Product
Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo
Peak Roland tape echo. Full Soundgas service, set up and testing. 12 month warranty.
Many of our Roland echoes sell on pre-order. Some are listed here, but if you don’t see what you need get in touch now.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Peak Roland tape echo technology. Full Soundgas service, set up and testing. 12 month warranty.
We’re tape and disc echo specialists with many years’ experience working with and restoring these machines. Our team of engineers headed by BBC-trained Doctor Huw bring our tape delays up to (or better than) factory spec, and our testing ensures machines that have superb reliability and – most important – that they sound incredible. Guaranteed to give reliable service and sound superb.
- We’ve supplied Roland and Boss with Space Echoes for exhibitions and shows.
- Dan and Mick of That Pedal Show chose one of our RE-201s for their own studio collection.
- The BBC hired six of our RE-201s for the Proms’ television performance of Daphne Oram’s ‘Still Point’.
- We’ve serviced and supplied machines for many top artists and bands including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Arctic Monkeys, Hainbach and Sunn O))).
Description
Serviced and awaiting final tests and adjustments. We aim to ship in 10 working days from purchase.
The 501 was the pinnacle of Roland’s tape echo tech – high fidelity with fantastic chorus and sound on sound – read more about the different Roland models here. Sounding as good as they get and tweaked for self-oscillation (Roland removed it from this model). This machine has been given our “standard” full overhaul which, in addition to the basic service, recapping and set up, includes:
- One of our new tapes made from the same formula as Roland RT-1L,
- One of our pinch rollers – more info to come about these, but essentially it’s an original pinch roller with a new bearing and new rubber – time consuming to produce, but only the best will give the best long term performance,
- Heads re-lapped to bring performance to better-than Roland factory spec – they are now more even and run at low head gain (so you have the maximum amount of headroom available),
- Motor serviced or rebuilt as required.
Every echo is also tested by a musician (test equipment: their ears!) before shipping. Every one is supplied with 12 month warranty and ongoing service support.
RE-501 VOLTAGE: This unit is ready to run on 120v. It is a 100v Japanese unit, however we have tested the transformers in these extensively and they have more than enough tolerance to perform correctly at 120v with no risk to the machine or impact performance. UK/European buyers will need a step-down transformer to use this, however once again a step-down to 120v (much easier to source than one to 100v) will be OK for this machine.
REPLACEMENT TAPES: We recently worked out what formula Roland used for RT-1L loops and published the information. Fitting any tapes other than those from us (or Echo Fix) may invalidate the warranty on our machines. Limited stocks of our replacement loops are available now. We’ve written more about our journeys in tape, which replacement loops to use in your Roland echo, not to mention the misinformation and poor quality tapes that seem to fill the internet.
There are currently no operational issues with this machine, but please be aware that these units require looking after and that regular use and maintenance are key to keeping this in good working order.
Condition
In good cosmetic condition with oxidation spotting and patches across the face. The case is clean with some areas of wear along with some tape residue, these have been painted black. Internally, this unit is excellent with only minor oxidation spotting to the chromed surfaces. Please see photos or get in touch if you require more information on condition.
Voltage Information
See description for more information.
Tax
For sales in UK the price will include 20% VAT. Buyers elsewhere may incur VAT or other local taxes on import.
MORE INFO
Roland Space and Chorus Echoes are amazing machines and the RE-501 is the high-fidelity pinnacle of Roland’s tape echo design prowess.
Visit our in-depth Roland tape echo information pages now for everything you need to know about these machines.
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Are Roland Tape Echoes Reliable?
(Spoiler: Yes, but...) We often get asked if Roland Space and Chorus Echoes are reliable: a perfectly reasonable question, given that they're 30 to 40 (or more) years old.
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This page follows on from our introduction to Korg Stage Echoes and also our Roland echo pages. It will help you decide between which Roland or Korg tape delay model will be best for you.
Manuals
Roland Tape Echo Operator's Manuals
Links below for manuals for all models of Roland tape echo available to use and download.
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SHIPPING DISCOUNTS
When buying more than one item you only pay the shipping on the item with the highest shipping cost. Calculated automatically at checkout.
NEED HELP?
Get in touch via the contact page. We know & love our gear and we want to ensure you get something that matches your needs (that, and we just like talking gear).