The GUPtech Chickadee Dee-Lay is a handmade analog delay pedal built around the old school Boss DM-2, with a true analog Bucket Brigade Device (BBD) and no digital conversion anywhere in the signal path. GUPtech calls it "the only true Analog Delay of the GUPtech catalog" and describes it as a true analog delay in the vibe of the 80s. The repeats are warm and degrade after each one, which is the behavior a bucket brigade circuit is known for: each repeat loses a little more top end as it fades, rather than repeating cleanly forever1.
The DM-2 it follows is the delay pedal Boss introduced in 1981, and one that used bucket brigade chips to deliver warm, musical repeats23. GuitarPlayer's reviewers described the original as featuring echo, intensity, and repeat rate controls4, and Pedal of the Day's Mike B called the DM-2 "a massive analog beast of a delay hiding behind that off-pink exterior"5. The Chickadee Dee-Lay carries that circuit idea into a modern 125B enclosure built in Saguenay, Quebec, Canada1.
The controls
The Chickadee Dee-Lay keeps things to three knobs, in the same spirit as the DM-2's echo, intensity and repeat rate layout4:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Echo level | Overall echo level control1 |
| Time | Delay time, described by GUPtech as "from long to slow"1 |
| Feedback | From unique repetition to infinite self-oscillation1 |
The Feedback control is where the analog character shows itself. At its lowest setting you get a single repeat; turned up, the repeats regenerate and eventually run away into infinite self-oscillation, the runaway effect analog delay players often chase deliberately1.
Power and placement
The pedal runs on 9V DC center negative and draws 10mA1. That is a light load compared with many modern delays, so it sits comfortably alongside other pedals on a shared supply.
GUPtech specifies 9V DC center negative at 10mA. Match the polarity and voltage of your supply to the pedal's requirement before plugging in1.
Where it goes in the chain is flexible. GUPtech says: "It's perfect in front of a clean amp, in the FX Loop of any amp, etc."1. In front of an amp it behaves like any stompbox on the floor; in an effects loop it delays the already-processed amp signal, which many players prefer for cleaner repeats.
Versions, colors and availability
The pedal is offered in two colors, Blue and Black6. The standard listing shows a price of £82.00 GBP6, and the Douche Edition is listed at £93.00 GBP1. Both prices are as stated by the maker in British pounds.
The pedal is listed as re-stocking soon1. Pickup is available at the GUP Tech shop, 6182 Boulevard Talbot, Saguenay QC G7N 1W1, Canada, usually ready in 24 hours1.
GUPtech builds all of its pedals in Saguenay, Québec, Canada6, and the Chickadee Dee-Lay's boutique handmade construction is part of that same operation1. Alongside it, the maker's catalog includes The Pink Pit and the Bea-Verb.
Videos
EveryTis and GUPtech
Happy Mag
Questions
Is the GUPtech Chickadee Dee-Lay a true analog delay?
Yes. GUPtech describes it as the only true analog delay in its catalog, using a true analog Bucket Brigade Device (BBD) with no digital conversion. The repeats are warm and degrade after each one, which is the character players look for in a bucket brigade analog delay rather than a clean digital repeat.
What Boss pedal is the Chickadee Dee-Lay based on?
It is based around the old school Boss DM-2, the delay pedal Boss introduced in 1981. The DM-2 used bucket brigade chips to deliver warm, musical repeats, and the Chickadee Dee-Lay follows that circuit with a true analog BBD of its own.
What power supply does the Chickadee Dee-Lay need?
It runs on 9V DC center negative and draws 10mA. That is a light draw by pedal standards, so a standard 9V supply or a daisy chain with other low-draw pedals should handle it, but the polarity and voltage still need to match the pedal's requirements.
Can I use the Chickadee Dee-Lay in an amp's effects loop?
Yes. GUPtech says it is perfect in front of a clean amp or in the FX loop of any amp, so it works either placed first in the signal chain on the front of the amp or in the loop with the amp's preamp already doing its work.
Does the Chickadee Dee-Lay self-oscillate?
Yes. The Feedback control runs from a single unique repetition to infinite self-oscillation, so turning it up high sends the repeats into a runaway oscillation, the classic behavior of an analog bucket brigade delay pushed to maximum regeneration.
Sources (6)
- GUPtech Chickadee Dee-Lay, GUPtech
- BOSS - DM-101 | Delay Machine, boss.info, 1981
- Mythos Pedals Oracle Analog Echo review: old-school delay tones with modern convenience, Guitar.com, 2021-09-08
- The Best Guitar Effects Pedals of All Time, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2021-06-25
- Boss DM-2 Analog Delay, Pedal of the Day, 2016-03-29
- GUPtech Chickadee Dee-Lay, GUPtech (guptech.ca)
