September 2004

GUYATONE FLIP TUBE ECHO
Target: Great Tone, Reliability
by Phil Feser/Ward Meeker

With its Flip Series of tube effects, Guyatone is aiming to deliver best-of-both-worlds units, the two parallel universes being the tonal paradise delivered only by vacuum tubes and the cold reliability that is a solid state circuit.

The series is made up of pedals that deliver reverb, fuzz, high-gain overdrive, standard overdrive, tremolo, and the TD-X Tube Echo we recently took for a spin.

The tone of tube circuitry is unmistakable and, for the most part, irreplaceable by digital technology. So, Godlyke builds the TD-X with a hybrid digital delay circuit with parallel-tube-gain stage that allows for ultra-long delays (a whopping 2600 milliseconds) with the warmth and clarity of analog units.

Controls include Delay Level, Delay Time, and Feedback, and the unit uses a 12AX7 tube and true bypass footswitch. Plus, an “Analog Simulation” knob blends tube saturation on the repeats, while the “Tape Simulation” knob blends an EQ curve that cuts ultra lows and ultra highs while boosting lower mids. The TD-X doesn’t run on batteries, but does come with a power supply and features a dry output for running two amps (one wet and one dry). All of this is packaged in a heavy duty steel chassis with blue enamel and vent holes, so you can see the 12AX7 glowing inside.

We tested the TD-X’s tone with a G&L ASAT Jr. and a Fender Vibro-King 3x10” combo. The Delay Time, Feedback, and Mix controls/switch operated as you’d expect, and they’re easy to manipulate to get the sounds you’re after. With the Analog and Tape Simulation knobs turned all the way down, the unit performed like most high-quality Digital Delays, offering clear, accurate repeats and quiet operation.

As we turned up the Analog control, we could hear the repeats getting fatter and dirtier, with less and less of the “digital” sound. This made it possible to mix slightly heavier slapback with long delays without having it get in the way, but still adding rich ambience to the tone.

The Tape Simulation control really fattens up the sound and trims off some high-end. This works great for short, ‘50’s instrumental-style slapback echo, especially when mixed with some reverb from the amp. Blending a little Analog and Tape Simulation produced the best tones, wetting up the sound without drastically changing the overall tone.

The TD-X is a very versatile unit that offers it all – digital, analog, and tape-style delays and echoes with gobs of usable delay time – all priced very reasonably.