Best delay pedals

Whether you’re a lead guitarist looking to add motion to your solos or a rhythm player hoping to add some serious dimension to your riffs, delay will undoubtedly be one of the most important effects found on your pedalboard. And, just like any effect, delay has evolved through the decades – from the early tape echoes of the ‘50s to the arrival of analog delay in the ‘70s, and then the digital units that followed in the ‘80s. We’ve got every type covered in this best delay pedals round-up.

Nowadays, delay can mean anything from a simple, barely audible slapback echo to a sound effect where the original signal ripples and ricochets into an eternity of ambience. Which is why we thought we’d run through some of our favourites and the features which make them the best delay pedals of their kind…

Best delay pedals: buying advice

Which type of delay is best for you?
Generally speaking, digital delays have cleaner echoes, analogue delays sound richer and darker, and tape delays degrade with each repeat. Some lead players might just need one simple setting for every solo, and find they’re better suited to something like the MXR Carbon Copy – an all-analogue and true bypass favourite, though admittedly more of a one-trick pony compared to other options. 

Those looking to get extra experimental - such as post, indie or progressive/atmospheric rock players - might find the 600ms Carbon Copy somewhat limiting and find themselves better suited to something more modern, with options for more effected and extreme delay times.

And some guitarists prefer to use multiple delays running simultaneously throughout each section of every song – which means they’ll be needing something high-powered with dual modes and options for reverse, ping-pong, and pad echoes to turn their guitar into a whole new instrument.

This round-up of the best delay pedals should help you find the right stompbox for you and get those repeats adding serious depth to your noise…

The best delay pedals you can buy today

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Let’s not beat around the bush – delay is most definitely Boss territory. The Japanese company launched the world’s first mass-produced digital delay pedal, the DD-2, in 1983 and the series continues to thrive to this day. And now, following some stiff competition from other companies like Strymon and Eventide in the high-end market, they’ve really upped their game.

Meet the DD-500, which boasts a whopping 297 patches to save your carefully crafted tones with the added functionality of running two simultaneously. Then there’s the tap-tempo, ability to freeze notes or manipulate delay rates into sonic infinity, plus a 120 second looper. It’s one of the most powerful delay machines ever made and somehow still manages to undercut most other high-end units in price. Full marks all round.

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There’s a reason why the Timeline is one of the most common pedals found on the boards of professional guitarists. Actually, there are numerous reasons – it’s an all-encompassing delay beast with 12 different types included (‘delay machines’ in TimeLine-speak), plus a stereo 30-second looper and an onboard memory that can store 200 rewritable presets in 100 banks of two. 

And the options range from the more conventional repeats popularised through early analog and digital units to more extreme, pitch-shifted ambient depths that can make your guitar sound like its beaming through space. It’s not one of the cheaper options, granted, but then the smaller units out there won’t cover nearly as much sonic ground. If you’re serious about delay, this or the DD-500 are guaranteed to be the pedals for you. 

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The TC Flashback has been one of the most popular delays of the last decade – which is why you’ll find different versions to suit different needs, from the Mini to the Triple and the X4. This update of the original compact pedal offers the same kind of user-friendly design and some truly lush-sounding delays. 

It’s also updatable via USB and allows users to beam TonePrints via their phones, which is exactly the kind of forward-thinking that made the Danish company one of the heavyweights in the effects business.

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Using BBD technology, MXR's Carbon Copy has, er, echoes of the old MXR Analog Delay (discontinued in the '80s) – not least in its three control knobs and greenish colouring, albeit in a much spanglier metallic shade this time around. As to be expected, the analog delays are generally richer, darker and less clear than the digital kind – ideal for those who don’t want their repeats to pop out too much or hoping to retain more of a vintage-sounding warmth. 

The Carbon Copy boasts 600ms of delay time with optional modulation via a top-mounted switch and a simple, three-knob layout that controls time, mix and repeats. In addition, two internal trim pots offer user-adjustable width and rate control of the modulation for even more tonal options. Consider it a modern and updated version of the 1977 original that quickly became one of the most popular delay units of its era.

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The Echosystem might not look as user-friendly as some of the other bigger delay units out there, but it doesn’t take long to adjust to and is capable of creating a whole universe of ambiance. Like the DD-500, it offers a dual-mode where you can have two different delays running simultaneously – which opens up endless possibilities for depth and space. 

It’s an incredibly intelligent delay unit once you get to grips with it – and so it should be, sitting at the very top of this best delay pedals list in price. Though it might be a bit overkill for anyone planning to stick to one or two straightforward delay sounds, anyone looking to get really experimental would be wise to give the Echosystem a try. 

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Discontinued in 1984, the DM-2 was the gold standard for bucket-brigade delay (BBD), and this updated Waza Craft interpretation recreates the classic tone incredibly well. There’s a direct out as well as the ability to switch from ‘standard’ mode, or the stock reissue, into ‘custom’ mode, which sees the delay times expanded out to 800ms. 

Another useful update is the option for an expression input to control the rate, so if you’re on the hunt for an old-school digital delay reissue that can go from simple slapbacks to OTT auto-oscillations, this could very well be it...