used live.

In this Instagram shot taken by Sayce himself you can spot the Maestro Echoplex.

On his website, electronics tech to the stars of the 70s, Pete Cornish attests that "My first commission from Queen was to eliminate the ground loop hum caused by the interconnection of 3 X Vox AC30 Amps and 2 X modified Echoplex EP3 Delays. In January 1972 I designed and built special circuitry to isolate the amps and echoes, which successfully eliminated all the hum problems. This system was used for their first and subsequent tours up until 1982, also the recording of their albums during this period. By January 1976 Brian May was using 9 X AC30 amps on stage and the same 2 Echoplex EP3 Delays (see photo 9 X AC30 + EP3s) – this required an enlarged Routing System which I designed and built. Despite the large number of Vox AC30's then in use my system successfully eliminated all Ground Loop hum and noise." So Brian was using modified solid-state Echoplex tape delays for his huge wet/dry/wet echo sound from at least '72 into '76.

What type of wah-wah do you use? " I have a Mu-tron and the Oberheim VCF (voltage control filter). I've got an example of that on this new album (Zoot Allures). I'm starting to use some Echoplex now, which I've generally avoided in the past. " - Guitar Player Magazine 1977, written down on the Frank Zappa Wiki "Wiki Jawaka"

Randy had an Echoplex I'm his rig to thicken up his sound.

http://www.hiwatt.co.uk/artists/foals

Mentioned in this March 1983 *Musician* article. > Ever loyal to their roots, both Petty and Campbell play through very cool looking Vox Super Beatle amps, jazzed up with Echoplex and MXR Dyna Comp.

two Echoplex(s) side y side, far left, probably 1976 All the World's a Stage tour.The Mini Moog appeared (not yet recorded) on stage, and the red double-neck had not been damaged by the falling speaker horn at the Blue Oyster Cult gig at the Nassau Coliseum Jan, 1978. Here's an excerpt from Lifeson's great cover interview in Guitar Player, June 1980. Which guitars did you use on Rush's first LP, Rush? I used the 335 and a rented Rickenbacker 12-string. That's it for guitars. I played them through my Marshall 50 with a 4-12 cabinet, and I used a Maestro phase shifter, a Cry Baby wah-wah, and an Echoplex. Did you go through a guitar-buying phase at that time? I sure did. Some I bought because I wanted them, and others I bought to replace damaged instruments. We were doing a gig with Blue Oyster Cult at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York, a few years ago, and the double-neck cherry-finish Gibson I had bought in Nashville shortly before that got injured. The rigging wasn't done properly, and a long-throw horn speaker fell right on top of it, shearing the bridges off and taking huge chunks out of the body. Not only that, but the horn also fell on my 335 and gouged its neck out. That really hurt. The 335 had been with me for ten years; the neck was worn down just right, the finish was worn down from playing thousands of bars and high school dances, and I was proud of it. After that I said, "This guitar is staying home. I'm not taking any further chances with it." What did you replace those guitars with? I got a white Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck to replace the cherry-finish one, and I had a Gibson ES-355 made in 1976 with a cream-colored custom finish. That's my main guitar now.

According to this posting on Google Books - Greg used an Echoplex on parts of the Candy-O record.

Neal uses the Echoplex in his own Studio.

[This](http://www.guitarworld.com/neil-young-ragged-glory?page=0,1) Guitar World interview says, "Across the top panel are switches for, variously, a Mu-Tron octave divider; an old, AC-powered MXR analog delay; a Boss Flanger in a “blue, cast-metal box”; and an Echoplex."

In [this interview](http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/interview-wes-borland-on-rejoining-limp-bizkit-and-new-album-gold-cobra-484071/), Wes Borland talks about the Limp Bizkit album Gold Cobra. He describes the "amp and effects chain that [he] used on My Way," saying, "A Maestro solid-state Echoplex and an Ibanez flanger pedal that has a setting called 'whacked'…"

In the very early days of Police, Andy was using just the MXR Phase 90 pedal, and a reverb. As he became more successful, he got himself the Pete Cornish pedalboard, which had all kinds of effects programmed into it, including Mutron Envelope filter, wah wahs, fuzz boxes and distortions like EHX Muff Fuzz and Distortion+, MXR Dyna Comp Compressor, Phase 90 and others. He also used the Roland GR-300 Guitar Synthesizer. But, the two effects which were really the key to the Andy’s sound with the Police are the Maestro Echoplex tape delay, and the Electro Harmonix Electric Mistress.

In the interview they ask "What specifically are your favorite pieces of gear? What can''t you live without in the studio?" To which Mark responds "Moog Minimoog, Yamaha DX-100, a spring reverb, Echoplex Tape Echo, EMS Synthi A, Universal Audio Precision Maximizer, ARP Odyssey and a Waterphone. I probably have used the Minimoog on more tracks that any other synth that I own."

Buchanan achieved his sound through minimum means. He played the Telecaster through a Fender Vibrolux amplifier with the volume and tone "full out," and used the guitar's volume and tone controls to control volume and sound[15] (he achieved a wah wah effect using the tone control).[5][12] To achieve his desired distorted sounds, Buchanan at one point used a razor blade to slit the paper cones of the speakers in his amp, an approach also employed by the Kinks' Dave Davies. Buchanan rarely used effects pedals, though he started using an Echoplex on A Street Called Straight (1976).[5] In his later career he played with a Boss DD-2 delay.[12]

A Maestro Echoplex can be seen in the picture attached to this interview.

Circa 2006/2007 and for solo shows.

Echoplex tape delay: Greg had several of these and besides the Distortion+ it was the only "effect" he ever used. It is, with no doubt, the key to his guitar sound and style. Without it, he would be missing his natural "huge" solo sound and his ambient guitar playing would be at a miss. His Echoplexes were early solid-state models that he modified to accomidate a footswitch

"I got into drum machines originally through playing with echo", Hillage reveals. "I first got an Echoplex in 1974, and I got a very early digital stopwatch and calibrated my Echoplex in milliseconds so I could quickly change the timing for different tempos. I had the figures written in big letters onstage so I could see them."

See the reference under "Other FX" of the Band Spock's Beard: "Other FX Echoplex, Talk Box, DS-1 Distortion, Mutron, Vintage Univibe Pedal, Leslie Speaker, Big Muff Pi"

"I brought my ancient EchoPlex, made by Maestro, and it is an old tube one. Got it when KISS was doing Revenge, as a studio called AMIGO was going out of business and they had a fire sale. Great find, as it is such a cool sound. Tubes make things warm and fuzzy we say, and it just gave that track a great tone."

Emote with Your Echoplex Speaking of innovative, Bolin even figured out a way to “play” his Echoplex that went way beyond the norm. “The Echoplex was almost like another instrument to him,” says Johnnie. “He actually had two of them mounted on a podium. He would use the echo as part of the solo or to end the solo, but he didn’t need it to disguise anything. He had it down to where he knew how to get all kinds of rhythms out of it.” One of Bolin’s favorite Echoplex tricks was to preset an eighth-note, eighth-note triplet, or sixteenth-note rhythmic delay time, dime the “repeat” knob, then click it on for the last note of a phrase to produce a quasi-dub effect. (Fact: TB was a reggae fanatic.) He also loved to let the signal run away into regeneration feedback while he simultaneously manipulated the playback head to either change pitch or cause all kinds of multi-speed regeneration mayhem. (The Echoplex playback head is mounted on a manually adjustable horizontal slider as you face the box.) You can hear this in action on Cobham’s “Quadrant 4” (Spectrum), Mouzon’s “Golden Rainbows” and “Nitroglycerine” (from Mind Transplant), and the killer live versions of “Post Toastee” and “Hard Chargin’ Woman” (a mind-boggling solo where, at 6:12, Bolin actually trades “twos” with his echo feedback!) on The Ultimate: Redux. To end the effect, Bolin could either cut off the regenerated signal abruptly with a footswitch, or by gradually backing off the repeats knob until it faded out naturally. Another fave move was to momentarily effect a totally dry solo tone with a few bars (or even half of a phrase) of prominent slapback echo, as witnessed at 3:10 into Cobham’s “Red Baron.” Realizing that only tape echo will give you the real deal (you can accomplish this with some digital delays, but we’re going old-school, Bolin-style here), set your tape or analog unit of choice to a 50-50 wet-to-dry signal ratio, dial in some preset regeneration feedback by cranking the “repeats” knob, then revisit every lick we’ve covered thus far, switching on the echo on the last note. The next choice is yours: Either cut the echo off abruptly, or head to outer space by messing with the playback head or delay time controls for as long as you like. Crazy, man, crazy!

"There was a kind of haunting quality to the RMI with the Echoplex. Real tape delay gave it a little of a wobbly feel. That sound, these days, you can approximate it, but to get that thing, you need the old gear. I'm not a big collector of vintage gear, but I kept that Echoplex, 'cause it's just such a beautiful machine.”

Most famous effect he uses.

Daniel Ash states in this interview that he has used the Echoplex.

Around 1976 he started to use delay on his sound, originally from a Maestro Echoplex, and it remained an integral part of his rig ever since.

Listed under "delays and reverbs" on his site

"He runs his MXL 960 Tube Condenser mic through his secret synth, an Electrix WarpFactory vocoder, and a Maestro Echoplex tape delay."

> I could probably swap out everyone of my effects for something new but one crucial piece of gear I must have is a tape delay. I’ve had a half a dozen Echoplex’s since high school and even though they can be fickle, the sound is pure magic. A tape echo has cleaner repeats than analog delay but degrades more natural than digital, so it’s a beautiful mix. I love the extra shimmer from the tape rolling around and the tone coloring of the Ep-3 circuit as well. I have a TTE at home, but the Maestro Echoplex is still my favorite.

"I have an old Echoplex and a Roland Space Echo. But onstage I use the Boss RE-20 Space Echo pedal, which has a tap function. I don’t use a distortion pedal. I never have in my life. I use the amp’s natural gain. And I use my guitar’s volume knob as my gain channel. When it’s on 10, that means I’m ripping!"

Tom states he has "some cool effects – two Echoplexes, an Echorec made by Guild" that he uses

The Maestro Echoplex EP-3 is listed on several Sapce Machine albums and appears in the album photos on *Cosmos From Diode Ladder Filter*