6 Best Slapback Delay Pedals for Rockabilly (2023)

Way Huge was a legendary brand founded in 1992 by George Tripps. The company disappeared in 1999 and these pedals are currently made and distributed around the planet by Jim Dunlop.

To begin with, the new, smaller Aqua Puss enclosure is a great idea because it can fit even the smallest spots. I mean, I have a couple of delays on my board to play different things and they all take up precious real estate. Also, construction-wise this pedal is built like a tank. It’s one of those brushed aluminum chassis that feel soft and sturdy painted in swell light blue.

Let me tell you that I tried all the pedals on the list with the same Gretsch White Falcon with a Bigsby tremolo. So, the first thing that I heard when I plugged this was the wobbly sound that’s like watery; like liquid echo.

I know it might sound a little odd at first, but the moment you hear it, you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

Most of this pedal’s mojo comes from the analog circuit. It enhances dynamics, retains warmth, and adds natural harmonics to the sound.

I set it to a slapback effect and played some Brian-Setzer-approved moves (from the Stray Cats era, of course) and the effect was tight and fast with me. Every note had its percussive effect and the entire time, you could hear everything I played.

Perhaps the only thing I didn’t like about this pedal is that it doesn’t have any headroom. Therefore, it’s kind of a one-trick pony because the second you turn off your Tube Screamer, you realize you can’t play any clean stuff with it.

Other than that, it’s warm without being dark, and very reactive to the playing. It makes a great companion for Rockabilly tones.

TC Electronic is a brand that’s famous worldwide for having cutting-edge technology and leading the innovation field quite often. Perhaps that’s why you might be surprised to find it on this list. Yet, besides the groundbreaking digital technology, TC also makes an amazing analog delay that’s 100% rockabilly approved: the Echobrain.

I just might be a tad biased with the Carbon Copy has been my go-to analog delay pedal choice for years. Nevertheless, for this task, I tried to look at it as if it was the first time I played it. Let me fast forward to my conclusion, I fell in love with it again.

But let’s rewind to the beginning. The thing that I like the most about the Carbon Copy is that it sounds mellow, dark, and warm. The moment you engage it, you feel the trail that follows you adding natural harmonics and beautiful overtones to the resulting sound.

The forgotten spec on this pedal is the “MOD” switch, which you can regulate from the inside of the pedal with a simple screwdriver. This adds another sense of dimension to the playing.

But I went for the big prize and set my Carbon Copy to slapback to play some White-Falcon-worthy lines. I knew it already, but I reaffirmed it: the delay is tight! Yes, it follows you on every speed change, weird chord, fast scale, or bend.

Also, it’s very reactive to the pick attack.

Finally, I know that for some, the Carbon Copy is too dark. You can get the MXR M292 or Carbon Copy Deluxe that comes with the MOD controls as regular knobs and a bright switch to add high-end to the sound. This is especially needed if you play with a Les Paul and an SG and you want to compensate.

My recommendation is to try it, it might not be your cup of tea, but it’s a great pedal.

What happens if you rent a big room and lock inside a mad amplifier scientist and a groundbreaking pedal company? Well, what you get is the JHS The Milkman; nothing short of a rockabilly machine. I mean, when I took it out of the box and saw one of the knobs was called “Slap” I was immediately convinced.

Plus, the retro labeling and the bright colors are very coherent with the way the pedal sounds.

So, I intended to start slow so I dialed in my Deluxe Reverb ’65 RI to be pristine-clean with no reverb. The “Slap” knob is how long the delay is and the “Mix” knob is how much delay you have on the resulting sound.

At its longest, I mean, with the “Slap” knob cranked, the rhythmic element of the slapback is at its absolute best, in my opinion. It’s not at all lush but bright and percussive. There’s something about the low end when you mix it with slapback delay that’s just uncanny.

But when I engaged the boost, this whole new side of it came alive. It’s a loud, fierce boost that can drive any amp. That being said, it cleans very well with the guitar’s volume knob.

Perhaps, the only caveat about this pedal is that it is a very specific pedal for a very specific sound. Therefore, it’s not versatile and it doesn’t cover many styles. In other words, it does one thing, but it does it wonderfully well and with a very small and friendly size.

I think you’ve played through at least one version of Boss’s benchmark delay, the DD-3. It was one of the first digital delay pedals in the market and it’s still being made today. You can buy it virtually anywhere around the globe.

This delay, though, it’s not to be confused with a regular DD-3. This is no ordinary digital Boss pedal.

The Waza Craft series of high-end pedals by Boss is quite remarkable. Indeed, these noise and color machines are built in Japan by specialized teams. This pedal in particular, the DM-2W tries to recover the glory of the old Boss Delay pedal. The one before the digital era.

First, I tried the pedal in the “Standard” mode. This is closer to the original with a maximum of 300ms, which is more than enough for rockabilly slapback. Speaking of which, the sparking highs and tight bottom end were there all the time the delay was engaged.

That was something that called my attention and is both good and bad news. On the good side, this Boss DM-2W has a built-in internal buffer which helps the pedalboard signal chain a lot. On the not-so-good side, it’s not a true-bypass unit.

This second mode, called “Custom” takes possible delay settings to 800ms and has somewhat of a more modern, colder, and brighter sound. For me, it was more of a The Edge kind of sound with the pick attack.

In sum, this pedal is built like a tank, and although it’s not a true bypass, it makes a great slapback among many other sounds.

I guess the name of the pedal says it all, right? Well, although not everybody knows it, Electro-Harmonix has been around for decades (it was founded in 1968). Yes, the huge psychedelic movement of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s was partially shaped by this company’s extremely wild creations.

This pedal is no exception to that legacy. Indeed, the first thing that hits you about this pedal is just how small it is. If you’ve ever seen the original, you’ll know it’s huge. But that’s not all because the company was able to fit a completely analog delay with three settings in a mini enclosure and also add a completely analog gain knob as well.

That was a great aspect of this Slapback Echo, it takes very little real estate but gives you many possibilities.

Next, I loved the “Gain” knob on every setting because you can just use the “Blend” knob to have less delay and use it as an overdrive pedal. Furthermore, it’s great to stomp on it going into a solo.

Perhaps, the only thing I have to say about this pedal is that it changes the original tone of the instrument quite a bit. In my way of seeing things, that’s something positive because I really like the resulting sound. On the other hand, purists might find it too invasive.

That being said, the rockabilly tone in each of the three delay settings, short, medium, and long was very accurate, tight, and usable.

If you want an instant rockabilly pedal in a small spot on your pedalboard, this is a great choice.