EHX Adrian Belew Echoflanger: The Legendary King Crimson effect is back – but limited!
Reissue of the 1977 modulation box that shaped King Crimson's sound in the eighties
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EHX Adrian Belew Echoflanger: The Legendary King Crimson effect is back - but limited! · Source: EHX
This one is a surprise: Electro Harmonix is bringing back a limited edition of the legendary Adrian Belew Echoflanger! The reissue features the four original modes, plus two new ones. And all the self-oscillating goodness Belew’s sonic antics were known for.
Adrian Belew, King Crimson and a Stuck Knob
In 1981, when one Robert Fripp formed a new band, he recruited musicians Bill Bruford, Tony Levin and Adrian Belew for it. The group initially called themselves Discipline, but soon became known as King Crimson. Their debut album, Discipline, was released in October 1981, and its opening track, “Elephant Talk”, showcased Belew’s distinctive “trumpeting” guitar style.
In a 1981 interview, Belew explained how he achieved that sound: a flanger set to a fast pitch wobble, a fuzz in front, and then sliding the note up the neck. Said flanger was his EHX Echo Flanger, which he used on many records from 1981 onward.
The most interesting detail: the four-way mode switch on Adrian’s unit was faulty and could be made to stick between two positions. Parking it between Chorus and Flange gave him the “Genius of Love” sound.
Turn up Feedback until the circuit oscillates, then work Tune and Width, and you get what Belew described as “giant metallic insects flying across the stereo image”. Belew stayed and toured with King Crimson until 2009. In 2024, he took the 1980s Crimson catalog back on the road with the BEAT tour, together with Tony Levin, Steve Vai, and Tool drummer Danny Carey.
What’s new on the EHX Adrian Belew Echoflanger
This new Adrian Belew Echoflanger from Electro Harmonix keeps the four modes of the initial unit: Filter Matrix, Flange, Chorus and Slap Back. On top of those, EHX has added two combination modes, Chorus + Flange and Slap Back + Filter Matrix.
The control set of the Adrian Belew Echoflanger very much follows the original with Feedback, Rate, Width and Tune, plus the mode selector and a Blend switch. New is a Volume knob, which should come in handy, since vintage EHX units of that era are known for dropping level when engaged.
You get one input and two outputs (L and R), so the Echoflanger can feed a stereo rig and switching is true bypass. Power comes from the included 9V DC adapter (centre negative), and the pedal draws 40 mA. There is no battery option.
How much does the EHX Adrian Belew Echoflanger cost?
You can order the Electro-Harmonix Adrian Belew Echoflanger now from Thomann* and Sweetwater*.
More on the new pedal from Electro Harmonix
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links and/or widgets. When you buy a product via our affiliate partner, we receive a small commission that helps support what we do. Don’t worry, you pay the same price. Thanks for your support!
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