Belonging to the Gibson family of Maestro Effects, modern reissues of the company’s very first pedals from the early ’60s, the Maestro Discoverer Delay is a 3-knob BBD based analog delay with added modulation.
Like the other pedals in the 2022 Maestro line, the Discoverer is intuitive, with its three no-brainer knobs controlling Delay, Sustain and Mix, and yet gives you the option of adding a modulation whose Rate (speed) and Width (sweep range) can be set, through internal trim pots, to sound as tape-like wow and flutter or a more pronounced pitch-shifting effect.
A tape-like effect was to be expected in a modern Maestro delay pedal, since Maestro is the company that released the original Echoplex tape delay, that are sells for over a thousand dollars.
Specs under the videos, below. We added the Maestro Discoverer Delay to our article about the best tape-style delay pedals.
Maestro Discoverer Delay, Builder’s Notes
The Maestro Discoverer Delay is a modern analog delay pedal that proudly utilizes legendary analog bucket brigade device (BBD) technology to deliver classic, warm, and inviting delay sounds. The intuitive 3-knob control layout lets users quickly dial up the length of the Delay time (with a range from 20 ms to 600 ms), the amount of Sustain (delay repeats), and adjust the level of the delays in the Mix. A toggle switch engages built-in modulation that applies anything from a slightly saturated, tape-like wow and flutter effect to a heavily pitch-shifted modulation effect to the delayed signal. Two internal trim pots allow the user to adjust the Rate (speed) and Width (sweep range) of the modulation. The true bypass footswitch triggers the LED lights in the bugles in the Maestro logo when it’s on, so you’ll always know when the effect is active.
• Controls: Delay, Mix, Sustain; internal Modulation Rate and Width trimpots
• Switches: True Bypass footswitch, Mod On/Off Modulation Mode toggle switch
LED Indicators: Red, yellow, and blue bugles in the Maestro logo illuminate when the pedal is active
• Signal Processing: All-Analog
• Delay Time Range: 20 ms – 600 ms
• Power Requirements: 9V battery or regulated 9VDC power supply (5.5 x 2.1mm plug, wired centernegative)
• Current Draw: 34 mA
• Power On Switch: Incorporated into the input jack. Unplug the input when not in use to prevent battery drain. Remove the battery when the pedal is going to be stored for long periods to prevent leakage and damage.
• Input Impedance: 470K ohms
• Output Impedance: 1K ohms
• Switching: True Bypass
• Dimensions (D x W x H): 5.04” x 3.45” x 2.5”, including feet, knobs, jacks, etc.
• Weight (Including Battery): 1.3 lb. / 589.67 gm.
