Chet Atkins' Echoplex

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In the pre-digital age, the Echoplex offered offered guitarists the most versatile delay effect, accopmlished with a loop of magnetic tape and a movable playback head. In Nashville in the 1960s and '70s legendary guitarist Chet Atkins was busy as a producer for RCA Records creating the Nashville Sound. As a producer as well as a guitarist, he had always had a keen interest in electronic effects, and he acquired an Echoplex from Market Electronics in Willoughby, Ohio. The Echoplex was used in the studio, and then in 1977, Chet shipped it back to the company for a replacement unit.

Fast forward to 1982. The founder of Market Electronics, Bob Meter, has died, and his widow has no interest in keeping the company. Joe Ornelas and Mark Karney have started Crystal Valley Electronics in Crystal Lake, Illinois, to continue production of the Echoplex. In going through the old facility in Willoughby, Ornelas discovers a unit accompanied by a handwritten note from Chet Atkins, thanking Meter for the use of the unit and thanking him in advance of for the one he was going to get.

Ornelas took the Echoplex back to Crystal Lake and tested it. It worked perfectly. And still does. This mid-1970s unit (inv. #MC0045) is in Excellent condition and comes with owner's manual, repair ticket, and invoice for replacement unit with Chet's handwriting. It is offered at $2500.

This instrument is SOLD

For further enjoyment...

Face of unit
Case closed
Manual
Repair ticket
Invoice
The full story