Maestro Echoplex EM-1 Groupmaster

Maestro Echoplex EM-1 Groupmaster for sale in excellent condition and working order.

Soundgas are vintage echo experts - we specialise in Binsons, Copicats, Rolands, and Echoplexes.

Rare early version of this hard to find multi-input mixer Echoplex. Solid state tape echo with Sound On Sound. Full mechanical and electrical service completed, heads cleaned/demagged, reloaded Fulltone cartridge.

In excellent working order for a 40+ year-old echo unit. Case missing handle but otherwise in good order.

One non-original knob (see detailed photos).

Sounds great, especially if you overdrive the inputs...

Has serious presence in the studio.

Has had some previous modifications to the inputs and sounds superb, especially when driven. The tape cartridge could be better - the splice slows the transport slightly - so a new cartridge would be an improvement. Delicate internally - we’d prefer collection in person or hand-delivery. UK 240v unit.

Guitarists love the Echoplex - the EP2 and EP3 were famously used by Jimmy Page on stage and in the studio with Led Zeppelin and Page & Plant, as well as by Eddie Van Halen amongst many others.

It features the noodletastic Sound On Sound facility which allows you to play along with a very long loop of yourself...

This is by no means a perfect-sounding machine - but that's not why you buy something like this. It's the gnarly, tape-saturated wrongness that makes this monster so desirable. It shouldn't be your only echo, but it may well be your most enjoyable. This is a machine for someone who doesn't want perfect, who enjoys the foibles and idiosyncrasies of an ageing tape echo: someone like me, who doesn't need it to withstand the rigours of touring, and who loves the imperfections and sonic irregularities created by old technology.