Ultimate Guide To
Guitar Delays

The humble delay pedal is one of the most famous and easily recognisable guitar sounds in the world.

 

It’s one of those pedals that a guitarist should never be without and can be incredibly versatile – often forming the backbone of a riff or adding ambience to more delicate parts. Delays offer many more possibilities for your sound than your probably realise, from fattening your guitar tone and creating ethereal effects, to taking you straight back to the 50s with vintage slapback sounds.

 

Let’s dive into the wild world of delay pedals! Read on for our top tips and recommendations so that you can discover the perfect delay sound for your style…

 

What Is A Delay Pedal?

The clue is in the name. Strictly speaking, it's just the same note played back to you a short while after it's initially played. And repeat, repeat, repeat. But within that small time frame, there are so many factors that can affect how the delay behaves and what it does to your overall guitar sound.

 

Every player should understand how to get the most out of a delay pedal – whether you're a beginner, intermediate or pro player. This guide will explore the vast world of delay pedals and help you make an informed decision about which one is right for your needs.

Delay Pedals

How Delay Pedals Sound

 

The dreamy repeats of a delay pedal are capable of anything from adding a little texture with subtle doubling to psychedelic repetition. Think of the iconic, monumental-sounding riffs in King Crimson’s ‘Moonchild’ or Green Day’s ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ - instantly recognisable sounds created with the use of delay pedals.

 

Different types of delay pedals have distinct sounds and tonal characteristics which can prove somewhat divisive. For example, as we’ll cover later, some players love the darker, more natural-sounding repeats from an analogue delay due to the degrading sound. However, others swear by digital delays for the clean replication and longer possible time between repeats.

There are plenty of different choices out there, each with their own beloved characteristics. However, all of them will give you some form of lush repeats to add flow or ambience to your guitar sound.

 

Basic Controls:

On a typical delay pedal you can control the:

Time – The length of time between the first note played and the first repeat that you hear.

Feedback – The amount of repeats you'd like to hear. If the feedback knob is turned down, you might only get one repeat. If it's turned all the way up, you're probably entering the realms of self-oscillation.

Level – The overall level of the repeats. Full will mean the repeat is the same volume as your first note. Having it low can create a subtle fattening sound.

 

Special Delay Effects You Should Know:

Tap Tempo allows you to tap a footswitch in time with the song you're playing so that each repeat is within the same rhythm and timing as the song. This prevents the repeats from sounding out of time and lets you use the same effect on multiple songs when playing live.

Reverse Delay is slightly more complicated but simply means the delay repeats are reversed before being played back to you, creating an ethereal, otherworldly tone – similar to playing a vinyl record backwards. This reverse delay tone was famously used by Jimi Hendrix on tracks like "Voodoo Child" and "Are You Experienced."

Popular Types of Delay Pedals

Tape Echo

Let’s start at the very beginning. When I say beginning, I mean the 1950s when a certain Les Paul actually innovated the idea of using a tape machine to record a portion of your guitar signal and then playing it back. Creating an echo. Hence the term Tape Echo.

Now Tape Echo machines were notoriously unreliable because there are so many physical moving parts that often create inconsistencies in the sound and can sometimes break down. But these inconsistencies create that vintage tone. Along with the fact that because Tape will detoriate and warp, you can get weird, warbly tones. Modern pedals generally don’t have an Actually Tape machine but instead emulate that sound, apart from the T-Rex Replicator which has a small Tape cartridge on-board.

 

Analogue Delay Pedals

 

The first analogue delay stompbox was made by Boss in 1981, featuring the now-revered bucket brigade chip (BBD). It was the first chip that enabled users to access delay sounds without any moving parts.

 

A Bucket Brigade Delay Chip sends the analogue signal through a series of capacitors, one step per clock cycle. Like a line of people passing water by pouring from one bucket to another, some signal is lost with each transfer. This limits how long the repeats can go on and the maximum time between repeats.

 

However, the repeats on an analogue delay get darker with each repeat, creating a warm, dark sounding delay. This is why they're so popular – even when playing over the delay repeats, you can still hear the clarity of your guitar signal.

 

Digital Delay Pedals

Digital Delay stompboxes were also pioneered by Boss when they released the DD-2 in 1984. These are the most complicated delay pedals to design because they use an analogue-to-digital converter which then goes through a number of digital signal processors that record the sample into a storage buffer and play it back depending on how you’ve set the parameters (like time, feedback, level).

 

The chip used in a Digital Delay is called a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) chip.

 

Thanks to this powerful technology a digital delay is able to extend the total time between repeats to be much longer than an analogue delay chip. Due to the nature of a digital delay, the repeats are exactly the same as the initial note which means you get a precise replication of what you just played. It’s clean and won’t degrade like a tape echo or analogue delay would. Boss’ DD-3T is an absolute classic that still reigns as one of the top digital delays out there.

 

Modern Digital Multi-Delays

It’s worth touching on the modern digital multi-delays that are dominating the guitar effects world these days. Models like the Strymon Timeline and Boss DD-500 have enabled users to stack delays in a single pedal with incredible control over every delay sound that comes out of the pedal.

 

Modern digital multi-delays have got emulations of all of the famous delay sounds on-board with more control than those originals would ever have. Like the ability to control the exact amount of Tape warble on a Tape Echo delay from the Strymon Timeline.

 

Digital multi-delays are incredibly powerful and will often allow you control over every parameter you can imagine. Some are even USB enabled so that you can plug the delay into your computer and use software to tweak until you find the exact delay sound that you want.

 

These delays also tend to have a plethora of experimental options on them for the creative guitarist to get stuck into. You can use them to create a bed of sound to play over for beautiful soundscapes. These ambient tones are often achieved by the digital delay incorporating octave and other modulation sounds into the delay repeats which is what creates such an ethereal tone. It won’t affect your actual guitar signal, but just the repeats.

How do I use a delay pedal?

The delay effect enables you to be incredibly creative with how you use it. You can achieve so many different sounds and often they’ll be reminiscent of an era. Especially when you consider the fact that Slapback delay pretty much defined the 1950s as it was used on surf guitar sounds and rock n’ roll vocals alike. Cue Elvis Presley.

Popular Delay Pedal Brands - Our Top Picks

Boss

The pioneers of both analogue and digital delay pedals, Boss still comfortably sit amongst the best delay manufacturers, delivering both iconic classic pedals like the DM-2W Waza Craft or DD-3T, as well as innovative modern units like the DD-500 or the more compact DD-200.

 

Strymon

Known for premium digital delays like the Timeline and El Capistan, Strymon pedals offer excellent sound, renowned build quality and some of the most customisable units available.

 

Electro-Harmonix

Known for their quirky and creative approach to effects, Electro-Harmonix produces unique and iconic delay pedals like the classic Memory Man series and the Canyon. Their pedals often feature analogue circuitry with modern digital features and have been used by a huge list of legendary players over the last few decades.

 

MXR

Part of the Dunlop family, MXR creates some highly trusted delay units like the Carbon Copy analogue pedal which has become a modern classic.

 

Line 6

A pioneer in digital modelling technology, Line 6 offers some truly versatile delay pedals like the DL4 MKII, which has become a bit of a staple as a Swiss army knife for an incredible range of different tones.

 

Meris

A new kid on the block, Meris is somewhat of a boutique manufacturer founded by former Strymon engineers, creating high-end delay pedals like the Polymoon and LVX Modular delay. They offer perhaps the most advanced units out there, packed with functionality and featuring ultra-modern looks with truly stunning sound quality

 

This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are plenty of other awesome delays out there from a range of other great manufacturers. Check out our full selection for everything from compact but capable mini delays to cutting-edge modular delays with advanced processing capabilities.

 

How To Use Your Delay Pedal

Signal Chain Placement

Generally speaking, delay should go after any distortion, drive or boost and before any reverbs. This allows your delays to have the reverb effect applied to the repeats, creating space and making the delay sound bigger in the mix.

The general signal chain looks like this: Guitar → tuner → wah/filters → compressor → fuzz → overdrive/distortion → pitch-shifting → modulation → delay → reverb → Amp

Running your guitar this way will ensure you have a clean and pristine effected signal. But if you want to experiment and find your own sound you need to alter the way you do things.

Running delay before overdrive can offer some very interesting sounds and generally isn’t done this way because it can make your guitar sound boomy and muddy. However, if you keep that mix knob low, you’ll ensure that the delay doesn’t overtake your signal and you can get some gritty, interesting tones. Players like Troy Van Leeuwen of Queens of The Stone Age and Simon Neil from Biffy Clyro are prime examples of players who have experimented with their boards and carved their own sonic niche.

 

Using an Effects Loop

This is the cleanest way to run your delay if you have an amp with an effects loop, especially if you use your amp for drive and distortion sounds. The effects loop allows you to put effects into your chain after the preamp which is the part of your amp section that’ll create the warm overdrive tones and before the poweramp which is that part of the amp that powers the speakers.

 

It's an absolute game-changer because suddenly your guitar retains clarity and grit while still having the effect applied to the signal meaning you can be heard in the mix and have an overall fatter tone.

 

So, by using the effects loop for your delay, you’ll be ensuring that your signal is in the ‘correct’ order and this is what gives you an improved tone and more clarity through the delays. This is especially good for ambient and shimmer delays…

 

Choosing The Right Delay For Your Style

For Ambient Sounds: Look for delays with built-in reverb or modulation effects. Any delay with additional effects can create ambient textures. Keep the mix knob high and consider pedals like the Strymon Timeline or Empress Echo System.

 

For Rhythmic Sounds: A delay with tap tempo will help massively to keep things together with your drummer. Digital delays work best here as they can provide complex rhythmic patterns like dotted 8ths (famously used by The Edge from U2).

 

For Slapback Sounds: The sound of the 50s (Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry) is achievable with most delay pedals. Set a short delay time, high level, and low feedback for that classic rock 'n' roll sound.

 

For Vintage Sounds: Tape echo or analogue delays work best. Both degrade after each repeat, creating that warm vintage tone that sits beautifully in a band mix.

 

For Guitar Solos: Use delay to create a "doubling" effect that makes your guitar sound massive. Short delay time with minimal feedback and reduced mix creates a "ghost" tone perfect for lead lines.

 

For Abstract Sounds: Powerful multi-delays like the Strymon Timeline allow you to experiment with warble and modulation to create sonic landscapes. Combine with octave pedals and reverb for maximum impact.

 

Delay Pedal FAQs

What's The Difference Between Analogue & Digital Delay

Analogue Delay:

 

BBD chip colours the tone of delay repeats

Sound degrades and gets less clear with each repeat
Shorter maximum time between repeats
Warmer, darker sound than digital
Pure analogue signal path

 

Digital Delay:

 

Clean, transparent DSP chip
Repeats exactly replicate the original signal
Longer maximum time between repeats (up to 10+ seconds)
Signal converted to digital and back to analogue
More versatile with multiple delay types possible

 

Do I Need Tap Tempo

If you play with other musicians or want to use delay for rhythmic effects, tap tempo can be incredibly useful, if not a necessity. It ensures your delays stay in time with the song. However, it takes up space on the pedal, so some simpler delays don't include it.

 

How Long Should My Delay Time Be?

It depends on the application:

 

  • Slapback: Very short (80-120ms)
  • Doubling: Short (20-40ms)
  • Rhythmic: Match the song tempo
  • Ambient: Longer times (500ms+)

Can I Use Multiple Delays Together?

Yes! Many players stack different types of delays or use multi-delay pedals that can run multiple delays simultaneously for complex textures.

What's The Best Delay Pedal For BEginners?

A simple digital delay with basic time, feedback, and level controls is perfect for learning. The Boss DD-3T or TC Electronic Flashback are excellent starting points.

Hopefully after reading this guide, you now know what type of delay pedal is right for you and what features you need. At Andertons Music Co, we have a wide range of delay pedals for you to choose from and experiment with - who knows what pedal will be your new favourite?

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