Hughes & Kettner Replex

Takes a minute to figure out.

Have to give it a 10. The first delay I bought ever, 7 years ago. Later i've owned a Ibanez DL7 and all the Line6 delays but this thing is the best. No noise at all, really warm delay and the vintage factor sounds great too. The Reverb is ok, but not of any use. The dual head delay is fun to play with.

delay like delay is supposed to be

Very intuitive,just have to understand the two heads delay, only a few minutes to get it.

No noise at all,works great in all position,after and before distortions, i use it in effects loop.
i got this pedal at one year ago,at the time i never hear a perfect delay like Replex.
No coloration...in one word! Perfect!
i use it in two amps: Deville 2X12, Marshall anniversary 30.

Yep is my right hand delay,never need a backup!

never deal!no necessary.built like a tank.

Just try it, and you gonna see we are right here!!

If you're familiar with the basic functions of a delay you will not have any problems working it out, just read the words under the knobs (example: REVERB VOLUME must mean Reverb Volume, right?).

The whole reason why this unit is so large (or long, for that matter) is because they designed it with EASE OF USE in mind.

If anyone tells me that he can't figure out this thing without any outside help, chances are, he just gave it a quick try at the local music store and had to leave the amproom when the talented guys showed up and play.
However, it will take some time to get the right sound and settings to make it fit in your exising setup.

I hear this unit was designed to replicate the legendary Echoplex delay.
Some of the previous reviewers ranted that the tone and volume drops when switched on.
Has anyone of you guys ever heard a vintage tape or tube delay?
Of course it will affect your tone when played, that's the whole idea of tube and vintage -if you want clean, plug your axe straight into a mixer and use a digital fx box; I did that before I found this babe (minus the mixer part hehe).
And if you have to adjust the overall volume of the effect, use the TUBE drive and OUTPUT knob to set it acordingly, this will also affect your tone or not so much if you set it right.

I absolutly love the vintage factor; from clean digital to beat up chewed up tape, it's all there at the turn of the button.
Great Reverb, but I wish there was more of it, it feels like you've turned a spring reverb half way up only...but then again, this is supposed to be a tube reverb, so of course it will sound different.

My only, or biggest rant, is the fact that you have (with most delays being this way) to watch your delay feedback. If you have a short delay selected (and especially the dual head delay and the vintage factor up more than half way) and choose to crank the Feedback up a bit too far, this unit will cut your head and ears off hehe.
That's always my biggest problem with delays, and the reason why I threw my last delay stompbox against the wall.

Also, I wish they would have built the Walwart power supply into this unit.

I already own a Tube Factor, which I've used for years without any problems, so I have no doubts that this unit will give me the same reliability.

I remember calling them once about tube replacments/substitutions.
They seemed rather busy, but still where able to tell me what I wanted to know, good nuff for me.

I really wanted to get that classic tube sound of so many artists, especially Hank Marvins famous surf-like delay.
He used an Echoplex back in the day, but nowadays he's using an Alesis Quadraverb. And since that is a rack mount processor (and a great one btw) I opted to go for this Box. Wise choice I think.

Plus it's great if you use a vintage tube amp already (or any decent tube amp for that matter) because your sound remains all tube.
It is rather big and some what heavy though, also a thing to consider for buyers.

It's slightly more difficult to get a good sound than you average stompbox but once you dial in the right settings, the time spent will be well worth it. -1

The manual doesn't help you out or provide any kind of sample settings. It just tells you what each knob does. -1

The effect is decent enough but I have a few issues with it.

1. The volume drop is noticeable. -1
It's subtle and a player can work around it, but it's there.

2. The tone drop is VERY noticeable. -1
I had to bump up the treble on my amp to retain its brightness.

3. When I first got it and started playing around, there was something I didn't like about the tone but couldn't define what it was. After awhile I figured out the echo didn't effect my sound the way I thought it would. It does echo, but your intial paying is left dry (uneffected) then the echo is given the wet sound (effected). I wanted the wet sound on the initial playing. I heard that you can mod the pedal to correct this problem but I haven't found anyone who does that kind of work. -2

If you know who can mod this pedal, please email me.

I'd gig with it. I wouldn't be completely happy with the tone, but I'd gig with it.

I bought it used off of ebay. I haven't tried to contact H&K.

This is as close as you can get without having to pay through the a$$ for a tape echo. I'm still not convinced it's the best but it will do for now.

DON'T BUY IT AT THE FULL PRICE, GET IT USED. PAY UNDER $300!!!

Replex is the best tape type of delay that doesn't use a real tape!

My unit is a modded Replex with a kill-switch. The kill-switch removes the original/dry signal from the output leaving only the wet/delay on the output. Without this mod, I would have to give it 6 for the overall tone. With this mod it's 10. The problem with the Replex is that it heavily colors your tone. Many Replex users tried replacing the stock tube with something more neutral. I also done that and ended up with a slighly less coloring but also colder delay as a result. Kill-switch is the way to go. Since the tube in my unit no longer effects the dry I was able to go for a higher-gain, warmer tube like GT 12AX7M. Not only it made the delay repeats warmer and more 3D but it also reduced the noise floor.

The Vintage Factor knob is super. You can really dial in the slow-speed tape warble and add warm trail of wind to your tone. I couldn't achieve the same with other non-tape delays. The unit sounds very organic.

The only weak thing about the Replex is its reverb. Not even sure why they put it in there.

No problems.

Never replied to my e-mails.

I'm a delay junkie. I have it all, DD-2's, Cornish, Echoczar, etc. For the vintage tape type of a delay that doesn't use a tube, I haven't heard anything better.

If you have a bright amp, this is perfect to soothe it out. Its the best delay I have ever tried. I don't use any pedals except delay and have a DL-4, Maxon analog, boss DD-2, DD-3 and this is the best of all of them. The fact that it has reverb (which in this case is a very short delay) is cool too. It is usable but not a great spring unit. the peeps in the audience would never know. The delays are just great.

I've taken it apart and its pretty solid.

-1 for not being stereo and -1 for price...although I got mine for very reasonable used on the CL. It is however the best delay I've played so +1 for that.

It's a delay with 2 options (single head and dual head) plus a reverb plus a tube. I'll take a point off only because you do have to tweak your input level so as not to oversaturate the tube too much. I love what the tube does for the tone but I personally don't want distortion from my delay.

Quiet, clean, warm, fuzzy, trippy... it's everything I want in a delay. The Replex can be the ultimate digital delay (with the vintage knob turn all the way counterclockwise) or a raunchy tube/tape emulation (with the vintage turned all the way clockwise). I like to set the vintage knob about half way and it's like having a thick chorus trailing off with your echoes. It does up to 900 milliseconds of echo, which is plenty for most occasions. I have a Boss Giga Delay for those other times. The Replex IS pricey, which would turn most of us off (I lucked out and acquired it in a trade for a Lexicon Alex, SKB rack case, and an Adrenalinn-version I). The only time it sounds less than stellar is when it gets too overdriven, but it can be easily taken care of. I doubt that I'll swap the tube out until it's time for a new one. The reverb is so-so; usable but not the selling feature of the Replex. You can set it up to be your "non-delay" channel and still get the tube massaging your tone, which is pretty cool.

I've had it about 6 weeks. I always take care of my investments so I'm not worried about it crapping out on my.

Who knows? I did e-mail them a couple of years ago and got a swift and friendly reply it that matters to you. I alway feel that a quality product is the best customer support. If you never need to contact 'em, that's great in my book.

The Replex I traded for was "used" but in brand new condition. No camplaints with sound, tone, construction. I'm very happy I came across this. I've had so much gear in the 25 years I've been playing and this is definitely one of the best delays I've used. My favorite feature is the ability to vary the tone via the tube and the vintage knob. The only thing I wish it did was manufacture doses legally. Other than that, no complaints here. If I had to use only one type of effect and give up everything else it would be echo/delay. And the Replex is a keeper.

It's actually quite easy to use, but I'll give an eight here cause of the fact it's not your typical "delay" pedal. The manual isn't the greatest, but you'll have alot of fun figuring out exactly how each control (nine in total) works and relates to others on the pedal.

Just an incredible sounding delay unit. Very musical, the tube is critical to produce this type of sound. I debated for a while whether to give this pedal a try and I'm very glad I did . . . I love the two separate delays available as well as the option of a reverb, all in one standing box.

Yes this is a glowing review, but it's how I feel about the pedal . . . H&K have a real winner here!

I've had this pedal for over three yrs now and it's taken some abuse and hasn't once given me a problem (even though I dropped it on the floor from a sitting position while tearing off some velcro).

Thankfully I don't know, and I hope not to!

I've been playing for many yrs, the styles I play are mostly 60's/70's rock/blues/jazz/ and for that type of trip the Replex is top notch. I've had many echo/delay pedals over the years, and this is the most musical I've ever heard. I highly recommend this unit for anyone who's in the market for a delay pedal.

NOT hard to use at all. Read the manual, experiment, give it a week, not an hour - you will fall in love.

I play very clean styles with this pedal, and had to change out the Ruby 12ax7. It was simply too much overdrive for my personal taste. It can really color your sound up quite roughly. Lots of people like it that way, just not my style for clean playing. I'd rather use a Maxon ad80 for dirty delay anyway...

I tried many different tubes, but finally settled on a Telefunken ECC82 (12AU7) for the pedal. Ladies and Gent's if you make one mod to this pedal, find a NOS Mullard or Telefunken ECC82 and stick it in there. You can still get the drive in the pedal if you want it, but you get a lower noise floor and far less gain if you want it too.

I tried many different setups for this baby, and believe it or not, I found it best when used in the parallel effects loop of my Mesa.
The drive set low, output up to a small hiss then back a notch or two, volumes high on the effect itself (delays only, I don't use the reverb - no mix and dwell controls)

I use the mix control of the amp's effect loop as the volume control for the pedal, and it sounds completely awesome! Smooth and buttery, and I keep the vintage factor all the way up to 10. Mixing the delayed signal in parallel with the effect yielded me the finest sounds I could have imagined.

It is not easy to replace the tube. You must remove the in/out jacks, both sides of the chassis, and carefully slide the entire assembly out of one side. Look closely at the tube retainer wire - pull TOWARDS the "v" in the retainer to remove it, hold the tube only by the base, and only do this when the pedal is STONE COLD. It would be easy to screw this up, so don't do it if you have any questions about your ability to function without caffeine. It takes a steady hand no to scrape the TWO pcb's held together by ribbons of wire to the switch housings. I thought it was fun!

After all those different tubes, pulling the whole thing apart and putting it back together again, (at least 12 times) it has never even burped on me. Be aware of the damage that static and spilled Mountain Dew can do to a circuit or a hot tube, though.

Good response time, bad response content.

I emailed about changing out the tube in the unit and got a response the same day. No instructions on how to do it, of course, but they said I could try it if I liked to change the tone.

Overall, I give this pedal a 9 overall. I'd give it a 10 if all I played was distortion. I'd just leave the reverb engaged and set it to zero instead of bypassing the unit, using the drive as an additional gain stage only.

Because of the time spent changing tubes, it has to be a 9. But definitely a 10 on sound quality.

I'll start off by saying that although you have to spend a few minutes with this unit to get the best sound, it IS very easy to use. Controls are (left to right) DRIVE and OUTPUT knobs (both global) up first, with the "SAT" light between them, which lights up when the drive is just starting to clip, or "Saturate". Next are REVERB (haven't even used it yet), VOLUME (for first head, or for the effect overall), FEEDBACK (shared by both "heads"), VINTAGE FACTOR (tape sound), SINGLE HEAD TIME (self-explanatory...), DUAL HEAD TIME (...ditto), and SECOND HEAD VOLUME (...also).

This space addresses some comments (you know who you are) on some previous reviews. This is not to disparage those people in any way, but rather to clear up some things, lest someone see those reviews and completely get the wrong idea. First up, one person below is under the impression that you cannot set the time independently for the Dual head delay, and another claims that you cannot set the levels independently. I can assure you that you can do both - as I was doing earlier this very afternoon. The Second "Head" is a seperately adjustable delay that occurs simultaneously with the First "Head". The "first head" is exactly the same as what you'll hear in Dual Head mode, except with the second delay as well, both usually set to different rhythms (I put "head" in quotes, mainly because they aren't real, physical tape heads, of course, as the delay itself is digital). If you're in Dual Head mode, and you Twist either the DUAL HEAD TIME or SECOND HEAD VOLUME and nothing happens, then take it to the shop, because it needs to be fixed.

Another reviewer here (somewhere) said something along the lines that he/she couldn't get the "out there" manipulations that are only possible by physically manuipulating the tape. Well, if they're referring to the classic "flying saucer" effects (by speeding the delays up and slowing them down to "come in for a landing"), they're there too, but you have to be careful with your manipulations or they'll disappear completely. I just cranked up the FEEDBACK control in Dual Head Mode, and controlled the speed with the DUAL HEAD TIME knob. But, if you increase the speed too much, the effect will just dissapear, very abruptly (I guess it reaches a "saturation point" and cancels itself out). It doesn't hurt anything, but it's kind of a shock hearing the repeats get louder and higher pitched, and then have the rug pulled out from under you all of the sudden. Still, if you don't get TOO wild with this effect, it works well, too (but it would've been cooler if this worked better).

Sorry, had to give it a perfect "10" here. As far as noise floor, it didn't seem to add any hiss or hum that wasn't already there (even the best effects won't "cure" a noise problem - well, unless it's a gate). I haven't had it very long, but I can already tell it's a complete winner in my book. I use a variety of amps and guitars, but so far my tests have been with a 60's Fender style amp (nice 3-knob verb, sounds like a cross between a black- and brown-face amp). Yes, the sound gets a little ugly and warbly with the VINTAGE FACTOR all the way up, which sounds a bit like very old and worn tape combined with heads that need cleaning. I like to leave it about halfway up, give or take a notch. All the way down, and you have the crystal clear repeats of the best digital delays. Halfway is perfect for me. This also works best in conjunction with the DRIVE (as others have said here). I like to ride the DRIVE up to where the light starts to go off, and then back it down to where it "rarely if ever" lights up. OUTPUT to taste.

As one who has owned an original Maestro EP-3 Echoplex, I have to attest to the sound of this unit as well. It does color your overall tone some, but the little bit of coloration actually sounds pretty good. The only tonal difference I hear (when set up properly) between this and the original (besides the mechanical noise of the tape loop and motor), is that the initial "attack" note is colored much less than the repeats - as opposed to the Echoplex, which colors the "start note" a good deal more, though I happen to really like that effect. However, this is good, too, as your original note is preserved a little better (nice trade-off - either way). The echoes themselves, however, sound JUST exactly like my old EP-3 used to, and I had one that worked very well and wasn't all that noisy. But the real benefit here is, as anyone who has owned a 'plex can attest, you don't have the pain-in-the-butt of having to replace the tape loop - can I get an Amen?!!

The Dual Head mode is pretty cool too, but you have to take the time and set it just right for it to sound cool (gotta work it, baby! Ha-ay!). If successful, you will be rewarded with beautiful cascading echoes. It seems to delay your "first head", so I guess it's a delay of a delay. You can get it "before" the first head, as well. But, this has yielded very cool results thus far. Sounds like everything from The Edge (U2's guitarist), to REM, to Andy Summers, to even Eric Johnson and Van Halen type clean sounds. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Eric using one onstage someday, like, if he gets fed up with his tempermental 'plexes and chunks them into the Brazos river (or, more likely, sold to collectors). Overall, the effect is very dimensional and warm (without being muddy). As expectant as I was, I was still a little surprised at just how well it aped the EP-3 delay sounds, and the fact that it's actually a little more transparent with the attack, which, again, can be both good or bad. I like it, myself - then again, I liked the way the EP-3 warmed up the sound. So, I guess it boiled down to a choice I'm sure they had to make. I think they made the right one.

I'm sure it will work fine for a while. I got it used, and so far it works perfectly. I don't expect it'll break anytime soon. It looks pretty rugged, and I used to have a Tube Factor pedal (same "series" of H&K pedals, along with the Tubeman preamp pedal and the Tube Rotosphere leslie-simulator/chorus pedal). I had it for years with no problems (before a bad car wreck did it in; and amp fell on it and crushed it - what are the odds), so I expect none with this one.

I have no clue what customer relations are like with Hughes & Kettner, so I won't presume to venture any guesses here. I hope I never need them, but you never know...

I play a wide variety of music, ranging from Blues & R&B, to Jazz and Fusion (don't play much of it, unfortunately, but I REALLY enjoy listening - I try to infect all my other style with it), and I also play in what I guess you'd call a "cover band" (but we do originals as well, and not just three-chorders), and in this band I play just about everything that can be called rock and even some metal (though we don't do "Slayer" metal or bonehead out-of-tune punk rock). I can't imagine a style of music that you'd use echo in, and for this not to be the best echo/delay you'd ever heard. I don't play much country or rockabilly, but the slapbacks this device makes will have 'em hootin an hollerin an'a boot scootin all night. If you're into "ambient" music, this is as ambient as it gets.

Okay, now the (somewhat negligible) cons: Like everyone else here, it seems, I too would like to be able to use the Reverb and Delay at the same time. This seems like it should have been do-able, though I'm not a techie and I don't have the "solution", or any better idea of how to merge the two effects (though I'd venture guess that they'd probably have to add an extra tube for that to work). I haven't even heard the Reverb yet, and so far the reviews are mixed, but in my book, a bad reverb beats no reverb when there's no other available. Also (and this is even more of a nit-pick), it'd be nice to be able to flip a switch somewhere to be able to choose the tone as-is (with the more transparent "attack"), or to have it color your ENTIRE signal, start to finish, like the real deal Echoplex. Still, it's more "useable" as is, and I probably wouldn't buy the "new version" just to have the switch option (and probably wouldn't want to part with it long enough to send it to H&K to have them mod it).

Overall, I have to say that this is simply the best echo unit on the market today. The original is maybe better in some respects, but the "bulletproof" nature of this pedal is much more preferrable to the quirky and whimsical "will it work today or not" original tape echo units. Plus there's the question of tape cartridge availability (Dunlop currently makes "reissue" tape cartridges for Echoplexes), the fact that the tape gets old quick, and the hassle of having to change it out in the first place. The thought of it all makes me real happy when I consider that I've got the sound, without the "labor of love" pains.

Though I paid $100 less for the original EP-3 I had, mine was REALLY clean, and they're going now for at least $400 now - and prices probably aren't going down. Nice to know there's a real alternative out there. Even better, I'm glad I got one.

It is extremely easy to get a good sound out of the Replex once the drive and output controls are set to unity gain to match the amp that you are using it with. The reverb on this unit is easy to set (just one knob) and as long as it is not turned up too much can add a lot of depth and dimensionality to an amp without reverb.

For example try the Replex with an amp like a Mojave Coyote or a Dr. Z Ghia and you will like the Replex just because it can do reverb. Although not in the Fender league of reverb lushness the Replex reverb it is more than enough to make anyone except the most skeptical reverb freak turn his head.

Once the user moves on to the single head delay you get a glimpse of Echoplex heaven without the hassles. Saying that it does not sound exactly like an EP-3 Echoplex the sound is close enough that I believe even a diehard EP-3 user could live happily with the Replex as the sound is so close that it can be hard to tell the difference. The only thing that the Replex cannot do is duplicate the slider bar of an Echoplex moving the tape head across the tape for the sliding Tommy Bolin effect or sound on sound. So that is a trade off that H-K made but I do not think those sounds can be recreated without using an Echoplex.

The footswitches are momentary contact and there are no clicks or pops. The first switch from the left is the on/off bypass switch that the Replex defaults to when it is powered up from the supplied power supply. The second to the left footswitch is the reverb; the third switch from the left is the single head (Echoplex) and the fourth switch from the left is the dual head which is somewhat reminiscent of a Roland Space echo or if the settings are right a more extreme Echoplex setting. Extremely useful to say the least or if you can say rockabilly you can groove here at the maximum.

The manual for the Replex is fairly basic but it is only supplied for the novice who might be confused as to how to operate the pedal. Anyone who has played around with built in reverb units or outboard rack mount delays or the venerable Echoplex will instantly know what to do with it.

There are no software updates for the Replex as it is an organic tube and chip based hardware effect.

Typically the Replex has been used with only Fender guitars either one of several Stratocaster?s and an Esquire or a Telecaster. Blackface and silver face Deluxe reverbs have been used with the Replex. Other amps are the Dr.Z 18 Jr., the Dr. Z Carmen Ghia and the Mojave Coyote.

The Replex is not noisy and the power supply is very quiet. Restraint must be used with the settings to achieve the organic sounds of an Echoplex. Saying that I only like the Echoplex anyway on the 22 or the 16 setting on the slider bar with minimal repeats and just enough gain to make the echo effect noticeable. The Replex kops the sound of the Echoplex and it is an effect that can be put on the floor with other effects if a user needs or wants them.

The Replex blows away the thin sounding Line 6 Delay Modeler and its ugly sounding modeling effects that do not approach the real sound of the analogue tape units. Not only that the Replex?s power supply does not add a ton of noise to the signal going to the amplifier and it does not thin out the sound or sound rough and tinny like a Line 6. It should as it costs twice as much as the Line 6 at list price but used units are available and are a bargain if you can find one for sale.

The Replex can kop your favorite analogue echo sounds if you want them. If a user does not think too much this is the best echo box that has been built into a floor pedal. The key is just dial the Replex in and use the settings that that let you be what you want to be. No presets just knobs that stay where they are supposed to be and make big things sound bigger.

I believe that the Replex is dependable as the unit that I am currently using has been through two other players before I bought it. I also use a H-K Tube Factor and it has never failed in over a year of time. There is no evidence that can be reported as to MTBF but I have heard no horror stories about H-K failing in the field.

Used with caution and restraint any good effect unit with care will last for years if it is not abused.

Having never dealt with H-K directly I can offer no evidence other than to check out H-K products at your favorite dealer and ask questions before you buy. All of the H-K effects that I have tried either used or used worked 100%.

How could anyone replace this with anything else other than an Echoplex? Users with Fender (type) reverb units either built in or outboard can most likely live with out the reverb of the Replex. For others that like to experiment this is the best echo box available in a pedal.

For the truly foolhardy the other side of the coin is something called Line 6. If anyone can stand the power supply noise that these put out and the limited amount of usable delays that are believable. Try something else. Something called the Replex.

Cool is as cool does, that is what a Replex is what it can do.

The Hughes & Kettner Replex is a straight-forward unit that is not too difficult to figure out. There are 9 separate knobs for settings adjustments and 4 footswitches to switch among bypass, reverb, single head delay, and dual head delay. I use only the bypass and single and dual head delay switches; the reverb switch is superfluous as my amps provide adequate reverb channels. The 9 knobs consist of drive, output, reverb volume, volume, delay feedback, vintage factor, single head time, dual head time, and second head volume. Each knob has a range of operation from about 7 to 5 o'clock. For my amp setup and settings configuration I set drive at 12 o'clock, output 9, reverb volume 7 (or off, since reverb is not being used via the Replex), volume 1 o'clock, delay feedback 11, vintage factor 4, single head time 3, dual head time 3:30, and second head volume at 4 o'clock.

The two most important knobs that govern dual head delay are the delay feedback and dual head time knobs. Too much delay feedback throws the Replex into a whistling feedback loop. What setting works for you will be determined by your other pedals in your signal chain.

Single head delay is relatively simple to master; dual head delay incorporates some coordination with delay feedback, vintage factor, dual head time, and second head volume.

This being said, nowhere in the manual does it state recommended settings adjustments; the manual is about 5 small pages in English plus a couple other languages.

I play through Fender and PRS guitars, and Mesa amps. The drive knob on the Replex roughens the sound quality of the clean channel of the Mesa amps so that when my Ibanez TS9/808 modded Tube Screamer (placed after the Replex) is on, the TS9/808 enhances the Replex's characteristics, the Replex delay characteristics increased/louder/
more gain. When the Replex is used in conjunction with my TC Electronics Chorus/Flange (last in the signal chain) in either single or dual head mode, the stereo effect from the TC going through both amps is unbelieveably spacious and thick. Other effects in my signal chain include a Dunlop 95Q Crybaby, a MXR Phase 90, and a Boss CS-2 Compressor/Sustainer. The Replex sits just after the CS-2 and before the TS9/808. The stereo channels of the TC go into a dual channel graphic EQ, BBE sonic maximizer and HUSH super C noise reduction circuit, then into Mesa Rect-o-Verb w/ 4 12's and Nomad 100W head w/ 2 12's.

I can conjur up Van Halen-like delays as well as Eric Johnson with the click of a footswitch.

Each pedal supports the other, with good transparency especially from the Replex and TC Electronic. I have only one minor beef with my wah pedal, but we're still on speaking terms.

The Replex contains a Ruby 12AX7 tube that helps fatten up the "vintage" factor, but I wouldn't suggest throwing the Replex around. The chassis is well built, but the knobs are plastic, so if you dropped a stack on it, well, live and learn. If you're relatively careful with your equipment, I could say you could depend on the Replex and not require a backup on a gig. Tube replacement for the 12AX7 looks tough, would suggest a repair shop tackle that one.

Hughes & Kettner's website (English, please) email enabled me to ask about what type of tube was in the Replex, if upgrading the tube was recommended, and overall effect of said upgrade. Turns out audio difference in sound quality is indistinguishable in same tube designation; reduced gain and softer, rounder, more balanced tonal qualities would be accomplished by replacing the 12AX7 with a high quality expensive Mullard or Telefunken 12AT7. Hughes & Kettner thoughtfully pointed out that replacing the 12AX7 would not be cost-effective if I were to ever sell the unit; tube replacement is rarely ever figured in. H & K always answered my emails in one or two days, a welcome and refreshing business tactic.

I play jazz and blues with a leaning to 80's and 90's hard rock. The Replex replaced a Danelectro Dan-Echo. For the money, this is one sweet multi-purpose pedal, even if I don't use the reverb. My 25 years of playing have helped me search out an eclectic group of guitars, amps and effects, and I'm sure I haven't finished looking.
But for now the Replex Vintage Tape Echo Simulator does just that and well deserves a place among my other effects. I probably would replace this piece if it were lost or stolen, but then I'd have to replace my whole rig, 'cause I know some thief ain't gonna stop at just the Replex.

The Replex adds a ton of depth to my music; I can get stadium sized echo in a small basement room that I'd stack up against studio effects priced much higher.

If only Hughes and Kettner could only elaborate more in their manual...

The effect is fairly easy to use, but it takes some time to dial it in just right. Like anything good, it's worth the time.

One hassle is the foot switch activation. To shut off the delay you have to hit the off button, you can't just tap on and tap off the function you want with the same switch like other pedals. I also use a Line6 DL delay and with each company using a different system it's a pain, the H&K is the odd ball here.

The primary feature of this effect is the vintage tape delay/echo and it's just great. You can match any tape delay sound you want dead on. It's worth the expense and huge size just for that. The unit also has tons of output, the distortion feature in conjunction with the vintage knob helps add in flavor as needed.

The only bummer is that they wasted space with the dual head delay and reverb, when they could have put in a couple more patch buttons for the primary delay, which is the real money shot here. The reverb is just terrible and while I have tried to find a use for the dual head delay, to date, and after more then two years of ownership, I haven't. A tap tempo feature, some pre-sets and this would be the nuts!

Now with those complaints voiced, I still think it's worth the money if your playing calls for beautiful, deep, lush delay. This is the last word in pedal delays.

Two years of regular gig use and not a problem.

Haven't needed any help to date.

Just what the doctor ordered. Does Scotty Moore, Shadows, reggae, surf, space, whatever...
No way can an analog stompbox match this. Smooth, clean and live sounding delay.

THE BEST!

very easy to use, t'would be cool to have more control over the delay timing but no big deal

delays are very authentic - reverb is good, but short, not very controlable, could be better, especially for a tube reverb, this is definately not a reverb unit -definately tc 2290 sound bracket as far as the delay goes. It has two delays. A single and a dual head delay It was built for copying an echoplex. It even takes some of the treble out of your sound, like the old echoplexs, when the effect is on. whats cool also, is that you can control the output. I don't like however,on the output control when it adds too much gain and not volume, in some instances. true bypass, very pretty delays. the thing that sucks the most for me is that there is only ONE effect LEVEL KNOB used for BOTH delays. So, if one delay is really prominant, the other is going to be. They are NOT independent completely, only one effect can be used as well, at a time (ie no-reverb/delay - either/or ) If you can deal with that then this is THE delay pedal.

no problems, only owned it for three weeks, seems to be solid

I dable in all fields of guitar, I am more of a fusion,rock,funk, and blues guy. (satriani, EJ, hendrix, EDV, Landau, I love robert cray) I am heavily into finding good tone, going through 10 808's to find the most desirable sound, etc.., I play nothing but tom anderson guitars, they stand out on there own, check one out. I have a re-issue plexi with the two outside power tubes taken out to make it a 50watt amp. I have got a 68 slant Marshall cab loaded with 90watt mesa black-shadows. I use it just for the clean. everything else is a pedal. right now i use an old ibanez delay ddl20(also a japan sd-1, ts9-malaysian chip-orig, ross chorus, vox wah, tu-2, all George'L wired) If the replex did not have these minor issues, I would definetly have one. I might still get another, to mess around with some more.

The manual says that the reverb and echo work independantly. Well, thats not true. One inhibits the other; which is absurd! Independant means one should NOT interfere with the other (DUH). You should be able to have a slap back delay with slight reberb if you want it that way.
And the drive control on it messes up the dynamics of my drive pedal..so there's always a lot of fussing with drive vs volume knobs.

The sound of the tape delay is perfect. Exactly what I wanted. This out does my confusing Digitech 2112 by far. The reverb is "okay"...definitely better than whats on my Marshall.
The drive changes the tone of the guitar if turned up too far.

Hard to say. The single head time knob has to be past the 12 oclock position on mine in order for it to have a noticeable delay. I don't know if thats built that way or if its a flaw.
The unit is build well though. I have a Hughes Tube factor drive pedal as well and its solidly built too.

The dealer I bought it from is knowledgeable and helpful. No probs.

This unit works well for delay. Its less expensive than other units, yet not cheap. So I felt that the unit should have the ability to have all effects on at that same time if a player wants it that way. But thats okay...I can always stop in the middle of a song while doing a gig and say "sorry ladies and gentlemen, the reverb is going to shut off now while I turn on the delay for this lead guitar part. I apologize....its just that I can't have both effects on at the same time...because..it was too hard for Hughes & Kettner to figure out how to do it."
But seriously, the unit is worth having at a lower price...simply for the delay. I rate it above getting a Digitech effects unit or any other such expensive unit. Keep it simple.
I currently use it with a 50watt Marshall head and 4X12 cab. I play various strats and Les Paul reissues..1957 through 1960. Rock, blues, neoclassic shred.

Pretty easy to use. It took just a little experimenting with the dual head feature to figure out how it works.

I'm playing a couple different kinds of strats and tele's all modded out through a Marshall TLS112. This delay unit sounds incredible. I use it with the vintage factor almost all the way up because I love the way a tape delay sounds. This comes incredibly close to an old tape delay and is so much quieter. Instantly, the pedal fattened up my sound. It gave it a fuller, rounder sound with a noticeable volume boost. You do need to keep the unit on all the time and use the reverb function as the bypass. The delay lines are amazing. I grew up trying to figure the EVH stuff out so this delay instantly took me there. I couldn't resist and I wasn't disappointed. Just incredible. The reverb is good but there's not enough decay for me. Both single and dual head functions are a joy to play through.

Well, it's built like a tank. I won't have a backup.

I've never dealt with the company save sending them an e-mail. It was promptly answered.

I play all kinds of music except death metal. My favorite guitar players are EVH, EJohnson, Via, Satch,and Hendrix in no particular order. This pedal cops many of these sounds to a "T". It's a great delay for any style of music and I highly recommend it. It's a very musical effect and my only minor gripe is there is not enough control over the reverb decay. I waited a long time to get this pedal and it was well worth the wait. It is simply the BEST delay unit I've ever played through. I'll have to give it a 9 because of the verb, but the delays are both 10's

Easy to use. Manual don't add much in the way of "here's a hint for THIS or THAT tone...". For those who know, it's like the Octavia and its clones: gotta work the knobs till you get what you looking for.

Quiet. "vintage factor" fun to use, but even with the pedal in digital delay mode ("factor" at 0), this delay-in-a-pedal is QUIET. Studio quiet.

Frankenstein strat (Custom SHop 54's, WArmoth Boatneck-V neck with 6120 frets I believe, the small vintage wire, anyway) into Rapco A/B.
A: Boss Ce2-Ts 808-Chandler BK Butler tube driver-H&K Tube Rotosphere L-H&K replex- 1987x Marshal 50w (black)/str 4x12 Greenback 70's cab (fawn). B: Proctavia-Tube rotosphere R...etc. For clean sound, 68 Deluxe Reverb. Thomas organ Vox wah in there somewhere... Can you tell who my influences are yet?

I have a Space Echo RE-101. Replex covers this pretty handily.

built like a tank

no info

I play whatever the moment calls for except metal and country. If it were lost or stolen, I'd be very put out. I think in the world of delay, you get what you pay for. Have not A/B'd against Line 6 modeler, however, I understand customer support might be a problem there (go see reviews).

I've read a lot of the reviews before me and I can't understand how they can say this thing is hard to use. First of the gain is gain. Not to difficult mess with it until it sound good to you and then go to the next one. Volume. That's a hard one as well. Sorry I'm being a smart ass. Anyhow I thought it was easy to figure out. I didn't even use the manual. Dual head delay is the only thing that is a bit different than it seems and that only took a few minutes to figure out. Overall very simple to use.

I have many guitars but I use my Fender American Deluxe Fat Strat the most. I run a Boss BD-2..TS9 Turbo Reissue..Cry Baby Wah..Guyatone Chorus..Replex..Ampeg SuperJet Tube Amp. I read a review once that said that this pedal should not be considered for a source of tone. Sorry but I disagree. This is a beautiful sounding piece of equipment. Now that I have one I'll never settle for less. Running that TS9 through it sounds heavenly. On top of all the tone is the magnificent delay you'll get from this unit. Setting the dual head delay time and volume at 1:00 and the feedback at 11:00 is like stepping into a thick garden of guitar mania. Yes it's subtle but it's gorgeous!! Sorry but I love the thing. Anyhow no pedal makes us sound better than we are so it's a not a 10 but it's close:)

Hard, built solid and never had any problems with it.

N/A

I play all styles but I love blues. It's such a soulful, use every ounce of feeling in your bones type of music, that it just gets me. I love Dave matthews band, phish and SRV to name a few. Lately I've been getting into Larry Carlton and John Scofield. This pedal is so useful and I enjoy every second of playing time through it. If your only looking for a tape delay simulator you'll be very pleased when you plug in. I set the drive all the way up(almost) and the volume at about 2:00. If I need a cleaner signal I just roll the volume off a little on my strat and the warm strat tone is there. Overall, I'd say the price could be a little less but H&K carries quite a name and whose to say what they should charge. Plus an Echoplex cost quite a bit these days. Anyway it's a great unit. I'll always have one.

You can easily learn quickly how to figure the Re-plex out.

I use a Tube works unit (Made also by HK), a Budda Wah, Boss TU-2 and I have no noise at all. I play Gibson Les Paul Standards, and I plug them into a Rivera Knucklehead 55 watt head. I throw the replex into the effects loop. QUIET like I like my signal! te Dual head effect is really somthing! Especially when I am picking strings in a clean channel. I also like dual head in the dirty channel but the single head delay really shines in the dirty channel. The reverb is warm and I am glad to have it.

My favourite guitarist is Gary Moore, I am often compared to him by my sound and choice of music. I play blues and rock and I mix them together quite often. I love that continuum of "Parisienne Walkways" styled songs by Gary. The replex helps with an undercurrent for the notes being played.
This unit has a clean bypass, if you are serious about gigging, you need good sounding amps and bypasses in your pedals.

You can depend on it! Stainless Steel and plastic!

www.messinwithtexas.com

I think this unit is one of the easiest to use pieces of equipment out there! You have nine (9) knobs, and four (4) switches to control everything. The controls are as follows: Drive, Output, Reverb volume, Volume, Delay Feedback, Vintage Factor, Single Head Time, Dual Head Time, Second Head Volume---the switches: Bypass, Reverb, Single Head Delay, Dual Head Delay. The only trick part in getting the Replex up and running, is to set the Drive level properly---so the bypass matches the delay level. The manual could have been better, but really isn't needed.

This is where the Replex shines---it's delay lines are so thick they are completely sick! I am running the the following effects in this order: Les Paul with Tom Anderson pickups---Hughes and Kettner TubeFactor---Justin Everman Fuzz Drive---Zvexx Fuzz Factory---Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe---ADA Flange---Replex---Bogner Ecstasy Combo (T.C. Fireworx in loop). The Replex excels at this one point---Tape Delay Simulation. The delays are rich, thick, organic, and really outdo any digital delay I have ever heard. It sounds extremely close to my guitarist's Maestro EP-3 Echoplex. I did replace the Ruby 12AX7 with a Telefunken ECC81. This tube cleans up the delay, and adds a nice warmth and roundness to the signal. One of my favorite features is the dual head function---it can get away from you with the feedback above 12 o'clock (Radiohead madness). Another cool feature is the vintage factor. This knob adds tape machine nuances to your delay line. This control in the conjunction with the drive control really set the Replex above any other delay unit I've played other than an Echoplex. The unit really excels at dripping wet delay with random fluctuations that sound so soulful and almost magic in quality---that you'll forget it is a stompbox. The unit is as quiet as any digital delay I've ever played. The bypass is super, and you can also crank the drive, turn the reverb volume down, and add a second boost to your signal---really fat and chunky!

I haven't had any problems so far, and as I don't have backups for any of my pedals, I would trust it at a show.

I have dealt with Hughes & Kettner a number of times, and they have always been helpful and courteous.

I play a Romantic/Britpop form of music, where I am the Singer/Songwriter/Rhythm guitarist. The Replex allows me to keep up with my guitarist's Echoplex, and add real texture to our music. The Replex can be subtle, or totally out of control. Before buying the Replex I tried: EH memory man, Akai Headrush (really cool pedal), Maxon analog delay, a slew of digital delays, and finally another
Echoplex. I choose the Replex because of its features, its price, and the fact that everything else I have ever owned or played from H&K has been phenomenal! The only thing I would have loved the Replex to have would be a tap-tempo function and stereo outputs. I love my Replex, won't let anyone borrow it, and would definitely buy another if anything ever happened to it.

The unit isn't that hard to figure out as far as setting the gain, reverb, and single-head delay. The unit wouldn't be that difficult to figure out regarding the Dual Head delay if the manual wasn't incorrect. The manual leads you to believe that delay time of both heads are completely and independently adjustable. They are not. The manual is extremely short and incorrect.

Strat or Les Paul with hotter than stock pickups into way too many pedals then into a 50 watt Plexi (no effects loop). It's not noisy but it does effect your basic tone when any of three effect modes are engaged. The difference between the Bypass mode and the other three is too much of a change to make the bypass useable (in the way I'm using it). A simple tone control for either the bypass or the effected modes would make that much easier to deal with. The Vintage Factor control makes some noise when turned but I was told that is normal. The Vintage Factor control adds (among other things) some emulation of tape flutter that Echoplexes had. If you turn the Vintage Factor knob up too high, you'll get these modulating in-and-out-of-tune echoes that don't sound right to me, but when on lower settings the Vintage Factor knob adds that "something" that Echoplexes have that most analog or digital delays don't. The reverb is OK I guess but I'm not much into reverb. I use the reverb channel for bypass. Both delays (single-head and dual-head) are damn good. I've had delays that were easier to dial in but this one isn't that bad once you are accustomed to it. BTW, when I give something an 8, that's damn good. A little rant: These reviews lose all their credibility and usefulness if everyone gives everything a 10. Especially if you've only had the item for a day (or even a week). End rant.

I've had it for a couple of months and have played many rehearsals and several gigs with it. No problems yet. Looks to be built well enough.

I e-mailed them about the manual and to find out if mine was working properly since the manual led me to believe it wasn't. They did not respond so after about a month, I tried again and added "2nd attempt" in the subject field. They responded and while the person I spoke to did not seem very knowledgeable he did put forth the effort.

I bought mine NEW in the box for the price above ($318 US after shipping). You don't have to pay $450 US for these things. I've been playing for about 26 years. I play all kinds of rock from Cream and Hendrix to Creed and Staind and about everything in between. My favorite guitar player is Eric Johnson and you gotta have a really good echo to get anywhere close to his tone. I have an Echoplex and it sits in the closet, too much of a pain but they sound awesome IF they have good tape (a big IF). This is the closest I've heard to emulating an Echoplex. In the delay/echo department other then the Echoplex (EP-4), I also have a Deluxe Memory Man re-issue, an Ibanez AD-9, a DanEcho, and an Alesis Q20 (rackmount effects processor with pretty good digital delay). This thing does the Echoplex thing better than any of them. Never have I purchased a guitar-related product and loved the sound so much yet somehow still been disappointed. And that is ALL due to the horrible manual. It irritates me that they would put so LITTLE effort into the manual on this thing. So I give it an 8 on sound but -2 for the crappy manual. I'm almost reluctant to give number ratings just because relative to many reviews, a 6 or even an 8 is bad. Take the number rating with a grain (or two) of salt.

manual is pretty vague and incorrect regarding the operation of the echo time control for the "first" head in the dual head mode,this control is inoperative and the ratio between the two heads is fixed with an overall time adjustment for the pair of heads with the second time control- very confusing!!!

pretty good,however maximum echo effect isn't much above unity and it's necessary to have the echo volume virtually on full all the time,but the effect is enough for "normal" usage.

no problems so far.

never used them

this unit is about all that's available to get a true tape echo sound without all the mechanical hassle,way better than most digital rack units and pedals,no matter how well programmed,very musical sound than enhances your playing,not cheap though for a one sound box.

This unit is pretty easy to understand, although the manual offers no help at all. Plug in, set the saturation level, the output level, and the degree of "vintage" coloring you want to add. The single head delay is easy to figure out. It is the double head option that causes some confusion. I'm still working it out.

The quality of the sound is fantastic. As mentioned in other reviews, without the vintage knob, the delay is totally digital. The vintage knob really gives it a warm, fat, tape delay sound. I did compare this unit to the new Replex Echoplex reissue and I was amazed at how accurately the Replex duplicates that type of sound. I'm sure there are differences (inserted to appease the purists) but when I considered the tone of the Replex, as well as the task of cleaning tape heads and hassling with tape loops, I decided to go with the Replex. It really offers a great tone.

One suggestion I would make (suggested by Alpha Music)concerns the true bypass. Due to the fact that H&K have done such a great job of replicating the tone of a vintage tape delay, you might notice a substantial change in sound when switching from the true bypass mode to the tape delay. With my rig, the difference was very noticeable. The bypass was not as warm as the "effected" modes (the 12AX7 really adds some warmth). Alpha suggested dialing the reverb volume to zero, and using that "channel" as my bypass. Now I am able to switch from the warm delay tone to the reverb "bypass" without any change in tone. This may seem obvious to some, but it was a great revelation for me.

I can't really speak about the reverb sound, as I am not very familiar with reverb in general.

Built very well. Smooth working knobs. I would be comfortable without having a backup on hand. I will probably carry a spare tube.

The only thing I would change is the adapter. The way it fits into the unit is not very secure.

This pedal is a great match for me. My current set up is as follows:

Boss TU2 tuner, Fryer Treble Booster (built by the guy who helped Brian May restore his guitar), Fryer Mayhem Distortion, Boss CE 1 chorus, H & K Replex, into a Vox AC 30 TBX amp. My tone was quite nice before the addition of the Replex, but the additional 12AX7 tube gave me a bit more warmth.

I wouldn't hesitate to replace it if it were lost or stolen.

Simple and easy to understand.

I use this in combination with an MXR Phase 90 and a Fender Hot Rod amp. I have to agree with other comments here that the reverb isn't the greatest (the Hot Rod has killer reverb) but the tape echo emulation is fantastic and the stuff you can do with the dual head channel is cool. I love the "Vintage" knob. Without it, you get crystal-clear digital sounding delay. The more "Vintage" you give it the more analog tape sound you get. I wouldn't trade the "invisible" bypass for the world.

I've only had it a month but I don't see anything happening to this tank besides maybe the tube breaking!

I play in a power pop/rock & roll band and this pedal is a great match for some of the vintage tunes my band plays.

Fairly easy to use, the manual is crap, but made like a Nazis tank.

The reverb is fine, but that's not why I bought the Replex. Primarily use the Ibanez SDR 1000+ digital reverb(a rack unit that is as good as a Lexicon PCM 70) for reverb and the Replex for Analog Delay. As soon as I use it, I fell in with love it. The delay is warm, responive and meld's very well with the cords being played unlike the crapy fake sounding DL-4. The Replex is very professional sounding Delay period.

Like I said, made like a Nazis tank. If you want to drop it off a roof, frist take the tube out!

If it was stolen, I would' nt think twice about bying a another. If you ever wanted a Echo Plex you can get the real deal for about $800 or you can get the next best thing to it, the REPLEX. The best Echo Plex Clone out there in my opinon.

Crappy manual, but then, what do you expect from the Nazis?
Knobs turn OK, but very sensitive to movement.

Reverb mediocre, but OK if you need to get laid and you don't want to do your amp.
Single stage delay--super.
Double stage delay--super if you understand it.
Best to use reverb channel as a distortion channel dry

don't know--too new

don't know yet

Sounds good right out of the box. Easy-to-read Manual in several languages. Could have been a bit clearer on the two-head versus one-head delays. Still haven't figured out how they relate to each other. Not a big problem, though.

Ibanez Artist and Aria M650T into Budda Verbmaster 30. No noise from this box at all. Really does a good job of simulating tape-delay. Only exception would be the oscillations, but I seldom do that, anyway. The reverb is decent also, but nowhere near as great as on the amp. The best spring-like digital reverb I've heard.

Wouldn't drop it from a three-story building, or drive over it, like some reviewers here seems to do, but for normal use, no problem. Haven't had it long enough to really know, though.

The local distributor sent me one as soon as it came in the door. Even paid the shipping for me!

Have been playing all kinds of rock for 10 years. This box really is the best bet, except maybe for the echoplex reissue (but at twice the price, way out of my leage). Sounds absolutely non-digital. It sounds fat and warm, and I never have to change tapes (ok, a tube swap is probably necessary in a few years, but so what?)! This box rox!

Quite easy to use.. You've got 4 options: Bypass- > A true bypass so no loss of signal, Reverb -> no great to be honest, Single head delay -> The gem of this unit, and Dual-head delay -> Interesting and cool.

I play fender strats. My guitar hero is Eric Johnson. I run my strat into this unit, through a TC Electronics Chorus/Flange pedal into a 65 bassman, and lemme tell you. You'd swear it was Eric's rig. This sounds so much like an echoplex (better in my opinion)without the tape cartridge burden!!!

Well, it's never cratered on me yet.. of course I've only had it a month...

None needed

Amazing.. simply put... you must try it!