The SIB Echodrive is a tube-driven delay pedal from SiB!, designed by Rick Hamel and built around a 12AX7 tube preamp. Despite the name, it is not a delay and overdrive in one box: Vintage Guitar's 2003 review describes it as "not a combination delay/overdrive pedal, as the name might imply. Rather, it's a delay with a little dirt mixed in"1. It belongs to a family of three tube pedals from the same designer, alongside the Varidrive and Fatdrive1.
Controls and circuit
The Echodrive offers the usual delay pedal controls, set with top-mounted black Bakelite-style knobs, a classic stompswitch with an LED indicator, and a side-mounted rocker switch1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Mix | Blends the delayed signal with the dry signal1 |
| Volume | Sets the output level1 |
| Repeats | Sets how many repeats the delay produces1 |
| Delay time | Set with a switch and a knob working together1 |
| Echodrive | An added control of its own on the Echodrive1 |
Inside each unit is a 12AX7 tube, a cleanly wired PC board, and a power transformer1. The steel chassis carries 1/8 inch ventilation holes that give a view of the tube, and the pedals came in a black, red, or blue powdercoat finish with white silkscreen1.
Vintage Guitar's reviewer found that with the unit turned down, the pedal had "a very analog sound with slightly muffled repeats that sounded good on longer delay times"1.
Power: mains only
The Echodrive is powered directly by the mains2. It uses detachable IBM-style power cords, with no batteries and no wall wart adapter, as Vintage Guitar put it: "Just good ol' AC"1.
Because the Echodrive runs on AC from a detachable mains cord rather than a standard pedal supply, it cannot share a daisy chain with the rest of a board and needs a socket within reach of its cord.
Where it stands and what it costs now
The Echodrive and its blue and red siblings had valve preamps and are much sought after, according to MusicRadar's review of the related SiB! Mr Echo3. That scarcity shows in used prices: gearnews.com reported in July 2025 that they "can change hands for north of £1000 easily on the used market"2.
The pedal also has a documented player. Noel Gallagher's rig, shared around the 2025 Oasis reunion dates, includes a SIB Echodrive, and gearnews.com notes that "supposedly, Noel uses this one more for the preamp section of the effect"2.
For context on where the Echodrive sits, see the site's Delay Pedals and Preamp Pedals pages.
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Questions
Does the SIB Echodrive take a battery?
No. The Echodrive runs on AC from the wall through a detachable IBM-style power cord, with no battery option and no wall wart adapter. Vintage Guitar's 2003 review put it plainly: no batteries or funky wallwarts, just AC. That means it needs access to a mains socket, which is worth planning for on a pedalboard.
What tube is inside the SIB Echodrive?
A 12AX7 tube sits inside each unit, alongside a cleanly wired PC board and a power transformer, according to Vintage Guitar's 2003 review. The tube is visible through 1/8 inch ventilation holes in the steel chassis.
Who designed the SIB Echodrive?
Vintage Guitar credits the Echodrive, along with the Fatdrive and Varidrive, to Rick Hamel, describing the three overdrive pedals as the newest emanations from Hamel's brain.
Is the Echodrive a delay and overdrive combination pedal?
No. Vintage Guitar's review states that the Echodrive is not a combination delay/overdrive pedal, as the name might imply. Rather, it is a delay with a little dirt mixed in, built around a tube preamp.
What size is the SIB Echodrive?
The Echodrive is housed in a heavy duty 7 x 4.5 x 2.5 inch steel chassis, shared with its siblings the Varidrive and Fatdrive. Vintage Guitar noted the operative word being heavy.
How much does a used SIB Echodrive cost?
On the used market, gearnews.com reported in July 2025 that Echodrives can change hands for north of £1000 easily. When new in 2003, the pedal listed at $399 with some discounting available.
Sources (3)
- SIB Echodrive, Varidrive, Fatdrive, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2005-04-27
- Guitar Journal: Noel Gallagher Rig, Helix Stadium Tones & More, gearnews.com, 2025-07-29
- SiB! Mr Echo review, MusicRadar, 2014-11-07
