Ibanez AD-9 Analog Delay

3 knobs the usual analog setttings for rate,speed and depth..........

Sound quality is excellent for analog delay, this pedal has that great raggedy edge and a slight warble that you usually associate with tape echos.I have played rock-a-billy for over 15 years and just got sick of lugging around a Roland Space Echo, as much as I loved them.So if your after that nice old 50"s rock-a-billy vibe then look no further than this pedal and don't worry I've tried many other delays over the years including stuff byDOD,Danelecto,Boss,
Arion,Guyatone and Echoplex just to name a few and I still keep going back to my best friend.I also play many other styles of music including swing,jump blues,old skool hardcore punk,country,ska and jazz and have used the pedal
in every band I have ever played in with maybe the exception of the punk stuff
sometimes dryer is better.Guess what! I only own 1 other pedal and that is
another Ibanez 9 series pedal and that is their graphic eq, what a match.The eq first then the delay straight into one of several amps that I own including a 1951 TV front deluxe, a Vox AC15, and a Deluxe reverb with the eq pedal set for a mid boost and a quick slap back on the AD9 I get a great edgy solo that really cuts thru and keeps the signal as honest as possible whilst also helping a 1x12 combo sound much bigger than it really is. But the features don"t just stop there you also get a poor mans AB box thanx to the wet and dry outs just don"t step on it accidently if you"re using it to record your Bass tracks.The pedal is pretty much silent except when the batteries wear out (i much prefer the sound of it with batteries its a personal thing)what can I say. Now for its final trick max out the tone and volume of you're favourite small valve combo preferebly something like an old tweed champ or a princeton if you have one. Then set the AD9 settings all to hard right and start playing you're best Neil Young licks from the Dead Man Soundtrack and I guarantee that you won't be dissapointed.The views I have expressed in this review are just my personal experiences with this pedal and tone is a very subjective thing. I suggest that along the way thru you're tone quest to experience as many varied sounds as you can thus allowing you the luxury of making a more informed desicion and hopefully the best player that you can be...........

Can you depend on it ? Yes.
Would you use it on a gig without a back up? Yes I do it all the time I'm not the big scardey cat that I used to be if it breaks down the show must go on please maintain a proffessional attitude at all times don't be a big girly pants.

Finally I have had the pedal repaired twice once by me broken 9 volt battery conector hey what can I say things just get old and wear out and the other problem was rhw on/off switch and that was cured by using the same one out of a TS 808 so yes some parts are interchangeable that repair cost me a whopping AUS D 5.00 bucks pretty cool I thought............

Didn"t really deal with Ibanez directly because I've worked in the music industry I pretty much now where to source parts if I need them and no I never felt the need to have the pedal upgaded it would defeat the purpose of this particular pedal...................

Opps I spilt my guts way to early see my views above in the section called sound quality.Anything I wish it had no , I say try to buy the right pedal for the right job don"t expect an analog delay to have the huge delay times and the presicion and detail of say a Boss DD 5 or 6 they are two completly different
animals and should be approached as such.It has always helped me to make my musical experiences far more enjoyable and never gets in the way and if it does it's as easy as turning it off thats why stompboxes are so cool and finally a few words to describe my own AD 9 sturdy,reliable,robust and tottaly irreplaceable, for me it is the very heart and soul of my own personal tone and sound I would not hesitate in the blink of an eye to replace it no matter what the cost ....................................

3 knobs controlling delay level, number of repeats and delay length.
you won't need a manual for this. I haven't messed with the internal pots cause these are my fav pedals.

these pedals sound really nice and warm.
beware its got a max time of like 300 ms which is too short for the edge-type escapades...
I especially like to use this with a clean or slightly overdriven signal..
for distorted I like my digital boss delay better...

Ive got two of this one. on one of them the switch fails if you dont step on it hard. it doesnt really matter to me cause at the moment I only play at home. other than that the 9 series are solid pedals.

Ive never dealt with Ibanez..

I did buy a used whammy II and e-mailed digitech for a manual and they sent me an old whammy II manual that someone found at the office free.. that was nice..
but as for ibanez.. I have no idea..

I really like these pedals..
I found both really cheap and I've seen these go for like $160-200 on e-bay.. I'll never get rid of these...
I've also got a cs-9 that I found used in a store for $25..
too bad I don't like chorus.. but I'll keep that one too..
right now I'm looking for the sd-9, af-9, fl-9 and any other 9 series..(but those 3 imparticular)

Pretty E-Z to use, but may take you awhile to dial in the "perfect" setting.

Great sounding stompbox. I prefer these "bucket brigade" analog pedals over the newer digital models. I also have the Maxon AD-80 reissue which is very similar to this, but the AD-9 sounds better to my ears. I think the delay time is slightly longer than the Maxon and you can get the AD-9 to self-oscillate when you want noisy sound effects. I use it with a 1982 Ibanez AR-300 and Les Paul Studio through a Vox AC-15 (tube) and Fender Deluxe 90 (solid state).

I have two and never had a problem with either one.

Never had to contact support.

This is still my favorite no frills analog delay stompbox. It has seved me well over many years and many styles of music. Sometimes I wish they had a tap tempo feature, but I can live without it.

It took me a few weeks to get the true sound I was looking for. I'm a perfectionist. Once I felt satisfied with what I had found, I haven't touched the knobs since.

I play jazz influenced rock and use the pedal exclusively to add depth to my lead tone. I play a Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion III semi-hollowbody with a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge pickup. My pedal chain runs Voodoo Labs Tremelo -> Ernie Ball Volume -> Ibanez CS9 Analog Stereo Chorus -> Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer w/ AnalogMan -> ProCo Rat 2 -> Ibanez AD9 Analog Delay -> Boss DD5 w/ tap tempo extension. The AD9 in conjunction with the DD5 for rhythm work more than satisfies my delay needs. I am a big fan of the Ibanez "9" series pedals. Max the AD9 out and you can achieve some wild space sounds - think Radiohead noise track.

I haven't had a problem with any of my "9" series pedals.

I have never dealt with the company - a good thing IMO.

As long as you know what you are looking for, this pedal is a keeper. Delay is an effect that can be misused very easily. Combined with the DD-5, I am getting the exact use out of this unit that I purchased it for.

Like any delay I've seen. I prefer numbers on amps and effects, so that I can precisely record my settings. That's why I'm not giving it a 10 - no numbers.

This thing is the best. I use it in the effects loop of my Voodoo modified Mesa Heartbreaker head on a relatively short delay. I learned about this technique in an article about Robben Ford that said he used a short delay to fatten up his lead tone. This pedal really delivers in this application. The analog sound is so much fatter and warmer than a digital delay. Sounds a lot like a tape echo unit. Very quiet.

Well as I write this review, my pedal is being repaired by Robert Keeley. The LED light is going on and off, but no effect. He thinks it's a "switching FET" and should be repairable. I hope it is, because I love this thing.

It's really old, so I guess it's lasted a good long time with no problems. However, it really just sits on the top of my head and I turn it on at the beginning of the night and turn it off at the end. It doesn't seem like this "switching FET" is very reliable. Maybe I should just leave it on from now on!

I play rock and blues. I've been playing over 30 years, with a 10 year hiatus in the middle. My electric rig consists of:

PRS McCarty
Fender American Series Stratocaster with Lindy Fralin Blues Specials
Carvin DC127 koa with Seymour Duncans ('59 and JB)
Mesa Heartbreaker head modified by Voodoo Amps
Mesa 2x12 Recto cabinet with Vintage 30s and Weber Beam Blockers
Thomas Organ Crybaby way modified for true bypass
Ibanez TS9 reissue
Maxon OD808

This pedal sounds so great for providiing some ambient delay and fattening up the tone. A friend of mine gave it to me in the late 80s, when he decided to go with a digital delay. I believe it was made in the early 80s. If it were lost or stolen, I would have to shell out the big bucks for another one on Ebay, or a reissue. Welll at least I got this one for free! Even though itdoesn't have numbers (see Ease of Use), I still have to give it a 10. It sounds that good.

So easy how can it not be a 10

Here we go. Oh please! this pedal is ok, it is not perfect, it is not as good as newer some digital pedals. ie: Guyatone MD2 and 3, Ibanez DE7 are two excellent new pedals. I know everyone talks about "the warm analog sound". Well try a digital with a little distortion/overdrive added and you will have the "warm analog sound".
I have owned the following Ibanez AD9,AD99,BossDM2,DM3,,My favorite still is the Ibanez DE7, DODfx96, DOD505, Electro Harmonix deluxe memory man what a big box of dissapointment. Anyway, I know I am peeing on all you golden eared AD9 fans but this pedal, just like the Boss DM2 is over rated over priced and talked up way to much. It is very limited in it's length of delay times and settings. Don't get me wrong it is an ok pedal and will do the job for most things. but it is not any better than a lot of other delays and is actually not as good as some. But it does look cool on a pedal board.

I guess so mine was over 20years old and still working

Vintage 60's and 70's Rock and Rockabilly Baby!!!!

If you cant figure it out you shouldnt be using it. Three controls, Rate, Depth, and Level.

If you appreciate the anolog delays you will like the AD9, It is very warm and creamy with nice decay. I bought this unit used off Ebay along with a Ibanez CS9 stereo chorus for $135.00 for both. Which i thought was an awesome deal. I had to tweak the trim pots inside. apparetnly someone tried the same and had it all funked up. After about 10 minutes of trying different settings i got is sounding very pleasent. I still have and like my digital delays also they have there advantages. Im dont favor either more than the other they all have there own place ya know.

Well being that it is like 21 years old and looks like hell. but sounds like heaven. i would have to say its reliable. The footswitch is still very functional. which is surprising as these are one of the first things to go on the 9 series pedals.

I used to work for ibanez a few years back and must say i thought our customer service sucked. Eithere you get and answer or no answer at all. JMHO

I defintly will recommend this delay to all. But if you are looking for delay times that are long then look elsewhere. i belive it maxes at like 300ms or so. but you can tweak it a bit further with the trimpots.

This pedal has only (3) knobs - Rate, Depth, and Level, so basic operation was a no brainer. It also has some internal trim pots - one of which controls the Delay time. If you leave the trim pots alone, then this pedal is "easy as pie".
..if you want to play around with the trim pots (which you may want to do as these pedals are no longer manufactered and there is a possibility that previous owners tweaked it) it may be a little bit more difficult/time consuming...but well worth the effort.

If you have never experienced an analog delay, then you are missing out on a true tonal tool. Oh so delicious...

My set up is as follows:
Tele (w/ SD HB's) > Boss TU2 > Fulltone Fulldrive II > Vox Wah > Boss DD3 > Ibanez AD9 > Marshall 50w JMP w/ 4x12. Cables are George L's.

This pedal DEFINATELY, without a doubt, lives up to the hype.

Perfect for any kind of delay under 300ms. Not a hint of "ping", unlike ALL digital delays set to 300ms or below.

If you play with the internal trim pots and max the delay time (see review below for more detailed instruction) you will sacrifice some sound quality...I adjusted my internal pot (for Delay time) to just under half travel.

I like the Depth at 3 o'clock, Rate at 9 o'clock, and Level at 9 o'clock - this setting allows me to thicken up my tone very nicely with some very sublte, shallow echos/repeats...like reverb, only better.

This pedal is great with both "clean" and "dirty" amp settings. Does not add or take away anything from your tone while bypassed.

I cannot say enough good things about this pedal. Just beautiful.

Well condiering mine is over 22 years old, seen who knows how many stages, and passed thru who knows how many hands, it seems to work

Well, the pedal isn't manufactered anymore...and I haven't tried contacting Ibanez for any help. No opinion.

I bought mine from eBay without trying one out and was a bit skeptical of what the hype surrounding this vintage, analog pedal suggested...The AD9 definatley lives up to the hype.

If you are serious about tone, and want to add a smidge of delay (under 300ms), then get your hands on one of these.

These things are the real deal. If you can scoop one up, I suggest you do. It may cost a lot for a used pedal, but you get what you pay for. Very sweet indeed.

The AD-9 analog delay has 3 knobs: delay time, repeat, and delay level. Unlike the Boss DM-2 each knob does what you think it would. (I have heard DM-2s have the d level and d time functions switched.) It also has a second output, labeled "dry output" which apparently seperates your dry signal from the delay signal so that you can do a ping-pong kind of effect in stereo set-ups. But this pedal isn't as easy to use as you'd think: because the pedal only has 300 milliseconds of delay time it was confusing at first when I tried to find the delay time I wanted. In addition, where a specific setting is on each knob seems to change every time I turn the AD-9 on after not using it for a while. The changes aren't huge of course; they are small enough for me to not be sure if I'm imagining it or not but I think they do change a bit.

Well this is my first foray into the world of analog effects so I can't really say how great it is compared to other analog delays. But I have owned a Boss DD-3 which does not deserve the high rating it has on HC; it is very metallic sounding and unnatural. I have also owned a Dan-Echo and I liked it a lot but both the ones I bought did not seem to work right in my effects loop (on both the volume would just die). I have to say I was a bit dissappointed due to the great reviews for the AD-9. It is very reverby--especially through headphones--and I don't like reverb much. The top-end roll-off is also much more than I though it would be.
Nonetheless I am finding myself to have a style very rock/countryish in a "Honky Tonk Women" kind of way so this thing grew on me very fast as it complements my style a lot. It also adds a dimension to your sound that is much better than reverb and also doesn't compete with your playing. My best explanation for the sound of this pedal is that the repeats come in the form of short-decay reverberations with a small upper-peak/echo that has slightly more definition/treble than the reverb quality of the repeats. I hope that made sense. In addition, this pedal is totally silent. No noise whatsoever even with humbuckers. (This noiselessness seems to be an anamoly because many other reviews say analog effects are noisy.)

21 years old and it works perfectly. The footswitch functions like the best Boss pedal. Apparently this isn't the case with many individual pedals in the 9 series but I have had no problems. Even if you do have a problem, there is always a replacement footswitch on eBay.
To figure out the age of your 9 series pedal: the first digit in the serial # is the last digit in the year of its manufacturing. By the way, the 9 series were only manufactured between '81 and '84 or '85. They had black back labels until around late '82/early '83 and then the labels were changed to white/silver.

CS for a pedal made in the early '80s? Yeah right!

A very cool looking pedal but I'm going to sell it because it's not quite what I'm looking for. And for $122.50 a delay pedal better be exactly what I'm looking for! I think I'll try a Boss DM-3 next because it apparently has less high-end roll-off and it has 450 milliseconds of delay time. Not that I'm complaining about 300 milliseconds because I usually only use about 115. But DM-3s have skyrocketed in price on eBay over night for some reason (all the high bidders were new to eBay too--weird huh?). But so it goes in the vintage market. (Take out the "NO SPAM" in my email address if you want to email me. It took me a while to realize you had to do that!)
Cheers and Good Guitar Playing! --Matt

three knobs, very easy to use

the sound quality is great. i turned it on and it sounded just like scotty moore off of old elvis recordings. i don't think i've ever played an analog delay before (maybe), but this sounds like no delay i've ever heard. if you turn up the repeat knob all the way and turn down the delay time, you can sort of hear the quality of the tone, and it's very,very warm...it's beautiful. It sounds kind of like it's breaking up somehow, it's great. every setting is useful. I seriously did not know delay good sound this good. i don't know if it's analog or just this pedal, maybe both. the other very very cool thing about this pedal is that by fooling around with the delay knob you can get the pedal to squeal or hum, or to do string bends... if you turn the repeat up all the way, you can get a pure pitch and just modulate it as you wish, playing different notes by adjusting the delay time. if you lower the repeat setting and then strike a note then turn the delay time knob, the note will bend up and then back down to the original. This is the coolest pedal I've ever had, except for maybe my buzz box.

just got it today

Ha HA! these are going for 130 on ebay, and I traded my friend a skateboard for this! and he threw in a ts-10 tubescreamer! and two more pedals! I'm in guitar bargain heaven. I played this delay through a japanese squier bullet i bought today, plugged into my 6 watt (?) fender tube amp. this is one of the most beautiful tones i've ever heard, and i've been playing 10 years. i'm in tone heaven. my dad heard me playing through this, he's not a guitarist, but he kept saying how pretty it sounded, and he's never commented on guitar tones, and knows nothing about them. my mome heard me fooling with the delay time and was wondering what those weird noises were. she thought aliens were invading.

I have nothing to say. this pedal is so easy to use

Are you a tone freak? I can tell this is the 2nd best delay pedal.
I used Boss, DD2,DD3,LINE 6 DL4, WAY HUGE DELAY. I will say way huge is the first. AD9 is the second.
There is my pedal setting.

parker nitefly
Keeley Comp-Crybaby535c-Mt2-London fuzz-Hot cake-
Tc electronic scf-ad9-
Fender twin reverb


sound so good.

oK

Good delay pedal. If i have money i will buy way huge.

i just wanted to add some notes to the last reviewers after using his "tweak" for trimming the delay. on my box i had to remove the bottom plate to actually see the trimming pot. also others might like to know there are two pots, the one to the right adjusting the delay time and the one in the middle adjusting the feedback (or repeat as it says on the front knob of the device). i played around with the trimmers a bit, and it felt like it released potential to this little box i never thought possible. adjusting the delay and feedback to bigger values (turning counterclockwise) made the ibanez add even more warmth and dirt to the sound. and thats the beauty of this box.

about a year ago i had a digital ibanez delay, can't remember the name but it was a plastic black stomp box... anyways, comparing these two i found the digital delay giving a flat, clean and boring sound. the ad-9 on the other side actually added something new, as other reviewers also has stated. perhaps this is not for everyone, but i can see this delay coming handy when used for experimental or grungy sounds. myself i use it mostly with synthesizers, playing and turning the knobs at the same time creates some really nice sound effects.

Nothing to add here to previous reviews.

I think the sound quality is very nice, the unit is not very noisy, on the contrary I find it surprisingly quiet. As so many have stated the delay time is on the short side. Here's a tip: If you open the battery compartment and take out the battery holding the unit upside down you can see a trimmer on the right below the circuit board. This trimmer fine tunes the delay time. Time to find a small headed screw driver. If you turn it fully counterclockwise it maxes the delay to about 500ms (compared with by digital unit where you can set the delay ms.). Turning the other way will shorten it. I find that to achieve the specification delay time of (10ms-)300ms you will set the trimmer to about middle (/half of the travel). Maximizing the delay time with this trimmer is sometimes said to decrease the effect quality, but as always, experiment and use what you like.

I tried to match the sounds of this analog unit and my digital Boss GT-6 multieffect unit delay with this box in the effect loop and was able to get fairly close, or close enough, the Boss being much quieter :-) The key finding to get the sound similar was to set the high frequency cut in GT-6 as low as 700Hz! No wonder AD-9 sounds warm as much of the high frequency range is cut from the delayed signal.

This is a '81 unit - 21 years old and still going strong!! And it looks like it has got its share of the road and been through a beaten life. Reliable enough for me.

I have never ever needed any customer support with stomp boxes. Lucky me.

Overall I think this is a good, simple analog delay holding the Ibanez 9-series fame with honour.

Can't be much easier.
Manual is not needed, it's only three knobs -after all.

It's incredible. It's often compared to the Boss series DM2, DM3 -but I think all of these has their own personality.
I do prefer this pedal over the others though, but that's just me.

Now, I've read some reviews who complained about it being noisy and not enough delay time. And, yeah, it could have been quieter and had slightly more delay time- but this is a vintage analog pedal -which means it can be noisy and have a short delay time (300ms) by todays standards that is. And if you don't like the treble roll-off -go for a digital delay.

I've been using it with a 70's Fender Stratocaster and a Hagstrom Super Swede in pair with a Marshall amp- sounds just great.

Built like a tank-
Yes I would gig w/o backup. But like any other pedal it eats batteries so be sure to unplug it when you're not using it -or use an adapter.

The footswitch is not 100 -but that's a common problem. Just be careful.

Ibanez should reissue this series- not only the TS9. Many of the other ones in this series was really cool. Sounded great and looked wonderful.

I've never dealt with them and doubt that I ever will- at least regarding the 9 series. (not at all like the cheap plastic 'Soundtank' series which fall apart just by looking at it...)

It fits any style really.
You can fatten up the sound, have a slapback etc. Suitable for (and a must) to re-create the vintage sound- but 'modern' stuff could need this pedal too.
Digital delays simply don't give the 'right' sound. Too sterile and cold for my taste.

Maybe what I like most about it is the beautiful color...

Simple, self-explanatory knobs. Most basic delay pedals are the same...

I use lots of pedals, into the loop of my Carvin MTS3200 100 watt tube half-stack. Various guitars. I paid $150 for this on E-bay, and it was a gamble in my mind. BUT, know this, this is the best delay I've ever heard, and having heard it I have no desire to look further. I'd never give anything a "10", but this is a great pedal. I don't even think its a question of "analog vs. digital", there is just something so right about the way this particular pedal sounds. Overdriven but not offensive by any means. Even if you leave it on you don't mind it, it seems to compliment anything. Mine isn't noisy, plus if I turn the repeat all the way up I get a cool infinite repeat that eventually turns into beautiful noisy mush (think a jet plane crashing, definately cool). I am so surprised to hear how nice this thing sounds; this is the first time I've let the vintage tone nazis talk me into getting an old pedal, but I'm beginning to see their point. I like that the delay level doesn't suck the volume of my guitar to work (all my other delays have, even rack stuff). I like that the delay time isn't exorbitantly long, cause its not meant to be an instrument in itself, its meant to enhance your playing. This thing has NO ego.

It's old and still works, and I bet it will for some time. That's all I can say. I'm reckless so I'd gig without a backup, but I'm still gonna try to find a few more of these to grow old with.

Been playing 7 years or so now. As far as style, I'll go from blues to "Metal", whatever. This thing seems to just take what you give it and not really change the sound. I even had my distortion up all the way, playing chords, riffing, etc, and the delay didn't really affect the sound, but turn the metal off and there it is, sounding great. Like I said, I'm getting more of these, bottom line.

Killer analog delay. Probably one of my favorites. I have only tried about 50 or so different delays. This one is smooth.

Sound is warm fuzzy analog. Put it after the filter and distortionand modulation stuff. I run a PRS hollowbody II->Musitronics Octave Divider->Teese RMC 3 wah->TS808->Ibanez Super Tube->Electro Harmonix Zipper->Ross Grey Compressor->mxr script phase 90->Arion Chorus->Ernie Ball Volumne Pedal->DM2->DM2->Boss DD5->1966 Fender Deluxe Reverb. oooh oooh oooh. Tone out the arse! You can check out samples at <a href="http://www.freshlybaked.com/pedals">Randtronics</a> and check out my band <a href="http://www.freshlybaked.com/">Freshly Baked</a>

This thing is a tank like all 9 series fx. watch out for those switches and dont lose the battery covers.

Don't know never ever had a problem with any ibanez stuff.

great pedal. buy one if you can if not try a boss dm2, dm3 or way huge aqua puss.

its the most easyiest pedal to get a good sound cause its the best analog delay pedal out there the dan echo rates second to this

i used it with the metal zone and also a tube screamer i think its the best delay pedal to use with other pedals its not noisy i use it with a hiwatt custom 50 head through a carvin cab loaded wit brit 12 speakers i also use it through my vox cambridge 15 aND SOUNDS REALLY GOOD WITH TUBE AMPS

this is the best series ibanez came out with i want to get every pedal from that series these were probebly the best built pedal ibanez came out with i own five others from this series and they all work great

this is were ibanez needs to improve they need to have better comunication and make it so u can order parts like battery compartments i give them a 4

i love this pedal and would try to get another one if i could cheapley
i own a lot of delay pedals and this is numba one for sounds

Well there are 3 knobs(delay time, repeat, delay level).You should tweak them to hear what they can do for you.It? not hard to get good sound or atmosphere.This is an old analog delay so you should not look for looooong delay time.It is a second hand for me so no manual...

I use am. std. strat ,ibanez ts9,boss cs3,boss ce2, boss ph3, ibanez ad9, morley pbw-power booster wah,and then it finishes or in crate gx 15r or in marshall jmp superlead 1oo.The soundS that i get with the ad9 is warm not so clear as with digital delay but i consider them as different pedals.Sometimes i play with the delay time knob like turning it counter-clockwise while i'm playng so i get this jet sound.Mostly i use the ad9 to fatten up the sound of my strat with the repeat s on minimum, delay time at 10 o clock and the level at12.I cant say i use it for repeats,i never bought it for that reason.You can get the sound of lets say REd house-live version from Toronto, or you can get some psychodelic sounds if you turn the knobs clockwise especialy the repeat knob.

I bought it second hand from a guy that was the first owner.It looks hard to break and its much heavier than my boss pedals.I have it 4 mounths and i have no problems.Since this one is realy old pedal i think it is a long runner.

Never had to deal with them.Hope it remains that way.

I play some blues , funky and rock stuff alla Hendrix, Jorma Kaukonen(jefferson Airplane...)Vlatko Stefanovski( one of the best guitarists in the world for my opinion because he has technic,skilland SOUL and he can make cry his guitar not only on records but also live on stage. By the way he is from Macedonia and he used to play in a band LEB I SOL),Robert Fripp,Frank Zappa...As I said before i use this pedal just to fatten up the sound and it does very very good.To use it as a delay i advice you to play it through a good good amp.Once I had a chance to play it through a H&K Duotone combo.Man ,what sound even the delay sounds where more clearer.Amazin.If you can find one ,first you should try with your rig because it makes differences, and than you decide.

I really enjoy this delay. I got it new back in 1984. Three knobs controlling (1)the number of repeats, (2) the amount of delay between repeats, and (3) the volume of each successive repeat.

It doesn't give you quite what you could get out of an old Echoplex, but to me it sounds a lot better than any of the digital effects I've tried. Mainly, this is because you get a natural sounding decay with analogue, much like an echo inside a deep cave---a very warm kind of delay with this particular model. And if you twiddle with the repeat and delay knobs while driving the amp or while creating feedback, you can get some really cool Star Trek (the real Generation) phaser type sounds. This pedal will give you all the delay you need to reproduce Pink Floyd live, for example (Run Like Hell is as good a test for a delay pedal as any).

With solid cast-metal construction, this is about the most solid stomp-type effect I've found. Too many of the stomp pedals available during the '80s were made of non-durable plastic. These Ibanez effects swallow up batteries pretty good, so get an AC adaptor.

I like it. You can't duplicate many of the studio type delay effects, so if you're into that, you may want to get a rack system. But if you're like me and really depend more on your guitar and amp for your sound than your effects, this little gem will be quite adequate. Despite the fact that it has a limited delay range, it gives you a nice, warm, natural sounding decay. For live performances, this is all you need.

Pretty easy... but it can become complex if you get inside and start messing around... no one else mentioned this aspect of the pedal. I'll tell you about it below...

The sounds I get are very warm... You can get anything with this pedal... from slap back to wall of sound... The best part of this thing... (which no one else mentioned) is the fact that you can tweak it. If you open it up there are four little screw type things which allow you to adjust the parameters of the sound. It's a little tedious to work with but it pays off because you can make the pedal do some amazing things...

built tough

never had a problem...

I really like this pedal... I play in an indie rock act... same vein as Tortoise, This Heat, or Sonic Youth... Works great for my set up. I use a Fender American Telecaster and a Teisco baritone guitar, through a Sunn Coliseum Lead head and out of a Marshall... The only other pedal I use is an MXR distortion 2...

Three knobs: 1) Delay 2) Repeat 3) Repeat Level, easier than pie. Wet and dry outputs.

DeArmond SG Copy (H/H) > DOD Dist(boost) > DOD Flanger > Russian Big Muff Reissue > AD-9 Delay > Zoom 505 (Recommended uses: reverb, some delays, eq, level, tuner) > Peavey Bandit 112.

This pedal is ugly on the outside, but the delays are beautiful. Nope, doesn't do the digital thing and get 2 full seconds of endless clear echo. INSTEAD this pedal makes your signal sound like an old record...warm, a little hissy, dreamy, creamy, soft, classic...I normally have both the delay and repeat all the way up and the volume almost all the way up too, but I don't suggest anyone really do that. I just can't get enough of the dreamy sound this setting gives me makes. Just plain beautiful. Play around with the knobs to get the sound you like. My only one and complaint would be that when the batteries are low, the delay becomes really ugly...but sometimes this distorted sound is pretty cool too!

Mine is dented up with paint chipping off of it, but it works without any problems. I didn't realize how old this pedal was when my friend gave it to me, well, practically gave it to me. Now I have even more love and admiration for my ugliest colored pedal. Even the battery compartment and cover are in excellent condition. Solid metal everything except for the knobs. Only two things could go wrong with this pedal: 1) you somehow break off the knobs and make them unfixable by breaking the pots too. 2) You don't take care of it and don't tighten the rings around the input jacks...therefore stripping the sodering job.

Nope

Aye, I'm in love. I've had this for over 2 years now and its had so much impact to my sound. Most of my equipment is either second hand or subpar-new, so my setup doesn't sound all too hot, but this delay makes my signal so warm and dreamy that I think I sound like a live version of a 60's 4-track recording. Very impressive. I'm no expert on delay pedals, but this pedal makes you sound beautiful, distorted or not.

Has to be one of the simplist delays ever built!

I'm using this with an old G&l strat style guitar, a Peavey special 130 amp and a rat fuzz. I adjust all three knobs at 1:00PM setting and only add a slight amount of standard peavey amp reverb. I play alot of pedal steel licks (have a hipshot B bender, a palm G bender and a low E detuner to D. Naturally with that old Peavey amp, things might not be as clean as some would like, but the delay does not appear to add any additional noise whatsoever. My pedal just recently began giving me problems (I bought this thing in 81' or 82'). Like a fool, I simply went to the local store and bought a danecho unit---used it one time and tore into my pedal with the thought that it must be easy to fix and sure enough, I fixed it! Decided right then and there to look for another one just in case.

As I earlier stated, I play through two pedals only, I carry two pedals only and do not carry backups. I will carry the danecho along just because I bought it used for $30, and it is good enough to be called a backup....

Never dealt with 'em, but I do agree with another person that their website is lame when it comes to pedal info.

I'm presently looking for another one---this thing gives me the nicest delay with warmth....the decay (unlike those digital units) is so amazing and natural sounding.....

simple old-school delay--three knobs. never seen the manual, but you won't need it.

use it with an sg standard and a line 6. hate most of the effects on the line 6 so i use boxes. i play guitar a little strangely, and this pedal is great for me. most of the other reviews are from people looking for natural sounds, and while i love that aspect of this pedal, i can also make the guitar stop sounding like a guitar with its help. it will feedback it you want it to, but not immediately. max the level and repeats and start messing with the time, and no digital delay can sound like this thing. very warm; organic as dirt. noise only becomes a problem when the batteries get low, which does happen fast, but it takes power to sound this cool.

it's at least fifteen years old, and okay so far. it's a hunk of metal. the pedal doesn't have a lot of travel when you kick it, but it seems solid. i don't have a backup.

never dealt with them with this pedal, but as someone else said there's no info on the site about old stuff that i can find. their new pedals are pants as i'm concerned, but i've never chosen to deal directly with ibanez, so they get a five. i actually got lucky and scored this pedal after a guitarist left my band, and i never looked back.

i play a fairly straightforward setup. no stereo stuff, just some boxes and an amp i don't claim to completely understand. i love the amp models and the tremolo in the line 6, but i need boxes to change the signal on the fly. still working on a collection, but this and an EH electric mistress and a crybaby and an ebow are getting me there. the new music we play lends itself more to strange guitar work (think more jonny greenwood), and this pedal is great for that as well as conventional delays. not a big fan of ibanez in general, but they did right with this pedal. right now i'm trusting the switch to hold up, and that's my only worry. i don't see anything missing; three knobs is enough for analog delay. great sound, great pedal, great color. get one.

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The first thing I did when I got this pedal was got a hold of one of my friends, borrowed his Aqua-puss and then put the two of them through a side-by-side comparison. I was using the following set-up:
Strat.....Ernie Ball volume pedal...Fulltone '69...Fulltone Fulldirve II...Fulltone Supa-trem...AD-9/WH Agua puss. Well here it goes.

I will start off by saying that both of these pedals are excellent pedals. They both shine in certain areas and come short in others.

Delay time:
THe AD-9 blows the Aqua puss away in the arena. It offers a little longer delay than the WH but this is alot in the analog delay relm.

Repeats:
Both pedals would repeat for a long time but the AD-9 stayed clearer, cleaner, longer. The WH would begin to feedback much sooner and the repeats would change timbre on you alot sooner. This is cool..but not always wanted. The WH has this weird mid rangy sound that is cool but I like the true sound of of the AD-9 much better.

Sound:
The WH is alot crisper than the AD-9 which is good with analog pedals that can seem muddy at times. Sometimes you forget that the AD-9 is on. Some may prefer this, but this is one of the areas that I felt the WH excelled.

One final note on the WH. This pedal offers many setting that are unusable. Anywhere past 12 o'clock on the repeat knob and all you get is uncontrollable feedback. What's the point? Every setting on the AD-9 is usuable. A real plus.

Bottom line.
If you don't mind spending over $300 for a used WH Aqua puss and you want the best slap-back in the world, go for it. If you are on a budget and you want to have a pedal that can do almost any kind of delay in the world (and a darn good job at that), buy a AD-9. I found mine used in a music store for $40!! I don't know if you will be that lucky but it wouldn't hurt to try.

If you can't get a good sound out of this thing, you can't get a good sound out of anything!!! Just set it where you want it and go.

I've had this thing since I was 16, way back in 1982, so I've used it with everything I've ever owned since then. Currently I'm playing thru a Budda Twinmaster head and a 1- 12 Mesa Boogie Thiele cab loaded w/ a celestion. Guitars: Fender 50's reissue Strat, Gibson NightHawk "the Hawk" and a custom parts dinky strat type guitar that I built. No noise with this pedal. Full tone with this one, very thick and fat, always sounds great. Eric Johnson tones, easy. This pedal works great with everything in my pedalboard. I currently use a Ernie Ball Volume pedal, Crybaby wah, tubescreamer, rat, chorus and this AD9. It sounds great with everything.

I've had it for 18 years and never had a problem with it. I regularly gig without a backup for this, it's so reliable. I wish they still made these things!!!

N/A

Right now I'm playing with several groups ranging from gospel/r&b to pop to blues. This pedal fits in with every application that I find myself in. I've been playing for 20 years, 18 with this thing. I've checked out other delay pedals, but never purchased anything else because this thing is, IMO, all that. I'd probably buy another one if I could find one for the right price. I love its warmth and thickness.