Binson Echorec Baby Pre-Order (Super Slow Varispeed mod)

Unique Baby Binson Echorec for sale serviced and modified with our new super-slow varispeed option. It has a freshly-rewound drum and sounds superb following a thorough rebuild/restoration courtesy of our echo tech, Dr Huw. 

This is a pre-order listing – it will ship when we have completed the restoration which is in progress. This could mean a delay of up to a month – we only ship when we are satisfied machines cannot be further-improved.

I’ve never seen another Baby like this – it has a gold faceplate with a later-style vertical magic eye level indicator aperture. The finish is a slightly translucent gold over silver – almost certainly a later refinish. It’s possible this machine was either built to order after the Baby had ceased regular production, or it’s an early machine that returned to the factory for a cosmetic restoration, hence the unique, but apparently authentic face plate.

It has had a full restoration here at Soundgas with varispeed mod performed by our echo tech, Dr Huw. The super-slow varispeed motor option offers the full functionality of regular speed uses, but with additional super-slow speeds for longer, darker, dirtier repeats. This can get properly gnarly when pushed into distortion at slow speed – it should be noted that at the slowest speeds very little fidelity or feedback happens – this is for special effects only rather than regular use. 

Demo below of the only other machine with similar spec that we have finished so far – kept for our studio  – this shows the more extreme side of the super-slow varipseed option (more Echorec demos further down the listing) – full photos of this machine to follow. 

Please note, the photos were taken during servicing/testing period – the unit will undergo further cleaning before shipping and some parts will be replaced/improved.

 

A very special head on a very special Binson. This Baby is a rebuild project Dr Huw has been working on. This is the wet-only output (some of the original signal remains – we need to add a buffer amp circuit to remove all traces, which is the next step) on the slowest setting on the super-slow varispeed (see how slowly the disc is turning). For some reason (to be investigated), head four adds a great metallic clanging tone to the repeats that I just love. Looks like this one will have to join the Soundgas Studio collection, but don’t worry – Dr Huw has a couple more Baby rebuilds coming soon.

A post shared by Soundgas Limited (@soundgasltd) on Aug 8, 2018 at 3:10pm PDT

 

CONDITION: In very good cosmetic condition for its age. The face is very clean with only very minor scuffs and scratches. The casing has minor signs of age but is in good order – the refinish presents well. See photos for more information on cosmetic condition.

UPDATE: Tony has written a demo-heavy guide to choosing between some of the Binson models: Which Binson Echorec?.

The last Echorec 2 we restored had a starring role on That Pedal Show (‘Best Tone Ever’). See the look on Mick and Dan’s faces when they plug in to one of our T7Es for the first time. If you love David Gilmour’s guitar sound in early seventies Pink Floyd, then a good restored valve Echorec 2 is where you need to be, and ours are the best you can buy. The Baby was famously used by Syd Barrett in early Floyd and by Jimmy Page with Led Zeppelin.

 

Our Binson restoration process is the result of over 20 years’ obsession with these stunning machines. In our experience, no one engineer can achieve the results we require: our machines pass through three expert pairs of hands before they are given the Soundgas seal of approval.

All our valve Echorecs undergo a full rebuild and varispeed conversion by an experienced Binson engineer before passing to our in-house echo specialist, Dr Huw. He invariably spends many hours over the course of a couple of weeks swapping components and recalibrating, until he feels they can’t be improved. 

The machines then pass to Tony for further testing and tweaking – extended testing often reveals minor faults that we rectify before shipping. A machine can revisit the Soundgas tech dept several times before final calibration and pre-shipping preparation. We only ship when we are confident that we cannot improve on performance any further.

We feel these machines are worth this level of time and care. We see ‘restored’ machines on sale that should really be described as ‘characterful’ (nothing wrong with selling a characterful Binson, as long as description and price reflect this).

A well-restored machine should perform without any noticeable issues (beyond the foibles inherent in the original design); our six-month warranty is a testament to our confidence that our machines are unequalled.

The varispeed mod is excellent and opens up the creative possibilities of this machine. Note that repeats will become darker and less prone to feedback at very slow speeds (the speed control range is wide – this allows some unusual effects).

Switchable voltage for worldwide use.

*Videos below this are of previous Echorecs we’ve sold – the third one is Dan from #ThatPedalShow in our studio encountering our Echorec 2 for the first time*

Binson Echorec 2 – came to us serviced/rewired. Full checkover, head realignment and super slow varispeed modification completed by our in-house tech, Dr Huw. Not as clean as our usual machines: a little more rust and a cracked faceplate. A good player’s machine, wet only mod option can be specified, if required. Available soon.

A post shared by Soundgas Limited (@soundgasltd) on Sep 3, 2018 at 5:14am PDT

 

Nearly there. This Echorec 2 has had a full rebuild and varispeed modification. It’s waiting for the next stage in our restoration process: a visit to Dr Huw for further tweaking and calibrating. Sounding pretty good though – swipe for more video.

A post shared by Soundgas Limited (@soundgasltd) on Jul 9, 2018 at 2:38am PDT

Lost in a world of echoes… Dan from @that_pedal_show in the Soundgas Studio last week. More about this in this week’s mail out, plus lots of fresh vintage gear – ⬆️link is a live in our bio⬆️

A post shared by Soundgas Limited (@soundgasltd) on Jun 6, 2018 at 3:53am PDT

We’re somewhat OCD about our Binson Echorec restorations. We don’t use a single engineer: all our valve Echorecs undergo a full rebuild and varispeed conversion before we then turn them over to our in-house echo specialist, Dr Huw. He invariably spends a many hours over the course of a couple of weeks swapping components and recalibrating, until he feels they can’t be improved. The machines then pass to Tony for further testing and tweaking, before once more revisiting the Soundgas tech dept for final calibration and pre-shipping preparation. We feel these machines are worth the time and care taken. We see ‘restored’ machines on sale that should be described as ‘characterful’ (nothing wrong with selling a characterful Binson, as long as the description and price reflect this). Historically, these exceptional examples have rarely been available to buy and have sold on preorder only. However, we’ve streamlined our operation and are starting to once more offer these machines for sale fully-restored. This valve T7E is nearing completion – seen here during final testing. It sounds superb. It’s missing the top metal cover but is operationally stunning. Available now for preorder – please email [email protected] if you’re interested.

A post shared by Soundgas Limited (@soundgasltd) on May 7, 2018 at 4:07am PDT

 

** NOTE: Our Binsons (especially valve units) sell very quickly, usually before we can get them listed. If you are interested in getting one of these machines serviced and set up to our exacting standards then please get in touch to reserve one **

We may have other models of Binson here now; see our full current stock of tape/disc echoes here. If you have any questions about which delay is best for you then please get in touch as we have many years experience with these machines.