HomeBrew Electronics Arizona Mimic Mock I Delay

Very simple, very easy. The knobs are not linear, so small changes can make big differences in the lower ends of their range. The internal trimpot can be turned up to increase both the delay time and clock noise (fun to do, just so you know what clock noise sounds like). The Mock 1 is the short-time version, with a max delay of around 300ms. This is all I need, since I just use delay to thicken up my wall o' guitard sound.

Sounds wonderful!
This is what an analog delay should sound like, IMHO: clear, yet warm. Strong, musical, and natural. No noise unless you crank the trimpot. I sold my MXR Carbon Copy after trying the HBE - the MXR is a little too bright, and somehow seemed more sterile than the HBE.

Setup: Humbuckers > Teese Wizard Wah > Analogman CompRosser > Analogman Sun Face > Greer Royal Fromage Boost > Greer Claymore > MXR 6-band EQ > HBE Mock 1 > Sovtek Mig-60 amp > Mesa 1/2 back 4 X 12.

Sure, that seems like a ridiculous rig for playing cruddy punk/hard rock, but my bandmates say it is the best guitar sound they have ever heard. Seething, brutal, distinct. Of couse, like John Entwhistle said about sound: "Tones are like farts - everyone thinks their own are fantastic."

Looks very well built, and HBE has a good rep. I increasingly avoid boxes where the control pots are hard-wired to a circuit board, so this one passes muster. No problems yet - I will certainly update this posting if I have any issues over time.

I could struggle through a gig without slapback delay, so no backup is necessary.

No experience here... I hear good things about HBE's treatment of their customers, and their devotion to quality.

Overall - great. I would be interested to check out the Mock 2.
Gear described above. Been playing for something like 38 years, without any noticable skill improvement.

The only thing I kind of don't like is the somewhat fey pinkish-beige metalflake paint job on this unit. The paint is beautifully done, but, but from a few feet away it kinda looks like a big square Band-Aid is sitting on my board. No biggie. Oh, and the LED is too bright, like most boutiquey pedals these days. About the same as the cruel Carbon Copy, in fact.

Still, I like it better than any other delay pedal I've tried, and I've had a few. I highly recommend it for

It could hardly be easier to use. The controls essential to using a delay pedal are all here and nothing else is necessary.

First let me say that I am reviewing a Mimic Mock 1 here because there is no Mock 1 category. But the Mock 1 is the same as a Mock 2 except for a 100ms shorter maximum delay time (you can get more max delay time out of the Mock 1 by using the internal trim, but I like it the way that it is) and the lack of the NOS Panasonic chips. I wrote to Joel to ask about any differences between the chips, and he told me that there really isn't much of a difference in tone. The delay time is the main difference. And since I was not looking for a long delay, I decided to save the fifty bucks and get the Mock 1. And this pedal is great! It is exactly what I was looking for, a simple analog BBD delay that does not sacrifice sound and tone for super long delay times and extra bells and whistles. I like to use a very short delay to thicken my sound, and this one is perfect for that. I don't see how any delay could get much better for that purpose because this one is just right. It's the type of delay that you could leave it on for a whole set, enhancing your sound, and it would never become tiring for you or for your audience. And if you want to go back in time to the 1960's, twisting the repeat knob clockwise past 12 o' clock starts to induce a wonderful, Echoplex-like breakup. Really sweet! If you've ever heard the very early, pre Ian Gillan Deep Purple album The Book Of Taliesyn (a mixed bag on the whole but has some scorching psychedelic highlights) then you can hear this sound on "Listen, Learn, Read On." So not only is this a great delay to use as a sound enhancer, it can be used for its effect as well. Since I have enjoyed this pedal so much, I have decided to order a Mock 2 as well so that I can put them together and make modulation sounds such as flange, phase, chorus, etc. Being that there will be two very nice analog BBD delays, they should produce some really nice modulation sounds. As for my decision to get a Mock 2 as the second pedal instead of the Mock 1 that I like so much, it's because it is not exactly the same as the Mock 1 and therefore will give me more possibilities when using the pedals independently. I'll have another 100ms of delay and any tone differences that the NOS chips may bring to play with.

Seems well constructed to me. The quality of the paint seems extra nice and thick. I have not been gigging lately, but I would not hesitate to use it for a gig - actually I plan to use it live whenever I do gig again because it is just the type of delay that is great for live use. It sounds great and rock solid - you won't get any odd artifacts or strange, unexpected reactions to your playing like you might get with a digital pedal. I have nothing against digital gear, but I don't like it for live use.

I wrote to Joel twice with general questions and he replied within 24 hours each time and seemed like a nice guy to boot. Were my Mock 1 ever in need of repair I have no doubt that it would be taken care of professionally.

I play rock music and have been playing guitar for 27 years as well as producing for the last three of them. I especially enjoy 60's-type heavy psychedelia, and this pedal fits effortlessly into that sound. In fact it can help to define a song as being based on that genre, much like a good fuzz pedal can do. It can also work well in many other settings - for example BBD echo is standard for reggae dub producers. As for gear - I have too much to list. And if it were stolen I would have to think about getting another one because of the price. I really want to give this pedal a 10 here but I think that it is somewhat overpriced. When I purchased my Mock 1 several months ago it was $175 and the Mock 2 was $235. I'd feel a lot more comfortable at around $125 for the Mock 1 and $150 for the Mock 2. If the Mock 2 was $150 I would already have one sitting next to its little brother.