The LR Baggs Align Series Delay is a delay pedal built specifically for acoustic guitar. LR Baggs introduced it in February 2019 at $179, a year after the original four pedals in the Align Series, and it now lists at $199.0012. Where most delays are voiced for electric guitar, this one offers what Guitar.com described at launch as "analogue and digital delay options that are specifically tuned to the acoustic guitar"2, with a Tone control that shapes the character of the repeats from warm, analog-style echoes to clear, digital ones1.
The pedal sits in LR Baggs' Align Series, a lineup of acoustic pedals that also includes the Align Series Session, the Align Series Equalizer, a Reverb, an Active DI, and the Align Series Acoustic Chorus that shipped alongside the Delay12. LR Baggs describes the Delay as expanding "your sonic profile for a multidimensional sound and feel"1.
A delay tuned for acoustic guitar
The idea behind the Align Series is effects processing that preserves the natural tone of an amplified acoustic. Acoustic Guitar's reviewer Jamie Stillway tested the Delay and Chorus together and found them to be smart tools, writing that LR Baggs succeeded in creating acoustic effects that preserve the natural tone of your acoustic guitar3. She auditioned the pedals with a Santa Cruz OM/PW fitted with a Schertler Magnetico AG6 soundhole pickup and an external S-MIC-M condenser mic, plugged into a Schertler David amp3.
The circuit is a hybrid. RockBoard's PedalPedia says it has "combined the advantages of analog and digital circuits to ensure the best possible sound with practical function"4, and Acoustic Guitar lists the pedal as an analog/digital hybrid3. LR Baggs' own effects index groups the Align Delay with the Reverb and Chorus as digital effects5. The practical upshot for a player is a single Tone control that moves the repeats between those two characters: LR Baggs says the Tone control "affects only the repeats, ranging from warm, analog vibes to clear, digital echo"1, so your dry acoustic signal stays untouched no matter where you set it.
"Dark dimensional depth to bright percussive repeats, on-tap"
The controls: Delay, Repeats, Tone, Time and tap tempo
The front panel keeps things simple, with a wet/dry blend, repeat count, tone shaping for the repeats, and two ways to set the tempo21.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Delay | Blends the delayed signal with the unaffected signal; sets the dry/wet mix12 |
| Repeats | Sets the number of repeats, controlling how many echoes you hear23 |
| Tone | Shapes only the repeats, from warm analog-style vibes to clear digital echo1 |
| Tap button | Sets the delay tempo by tapping1 |
| Div switch | Sets the delay to dotted-eighth divisions of the current tempo6 |
| Engage footswitch | Switches between the affected signal and true bypass1 |
The tap button is used to set the desired delay tempo4, and gearnews.com's NAMM 2019 coverage noted that Tap "lets you set the delay tempo manually"6. The Div switch is the rhythmic tool of the bunch: it sets the delay to dotted-eighth divisions of the current tempo6, a subdivision commonly used for U2-style cascading delay parts.
Maximum delay time is one second, per Acoustic Guitar's spec sheet3. That is shorter than many electric-guitar delays, but it covers the slapback and moderate rhythmic repeats that suit an amplified acoustic, and it is in the same territory as other acoustic-specific delays such as the Fishman AFX EchoBack Mini.
Power, connections and bypass
The Align Delay runs on a 9V battery or a 9V DC power supply1, which Acoustic Guitar's review confirms with "9-volt battery (optional 9-volt DC power supply)"3. Current draw is listed at 48mA4, modest enough for most isolated power supplies. Because it accepts a battery, it can run standalone, though at 48mA a battery will not last indefinitely.
Connectivity is minimal by design: one 1/4" input, one 1/4" output13, and a Tap Tempo input on top of the pedal for an optional external tap tempo footswitch1. The Engage footswitch gives you either the affected signal or true bypass1, so when the pedal is off your acoustic's signal passes through without the pedal's circuitry in the path.
The external tap tempo footswitch is not included. Acoustic Guitar's reviewer recommends adding one, because the onboard tap button sits where it is virtually inaccessible with your foot3.
Where it came from
The Align Series Delay launched in February 2019 at $1792. Guitar.com reported the launch pricing in January 2019: "Available in February at $179 each"2. The current list price is $199.001.
gearnews.com's Jef covered both new pedals at NAMM 2019 and came away with a preference: "I think the Align Series Delay is my favourite of the two"6. On LR Baggs' product page, Justin Weaver demonstrates the pedal with a Collings OM1 equipped with the LR Baggs Lyric pickup1.
What reviewers said
Acoustic Guitar's November 2019 review, which covered the Delay and Chorus together, was positive overall. Stillway found both pedals to be smart tools whether used individually or in tandem, and concluded that LR Baggs succeeded in creating acoustic effects that preserve the natural tone of your acoustic guitar3. Her one practical criticism was ergonomic rather than sonic: the tap button's placement makes an external tap switch, connected via the jack on top of the pedal, effectively a necessity for anyone who wants to tap tempo with a foot mid-performance3.
Videos
Baggs | LR Baggs | Obsessive Audio Innovation
Baggs | LR Baggs | Obsessive Audio Innovation
Baggs | LR Baggs | Obsessive Audio Innovation
Questions
Is the LR Baggs Align Delay true bypass?
Yes. The Engage footswitch switches between the affected signal and true bypass, so with the pedal off your signal passes through untouched. Acoustic Guitar's review of the pedal also lists true bypass among its specifications.
Does the LR Baggs Align Delay take a battery?
Yes. It runs on a 9V battery or a 9V DC power supply, so it works on a pedalboard power brick or standalone with a battery. Current draw is listed at 48mA.
What is the maximum delay time on the Align Delay?
The maximum delay time is one second, as listed in Acoustic Guitar's review of the pedal. The Time control and the tap tempo button set the delay time within that range, and a Div switch sets the delay to dotted-eighth divisions of the current tempo.
Is the Align Series Delay analog or digital?
It is a hybrid. LR Baggs says it combines the advantages of analog and digital circuits, and Acoustic Guitar's review describes it as an analog/digital hybrid. LR Baggs' effects index lists the Align Delay alongside the Reverb and Chorus as digital effects.
Can I connect an external tap tempo switch to the Align Delay?
Yes. The pedal has a Tap Tempo input for an optional external tap tempo footswitch, which is not included. Acoustic Guitar's reviewer recommends one, since the onboard tap button is virtually inaccessible with your foot.
Sources (6)
- Align Series Delay by LR Baggs, LR Baggs
- NAMM 2019: LR Baggs adds two pedals to its Align Series, Guitar.com, 2019-01-07
- Gear Review: L.R. Baggs Align Series Delay and Chorus Pedals, Acoustic Guitar (acousticguitar.com), 2019-11-14
- Align Series Delay by LR Baggs, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Effects Pedals, lrbaggs.com
- NAMM 2019: LR Baggs adds new Chorus and Delay pedals to its Align Series, gearnews.com, 2019-01-13
