The Electro-Harmonix Slap-Back Echo is a compact analog delay pedal that specializes in short, single-repeat echo: the slapback sound popularized on countless records and central to classic rockabilly guitar. It is a 2023 reissue of a rare 1978 Electro-Harmonix pedal, rebuilt in the company's small Pico-sized chassis with modern updates12.
What sets it apart from most delays is the drive section. The Gain knob boosts the dry signal before the Blend knob and echo circuitry, raising the signal level by up to 20dB, which the maker describes as handy for added volume during solos1. Premier Guitar compared this drive section to the one that makes the Memory Man so extraordinary, calling it "a lovely source of low-gain drive that doesn't add too much coloration"3.
What it does to your sound
Slapback echo is a single, short delay, and the Slap-Back Echo keeps its focus there. Electro-Harmonix says the pedal can achieve everything from subtle doubling effects to intense bathroom reflections1. Delicious Audio describes it as specializing in the short echo effect introduced in recording from the '80s, particularly on vocals7.
The three delay times each suit a different job, and reviewers mapped them out:
| Time setting | What reviewers found |
|---|---|
| 45ms | A great thickener with a lower Blend setting, particularly effective with boost dialed in; a bit longer than Beatles-style ADT but delivers much of the same super-fast, mirror-image effect43 |
| 65ms | A nice degree of ambience without the obvious "extra" note of the 100ms setting; lends cool, mysterious menace to lead tones, particularly with fuzz and ample gain43 |
| 100ms | The true slapback, instantly recognizable as the rockabilly guitar sound; will delight any Sun Studios tone chaser43 |
The controls
The pedal keeps things simple: two knobs, one toggle and one footswitch4.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Boosts the dry signal before the Blend knob and echo circuitry, by up to 20dB; both dry and wet signal are boosted1 |
| Blend | Controls the wet/dry mix at the output jack, from 100% dry fully counterclockwise to all echo fully clockwise1 |
| Time switch | Three-position toggle selecting 45ms (down), 65ms (middle) or 100ms (up)1 |
| Footswitch | Engages or bypasses the effect; status LED lights when engaged1 |
Because the Blend knob goes to 100% dry, you can remove the echo entirely. Premier Guitar notes this "enables you to remove the echo entirely and use the Slap-Back as a preamp," and that with 20dB of available boost it can significantly enliven an otherwise thin amplifier tone3.
There is no continuously variable delay-time knob. Instead of a delay-time knob, there are three presets3, which is the main way the Slap-Back differs from more flexible delays like the Electro-Harmonix Canyon.
From a late-1970s rarity to a Pico-sized reissue
The original Slap-Back Echo first appeared in 19788. It was produced for only a short time and is not one of EHX's most well-known stompboxes, though it developed a cult fanbase9. Premier Guitar describes it as a pedal that "went largely unnoticed in its original late-'70s incarnation"3, and the original is long discontinued5.
The original was also a different beast to control: GuitarPlayer reports it used a single blend knob and a filter on/off switch5, where the reissue adds independent Gain and Blend knobs plus the three-position Time switch7. The reissue also shrinks the pedal from the 1978 original's larger footprint into the Pico-sized chassis107.
Gearnews reports that Josh Scott of JHS Pedals made the reissue possible; Scott owns a 1978 18-volt model and is very fond of its special sound811. JHS's own write-up of underrated EHX pedals praises the original as "a simple slap back echo with not a bad sound in it," with a wet-to-dry ratio that is "almost perfect" for pulling off the effect in mono11.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's review concluded that the Slap-Back is "capable of much more than greasy rockabilly tones"3.
"With plenty of flexibility from the various combinations of boost and echo, the Slap-Back Echo is a practical boost and fattener"
Guitar World's reviewer found the pedal very compact, with substantial boost available and an instant slapback sound, along with sound-thickening qualities. His one criticism: a knob for variable delay time rather than toggle-switched presets would have made it more flexible4.
In Gearnews' 2025 survey of budget delay pedals, the Slap-Back Echo was included among value alternatives, noting its twin gain and blend knobs and its ability to be powered via a separate 9V battery12.
Where it sits among EHX delays
The Slap-Back Echo is a reissue of a vintage circuit, delivering a single short delay with preset delay times of 45, 65 and 100 ms13144. Players wanting longer analog delay times have the Memory Toy and the Deluxe Memory Man 550-TT, while the digital Pico Canyon Echo and Pico Rerun Tape Delay cover more delay types in the same Pico footprint.
Videos
JHS Pedals
Premier Guitar
EHX
Questions
Is the EHX Slap-Back Echo true bypass?
Yes. Electro-Harmonix states that the Slap-Back Echo employs True Bypass, and in bypass mode the AMP jack is connected directly to the INPUT jack. A status LED lights when the effect is engaged and is off in bypass.
Can the Slap-Back Echo run on a battery?
The maker specifies a 9VDC center negative supply drawing 15mA, with a 9.6VDC-200mA adapter included. Gearnews also lists the ability to power it via a separate 9V battery, so it can run without a power supply.
Can I use the Slap-Back Echo as a clean boost with no echo?
Yes. The Blend knob goes from 100% dry fully counterclockwise to all echo fully clockwise, so turning it fully counterclockwise removes the echo entirely. Premier Guitar notes this lets you use the Slap-Back as a preamp, with up to 20dB of boost from the Gain knob.
What delay times does the Slap-Back Echo have?
A three-position Time switch selects between 45ms, 65ms and 100ms. There is no continuously variable delay-time knob; the three presets cover thickening at 45ms, ambience at 65ms, and the classic rockabilly slapback at 100ms.
Who was behind the Slap-Back Echo reissue?
The reissue comes from Electro-Harmonix, released in 2023. Gearnews reports that Josh Scott of JHS Pedals, who owns a 1978 original and is very fond of its special sound, made the reissue possible.
Sources (14)
- Slap-Back Echo, Electro-Harmonix (ehx.com)
- Electro-Harmonix is reissuing its rare '70s Slap-Back Echo analogue delay pedal, MusicRadar, 2023-02-02
- Electro-Harmonix Slap Back Review, Premier Guitar, 2023-07-25
- Electro-Harmonix Slap-Back Echo review, Guitar World, 2023-09-16
- Get That Classic Rockabilly Sound, EVH Girth, Bathroom Ambience and Much More With Electro-Harmonix's New Slap-Back Echo, GuitarPlayer, 2023-02-03
- EHX Reissues the Rare Slap-Back Echo Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2023-02-02
- Electro-Harmonix Slap-Back Echo Reissue, Delicious Audio, 2023-03-22
- EHX Slap-Back Echo Analog Delay Reissue, gearnews.com, 2023-02-02
- Electro-Harmonix reissues, downsizes cult favorite Slap-Back Echo analog delay pedal, Guitar World, 2023-02-02
- Electro-Hamonix re-issue scaled-down version of the Slap Back Echo, Guitar.com, 2023-02-03
- UNDERRATED ELECTRO-HARMONIX PEDALS, JHS Pedals
- Budget Delay Pedals: The Best Value Alternatives For You, gearnews.com, 2025-06-27
- Best Mini Delay Pedals In 2023: Compare Price And Features, Delicious Audio, 2023-09-29
- Electro-Harmonix Slap-Back Echo Delay Pedal Demo, Premier Guitar, 2023-03-20
