Ibanez DE-7

fairly easy...i'd also like to point out that the little clickbutton to enter the batter compartment is one of the TWO good ideas engineered into this pedal. The other one, of course, is the retractable knobs so you don't actually get your settings accidentally moved by a misstep. good ideas unfortunately marred by a poorly performing electronics section.

sound quality is great for the price range of this unit, but when put up against other analog/digital hybrids that cost a few bucks more, unfortunately falls short.
I have seven pedals chained in my setup, and this one is the weak tone link in the chain.
stereo jacks, so that's a plus, and the effect gives a nice chorus-y delay return, that makes me happy. I play spacey heavy rock just to the side of smashing pumpkins and my bloody valentine, and this effect makes some nice anomalies in the signal path that i appreciate.
but unfortunately.....(continued next box)

this pedal has let me down in the studio, and live as well.
the electronics inside are low grade, and it shows. when i think of mid-range quality effects, it's just obvious that BOSS sets the standard. a fair price for a pedal that has good sounds (not fantastic, but good) and last FOREVER. i've had BOSS pedals fall out the back of speeding trucks and hit the pavement tumbling, and the things REFUSE TO DIE. that's the shit.
THIS PEDAL...well..it does this...schizo thing. i'll turn it on and leave it, and things will be going good, then turn it off for some portion of a song, and then barely tap the switch - and BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZKKKKRKRKRKRKKRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRKRKRKACKLE!!!
...uhhh...what the hell. and i'll step on it again. BBBBZZZZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAPPPPP!!! and again BZZZZZZZZZZZRAAAAOOOPPPP!! and again...BBBBZZT! and again...until it stops.
since i have another delay behind that one, the noise goes twice as long, ruins any song or atmosphere you're trying to lay down, and you start over from scratch.
so screw it..ibanez loses these days..this company has gone from making the best distortion pedal on the planet, to some cool guitars that last but are cheap, to shitty multieffect boards, to these pieces of crap. i now consider Ibanez a company not worth your time.
and i'm not a purist by any means. i love effects that are cheap but have special "mojo" qualities that can enhance individual personality in your sound, but unreliability is the cardinal sin, in my book. So i say, "get your shit together, ibanez."
end of story.

don't care.

This is a pedal that has some good qualities, but really isn't worth your time, since there are a few other similarly priced units that do the same as this one that are more reliable.

Pretty easy to use. If you've been around pedals for any amount of time use should be able to figure it out. Might as well just screw with it to figure it out cause the instructions are so basic I don't know why they bothered to include them.

I've never had problems with the sound, but I just bought it and the way things are going with it, nothing would surprise me.

This is the entire reason I wrote this. I can't get the thing to stay on longer than a few minutes. Once it goes out, I have to wait about an hour before it will turn back on. Also, after so many times turning it on and off, it refuses to turn back on. A friend has this exact same pedal and he also had this problem, and I've read numerous reports of this on this page.

My friend sent his in to Ibanez and as far as I know, he got it back about a month later and it works. I'm not 100% on that since I don't know if he used it more than once since then. I will eventually try to do the same thing

My advice is to try to steer clear of this pedal. It doesn't seem like Ibanez has a very high standard of quality when it comes to pedals. I went to their website to see if they had posted any information on this problem that me and everyone else seems to be having and I was blown away at the complete lack of useful information. I'm embarrassed that I actually gave my money to this company.

Piece of cake...

i use a fender american series strat into a boss ds-1 distortion into a boss ch-1 chorus into the DE-7 delay into my roland jc 55 amp. Sounds great distorted, with chorus, clean, or with both distortion and chorus. I can get the pod sound, even with my strat and my boss ds-1. every once and a while i use an ibanez smashbox, which helps me get the P.O.D. sound better. The only reason i give this pedal a 9 is because there's a hum when i use my adaptor, and i don't want to buy an ibanez adaptor.

almost as good as a boss...almost.

i give it a 9 because of the hum. if it were stolen i'd buy it again, because its a great pedal. Great sound also.

Ease of Use: Simple, once you get the pedal to turn on.

Sounds pretty good. Affects the tone a little bit but that is mainly a reverb type effect. Personally, I like the tone of my guitar with the pedal switched on. This is my setup:
Alvarez Strat Copy->Seiko Tuner-->DE7-->TS5 Tube Screamer-->Crate POS 60 Watt Amp.
The only problem I see with this pedal is the Echo setting's problem with increasing noise as the echoed sound feeds on itself. IF you set the echo for a large number of repeats be prepared to control the level as it gets noisier..either use the pedal level or your amp.

It is reliable insofar as you don't proceed to bang it around. The casing itself is made of a pretty sturdy plastic and the knobs don't tend to spring back up but...1. the switch on the inside is made of pretty cheap plastic...kinda like the plastic used on Swiss Army Knife toothpicks. 2. the springs are not mounted very well and can come off their posts easily. 3. the pedal will hiccup after overuse..i mean..it won't activate w/o multiple attempts to switch it on.

Never used 'em. The website is badly put together...no real information on ANY of their products. It couldn't hurt for Ibanez to put more content on their tech support page but don't hold your breath.

Delay fits my style but I'm beginning to think that Ibanez delay does not. I have played with the Boss delay units and have been much happier with those. If this pedal is stolen, no, I won't replace it. I will however get something else. I wish the pedal had been designed with a little more thought put into the sturdiness of even the smallest parts of the pedal. But, until it is stolen, lost or falls apart or I toss it out a window, I will use because it does help in my writing.

Pretty basic for a delay. Three knobs for delay time, repeat, and level; a 3-way switch for delay range (up to 2.6 seconds). The Echo option is nice to have. The manual is useless and has a few examples of delay settings, none of which I have ever used since trying them for the first time.

I use a standard Strat plugged into a Fender 85. My effects include a Big Muff Pi, Boss chorus, Danelectro flanger, and the DE7. It is noisy, but it can also be quiet on certain settings. It is much noisier on Echo mode. I thought the noise might be caused by the single coils on my Strat, but even when used with a Les Paul w/ humbuckers the noise was still there. For reference, it is much more noisy than the Boss DD-3. If you have the extra cash, go for the
DD-3! You'll lose the Echo option, but you'll be getting a much better delay. You can get a good U2 'Edge' sound with Echo mode, but if you don't play any U2 (i certainly don't) then that doesn't help you much. The DE7 is exponentially worse when used with delay. I just couldnt get the right sound out of it and tried to take it back, but apprarently there wasn't anything wrong with the unit so it wasn't returnable. Oh, but there's more....read on...

Apparently the DE7 includes a surprise extra effect at no extra cost - it's also a distortion pedal!!! This transformation occurs within a few months after purchase, and requires no abuse of the unit whatsoever! I was pleasantly surprised at this newfound fuzz tone! Too bad the delay effect is now gone, and the switch does nothing! In other words - this pedal is a piece of junk and will break before you can say BOSS DD-3!

Never dealt with Ibanez directly

I invite someone - ANYONE - to steal this piece of crap from me (assuming they give me 150 bucks in return). I don't know if my pedal was on its own in terms of poor quality, but I have read some reviews concerning problems with the switch. A friend of mine has also had multiple problems with other effects in the Ibanez ToneLock series. Look elsewhere, that is unless you enjoy throwing away money.

Simple to use. Three knobs: Delay Time, Repeat, and Delay Level. Also there are two switches: Range (30-160, 120-650, 480-2600 ms)and Mode (Echo or Delay). Having some experience working with delays is helpful for dialing in a good sound quickly. If you know the sound you're looking for, it's all here!

I mainly play a 2001 American Series Fender Strat through a ZOOM Driver 5000, a Dano Fish & Chips EQ, a Dano Cool Cat, and Ibanez DE-7 delay --> into a Fender Hot Rod DeVille 4x10. I have previously owned a Boss DD-3, which was OK, but the DE-7 is way better. I bought it mainly for the Echo mode and I keep it around 140-160 ms with 4 repeats, and the delay level set low. If you crank the delay level up it can start to get a little noisy, but at lower levels (for subtle repeats) it is almost totally quiet.

Delay mode works great too if I need some hard repeats, but generally I go for the Lo Fi echo which I find warmer and more musical. For the money, this is definitely the best echo/delay pedal out there. I was also considering the Dan Echo pedal, but the salesman I was dealing with steered me towards this and I am very glad he did. I definitely rate this pedal a 10 for sound quality and value.

As a bonus, the locking knobs are a fantastic invention. Also, make sure you get an AC adapter (I recommend the Danelectro Zero Hum adapter), since this will eat batteries quickly.

Seems very sturdy with its metal casing. Some others have commented on faulty on/off switching, but I have had no problems with mine. I don't abuse my gear, so I'm not expecting any problems. Works great!

I've never had to deal with them.

I've been playing guitar for about 20 years and have played through a lot of gear (both mine and my friends'). Yeah, if you want to spend hundreds of dollars you could find a boutique pedal that is better - but I prefer to put my money towards upgrading my guitars and amps.

For a delay pedal, you won't go wrong by buying this!

I never owned a delay pedal before this one,and never really knew what i was doing when it tried them out at guitar shops.I got this pedal because it looked like the total package,easy to use(3 knobs),affordable,well built,and great sound.I was a little reluctant to buy it but now,im so fucking glad i got it!The manual wasnt very hlepful(only 2 settings of the 4 were good),but it helped a little.Twenty minutes later,i was sounding likeColin Greenwood(Radiohead).Easy to get a good sound out of.

Beutifull sound,distroyed the Boss pedal in every catagory.You can get crisp digital Delay or old school warm Echo(i prefer Delay,simply because im used to hearing it from my favorite bands.)You can get some cool effects with this pedal,such as the aformentioned endless feedback with the echo setting,also try moving the speed dial while the feed back is going on,gives it a insane "distorted radio" sound.I use a Ibanez Rg120 to a Ibanez SM7 smash box-Dunlop crybaby-Danelectro hashbrowns flanger-DE7 delay/echo into a shitty crate 15 watt amp.I like everything from Depeche mode to Morbid angel,but my favorite band is Rage against the machine and this pedal is ESSENTIAL if you hope to get Tom morello like sounds.It worked perfectly when i played the solo to"Freedom"(by Rage)on it,I also faithfully recreated the riff from "Sweet child of mine" by Guns n Roses.Works great with Distortion,pretty good with flanger(not distorted,with the speed on max)Also works great to give you guitar a nice reverb sound to it,it amzed people when i went to school and used it to play the star spangled banner.The only time it ever sounds noisy is when you have alot of repeats on it and the delay is short,i usally dont turn the repeat knob over 12 o clock.Overall,great sound,best damn Delay pedal on the market today(thats right,fuck boss!You think ill pay 100 dollars for a stupid tuner?)in my opinion.

Hell yeah i can depend ont it!These Ibanez tone-lok pedals are built like tanks!They are created to be stomped on and built to last longer than US imperialism.The only thing i wish is that they came in different colors because all of em look the same!What happens if your on stage and you accidently stomp on your tone-lok Flanger/Chorus(which i thought wasnt very good) when you wanna do your beautiful solo?I guess Ibanez made them all in basicly the same casings so that they could keep costs down(wise idea).I wouldnt keep a backup because i can depend on it no matter what,well,until the bettery runs out(which it dreains pretty fast,if you use a cheap one).

never dealt with them

I play hard rock,from punk(such as Black flage and the Dead kennedys) to Slayer to Rage against the machine.Ive been playing for over a year and this has helped me think of new musical ideas,i wrote a solo using it the first day!If it were stolen,id definately go for the same one again and if i found the little fuck who stole it I would make him choke on his own balls for defiling my precious pedal with his greasy hands!Compared it to Boss delay and Danelectro PB&J delay.Danelectro was cool,id reccomend it if you were on a budget and needed a decent delay pedal,but the Boss pedal was ridiculously overpriced and much more complicated,it also didnt sound as good in my opinion.

Straight foward easy to use pedal.

Using a strat. Not noisy at all. I borrowed this to compare it with the Dan Electro PBJ. I prefer the PBJ because it sounds more natural than this Ibanez pedal. Although the Ibanez pedal sounded good for slapback, I was looking for more of a Pseudo reverb sound, it just doesn't have it compared to the Dan Electro.

Seems very sturdy.

I play acoustic and electric blues rock country. Played twenty years+. I won't be buying this pedal.

Very simple...three knobs...a switch for echo or delay and a switch for three time ranges (ms). Tone lock knobs work great! push them in it they pop up...adjust and push back down. Very simple concept.

Here's the info you are looking for...this sounds fantastic in the loop of my Carvin Legacy! DOES NOT AFFECT TONE! Not noisy at all. I did not like how it sounded in front of the amp though...sounded a little shrill. Other delays sounded bad this way though...I think this depends on the amp. Very versitle pedal...and not too expensive. I was going to buy a rack multieffects unit...now all I need is a few more quality stomp boxes and I will be happy! Nice warm echo...cool digital delay...I just wish you could run both at the same time!! That would be cool!

Tough to say...I have only had it a week. It's built pretty sturdy...hope the switch lasts!

Hope I don't have to find out!

OK...maybe not better than SOME of the analog delays but...very nice sounding. Looks like it is built pretty solid and the tone lock knobs are a great idea! I wish all boxes had them!

It's as easy to use as any delay stomp box on the market. In fact, it's probably easier than most because the knobs push down into the pedal, effectively locking your settings into place. Also, it's on/off button never gives me problems (unlike some old Boss pedals I own). I never have to click it more than once to get it to turn on or off.

I use a Fender Telecaster (with hot Texas special pickups) and a Fender Deluxe 112 amp. This pedal hardly makes any discernible noise with absolutely no bleed-over when the effect is bypassed. Only when the battery's getting pretty low does it start to make some kind of odd buzzing noises. The sound quality of the delay itself is about as good as you can get out of a stompbox. The echo setting is particularly a gem; the more it repeats the more it decays and gets all warm and creamy. Very lush and very analog-sounding.

It's a tough little unit. The knobs seem a little rinky-dink as far as the quality of the plastic goes, but overall a very durable pedal. I wouldn't have any problem gigging without a backup.

I play spaced-out, ambient rock and roll with shades of jazz and country throw in the mix. The two things I love most about this pedal are the lush analog-sounding echo mode and the long delay time (Over 2 seconds, I believe. Boss's delay pedals don't even touch it). You can get some amazingly long drawn-out delay, even to the point of leisurely being able to play over yourself. I also own the Boss DD-3, which is a good delay in it's own right, but the Ibanez DE-7 has become my main echo unit. The only thing I wish it had were a hold option for endless repeats. To give you an idea of how impressed I am with this pedal, I bought it when I wasn't even looking for a new delay unit. I just wandered in to a music store to pass some time and found myself playing this amazing delay unit that sounded so full and rich and organic. I came back and bought it a few days later.