On a previous post, I attempted to break down how The Edge and Paul Reynolds redefined the way we use the delay effect. For me, this was interesting because they did it in such an original and effective way that is still being imitated and cherished by guitar players all over the world (just listen to Walk the Moon’s
Bu to do so, they also had to rely on some equipment in order to reproduce the sounds or ideas they had in mind. I always wondered if there was a way to do so by not having to buy an expensive amp or a vintage delay pedal. That being said, after some research and experimentation, I’ve found there are some ways to emulate the sound characteristics that made them known.
The idea of this post is to cover the piece of gear you can use to achieve a similar sound to what The Edge has… without breaking the bank. For doing that, we will try to find pedals that can take us there in some way or another. In essence, we will need some overdrive pedals that can emulate a VOX AC30, and some delays capable of dotted eight functionality. Let’s go from easy to hard and see what we can achieve.
How To Use Guitar Delay
You may be thinking right now that there’s something that should be clarified before going on. The Edge has a lot of gear, like a lot. The question thus stands: are we trying to get his more original early signature sound or shoot for his more current rig?
I personally believe it would be near impossible to get his more current gear on a budget. The other thing to remember is that his signature sound can be pretty much traced to the early days where he was using a couple of VOX’s AC30 and two EHX’s Memory Man (beginning of the 80’s to mid-80’s). He also used a couple of TC Electronics’ 2290 Delay Units (the late 80’s). So that’s what we’re aiming for.
The other thing we are going to keep on hold are the guitars. I know a guitar is a fundamental piece of gear, but for the sake of keeping everything simple, let’s leave that aside at least for this particular stage of the post.
A Study Of The Edge's Guitar Delay (u2)
In my experience, if you have a decent guitar, people will still notice you’re having the “U2” sound if you dial up your delays and your amps correctly. And to be honest, for most people, it’s the delays that make the sound recognizable. On the other hand, if you’re curious about what guitars The Edge used for the early stages, check this previous post here. There I go into a little more into detail about that.
Guitars. The Edge was known for using a Black Fender Stratocaster and these guitar series offer them for a reasonable price I would say. They are made in Mexico but the truth it’s, they have great
On this factory and rumor has it that a good bunch of the workers there actually play, so they put proper attention whenever they’re building guitars.
Potent Pairings: How To Sound Like U2 Using Guitar
Excellent question! I think it depends on what someone would like to achieve. Do you just need an overdrive pedal that sounds like a VOX
? Then you will have to put a little more than $100 if you want something brand new. How about an actual amp that sounds like a VOX AC30? I have good news, you can have a 50Watt one for around 200 dollars!
I’m going to actually put at the end of the post the different options and combinations you can have, so keep reading and tell me your thoughts at the end.
Favorite U2 The Edge Helix Setup?
Often times overlooked, but he uses a particular type of pick. It’s from a brand called Herdim and they are produced in Germany. This company has been producing these picks since the 60’s.
If you notice, it says West Germany (remember, the country was divided into two main regions up until 1989). Today West Germany doesn’t exist anymore, but they still keep producing these picks and still says West Germany, I find that curious, but cool!
These picks are particular because they have a raised dimple pattern that helps the player with the grip (this is a very important feature that will come to play on a moment). According to him, he uses the one that has a 0.88 mm gauge. On top of that, he always goes for the blue ones. This creates a small contradiction because the guys from Herdim make the picks on three different colors and gauges:
Delay Al Estilo De U2
So yes, the 1.1 mm picks are actually the blue ones and as you can see on this picture, he uses those:
You see, The Edge holds the guitar pick backward. By doing so, the dimple pattern side of the pick makes contact with the guitar strings helping him create his chime-like signature sound.
Simple, yet effective. If you want to actually see the difference between the sound waveform that’s created playing normally and the way he does it, I recommend that you go to this site.
What Delay Pedal Does The Edge Use?
He was not the first one to do this (and for sure won’t be the last), but because he does this intentionally it has become part of this signature sound.
The unit sale price of this pick is around .99 cents (maybe more) and you can get a pack of 12 for the yellow and red ones for about $13. The blue ones marked “West Germany” also come in a pack of twelve and they’re around 18 bucks. You can get them on Amazon here.
So, I think that with this our first stage is pretty much covered. You can actually get the same pick The Edge uses and while they’re not dirt cheap, they’re also pretty affordable.
How To Sound Like The Edge
Ok, now we’re covering the more interesting ground. As mentioned before, this is what people tend to recognize the most from the U2 sound. The Edge was known for using pretty much these delays:
I’m gonna be honest with you and eliminate straight away the Korg from the list. They launched a pedal version of this rack unit around 2014 and yes, it has the heart and soul fo the original equipment. There are just two main problems with this unit: It’s a little hard to find and… it can cost more than 500 dollars. Yes, you’ve read that right, the pedal goes up to 500 dollars. Not exactly a budget stomp-box I would say… I think he used the rack unit since 1984, especially for the album
). It was a big deal because it had 5 knobs that allowed the user not just to control the classic delay parameters; it also had a chorus/vibrato effect switch that could be further fine-tuned with a designated knob.
Line 6 Dl4 Mkii Delay Modeler Pedal
EHX continued to produce this pedal and the newest version is a stomp-box with 6 knobs. The pure analog goodness is unmistakable, but this one costs around 270 dollars; not what we’re aiming here.
? That’s a tough one, not going to hide it. Whenever I want an alternative, I always go to the source. In this case, that means we should see if EHX has something to offer besides the
For instance, it has a toggle switch that will allow you to choose between three modes: chorus, exp. pedal, and vibrato. They basically set the rate of the modulation (yep, this pedal has modulation on you can control it with a dedicated knob) and when an expression pedal is used, the middle position allows you to control the rate using the external device.
The Edge Guitar Effects On Garageband, How To Sound Like U2?
It also has a toggle switch for choosing between a triangle or square waveform. The first option gives the pedal a nice chorus sound and the second allows you to have some pitch-shifting.
As you can see, the little brother has a lot to offer and it makes for a great analog delay too. The magic of the DMM is there, you can notice it, but trying to compare both is something to be made with some fairness. It’s like trying to compare a Husky to a Wolf. For sure you see the resemblance and they both howl, but they’re different. The same logic applies here. They look similar, they both howl, they’re both analog, but different.
The Memory Boy is a great analog pedal and carries the flame of the DMM. In my opinion, is the best alternative out there for having a similar sound to what The Edge had. It used to cost around $112, but lately, the prices have increased in some online retailers. For what it has to offer (if you get it around the price mentioned before), it is not expensive. I have this pedal and I don’t regret it, you can get really nice sounds out of it and gives your overall a warmth that’s very recognizable. Finding this pedal online has become a little hard lately, but you can still get it on Amazon here.
Best Delay Pedals 2023
Finding a pedal that can give us a similar sound to the 2290 it’s not that hard if we go to the source. Yes, we should head to
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