Does any pedal get close to the Echoplex that EVH used?

As far as that nice, soft, single ‘slap’ that you hear in the main rhythm part for Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love and the tight muted chords in On Fire, there are several decent tape echo emulating pedals that do the trick - from pretty cheap to pretty pricey. If you’ve got the dough, I never heard of anyone who dropped the coin on a Strymon say they regret it. I picked up a very clean used UA Starlight Echo at a decent price and I find the ‘tape’ setting on that unit to be pretty darned faithful.

As far as using the preamp section of an actual OG tape echo unit to push the front end of the amp, that can be tricky to replicate. I found even the boutique Xotic EP booster did something really weird to the mids of any amp I put it in front of. It didn’t last long in my stable of stomps. I have better luck boosting leads with my TC Spark Mini - which to my ears is by far the most transparent boost I’ve ever used in front of an amp. Doesn’t color the mids or lop off the low end, and doesn’t get shrill or unpleasant up top.
 
Probably any decent tape echo pedal and if it doesn’t have its own preamp/boost, you would add on the EP boost
 
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Superunknown said:
No.
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I guess that would depend on the OP's definition of close. Having owned an EP3 echoplex it definitely has it own impact on the tone of the amp and how the echo's behaved. I also have to agree with Superunknown that a real echoplex is just something to be experienced and then you will see what everyone talks about............:yes:

That being said I do believe an EP 3 circuit pedal in front of something digital can get somewhat close. Like an old Ibanez EM5 echomachine, Strymon El capistan, I also feel the boss DD500 does a great job of emulating the echoplex with it's algorithm without breaking the bank.

So far the best I have have found has been using a Clinch EPPRE(early/late switch) or first evolution Chase Secret Preamp(Circa 2013) hardwired like a later EP3 echoplex running in front of an old Ibanez EM5 echomachine.

I recently acquired a Boss DD500 for the SDE3000 algorithms but I was really nicely surprised how good the echoplex algorithms sound as well. But as with anything YMMV.
 
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Do you mean the boost or the actual echo part? If echo, The strymon volante is the best spendy option, but the TC alter ego is a great cheap one imo
 
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For that VH slap-back in front of a distorted amp, the MXR Echoplex, as Pete Thorn demonstrates. I prefer any delays after gain, but for that one effect (slap back) I'd go w/ the MXR.
 
CarlF said:
For that VH slap-back in front of a distorted amp, the MXR Echoplex, as Pete Thorn demonstrates. I prefer any delays after gain, but for that one effect (slap back) I'd go w/ the MXR.
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Probably the best frugal suggestion right here.......
 
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