The Ibanez PDM1 Modulation Delay is a vintage delay unit from Ibanez's DCP series, a modulation delay made in Japan between 1987 and 19921. It sits in the family of Ibanez delay products that runs from early analog units like the Ibanez AD-80 Analog Delay through digital designs such as the Ibanez DDL Digital Delay and the Ibanez PDD1 Delay, its DCP-series sibling.
Production and availability
The PDM1 was built in Japan across a five-year run from 1987 to 19921. Its German list price in 1989 was 555 DM, the figure recorded for its home-market pricing at the time1. TONEHOME, the independent Ibanez product reference, describes its availability on the used market today as quite good, which puts it within reach of players who want a piece of this era without an extended hunt1.
The PDM1 has never been re-issued, so every unit in circulation is an original from the 1987 to 1992 production run1.
Collectibility and documentation
TONEHOME rates the PDM1's collectibility as medium1. It is neither among the rarest vintage Ibanez effects, such as some of the very rare units the site has listed for sale, nor a common find. For a player, that means prices and supply should be moderate rather than extreme.
Documentation survives: a German-language owner's manual for the DCP PDM1 Modulation Delay is available as a PDF download from TONEHOME1. Players who read German can consult it for the unit's original operating instructions.
Where it fits among Ibanez delays
The PDM1's modulation delay design, which pairs delay with modulation, appears elsewhere in the Ibanez line in pedal form, such as the Ibanez DML10 Digital Modulation Delay II and the Ibanez DML Digital Modulation Delay. Players interested in the company's later delay designs can look at the Ibanez ES2 Echo Shifter, the Ibanez DE-7, or the current Ibanez LD303 Layer Delayer. For the wider picture, see the site's Delay Pedals page.
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Questions
Where was the Ibanez PDM1 made?
The PDM1 was made in Japan. TONEHOME, an independent reference for Ibanez products, records its production period as 1987 to 1992, which places it among the Japanese-built Ibanez effects of that era rather than later production from other manufacturing locations.
Has the Ibanez PDM1 been reissued?
No. TONEHOME records the PDM1 as never having been re-issued, so any unit on the used market is an original from the 1987 to 1992 production run. That also means replacement parts and factory support are things of the past, and buyers are dealing with decades-old electronics.
Is there a manual for the Ibanez PDM1?
Yes. A German-language owner's manual for the Ibanez DCP PDM1 Modulation Delay is available as a PDF download on TONEHOME, the independent Ibanez product reference. English-language documentation is not recorded there.
What series is the Ibanez PDM1 part of?
The PDM1 belongs to Ibanez's DCP series. Within that series it is the Modulation Delay, combining delay with modulation effects, as its name suggests.
How collectible is the Ibanez PDM1?
TONEHOME rates the PDM1's collectibility as medium, and its availability on the used market as quite good. It is not one of the rarest vintage Ibanez effects, but it is also not a unit you will find on every corner.
Sources (1)
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME (www.tonehome.de), 1989
