Guyatone TD-X Tube Echo

Easy to get good warm delays from this unit. Swith for delay time length that ranges from a short modest echo, like a 3-d shading effect for the guitar, to a moderate underwater gloopy delay and finally the long delay which i use basically for noise. The three knobs that control the delay are simple and easy to understand, i've never really got what the lower two knobs are for so i keep them cranked up and it sounds good.

I run this in front of the amp, just a telecaster through a volume pedal, the TD-X and into an Orange rockerverb 50. Also sounds good into the Vox AC-30. Next i'm gonna try with the Bandmaster Reverb to see how it interacts with the big reverb tank and tremolo.
Sounds great i used it to compensate for a lack of reverb on the vox and with the Orange when the reverb cut out a few months ago. At the middle delay setting when strumming hard the TD-X makes the guitar sound huge, it sprouts up and fattens out like the Hulk. 12 volts means lotsa headroom. I also like the distant, submerged sounds it can get a low volumes too, still sparkly but sort of drugged out spaceman3 ****.

Going on three years of driving this pedal hard several times a week, gigging, travelling, getting wasted and its been a dependable workhorse. There is a tube inside it -- made of glass aka fragile -- so there are limits to how much abuse i expect it withstand. but the metal casing is rugged and i play without a backup.

One time a wire came loose so i sent it to Godlyke and they re-sautered it for me and charged only shipping costs. Recently the switch itself started sticking and when Godlyke replaced the switch, they found some other issues that i hadn't noticed so they shipped me a new pedal. Having a responsive contact person who can quickly deal with technical issues equals high reliability for me.

I sent it back to Godlyke twice, once they fixed it, the second time they replaced the unit. Each time with quick turnaround (within a week or 10 days). i paid only shipping the first time and the second paid $45 for them to replace the unit and ship it back to me. Kevin responds to my emails right away they make it very easy. I didn't know this company when i bought the pedal but i'm so glad i bought a Godlke product and i would definitely consider them when shopping for pedals in the future.

i have been playing guitars for about 18 yrs and have very slowly accumulated equipment. I am not a gearhead though i am beginning to realize the importance of a pristine clean sound to act as the base for my effects configuration. i like to buy high quality dependable stuff that sounds great and allows for a lot of dynamic action. The TD-X is good because of the versatility--standing in for reverb in some cases, creating huge wall-of-guitar sounds and allowing enough headroom to really explore some psychedelic noise. For me the TD-X sounds infinitely better than the white and blue Boss digital delay i had prior because the tubes warm the sound instead of digitizing it and the guitar's tone remains relatively unaffected by the pedal. It can be polite or very nasty and definitely worth a try if you're interested in a solid delay pedal.

Ive had this unit for a year.
Its pretty easy to use.
Level is good, you can get the repeats to be much louder than the initial signal, if you choose.
Repeat control is good. You can get it to run away crazy, if you choose.
The delay length is adjusted via a pot and a three way slide switch for
longer or shorter delays. This cancels the current repeats, which I dislike.
The analog control is good to smooth the repeats out.
The tube control is a lot of fun.
Easy.

I love the sound of this effect.
You can do great short reverb-ish delays with extra dirt via the tube control.
You can do long trippy stuff and manipulate the pitch with the delay rate knob.

It isnt a echoplex but it is good.
BUT
I've had problems with the power supply being noisy.
Ive tried a few different power supplies and found it really picks up any power noise.
Also, the repeats bleed through to the clean sound even when the effect it switched off. This is only when the delay is running away.
Also, this thing is way expensive. Too expensive.

I don't think this thing seems to reliable.
I'm just waiting for it to die during a gig.

Godlyke. Who knows.

Good , but too expensive.

easy to use if you've got an idea of what you want out of a delay. less points for so many knobs but im not complaining about any of them. manual is brief but box it came in is cool.

love the sound of this thing! although it sounds like a delay should no more no less, its the options that shape its sound ive used a few here and there delay pedals before and this one allows you to take the best elements of tube analog delay and tweak it with a digital repeat. the delay time switch makes me wish there was a boost switch on this thing as well because of the friendly change in sound. i think its a 9.5 in sound but i give it a ten cause the sound score on this is way to low.

wondering about the tube part of this thing and i dont like how it came with an adaptor cause it wont take a battery. case is nice and indie. wish the tube part would glow more at night. switch is not clickity clacky either its almost noiseless like and old rat pedal switch.

i use single coil tele with 212 deville with 9 other pedals, i like alternative rock, been playing 12 years.

im writing this after only having got it today because its givin me a boner (if you dont like it then you dont know how to use delay) it replaced my DD3 on my pedal board and goes well with the other pedals on my board in a very good tonal way that the dd3 lacked. its plenty loud delay too. though they coulda changed the pot setting in the analog knob so that the cleaner ratio was stretched more, same thing with the delay time option there is too much of a change in delay speed when you turn it. but its a definite upgrade in my effects arsenal. I take off a point cause of price.

Has 5 parameters to adjust. So a bit more complicated than most but should be no problem for most tweakers.

This pedal is amazing. I heard mp3 samples for this product at a store website and knew immidiately it was designed for rock and roll but behind the noise was warm analog sound and excellent delay quality.
I got mine and as a tweaker,I replaced the 12ax7 sovtec preamp to a lower gain philips 12au7 and man this is perfect and an excellent alternative to tape echo.The sounds are a bit different but very tastefully presented.It is it's own thing.
It has the right balance between digital (sterile)and analog (dark and murky)sound. Keep the controls down to get no-nonsense delay sound that does not alter your guitar pickup characteristic.The 12ax7 has way TOO much gain for this but I guess if you like distortion this will do. If you want a more useful unit I recommend changing to a lower gain 12au7 and get a new(NOS) quality tube while you still can.
Verdict has been out many years now for guitar amps and audiophile gear that vacuum tubes are the hands down winner.

After hours of A_B comparisons with my other delays(analog and digital)this has got to be the winner. I also have a Roland space echo which is a tad better but this one is care-free .
I finally have a portable tape simulation sound that I don't have to worry about.Use your vintage tape echo for serious rehearsals and use this for practice or jamming to lower the mileage on your vintage gear.

Just got it a few days ago. Seems very well built.It is a challenge to change the tube preamp.This should last a long time.

Playing fingerstyle guitar over 10 years.
Using various tube amps. I hope they do not discontinue this unit.
They should market it in 2 versions. One for rock with the 12ax7 tube and one for clean styles,jazz,country,blues etc. with the 12au7 tube.
I can clearly see the thinking behind this product now.
A quality preamp tube turns this unit into a wonderful frontend for just about any amp or recording equipment.
I am buying another one as soon as I sell some of my older effects.

Well, here we go. As far as configurable, it's got that... it has a very wide range of speeds... from lightning quick slapback, to sound-on sound delays... It's got the echo volume, and the sustain too. Plus, I like the switch for the speed ranges. It's flexable and configurable, I'll give you that.
I find the sustain to be too finicky... A long echo is hard to get without inducing a run-away.. Not bad, but not perfect.

Here's a tough one..... I think the thing that annoys me the most is that the makers compare it to a tape echo... An Echoplex this aint kids. I have an EP-3 with an original stock tape that I like better on recordings than the Guyatone. Why? The Guyatone is too clean. !?!?! An echo, by nature is the combination of repeats and reverberation.. There's no reverberation in the Guyatone unit. Plus, in a natural echo, there's some natural deterioration to the sound... Again, it's not well "emulated". Now, here's what I say. With the analog and tape sim knobs at about... 3..... It's a little more real to life... too much of those controls makes things sound......well, yuck. Try this... If you have an Echoplex, or can borrow one..... Set the slap back at about 5ms..... Play something with that as your ONLY effect... now try the same with the Guyatone...... You'll hear that there's some reverberations and more of a chamber sound from the echoplex. The Guyatone is a great DELAY, but not a realistic echo. Sorry kids.

Guyatone stuff is well made...... The Flip series likes to get hot after it's plugged in awhile... more so the powerpack than the unit. Unplug it when you aren't using it, you should be fine.

Godlyke has been really easy to deal with

Do I sound like I hate it? All bashing aside, it's not bad. It takes way less maintenence than an Echoplex, and it's lots smaller and lighter. With the help of a reverb tank, it will work out pretty well. It's a well made unit with a good sound... Just not quite the Echoplex replacement it was marketed as.

Not real hard to figure out the basics like, Level, Time, repeats. Blending the analog / tape controls is touchy. The SML switch cuts the unit out for 5 seconds if changed while playing. Was told by Godlke that this is normal.

Used with several guitars and amps. Sounds better in the signal chain than it does in an effects loop. Boosts the signal when engaged, I guess like a tube pre amp does. Claims to be True Bypass, but there is a slight loss of tone even when it isn't engaged. At least mine is that way. I was really pleased at 1st with this pedal, but not with the analog sound. The echo sound is a little better. The analog distorts too much . No problem if you are playing distorted leads through a plexi.

Here's the rub. My 1st one lasted for 1 year. Only had about 40 hours on it. Kept in the studio, on an enclosed pedal board. The 1st glitch was that you could hear the echoes even when off. Next it would just run away with the repeats no matter what the level. Then the thing started making my amp sound like a transistor radio. Then it wouldn't turn on at times. Tried it with several guitars, and amps, and cords. Sent it to Godlyke, and they replaced it. 3 months later, same type of problems. I tried all of the same tests just to make sure it wasn't my rig. The pedal was once again, belly up. I am 42 years old, have my own studio, and thousands of dollars worth of nice equipment. It wasn't my rig, or my bandmates either.

Sent it to "Lucky" at Godlyke. They kept it 2 weeks, and claimed it worked perfectly. Refused to replace it, or swap for a different pedal. They kept saying it had to be my rig. NOT.. In the end they got an attitude, and basically told me to F off. Sent it back as is. I played it for 1 hour, and once again the problem surfaced. Poor customer support by Godlyke. Do they think that I paid to ship the thing to them for no reason. I own several Maxon pedals, and a H20, which they distribute. They will never see any more of my money, and I would advise you to stay away also.

Buy something else.. There are alot of great choices.. SPF / SIB etc. Stay away from these guys. If it was stolen, I would laugh at the poor guy who got it. I am a semi-pro musician, in an all original band, and a vintage guitar collector. Trust me, It ain't my rig.

It takes a bit of experimentation, not rocket science to get good tones out of it. Individual controls covered elswhere. Tube has some very cool uses besides making the delay sound more 'analog'. See below.

The Delay aspects of this pedal have already been covered, and it is a good delay. I want to mention a neat trick I have found for it. Use a compressor set to heavy sustain to drive the TD-X. Dime the tube control, set tape control about half way up, and feedback around 4 Turn delay time to minimum, or just over min. delay time. If you have a decent tube amp, it will drive the front end of your amp into some of the thickest distortion this side of a Marshall stack. I have Big Muff, Barber Direct Drive, Duncan Tweak Fuzz, etc. I love the crunch you can get using the tube to drive your pre-amp. Sweet singing sustain and fuzz somewhat reminiscent of the Big Muff, and this out of a 'delay pedal'. Very sweet.

Seems to be quite sturdily built. Certainly is heavy for its size. Time will tell.

Never had to deal with them as of yet.

The tube adds a whole new dimension to what is a top rated digital delay. Doubles as a pretty cool distortion box when set up as detailed above. Your 9 volt adapters won't work with this pedal. It comes with it's own 12 volt adapter, got a 12AX7 in it, remember?

First try in store put all knobs at 5 and time at mid, and bam nice echo. Trim up the repeats and sturation and things get even better.
After using for awhile i began to wish for more control of the wet / dry mix.

I intially was super pleased then got frustrated with the way the control was either on 1 for mix and it gave 50% or 2 gave 90% wet/dry. The other knobs had to be set to 1-3 as well. I still liked the sound but the lack of flexibility was annoying.
Finally I tried a different 12Ax7 replacing the stock sovtek with a fender and BAM..... it changed everything !!!!!!! If you have one or get one try this. Now my mix is on 4 , and I use analog and saturation at 3 and 5. Wow it is a dead ringer for a real tape delay .

Very good

I have owned countless delay/echo both digital and analog including ,TREX,BOSS, Ibenez, Maxon,H20. With a good tube this is the best hands down.

manual is brief but helpful. it is easy to get good sound out of it. Good ergonomics -- pedal markings and knob pointers are legible in lower light.

I play amplified harmonica through audix fireball, line transformer, this pedal, then into a modded 8w alamo tube amp. This pedal sounds terrific. The ability to blend in the distortion provides crunch shaping. Since the delay distortion does not effect the attack signal, space is left for the lead notes to retain their full articulation. The delay itself is very warm and fat. Since it is designed to emulate analog bucket brigade, successive repeats are saturated and, progressively, there is less high end. This also maintains space for the attack lead notes. The filter is well voiced and can be variably blended into the wet signal; it tames down digital glassiness while beefing up mid lows. The range (and types) of parameter adjustments enable you can coax lots of different sounds out of it, as well as to dial in subtle tonal and distortion shadings. Also, (in my set-up) this pedal does not suck any tone. Direct bypass. I am looking forward to replacing the stock tube with a telefunken or rca NOS.

when I got the pedal (new), the tube blend (anolog sim) knob produced static. A shot of Caig DeOxit (a great product!) instantly and permanently cleared it up.

I play blues, rock, folk, country.

In addition to the conventional delay controls there are controls for tube saturation = overdrive of the delays and tape simulation = tone control. These controls take some getting used to. True bypass. Come with a Sovtek 12AX7LPS

I use a variety of high end guitars & amps (Carr, Two-Rock, THD, Grosh, Gibson, Suhr, Fender) and I'm really picky about anything that will alter the tone before the amp. The TD-X is essentially Guyatone's MD-3 micro digital delay with a tube front-end. If you know the MD-3, you know it's a helluva good sounding little box. I wanted something with the flexibility and clarity of a digital delay but some of the warmth of an analog. The TD-X doe this to a "T". By adding just a bit (knob around 3)of tube saturation and tape simulation, the pedal warms right up and just sounds great. You can raise the tube saturation a bit more and get a really raunchy rockabilly tape echo thing going too. It really shines when you invest in a really good 12AX7 like a NOS RCA , Telefunken or GE. I now run mine with an old RCA Blackplate that was microphonic in my amps but works great in the pedal. I've heard better studio delays, but for a pedal w/true bypass and tons of features, this is a killer.

No problems

I called them about tube substitutions and the wer VERY responsive.

I've played blues, funk, R&B soul, rock and jazz since the Beatles were poor and owned A LOT of delay pedals. The only one still with me are my trusty Boss DM-2 and the TD-X. Definetly a keeper. The only wish list item is that it worked with batteries but if you want to push a tube there's no way around it. I bought this after trying it out against the T-Rex Replica ($400, the DLS Tap-Echo ($300), the EH Deluxe Memory Man, the SIB Echodriveand the Boss DD-20. The T-Rex was awfully good but the TD-X was damn close at half the price