The Cicognani POMPEII PE603 is a tube-based multi-head echo pedal that recreates the vintage Binson Echorec P.E. 603, the Italian magnetic drum echo unit used by Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and The Shadows from the early 1970s onward1. Where a tape echo records onto moving tape, the original Echorec used a rotating magnetic drum, and its multi-head arrangement gives an echo style many players describe as almost reverby23. Cicognani's version is a pedal-sized, four-head sonic echo built around a 12AU7 tube, with 12 selectable head combinations and up to 740 ms of delay1.
The name is a direct reference: Pink Floyd used an original 603 onstage at their famous 1972 performance in Pompeii, Italy, and Cicognani's maker page notes the Floyd also used the 603 on stage during the Dark Side tour and on Live at Pompeii14.
A tube-based multi-head echo in the Binson Echorec style
The original Binson Echorec was an analog magnetic drum echo unit, as opposed to tape, made by the Italian company Binson6. On That Pedal Show, the hosts described it as a different way of doing echo, a multi-head echo whose style many players use for its almost reverby quality3. There were a number of very different models from the 1950s, '60s and '70s, including the PE603T, dated to around 19696.
The Pompeii PE603 is a modern reproduction of the vintage Binson Echorec P.E. 603 delay4. Its circuit is set up as a true multi-head echo, sharing the same first twelve switch positions as the early machines, and its varispeed concept is taken from the original P.E. 603 motor mod1. Both the wet and dry signal pass through a 12AU7 tube, which the maker says delivers "the warmest sound with maximum transparency," while a cascading FET circuit mixes gains and buffers the signal1.
Controls and features
| Control or feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| 12-position rotary switch | Selects different "tape-head" combinations to create multi-tap and beat-split delay effects1 |
| Varispeed knob | Simulates motor speed adjustment modulation; at maximum setting reaches 740 ms of delay14 |
| Swell mode | Creates a reverberation effect through the use of all the heads simultaneously1 |
The head combinations are displayed graphically on the panel, back lit by classic "Italian green" lighting1. The enclosure is a custom-designed chassis with a laser-etched plexiglass faceplate and a hammered-silver finish1, which Guitar World described at launch as a plexiglass control face and hammer-tone metal chassis4.
The delay range runs from classic slap-back up to 740 ms1. The Varispeed knob applies the original motor mod concept through an ultra-low harmonic distortion circuit, so the longest delay times come without the noise that plagued the vintage machines' stretched settings1.
From the Binson P.E. 603 to the Pompeii
The Pompeii PE603 first reached wide availability in October 2020, after a long development period. Gearnews reported at the time that the company had finally found proper distribution and the units were, at last, available to the masses, at a recommended retail price of USD 5495. Guitar World reported on October 8, 2020 that Godlyke had been appointed exclusive USA distributor for Cicognani Engineering4.
"It seems that the company has finally found proper distribution and the units are, at last, available to the masses."
Gearnews described the result as a valve-based echo unit aimed squarely at vintage tones: "if you want those classic '70s echo tones, with all their inherent randomness, then this could be a good bet"5.
The Pompeii sits in a small family of Echorec-inspired pedals. The Dawner Prince Boonar Tube Deluxe takes its two banks of playback and feedback buttons from the Binson Echorec P.E. 603T-6, a different model from the same lineage7. Cicognani itself has continued the line with the four-head stereo LE PRISM echo pedal.
As of October 2026, the maker's product page lists the POMPEII PE603 as sold out1. The page also shows a regular price of £429.00 GBP1; the last published US price is the USD 549 RRP from October 20205.
Videos
Cicognani engineering
Tone Factory
Martial Allart
Questions
What is the Cicognani Pompeii PE603 based on?
It is a modern reproduction of the vintage Binson Echorec P.E. 603, the Italian magnetic drum echo unit used by Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and The Shadows from the early 1970s onward. Cicognani set up the circuit as a true multi-head echo, sharing the same first twelve switch positions as the early machines, and took its varispeed concept from the original P.E. 603 motor mod.
How long is the maximum delay time?
The Pompeii PE603 reaches a maximum delay time of 740 ms, achieved at the maximum setting of the Varispeed knob through an ultra-low harmonic distortion circuit. The maker describes its range as everything from classic slap-back up to 740 ms of delay.
Does the Pompeii PE603 use a tube?
Yes. Both the wet and dry signal pass through a 12AU7 tube, which the maker says gives the warmest sound with maximum transparency. A cascading FET circuit mixes gains and buffers the signal around the tube stage.
Where is the Pompeii PE603 made?
It is designed and built in Italy by Cicognani Engineering. The enclosure is a custom-designed chassis with a laser-etched plexiglass faceplate and a hammered-silver finish.
Is the Pompeii PE603 still available?
As of October 2026 the maker's product page lists it as sold out. It first reached wide availability in October 2020, when Godlyke became the exclusive USA distributor, at a recommended retail price of USD 549.
Sources (7)
- POMPEII PE603 (delay), Godlyke Distributing, Inc.
- Foxgear T7E Baby review, Guitar World, 2022-05-17
- BOSS RE-202 & RE-2 Space Echo Upgrade From RE-20? And Why Use A Space Echo Anyway?, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2022-04-29
- Could Cicognani Engineering's Pompeii PE603 Four-Head Sonic Echo be the key to conjuring classic Pink Floyd-like delays?, Guitar World, 2020-10-08
- The new Cicognani Engineering Pompeii PE603, gearnews.com, 2020-10-10
- Real Binson Echorec vs Catalinbread, Boonar & Echosex, That Pedal Show, 2017-03-03
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-06-24
