Does anyone here NOT use delay?

[schenkadere]

Just curious...seems the next most common effect to dirt.

I think I could live with out it with a really good reverb, but my amp's isn't the best.

On second thought...I'm not sure that's true.

[Trout]

I don't use a delay... but I'm shopping for one

I have my eye on the Puss.

[Chiogtr4x]

Originally Posted by schenkadere

Just curious...seems the next most common effect to dirt.

I think I could live with out it with a really good reverb, but my amp's isn't the best.

On second thought...I'm not sure that's true.

I only use mine (just an old Boss DD-3) for slapback on country or rockabilly stuff (but its a permanent fixture on my little board). I always have some reverb on (Fender amps). But it seems a lot of harder rockers (than me, and that do larger gigs) have some kind of delay on all the time, its just part of their sound.

[11 Gauge]

I use it very sparingly for the most part, unless it's some odd echofest passage in a song.

Like any effect, I find that most of their usefulness gets diminished if they aren't used just as a bit of spice here and there.

Of course it's also how I got into trouble using more than one, as well. I'll have one for slap, one for a longer delay, and maybe even one that works better with dirt.

I'm also actually sparing with the dirt boxes too - just have a fantastic clean foundation to build on. It's why I currently have three OD pedals alone on my board.

I'm a big fan of some of those older records and songs where the guitar seems to shift gears in completely different directions throughout the song. It's nice to be able to mimic a bit of what was painstakingly layered up in a studio.

[TxTeleMan]

I don't.

I use a tremolo on some songs. Reverb. Occasionally some compression, but not often. A clean boost sometimes. That's about it.

If I have to play a solo in church, I might have to use a delay, but not yet.

[Chiogtr4x]

If I had more $$ and a larger pedal board (and larger gigs!) I probably would have two delays: one dedicated to the slapback/rockabilly stuff and another set for more trippy '60's psychedelic or Hendrix with multiple repeats and longer delay times, as I don't like messing with delay settings during a gig- I like to have this stuff already worked out. But truthfully, I like having a simple board and my gigs are just small anyhow, so I just deal with it- plus I have to keep the pedal thing "in check" and not open the door to a bigger board, spend more $$...

[cntry666]

I use a Boss DD-3 as well, just set all at 12 oclock it basically acts like a sustain morethan a delay. It sound good at the end of songs when you are playing live and you want to hold out a note or something. Using delay does not mean you are like the The Edge or something. It does seem fairly common though you are correct. I'm just getting back into them.

[jazztele]

I use it occasionally, but you'd never know I have it on...quick attack, very few repeats, mixed low...fattens things up nicely without sounding like an "effect."

[Telenator]

I only use on 80's music and sometimes slower single note passages. It's a great effect.

[chrisgblues]

I'm thinking about NOT using delay. I have a delay for slapback echo, and it's fine but I can live without it as long as I have a decent reverb on the amp to add some 'spaciousness'.

I only ever keep 4 pedals on my board at any one time (I used to have 8 but it started to get ridiculous doing the tapdance). So I'm thinking about getting rid of the delay to make room for another OD. I want to have 3 different OD/Distortions for different flavours, and possibly one Comp or Boost. Basically, I want to imitate a bunch of different amps because I can't afford to have Fenders/Marshalls/Dumbles. In a live situation, I find that it becomes more important to have the right OD sound rather than the right delay...for what I do.

[Chiogtr4x]

Originally Posted by cntry666

I use a Boss DD-3 as well, just set all at 12 oclock it basically acts like a sustain morethan a delay. It sound good at the end of songs when you are playing live and you want to hold out a note or something. Using delay does not mean you are like the The Edge or something. It does seem fairly common though you are correct. I'm just getting back into them.

When you say "set everything at NOON" which "notch" do you have the delay parameter(?) knob set (the 4th, last knob)? Just curious. I have a DD3 and I'd like to try that, this might be good for the Grateful Dead covers we play where there is always some delay, but its kind of subtle...thanks

[delb0y]

I don't, but I'm thinking of starting using some delay. I do like the sound but, live, I'm just unable to cope with anything other than plugging my guitar directly into my amp. I wish I was better with effects. At home they're okay, but up on stage with a drummer and a bass player thundering along I just can't hear the guitar clear enough to cope with delay.

Must practice...

Derek

[dguitar3]

I ONLY use delay. No reverb here. I don't use it for an "effect" so much as just part of my sound. It's always on, low repeats, low mix, pretty quick time (though a good bit longer than slapback). Carbon Copy.

Hey Delboy, I'm a "Derek" too.

[aunchaki]

I'm "Delay-Free."

[JesterR]

I did not use it for a long time, but now use it as always on for slapback (especially sweet with muted strings), and some more spacey stuff. And I do not see any reasons to stop using it :)
I use only three pedals: Phaser (which I do not use), overdrive and delay. Do not use reverb at all.

[BigDaddyLH]

Originally Posted by JesterR

I use only three pedals: Phaser (which I do not use), overdrive and delay. Do not use reverb at all.

I like your math!

[refin]

I like having two settings for delay---tight and snappy,for rockabilly,and longer for volume swells and such.But I don't like mucking around with alot of pedals,so I usually do the old school "bend down and change the settings".

[Televised]

Only have 2 pedals - ("Blonde" Tech 21 & Ts9/808 overdrive). My amp has "volume", "treble", "bass". I recently installed a "4 way" switch into my standard Tele. I guess you can say I'm taking baby steps in adding to my tone possibilities. Intriguied by the Delay pedal but haven't picked one up.......yet.....

[AngryEL34s]

A DMM is the only pedal on my board other than my TS9, but even so, I don't use it very much. For instance, I have a gig this weekend and we're doing 29 songs, but I'm only going to be using the DMM on 5 or so songs. It really depends on the kind of stuff you're doing, but I find it indispensable for some stuff and unnecessary for others.

[losergeek]

I know lots of people who don't go near delay, and if you consider reverb on amps, then I'd list reverb is the most used 'effect' for the people I know.

I have a couple delay pedals and have used it for a bunch of different stuff. I used to be a in a post rock band where delay was used as a primary songwriting tool, to the point where my home amp had to have built in effects so I wouldn't need to cart my pedals home when I wanted to write. We wrote patterns around delay and it really contributed to the sound. I always say that band wouldn't have existed without delay pedals.

I then played in a noisy garage punk band where it was mostly used for noisy swells and some small sound effect type applications. Now is the first time I've actively removed it from my board - I'm playing in a powerpop band and there's a couple places I could use it (mostly swells), however I'm struggling with finding my sound in that band right now (especially boosting for leads) so I've decided to ditch the delay completely until I solve my other issues. That being said, I still have the reverb on my Holy Stain for noise.

On the other hand, I'm also contemplating my next project, which will probably be a 3 piece and the first time I play guitar in a 3 piece, and I think I'm going to split my signal and have one channel in my amp with a constant wash of delay while the other channel is cleaned up and used for dynamics.