GUITAR
AN ODE TO DELAY | James Duke
I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for a good delay pedal. switched it on and was amazed at all the new in the mail, I compared it to my vintage pedals
It’s one of the most useful and versatile effects sounds I had at my disposal, and thus began and found it to sound practically identical and
a guitar player can use. I’ve spent many hours my love affair with that amazing pedal. it was in a much sturdier enclosure and about
reading about and researching delay pedals
half the size. Win!
and have owned many of the legendary and The Memory Man became a huge part of hard to find ones over the years. They have my sound and, to this day, has never left my It’s funny how something as silly as a guitar
come and gone, except one. board. It just has so much character. Not only pedal can change your musical identity, but it
does it have an amazing delay sound, but it did just that for me. It was one of those pieces
I remember a particular Friday afternoon about has really good chorus/vibrato that you can of gear that inspired me immediately and gave
fourteen years ago that I felt like I needed blend in as well. It also sounds great as a pre- me access to a lot of the sounds I heard in my
something new to add to my pedalboard. I amp/overdrive pedal with or without the delay head. If I hadn’t found that pedal, a lot of the
was bored with what I had and felt like I was blended in. I could play a gig with just that music I’ve made wouldn’t have been what it
in a creative rut. So, I asked my wife, Jacki, if I pedal and be totally fine. was. It wouldn’t have sounded the same. It’s
could go to the guitar shop and buy something
that important. That $214.00 I paid for it (with
on my way to church that night. Guitar playing If I have any gripes with the pedal, it’s that it’s permission from the wife, remember!) was
husband tip #1: make sure your wife knows not very road worthy. I was touring with two or some of the best money I’ve ever spent.
(gives you permission) that you are going to three and swapping them out as they broke. buy a little metal box that you already have But I needed it! It was my sound! The Edge I’ve never been able to bond with the new,
100 of that all look the same to her. It’s less uses one! What if I ran into him and I didn’t fancy, super-computer delays out there. That
annoying for her that way. Unless she says no. have one with me? What would we talk about? might change in the future, but for now, give
Then it’s more annoying for you. Anyway, she I switched to the Deluxe Memory Man Tap me analog or give me death. That’s probably a
didn’t say no this time! She said, “Okay”. I said, Tempo model when it came out about eight little overboard. Just give me analog.
“Praise the Lord!”. I headed to the guitar store. I years ago. That was a very hard to find pedal already knew what I was going to buy. I walked at the time. They only made about 350 before straight up to the counter and said, “I’ll have the they ran out of the famous and long-out-of- Memory Man, please.” production Panasonic MN3005 chips that gives
the delay it’s legendary sound. When it came
James Duke
James is a musician, songwriter, and producer from
Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Most known for playing
guitar alongside artists like John Mark McMillan, Matt
Redman, Johnnyswim, and Steven Curtis Chapman,
James also records his own music under the name
All The Bright Lights. He currently lives in Nashville,
Tennessee with his wife and 3 kids..
It was my first, of many, Electro-Harmonix
Deluxe Memory Man purchases. I became
rather obsessed with collecting them for several
years. I don’t want to say how many I have, or
have had… but I could build a life size replica
of a Delorean with all the metal from the giant
enclosures.
Back to the story. I paid the man his money.
I believe it was $214.00, brand new, in the
wooden box! The good ol’ days! I drove to
church and wired it in my pedalboard. I had to
move some stuff around as the Memory Man
was about half the size of my entire board. But
who cares? The Edge has a Memory Man and
so do I. We use the same pedal! That could
be the conversation starter if I ever ran in to
him. “Hey, The Edge… Memory Man, right?” I
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April 2019
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