Grateful Dead Music Forum

Curious to see how frequently any of you Jerry players use delay when you play a show. Is it a pedal that is not crucial for most
Dead songs. I noticed Jerry used it more with JGB. But I could be wrong. Thanks Paul

I use one pretty much all the time, I don't have it set very high just thickens things up a bit. I don't do the heavy repeats that Jerry would use on occasion.

My delay pedal is on all of the time. Barely noticeable for the most part, but I turn it up during slower songs, or tunes like Watchtower and Comfortably numb.

I only use delay, as Jerry did, for solos in particular songs.

I use it a lot, probably more than Jerry did, but probably not too far off from how I'm hearing his use of the delay.

I hear Jerry using delay quite a lot. Remember that he's using the ADA that is connected to a pedal that is controlling the dry/delay mix and one pedal that is control the delay time. On his slide work and on most big overdriven solos, Jerry's is bringing in subtle amounts of delay with short delay time. Then you've got the longer delays on songs like Wheel, Crazy Fingers solo, Stella and Ship of Fools solos, etc. I also like to use the delay with in-tempo repeats on songs like Shakedown (e.g., Shakedown 9-18-87), where the delay is used to create some funky in-tempo repeats.

Overall, I keep the dry-delay mix fairly dry heavy, and I use a delay pedal that has tap-tempo and an expression (to control mix): http://www.tcelectronic.com/flashback-x4-delay/
Although I use a pedal switcher with my effects in a rack, I keep the delay with the switcher so that I can control tap-tempo and take advantage of three presets. My new switcher will control the presets via midi, but its not a pedal that is well-equipped for controlling tap-tempo and expression pedal remotely.

Cheers, MM

MattMan wrote:I use it a lot, probably more than Jerry did, but probably not too far off from how I'm hearing his use of the delay.

I hear Jerry using delay quite a lot. Remember that he's using the ADA that is connected to a pedal that is controlling the dry/delay mix and one pedal that is control the delay time. On his slide work and on most big overdriven solos, Jerry's is bringing in subtle amounts of delay with short delay time.

I disagree and I would love to see/hear any audio or video showing Jerry using delay as much as you describe.

Perhaps some delay was added out at the board by Healy? Front of house effects? He liked to mess with stuff.

How about this--Jerry uses delay on the tunes where he uses delay. The following come to mind (off the top of my head) as examples of prominent delay, chime in if you have other examples:
1. All Red Rooster slide solos
2. The Wheel, Farm Aid 86
3. Shakedown post verse jam, MSG 87
4. Dark Star, Meadowlands 1989
5. Wharf Rat, Cinci 85, jam before last verse (this is a prime example of the short delay time adding reverb-like depth to the overdrive solo).

MattMan wrote:How about this--Jerry uses delay on the tunes where he uses delay. The following come to mind (off the top of my head) as examples of prominent delay, chime in if you have other examples:
1. All Red Rooster slide solos
2. The Wheel, Farm Aid 86
3. Shakedown post verse jam, MSG 87
4. Dark Star, Meadowlands 1989
5. Wharf Rat, Cinci 85, jam before last verse (this is a prime example of the short delay time adding reverb-like depth to the overdrive solo).

Yes, very selective songs/jams/solos. Not a lot all the time.

Searing75 wrote:Perhaps some delay was added out at the board by Healy? Front of house effects? He liked to mess with stuff.

Many venues they played have inherent delay just due to the size and acoustics.

hippieguy1954 wrote: Yes, very selective songs/jams/solos. Not a lot all the time.

Agreed!

The 'raindrops' part of the Looks Like Rain solo? Pretty sure he's laid on some delay on top of reverb...or at least that's how I approach it.

I have one of those big green MXR delays.
I find it makes solos on songs like Eyes, for example, sound more like you are in Madison Square Garden (but i'm just at my monthly Deadhead bar gig .
Two that come to mine as heavy Jerry delay are Stop That Train (JGB) and I think the other one on that CD is The Night They Drove Dixie Down.
I set the delay time at approx 3-o'clock.

I think more than 50% of Jerry's parts on Nightfall of Diamonds have delay on them. I hear delay on the following tunes in this show:
Half-Step
Stranger
Built to Last
Memphis Blues
Let Grow
Deal
Dark Star
PITB
UJB
Space

I myself care but not overly much what Jerry did or didn't do with his delay because while I love Jer, I'm not him. So I use my delay when and if *I* feel like it. For example:

https://soundcloud.com/gratefuljon/the- ... cerpt-with