Ultimate History of Tape Echo

Today I'm giving you my ultimate history of tape echo. Today I'm giving you my ultimate history of tape echo. Is there an echo in here? Tell me about Les Paul in the comments: favorite song, lack of awareness, etc... ! Thanks!

Correction - At the two-minute mark, we say the Ray Butts Echosonic was used on all Elvis's Sun recordings, but according to Scotty Moore, he used a 1952 Tweed Deluxe for the first eleven Elvis sessions at Sun studios. Thanks Jake for the heads up!

Josh's guitar is a Bilt Relevator

Check out the gear in this and past episodes here:

Gear in this episode:
0:32 Ibanez TS-10
2:07 Echosonic Guitar Amplifier
2:40 Binson Echorec Version 1
3:09 Watkins Copicat
3:50 Binson Echorec Baby
4:00 Binson Echorec Version 2
4:40 EP-1 Prototype
5:01 Market Electronics EP-1
6:36 Market Electronics EP-3
8:16 Roland Space Echo RE-201
10:18 Korg Stage Echo SE-500
10:32 Korg Stage Echo SE-300
12:01 Multivox Multi Echo MX-312
13:41 Univox Echo-Tech EM-200
17:01 Fulltone SS Tape Echo
18:11 Fulltone Tube Tape Echo
19:22 T-Rex Replicator Junior
20:37 Echo Fix Tape Echo EF-X2

Record Time:
Les Paul and His Trio - After You've Gone

Josh’s record player is by U-Turn Audio:

#jhs #thejhsshow #tapeecho

[anthonycutt]

I put my phone on silent like you said and none of this video made any sense.

[kidlarge]

Josh: owns a piece of gear
Also Josh: “This is quite possibly my favorite piece of gear I own”

[SeanKerns]

I've always found it mesmerizing to watch the tape "puddle" in a Space Echo. You can't imagine that it doesn't just snarl up.

[popeye]

People also forget that Les was one of the first to experiment with DI recording (hence his low impedance pickups) and multi-track recording. Musicians owe so much to this dude that was a monster on the guitar.

[garyjones]

"When David Gillmore uses something it's cool", I think we can all agree on that.

[shanewright]

The complete history of tape echo:

Caveman discovered his voice sounded weird when he walked inside his cave after being outside. Decided he liked it, started banging rocks together, 10, 000 years later this is where Josh's story kicks in.

[caaaaaabbb]

Love this content. This is my favorite channel on YouTube. Ever gonna do a pedal building 101 video???

[howardmaryon]

In the late ‘60’s I had a Watkins Copycat. We used to let the tape loops wear out before changing them, so the repeats got darker and darker. We also used to deliberately slow down the capstan roller with a finger to get random modulation effects, and I liked playing with a tape that had been caught up in the works at some point and was all crinkled, so it gave random drop-outs and modulation. I also experimented with a tape that I joined in a mobius loop so it would alternate from normal side to back side....

[gregneilson]

Never cease to be amazed at how stuff Josh owns!

My band owned a Space Echo in the 80s. Really wish I still had it . . .

[heyitsadamjae]

Josh accidentally made a decent mogwai album recording this video.

[suaragitar]

Just to get the record straight, The Shadows NEVER used Watkins Copycats. Hank Marvin, who was/is the lead guitarist of the Shadows used an Italian made echo machine called Meazzi, rebadged in England as Vox echo by Jennings Musical Instruments. Hank was the first person to use a Stratocaster with the echo machine in England, and was the major influence for guitarist like Eric Clapton, Ritchie Blackmore, Brian May, Dave Gilmour and many others

[paulthorn]

I’ll be honest. I just want to watch the little chamber the tape feeds into and reels out of. So weirdly satisfying.

[CodyCoates]

*hits pause, gets up to grab a snack*

[Eligordon]

I kinda live my life in a delay. The bad stuff keeps repeating.

[plusoneaudio]

Got to see and meet Les Paul three times in my life. First in the mid 70’s then twice in NY shortly before he passed. He was a national treasure!

[docwill]

You left out Meazzi (Italian). Hank B. Marvin himself, in at least one interview, showed his original; said it was the one he used on Apache.

[SeanKerns]

Another of my tape echo related regrets. A year or two ago, a friend brought me a Roland Chorus Echo that looked brand new, to get the pots cleaned. I asked why it looked so good, and he said the guy he bought it from bought two, and stuck the backup in the closet, where it sat till my friend bought it. Brand. New. My friend had bought it to flip it. Didn't even know how to turn it on. A few months later, he offered it to me for $1000, and I had to pass it up, because I didn't have the cash.

[SeanKerns]

In the early 90's, I saw an NOS Univox tape echo for sale for $75 at a music store closeout. When I got it home, I noticed it didn't come with a tape cassette, and the store didn't have any for sale, so I got my money back. I still kick myself for that. A couple of years later, I found out how easy it was to find tapes for them.

[acervoalborghetti]

The Shadows did not use the Watkins Copycat. Hank Marvin himself, the lead guitarist, always said he used a Meazzi Echomatic, built in Italy. And there is photographic evidence of him using this unit in live shows from 1960 until probably 1963 ou 1964. Then he changed to a Binson and, later, to a Baby Binson. Great video!

[JETallacksen]

In the world of guitar effects, delay--and specifically tape delay--is my Love Language. So, I'm just going to take this whole video as Josh saying he loves me. ...Just a friendly love, nothing weird.