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My First Stomp Box Shrinks
My love affair with effects pedals started back in the 1970's when I saved up enough to get an Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man pedal. There was no Web or YouTube back then, so any information I got about gear came from going to a music store, from friends, or from Guitar Player magazine ads (the only guitar magazine around back then.)
The Deluxe Memory Man had three effects: chorus, vibrato, and delay. It was truly one of the first "multi-effects" pedals. I didn't really understand all it could do when I got it, but it looked cool and had lots of knobs and buttons, so I figured it had to be good.
Man was that thing crazy. By mixing the delay with either chorus or vibrato you could get some extreme effects. And by twisting the knobs while a chord or note sustained, you could get some psychedelic or "spacey" effects that were way cool to my teenage ears. It was kind of like using a synth. I had tons of fun experimenting with that pedal.
You could also get some very sweet sounding delay and chorus. Unfortunately my pedal died a couple of years later. I then moved on to a Korg PME effects unit. But I have always thought about replacing that Deluxe Memory Man. I just never got around to it.
Well it's crunch time. Electro Harmonix is "downsizing" the Deluxe Memory Man into a smaller enclosure. It supposedly has the same electronics as the original, just a smaller footprint for your pedalboard. They are also selling the original enclosure for as long as they remain in stock. So I guess if I want the old style I better act now. Although, I would be happy with the new smaller unit as long as it works and sounds the same...
Available At Guitar Center
Electro-Harmonix Classics Deluxe Memory Man Delay Guitar Effects Pedal Standard
Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man XO Analog Delay Guitar Effects Pedal Standard