Any Echoplex fans/experts?

[GreenKnee]

I'm looking at getting myself a bucket-list piece of gear - Echoplex EP-3.
When I last lusted after one they seemed to be quite abundant in the UK but I didn't have the cash to hand to buy one. Now I'm in the market for one, with the cash in my pocket, there's only 1 available in the UK.

This is the one, on Reverb:
Maestro Echoplex EP-3 Solid State https://reverb.com/item/73018606?utm_so ... t=73018606

I've had some communication with the seller but he's unwilling to send a video and won't budge on price, so I am a little apprehensive about it. He also said it's noisy, but without a video I can't determine whether or not this is just the normal amount of noise associated with old tape units.

After chatting with JSett I have contacted Sound Gas and I am on their list for when one comes up for sale. They are less than an hour's drive from me but they don't offer any servicing of the units and so this again puts me off the unit on Reverb because if it is noisy and needs some attention I'd have to go further afield to have it looked at. I'm not averse to maintaining the unit myself but I'd like it to be right when I first get it so that I can hear any issues as they occur and put it right as and when.

Anybody on here an expert with Echoplexes and could offer some guidance on what is good, what's not, and who is around in the UK that sells and/or maintains these things?

Thanks

[TagoMago]

I'd say that if you had your heart set on owning one, get the cleanest, best sounding example you can find. That one looks a bit mucky in the pics, but how well it would clean up is hard to know. And if the seller isn't prepared to provide even at the very least a 1 minute basic phone video demo, I'd look elsewhere.

But, if you absolutely wanted to have that exact one, there are folk in the UK that will service them. They might not be local to you but they are around. Funky Junk in north London serviced my old Roland Space Echo, and David Houlgate (just outside Brighton) serviced my mate's Dynacord tape echo.

Sound Gas are a bit weird, they actually do repair and service stuff (or at least get someone to do it for them - a mate took some studio gear to them, their place looked a bit untidy but they do have a reputation for selling decent gear) but generally only if they are going to sell it on. For shitloads of money.

**EDIT** Just a thought, ATA Studios in Leeds are all analog and use tape machines etc, so they must have someone who services their gear. Might be worth getting in touch with Neil Innes who runs ATA and asking him if there's anyone close to you that he could recommend?

[GreenKnee]

Brilliant, thanks very much. My heart isn't set on the one for sale at all, due to the lack of video I'm going to give it a miss - I just need to be patient. Good tip on getting the cleanest one, less hassle for the future.

I'll give ATA a call and ask about who services their units, with any luck they might have one they're willing to sell.

[TagoMago]

[/quote

I'll give ATA a call and ask about who services their units, with any luck they might have one they're willing to sell.

They might actually have one, but whether it would be available I’ve no idea. The only connection I have with ATA is one of my mates produced a Hannah Williams & The Affirmations album there, and he said the place was vintage AF. Good luck!

[OffYourFace]

Soundgas are nice people but they've screwed up a few times. They sold my friend a Yamaha CS80 and said that it had been serviced and converted to 120v (my friend is in North Carolina). Not only was it not rewired for 120v, it had never been serviced! This was a $40k purchase, $45k with shipping across the pond. Soundgas just took their clients word on everything and just shipped it. It didn't even work properly. If they were that negligent on an item that big, well idk what to say. A CS80 needs LOTS of work to make it reliable. I know because I've restored and put MIDI into many of them.
I've had other friends that have dealt with similar issues with them but not on that scale.
Anyway, sorry for the rant but maybe they're better now, who knows. The CS80 incident was in 2022-23 so it wasn't long ago.

If you want a good EP-3, hit up my friend Cole on IG, @synthtailor. He's in Ohio and is friends with MIke Battle's (creator of the echoplex) son. He has access to original parts, etc. He'll find you one and restore perfectly and properly.

EP-3s are great. I'm happy with my RE-150. To me it's more reliable and I love the sound. Tonally it sits between an RE-201 and a EP-3.
But the interface between an EP-3 and a tube amp is undeniable.

[TagoMago]

Soundgas are nice people but they've screwed up a few times. They sold my friend a Yamaha CS80 and said that it had been serviced and converted to 120v (my friend is in North Carolina). Not only was it not rewired for 120v, it had never been serviced! This was a $40k purchase, $45k with shipping across the pond. Soundgas just took their clients word on everything and just shipped it. It didn't even work properly. If they were that negligent on an item that big, well idk what to say. A CS80 needs LOTS of work to make it reliable. I know because I've restored and put MIDI into many of them.
I've had other friends that have dealt with similar issues with them but not on that scale.
Anyway, sorry for the rant but maybe they're better now, who knows. The CS80 incident was in 2022-23 so it wasn't long ago.

Bloody hell!!!

I knew they could be a bit hit or miss, but not on that scale I hope your friend either got his money back, or got Soundgas to pony up for the inevitable repairs. Fully working CS80's are rare birds indeed. And $45k is a lot of money, that's not far off how much my house cost. Even after getting a full refund I'd still be round their offices tasering all of them at the very least for that level of fuckery.

[Jonesie]

An EP-3 is a dream piece of gear for me too. Need it to cosplay as Ted Leo.

[BoringPostcards]

An EP-3 is a dream piece of gear for me too. Need it to cosplay as Ted Leo.

Oh man! A fan of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists! I meet so few people, who even know who they are. Great band.

[OffYourFace]

Bloody hell!!!

I knew they could be a bit hit or miss, but not on that scale I hope your friend either got his money back, or got Soundgas to pony up for the inevitable repairs. Fully working CS80's are rare birds indeed. And $45k is a lot of money, that's not far off how much my house cost. Even after getting a full refund I'd still be round their offices tasering all of them at the very least for that level of fuckery.

He did get his money back and SG was smart by letting @synthtailor do the repairs before reselling it. That's the other thing, my friend had SG ship it to @synthtailor for a final inspection so they knew it was going to be looked at. They just really trusted their client who they bought it from.

[Jonesie]

An EP-3 is a dream piece of gear for me too. Need it to cosplay as Ted Leo.

Oh man! A fan of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists! I meet so few people, who even know who they are. Great band.

Huge fan. Have a big ol' TL/RX tattoo on my left forearm.

[itsmemw]

Glad to see the Ted Leo mentions! I remember seeing him around 2003/2004 and if I member correctly he carried 3 on tour with him. Starting the tour with the one that worked best/had the most repeats and would go through them fairly regularly.

[Saturnine10]

There is a fantastic Facebook group for EP's that I would highly recommend joining

[B.T.]

I'm looking at getting myself a bucket-list piece of gear - Echoplex EP-3.
When I last lusted after one they seemed to be quite abundant in the UK but I didn't have the cash to hand to buy one. Now I'm in the market for one, with the cash in my pocket, there's only 1 available in the UK.

This is the one, on Reverb:
Maestro Echoplex EP-3 Solid State https://reverb.com/item/73018606?utm_so ... t=73018606

I've had some communication with the seller but he's unwilling to send a video and won't budge on price, so I am a little apprehensive about it. He also said it's noisy, but without a video I can't determine whether or not this is just the normal amount of noise associated with old tape units.

After chatting with JSett I have contacted Sound Gas and I am on their list for when one comes up for sale. They are less than an hour's drive from me but they don't offer any servicing of the units and so this again puts me off the unit on Reverb because if it is noisy and needs some attention I'd have to go further afield to have it looked at. I'm not averse to maintaining the unit myself but I'd like it to be right when I first get it so that I can hear any issues as they occur and put it right as and when.

Anybody on here an expert with Echoplexes and could offer some guidance on what is good, what's not, and who is around in the UK that sells and/or maintains these things?

Thanks

I have two and I’ve serviced a few over the years. These EP-3 units are inherently noisy. It’s the sound that the tape makes running continuously across the heads, aka the tape hiss and the circuit design.
Nothing to trip out about, in a live setting that all melts away and it’s just super vibey stuff, brings the smiles to all. Let me know if I can help.

[JackFawkes]

I'm a pleb.
All I have is an old Skreddy Echo, and I like it.
...Echoplexes and Space Echoes sure are cool though...

Jack

[GreenKnee]

Annoyingly I was just half an hour from this one whilst working near Pittsburgh for the last couple of weeks, I just never got chance to get to it

Maestro Echoplex EP-3 Solid State https://reverb.com/item/81016543?utm_so ... t=81016543

I'm back in August so maybe it will still be hanging around. Will ensure I leave enough space in my case to Bring it on Home