The Steel Panther 1987 Delay Distortion is a two-in-one effects pedal from All-Pedal, made in collaboration with glam metal band Steel Panther. It combines a distortion and a delay in a single enclosure, and it is aimed squarely at the sounds of the 1980s: AllPedal calls it "Dual Delay + Distortion for Pure '80s Glory"1. Pedal of the Day describes it as inspired by the sounds of the '80s and bringing the classic sounds of that decade, noting that "this purple and green beast has got all your hair band needs covered at once"2.
What it does
The pedal puts two effect types side by side. Guitar World's Paul Riario reviewed it as "an imitative 2-in-1 stompbox with separate delay and [distortion]", listing its type as a "Distortion and delay hair metal emulator pedal"3. Pedal of the Day frames it the same way, calling it a 2-in-1 effects pedal combining distortion and delay, and observing that "as with all great 2-in-1 effects" it keeps the two circuits distinct2. For a player, that means one pedal can cover both a distorted rhythm voice and a set of echoes, rather than two separate boxes on the board.
Controls and layout
The delay section has its own row of three knobs. Guitar World describes the arrangement: "Two rows of knobs govern the delay (level, feedback and delay) on top"3. gearnews.com's Jef gives the same layout, "with delay Level, Feedback and Delay controls on the top"4.
| Control | Section | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Delay | Sets the delay level34 |
| Feedback | Delay | Sets the delay feedback34 |
| Delay | Delay | Sets the delay time34 |
The pedal also has top-mounted jacks, according to Guitar World's feature list3.
What reviewers said
Guitar World's reviewer found the delay side leans toward a particular era of balladry: "Delay skews a little 'power ballad'."3 Pedal of the Day, reviewing the pedal on 27 April 2023, took the view that it covers hair band needs in one box2. Both reviewers treat it as a deliberately period-styled pedal rather than a neutral delay or distortion, which matches the maker's own framing of it as an '80s pedal12.
If you are comparing it with single-purpose boxes, it sits apart from a standalone delay pedal or distortion pedal by combining the two in one enclosure32.
Videos
Brett Kingman
Dave Webb Music
ZIMM'S GUITARS
Sources (4)
- Steel Panther 1987 Guitar Pedal, AllPedal
- All-Pedal Steel Panther 1987 Delay Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2023-04-27
- Steel Panther 1987 Pedal review, Guitar World, 2023-02-28
- Guitar Gear Gems: Daredevil Fuzz Wah and more, gearnews.com, 2023-05-02
