Results below! I apologise - I thought I had entered in all the chapters but it didn't save - The blind test is at "12:30" !! Don't forget you can support the channel here: www.patreon.com/Adrianwhyte If you want to learn via 80 transcriptions, courses and more checkout my online guitar resource for rockabilly and psychobilly players: adrianwhyteonline.com/ A: Boss DM2w B: Mystery Brain C: Memphis Sun D: Strymon El Capistan
Buddy I just got a Tell ya… I really appreciate how thoroughly you dive into the vast world of rockabilly and Psychobilly sound… you’re a touchstone for all of us Who love and chase this wild world of music.
The Boss is probably the most boring but I find the texture of the echo works so perfectly for me. It’s so dark and mushy that it’s almost perceived as something between a delay and a reverb. And I find that useful because it doesn’t rhythmically clash when I play fast staccato lines. It just fills in the space between the notes without making a mess. Plus there’s a nostalgia factor because it what my friends and I played through when we started. I instantly recognize that sound.
To me the Boss had a more pronounced "Echo" which sounds more like original Rockabilly before any tape delays. Example A: The guitar part was recorded in an empty grain silo. We need an empty gain silo pedal. 😅 th-cam.com/video/bu0gsR-P8KY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Eqbc-D7nWJH1gT-N
That tone you're talking about with the boss pedal is exactly what I like about it. I play mainly jazzmasters and telecaster. The guitars are bright sounding, and the delays this pedal produces are dark and they fatten the sound of the band when I play them
Great stuff, Adrian!! I really appreciate your open and honest presentations. I don't recall if I bought the MB before I watched your review of it or afterwards...your's is an opinion I regard quite highly. And to see/hear how the pedals react to the same passage, pick ups, etc. gives a very good comparison. A comparison, I might add, you can't always stroll into a GC (or other big box store) and conduct yourself. When it comes to pedals, I am rather lazy in that I don't spend a lot of time learning all they can do so tutorials (GOOD tutorials) are an important aid. You keep presenting and I'll keep clicking that like button!!
Hey mate, I really appreciated this comment when I read it, I just didn’t have a moment all week to reply!! Thanks so much for the lovely feedback, although I don’t do a ton of gear based videos I do enjoy it when I do them and this is certainly encouraging :) have a great weekend!
Thank you for the compassion. I’m just starting to get into rockabilly and I’m looking for a slap back delay for my Gretsch 5420 and Vox AC15. I was kind of partial to the Memphis Sun. I’ll have to check out some of your other videos
Great Video Adrian , thanks for the comparison! I used the mystery brain all over the album we recorded, it sounded great, but my nephew dialed it in for me and it was his pedal. I’m too cheap to buy expensive pedals. I’m currently looking at that Memphis sun pedal, or the Jhs milkman. They are currently on sale and I have a gift card to GC! Take it easy !!!
I have a Danelectro Reel Echo which I love so much but it takes up a huge chunk of pedal board real estate. These are all tempting alternatives. Great video
Thanks man! Yeah they are cool though on the chunky side! I had a BLT echo, the mini version, but the bass player put his hair conditioner in my bag and it leaked and ruined it. True story!
Just got a NOS Dan Echo and love how versatile and easy it is to get everything from Tape delay, Chicken Picking and of course Rockabilly slap back. It also does U2 and Pink Floyd sounds if that's your thing. Looks cool and it's massive but I don't use a lot of effects.
Grate review Adrian I have the keeley boss re20 space echo and a original boss dd3 but back in the 70s early 80s I used a mk1 Watkins copy cat.if I could only keep one it would be the space echo mainly for its flexibility but all grate pedals in there own right.thanks for the review buddy 😀
Oh it would be so cool to have had some of those pedals in the line up as well! There’s so much great stuff! I have used a Watkins too, it was great! Thanks Kevin!!!
A and D seemed pretty similar. B was much softer for me. C seemed like it wasn’t even on relative the others lol. I like the A or D. No idea which is which. I have a mysterybrain, but my favorite is my DM-3 running at 12 volts. Thanks for all your content.
Firstly it’s my pleasure Ralph! Thank you for such and in depth response - I’ll post shortly on what pedals were what :) I’m interested in what you mentioned there- the Dm runs at 12v? How does it sound different?
@@AdrianWhyte my understanding is that the older boss power supply ran at a higher voltage and circuitry in the pedal regulated that down to 9V. So I tried 12v tap on my pedal power brick instead of 9v. It tightened up the sound of the repeat. Google boss aca power supply.
Came here for rockabilly delay advice but left checking out The Home Made Space Machine album by Adrian. Sooo good. Listening on Spotify. Def a purchase.
Nice video. At 3:45, I think you forgot to turn off the Mystery Brain when demoing the Strymon. So the first section you may have had the MB on all the time. You turned the MB off the in second go round.
Im sure Brian Setzer used that Boss DM2 on the first Stray Cats album. It was the engineer i think said it as the late great Dave Edmunds produced/mixed it.
@@AdrianWhyte but can you set it up to access and turn it on and off with one of the footswitches? And is it even a decent Spring ‘verb? I’ll have to find one to check out. I have a Flint and like that a lot.
Zoom MS70CDR has a multitude of tape delay effects as well as two spring reverbs - one like an onboard Fender amp reverb, and the other is the 1963 Fender outboard spring reverb unit and it sounds really good.
I have two on my board, I have a hotone set up as slapback and a flashback x4 for the rest, though I have used that as slapback. As I am quite progressed in years I have accumulated well over 10 delay pedals and they all do a mean slap. Cool post, now I want another delay, the missus will not be pleased 🤣 Like deployed 👍 😎🎙🎸✅️
The missus will not be pleased 😂😂😂😂 I always explain to my mrs that it’s like shoes, just like shoes all do the same thing as delay pedals 😂😂😂 thanks man!!!
@@AdrianWhyte 😂over 50 pairs, 4 brothel creepers, 10 winkle pickers , 3 Cuban heeled winkle picker boots and an assortment of docs, brogues, oxfords, chelseas and an assortment of ex - military boots and trainers, oh and 2 pairs of slippers. I get it in the neck for that too and the suits 😂
I liked C then D the best. I'll bet one of those was the Mystery Brain. I have a Memphis SUN which I love and you're correct about it being all about the 'vibe'.
Cheers John! You know I can’t even recall myself - either way it will be a good test to see what you enjoy by ear, but it could cost you! Hahah! Thanks man!!! I’ll post about what the pedals were in the next week :)
No worries at all! I usually have this one around 1215-1230 for repeat rate, just past 1 for echo and almost straight up for intensity, but I think I dialled the intencity down for this video
@@AdrianWhyte hi Adrian... They're actually the best of them all, in my opinion. But it's GOT TO be an original 1980s FX 90 pedal... Sound almost exactly like tape echo.
Hey Hans, I made a video talking about what I generally use, I think it’s called pedals for rockabilly, if you can’t find it let me know and I’ll come back with a link!
That is a GREAT idea, yes, I can do this! And I might be able to find it by finding things cheap on market place or reaching out to the companies themselves, give me time 🙏
Great demo Adrian, but...... I was interested on your opinion about recreating a reasonably accurate early R’nR tone, but you did not really demo that. The early guitarists like Cliff Gallup and Carl Perkins, used splapback that was heavily damped to one repeat only and very high in the mix. Realising that adding spring reverb started to lower the definition of each note, they solved it by playing very simple one note at time, rythmic chops. My point is that they did not want to beat any speed records and every note was strong and clear. You play really well and I like your technique, but I dont think any of your demos here sounded like Rockabilly, just too twiddly and jazzy.
Hi Howard, no problems at all! That’s some great info! The only thing I don’t follow there is what you mention about simple one note at a time rhythmic chops, Carl Perkins and Cliff Gallup did a lot more than that? Also, the tone you describe sits later into the 50s. In fact, on earlier recordings Carl Perkins did not use any slap back. I’m interested to hear you clarify more, I can see you definitely have an inside scoop on it!
Sorry guys and gals-- NONE OF THE AVOVE! I GET A MORE AUTHENTIC “SCOTTY MOORE “ SOUNT VIA MY TELLY AND MY FENDER 2008 “VIBRO CHAMP XD”PEDAL TOTALLY USLESS!
Results below!
I apologise - I thought I had entered in all the chapters but it didn't save - The blind test is at "12:30" !!
Don't forget you can support the channel here: www.patreon.com/Adrianwhyte
If you want to learn via 80 transcriptions, courses and more checkout my online guitar resource for rockabilly and psychobilly players: adrianwhyteonline.com/
A: Boss DM2w B: Mystery Brain C: Memphis Sun D: Strymon El Capistan
Buddy I just got a Tell ya… I really appreciate how thoroughly you dive into the vast world of rockabilly and Psychobilly sound… you’re a touchstone for all of us Who love and chase this wild world of music.
I’m so glad you watched this, after our conversation it makes perfect sense! Where do you think you’ll land?
The Boss is probably the most boring but I find the texture of the echo works so perfectly for me. It’s so dark and mushy that it’s almost perceived as something between a delay and a reverb. And I find that useful because it doesn’t rhythmically clash when I play fast staccato lines. It just fills in the space between the notes without making a mess. Plus there’s a nostalgia factor because it what my friends and I played through when we started. I instantly recognize that sound.
It does have something very pliable about it doesn’t it? It’s kinda the rock solid work horse of delays isn’t it?
To me the Boss had a more pronounced "Echo" which sounds more like original Rockabilly before any tape delays. Example A: The guitar part was recorded in an empty grain silo. We need an empty gain silo pedal. 😅
th-cam.com/video/bu0gsR-P8KY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Eqbc-D7nWJH1gT-N
That tone you're talking about with the boss pedal is exactly what I like about it. I play mainly jazzmasters and telecaster. The guitars are bright sounding, and the delays this pedal produces are dark and they fatten the sound of the band when I play them
Big fan of the Keeley Memphis Sun and believe it or not the DanEcho slap back is a superstar in my book
Came to watch Your viewpoint on slapback delays, but saw Your beeeeeeutiful guitar ! Congrats on that. :--) Thanks for the video !
Great stuff, Adrian!! I really appreciate your open and honest presentations. I don't recall if I bought the MB before I watched your review of it or afterwards...your's is an opinion I regard quite highly. And to see/hear how the pedals react to the same passage, pick ups, etc. gives a very good comparison. A comparison, I might add, you can't always stroll into a GC (or other big box store) and conduct yourself. When it comes to pedals, I am rather lazy in that I don't spend a lot of time learning all they can do so tutorials (GOOD tutorials) are an important aid. You keep presenting and I'll keep clicking that like button!!
Hey mate, I really appreciated this comment when I read it, I just didn’t have a moment all week to reply!! Thanks so much for the lovely feedback, although I don’t do a ton of gear based videos I do enjoy it when I do them and this is certainly encouraging :) have a great weekend!
Thank you for the compassion. I’m just starting to get into rockabilly and I’m looking for a slap back delay for my Gretsch 5420 and Vox AC15. I was kind of partial to the Memphis Sun. I’ll have to check out some of your other videos
How’s your journey going Allison?
@@AdrianWhyte it’s going great! It’s fun exploring new ways to play
I have the 5420 and AC15, as well as the Mystery Brain. I love this pedal with this setup.
Great review! Thanks for posting!!
My pleasure!!
Great Video Adrian , thanks for the comparison!
I used the mystery brain all over the album we recorded, it sounded great, but my nephew dialed it in for me and it was his pedal.
I’m too cheap to buy expensive pedals.
I’m currently looking at that Memphis sun pedal, or the Jhs milkman. They are currently on sale and I have a gift card to GC!
Take it easy !!!
I have a Danelectro Reel Echo which I love so much but it takes up a huge chunk of pedal board real estate. These are all tempting alternatives.
Great video
Thanks man! Yeah they are cool though on the chunky side! I had a BLT echo, the mini version, but the bass player put his hair conditioner in my bag and it leaked and ruined it. True story!
Just got a NOS Dan Echo and love how versatile and easy it is to get everything from Tape delay, Chicken Picking and of course Rockabilly slap back. It also does U2 and Pink Floyd sounds if that's your thing. Looks cool and it's massive but I don't use a lot of effects.
Nice playing!
Appreciate that! Thank you!
Grate review Adrian I have the keeley boss re20 space echo and a original boss dd3 but back in the 70s early 80s I used a mk1 Watkins copy cat.if I could only keep one it would be the space echo mainly for its flexibility but all grate pedals in there own right.thanks for the review buddy 😀
Oh it would be so cool to have had some of those pedals in the line up as well! There’s so much great stuff! I have used a Watkins too, it was great! Thanks Kevin!!!
A and D seemed pretty similar. B was much softer for me. C seemed like it wasn’t even on relative the others lol. I like the A or D. No idea which is which. I have a mysterybrain, but my favorite is my DM-3 running at 12 volts. Thanks for all your content.
Firstly it’s my pleasure Ralph! Thank you for such and in depth response - I’ll post shortly on what pedals were what :) I’m interested in what you mentioned there- the Dm runs at 12v? How does it sound different?
@@AdrianWhyte my understanding is that the older boss power supply ran at a higher voltage and circuitry in the pedal regulated that down to 9V. So I tried 12v tap on my pedal power brick instead of 9v. It tightened up the sound of the repeat. Google boss aca power supply.
@@ralphrodriguez7964 that is fascinating! I’ve got an Mxr iso brick so I could try that!!!
My observation as well.
Have the Memphis in my right amp, and JHS Milkman in the left.. It's trippy cool.
That would sound great!
Came here for rockabilly delay advice but left checking out The Home Made Space Machine album by Adrian. Sooo good. Listening on Spotify. Def a purchase.
Thank you so much, I’ve actually started working on my next album that will follow that one! Really appreciate this :)
Nice video. At 3:45, I think you forgot to turn off the Mystery Brain when demoing the Strymon. So the first section you may have had the MB on all the time. You turned the MB off the in second go round.
🤦🏻♂️ 🤦🏻♂️ 🤦🏻♂️ 🤦🏻♂️ I’ll have to post a pinned comment about that! Thanks for pointing it out!!
Im sure Brian Setzer used that Boss DM2 on the first Stray Cats album. It was the engineer i think said it as the late great Dave Edmunds produced/mixed it.
I have been working with the dm2 for gigs just because of the size and ease of use, great pedal! Good call!
Dave Edmunds will be very disappointed to hear he is "the late great". :)
Any decent slapback pedals that have spring reverb as well? A 2 in 1.
Fun fact - the Strymon has spring reverb built into the secondary functions!
@@AdrianWhyte but can you set it up to access and turn it on and off with one of the footswitches? And is it even a decent Spring ‘verb? I’ll have to find one to check out. I have a Flint and like that a lot.
Zoom MS70CDR has a multitude of tape delay effects as well as two spring reverbs - one like an onboard Fender amp reverb, and the other is the 1963 Fender outboard spring reverb unit and it sounds really good.
How old am I? When I was in high school, the Echoplex was state of the art...
Heheh, that’s cool! You were there!!!!!
I have two on my board, I have a hotone set up as slapback and a flashback x4 for the rest, though I have used that as slapback. As I am quite progressed in years I have accumulated well over 10 delay pedals and they all do a mean slap. Cool post, now I want another delay, the missus will not be pleased 🤣
Like deployed 👍
😎🎙🎸✅️
The missus will not be pleased 😂😂😂😂 I always explain to my mrs that it’s like shoes, just like shoes all do the same thing as delay pedals 😂😂😂 thanks man!!!
@@AdrianWhyte 😂over 50 pairs, 4 brothel creepers, 10 winkle pickers , 3 Cuban heeled winkle picker boots and an assortment of docs, brogues, oxfords, chelseas and an assortment of ex - military boots and trainers, oh and 2 pairs of slippers. I get it in the neck for that too and the suits 😂
I liked C then D the best. I'll bet one of those was the Mystery Brain. I have a Memphis SUN which I love and you're correct about it being all about the 'vibe'.
Cheers John! You know I can’t even recall myself - either way it will be a good test to see what you enjoy by ear, but it could cost you! Hahah! Thanks man!!! I’ll post about what the pedals were in the next week :)
As you played them from right to left; 4321⬅️, I think 3,2,4,1.
I did a post where I gave the details, I can’t even remember now!
Hi Adrian, loved the comparison and great playing! I was wondering if you're ready to release which pedal was which in the blind test?
Hey man! I posted in a community post but I might pin a new comment here, though for now- A: Boss B: Mystery Brain C: Memphis Sun D: Strymon
Sorry for the geeky question, but would love to know your setting for the Boss DM-2
No worries at all! I usually have this one around 1215-1230 for repeat rate, just past 1 for echo and almost straight up for intensity, but I think I dialled the intencity down for this video
Oh man. I have two of them and I hope my favorite one is one that I have.
Lol it’s just a bit of fun, it might sound and feel different in your hands anyway!! Plus I’m sure you’ll hone in on it!!
I’m just curious what happened to the volante you had at one point?
I still have it, but it’s not one I take out live - it’s a bit big, expensive and at times complex!!
@@AdrianWhyte ahhhh gotcha gotcha have you seen that EHX reissued the slapback echo? That’s pretty exciting
I always LOVED the old blue D.O.D. analog pedal... But the price of those went nosebleed.
I will one day get the rubberneck DOD!
@@AdrianWhyte hi Adrian...
They're actually the best of them all, in my opinion.
But it's GOT TO be an original 1980s FX 90 pedal...
Sound almost exactly like tape echo.
When I can play well I will deal with it 😂😂😂😂 thanks for the video Adrian 😎 TCB Rockabilly Rules ☕☕☕☕☕☕☕☕
Lol I’m sure you’re there already Dennis!!
Hello Adrian, i would very much like to know what's on your pedalboard!
Hey Hans, I made a video talking about what I generally use, I think it’s called pedals for rockabilly, if you can’t find it let me know and I’ll come back with a link!
Oh that's hard to tell for me 😳So I turn the knob a bit until I think it fits. I would like to try them all 😂

Nothing wrong, this is a good approach!! 😂
Sounds great, but... those prices are out of reach for some of us. Maybe a future video on decent, cheap pedals?
That is a GREAT idea, yes, I can do this! And I might be able to find it by finding things cheap on market place or reaching out to the companies themselves, give me time 🙏
Great demo Adrian, but...... I was interested on your opinion about recreating a reasonably accurate early R’nR tone, but you did not really demo that. The early guitarists like Cliff Gallup and Carl Perkins, used splapback that was heavily damped to one repeat only and very high in the mix. Realising that adding spring reverb started to lower the definition of each note, they solved it by playing very simple one note at time, rythmic chops. My point is that they did not want to beat any speed records and every note was strong and clear. You play really well and I like your technique, but I dont think any of your demos here sounded like Rockabilly, just too twiddly and jazzy.
Hi Howard, no problems at all! That’s some great info! The only thing I don’t follow there is what you mention about simple one note at a time rhythmic chops, Carl Perkins and Cliff Gallup did a lot more than that? Also, the tone you describe sits later into the 50s. In fact, on earlier recordings Carl Perkins did not use any slap back. I’m interested to hear you clarify more, I can see you definitely have an inside scoop on it!
A. El Capistan B. Mystery Brain C Sun. D.Boss
Thank you! All will be revealed soon!
holy crap you have to teach me "smoke gets in your eyes"
You like that?! Awesome!!!! Maybe I’ll have to tab it out 🤓🤓🤓
A al capistan B mystery brain C boss D sun
i've got the Mystery Brain and gonna make an idiot of myself and guess that was B.
I can't confirm or deny this!
Partial to the Mystery Brain.
Yeah it’s hard to go past! Great pedal!!
The MB was D.
👍
Sorry guys and gals-- NONE OF THE AVOVE! I GET A MORE AUTHENTIC “SCOTTY MOORE “ SOUNT VIA MY TELLY AND MY FENDER 2008 “VIBRO CHAMP XD”PEDAL TOTALLY USLESS!
Show us! Would love to see 😎
this is not serious, without the Danelectro BLT, and secundo,, you talk too much
Oh-kay!