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Jam Pedals Delay Llama
Photo: Reverb
Jam Pedals

Jam Pedals Delay Llama

DelayAnalog
Key facts
TypeAnalog BBD delay pedal1
MakerJam Pedals, Athens, Greece3
ChipBBD chips modeled after the Panasonic MN32051
Max delay time600 ms1
BypassSelectable true or buffered trails; ships in true bypass1
Power9V DC, center-negative, 120 mA current draw1
Dimensions7.5 x 12 x 5.6 cm / 2.9 x 4.7 x 2.2 in, including jacks and controls1
Weight280 g / 0.6 lb1
List price£259.00 (Jam Pedals, October 2026)1

The Jam Pedals Delay Llama is an all-analog delay pedal built around BBD (bucket-brigade device) chips modeled after the Panasonic MN3205, the chip behind the classic analog delays of the late 1970s and 1980s. The current version, the Delay Llama mk.3, offers up to 600 ms of delay time with a simple three-knob layout, tap tempo and a HOLD function that pushes the repeats into self-oscillation1.

Jam Pedals, a Greek builder working out of Athens since 2005, describes the mk.3 as adding "warm, organic repeats without obscuring the sound and touch of your instrument," with a tape-like character suited to subtle depth, classic slapback and spacious rhythmic echoes1. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio called it a pedal whose organic repeats "seamlessly integrate into your playing, courtesy of its BBD chips"2.

What the Delay Llama does

The Delay Llama mk.3 is an all-analog BBD delay: your signal is passed down a chain of bucket-brigade chips, which store it briefly and hand it along, and that process is what creates the repeats. Jam Pedals says the MN3205-based chips "produce warm repeats that blend naturally with the dry signal"1. Because each repeat is a slightly degraded copy of the one before, analog delay tends to darken and soften as it repeats, which is the quality players usually mean by "warm."

The maximum delay time is 600 ms1, which covers slapback, short rhythmic echoes and medium ambient washes, though it stops short of the long delays of digital units. Delicious Audio's buying guide called it "a truly boutique, hand-made pedal" with "a straightforward design" delivering up to 600 ms of delay4.

The controls and tap tempo

The front panel keeps things to three knobs and two footswitches:

ControlWhat it does
TimeSets delay time1
RepeatsControls feedback, how many repeats you hear1
LevelSets the repeats above the dry signal1
Left footswitchEngages and bypasses the effect
TAP (right footswitch)Tap at least twice to set tempo; keep it pressed to engage HOLD/self-oscillation for as long as the switch is held567

Tap tempo is the headline feature of the mk.3. Tap the right footswitch at least twice to set the tempo, and keep it pressed to engage the HOLD function, which sends the pedal into self-oscillation for as long as the switch is held567. The runaway feedback of self-oscillation is a behavior analog delays are known for, and here it lasts only as long as you keep the switch down.

Two internal trimmers sit inside the pedal: one sets the maximum number of repeats, and a second sets the trails fade-out time in buffered-bypass mode8.

Bypass: true or buffered trails

The mk.3 ships in true-bypass mode, but you can switch it to buffered trails, where repeats fade out naturally when you disengage the pedal rather than being cut off. The procedure, from Jam Pedals129:

  1. Disconnect power.
  2. Hold the TAP footswitch.
  3. Reconnect power and release TAP after the LED blinks three times.
  4. To return to true bypass, repeat the process; two blinks confirm the change.1

Delicious Audio noted the same option in its coverage: "You can also set the bypass mode to trails (buffered) or true bypass"2.

Power

The Delay Llama mk.3 runs on 9V DC, center-negative, with a current draw of 120 mA1. That draw is on the higher side for an analog pedal, so plan a power supply with headroom rather than a small daisy chain. Premier Guitar's 2023 review confirmed power comes "via standard center-negative 9V adaptor"10.

History and versions

The Delay Llama line has grown into several distinct models. The mk.3 is an all-analog BBD delay, a design that uses a bucket-brigade device chip rather than digital processing to create its repeats1. Alongside the standard version, Jam Pedals offers a range of hand-finished variants, and the line also includes the Delay Llama Xtreme, a larger delay with presets and modulation.

The two current models divide the line by size and feature set. The mk.3 is the compact, all-analog BBD delay, with Time, Repeats and Level controls covering the main delay sound1. The Xtreme adds tap tempo with three subdivisions, HOLD, kill-dry, selectable trails or true bypass, and four onboard presets plus manual mode11.

The Xtreme also carries side-panel jacks for expression pedal control of delay time, remote preset selection and remote switching, as Premier Guitar's reviewer described12, plus a CV range of 0-5V13 and an output impedance below 1 kΩ11.

Custom artwork editions

Jam Pedals also sells the mk.3 and Xtreme as one-of-a-kind hand-painted custom artwork editions, each with the same circuit and a different paint job. Current mk.3 artwork versions include "Lechuk's Chest", "Monterey", "Why?", "Achenbach", "Craboid" and "Relic"15, and the maker notes that "every custom artwork pedal is a one-of-a-kind hand-painted piece," so the pedal you receive will differ in detail from the photos15. Xtreme artwork editions include "Relic", "Eye in the Sky", "Tutti Frutti", "Spirit of the Sword" and the "Achenbach multi-head".

What reviewers said

Published reviewers have been consistently positive about the Delay Llama family, with price the main criticism141215:

Who uses it

Delicious Audio's artist list for the Delay Llama line includes Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, John Abercrombie, Nels Cline, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Daniel Lanois, David Hidalgo, Cesar Rosas, Jim Campilongo, Dweezil Zappa, Alex Skolnick, Jonny Lang, Greg Koch, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Steve Lukather, Lee Ranaldo, Adrian Legg, Guy Pratt, Christian Fennesz, Bernie Marsden, James Sedwards, Kirk Fletcher and Red Fang2.

Marc Ribot's own words appear on Jam Pedals' product page: "I used the Delay Llama on this last tour, and not only to produce vintage sounding slap backs!"1. Daniel Lanois, on his artist page, wrote that "The Delay Llama with it's infinite hold gives you just that, limitless possibilities"16, and keyboardist Jason Lindner called it "The red fiery llama has become my spiritual ally in sonic bliss"17.

Videos

JAM pedals | Delay Llama
JAM pedals
JAM pedals | Delay Llama video demonstration by Greg Koch
JAM pedals
Adam Levy discusses the JAM pedals Delay Llama @ El Diablo Amps & Guitars
JAM pedals

Questions

Is the Jam Delay Llama true bypass?

Yes, it ships in true-bypass mode, but you can switch it to buffered trails. Buffered trails let repeats fade out naturally when you disengage the pedal instead of cutting them off instantly. The change is made with a power-up procedure using the TAP footswitch, and an internal trimmer sets how long the trails fade takes.

How do you switch the Delay Llama mk.3 to buffered trails?

Disconnect power, hold the TAP footswitch, reconnect power, and release TAP after the LED blinks three times. The pedal is now in buffered trails mode. To go back to true bypass, repeat the same procedure; two blinks confirm the change. An internal trimmer sets the trails fade-out time.

What chip does the Delay Llama use?

It uses BBD (bucket-brigade device) chips modelled after the Panasonic MN3205, the classic analog delay chip. Jam Pedals says these produce warm repeats that blend naturally with the dry signal. The larger Delay Llama Xtreme uses three 3205 BBD chips for up to 800 ms of delay.

What is the difference between the Delay Llama mk.3 and the Xtreme?

The mk.3 is the compact version with 600 ms of delay, three knobs, tap tempo and HOLD. The Xtreme, first shown in 2020, stretches delay to 800 ms using three 3205 BBD chips and adds four presets, modulation, kill-dry, an expression jack and a TRLS switch for trails or true bypass. Premier Guitar describes the mk.3 as bringing much of the Xtreme's bonus functionality to a smaller pedal.

Where are Jam Pedals made?

Jam Pedals are hand-built and hand-painted in Athens, Greece, where the company has operated since 2005. It began as a one-man workshop founded by Jannis Anastasakis. The custom artwork Delay Llamas are one-of-a-kind hand-painted pieces, so the pedal you receive differs in detail from the photos.

Sources (17)
  1. Delay Llama, JAM Pedals (jampedals.com)
  2. Jam Pedals Delay Llama Mk3, Delicious Audio, 2022-11-25
  3. Delay Llama Limited Artwork, www.jampedals.com
  4. 2023 UPDATE: The Best Analog Delay Pedals (Mono & Stereo), Delicious Audio, 2024-01-04
  5. "Monterey" Delay Llama mk.3, JAM Pedals (www.jampedals.com)
  6. “Relic” Delay Llama mk.3, JAM Pedals (jampedals.com)
  7. “Craboid” Delay Llama mk.3, JAM Pedals (www.jampedals.com)
  8. “Achenbach” Delay Llama mk.3, JAM Pedals (www.jampedals.com)
  9. JAM Pedals introduces new Delay Llama Mk 3 Analog Delay, now with Tap Tempo, gearnews.com, 2022-01-24
  10. Jam Pedals Delay Llama Mk3 Review, Premier Guitar, 2023-09-06
  11. Delay Llama Xtreme, JAM Pedals (jampedals.com)
  12. Analog Delay's Secret: Ear-Twisting Textures Revealed, Premier Guitar, 2020-05-22
  13. “Achenbach monohead” Delay Llama XTREME, JAM pedals (jampedals.com)
  14. JAM Pedals Delay Llama Supreme Review - Premier Guitar, Premier Guitar, 2016-12-12
  15. JAM Pedals Delay Llama XTREME - Pedal of the Day, Pedal of the Day, 2021-06-02
  16. Daniel Lanois, JAM Pedals (www.jampedals.com)
  17. Jason Lindnder (NOW vs NOW), JAM Pedals (jampedals.com)

Players who use the Delay Llama

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Mick Thomson3 pedalsRichard Fortus5 pedalsDuke Levine4 pedalsJake Shimabukuro1 pedals

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