The Pick of the Pedals - Boss DD20 Giga Delay

Being of the generation of guitarists who enjoy having a massive pedalboard with bright and interesting lights to look at whilst performing, I enjoy the Boss Giga Delay a lot. This twin pedal Boss delay has 5 presets, up to 23 seconds of delay time, and 11 different delay presets, and works great!

Delay is a massive part of my guitar tone. I tend to have a short, slap-back style delay on all the time when playing, rather than reverb, as I find it less mushy. This is my first saved preset, a short, slap-back delay with modulation on the repeats. This sound works really well for lush, clean chordal parts, and paired with a longer analogue delay, adds a really cool texture to volume swells.

Preset number two is a dotted 8th note analogue delay. The Boss analogue delay is really clean, with a natural sounding filter roll-off as the repeats die away. This sound works really well behind percussive rhythm playing, adding texture and depth to the tone but without complicating the percussive nature of the part. I would also use this sound behind a distorted solo

Third is another dotted 8th delay, this time with the 'Standard' digital delay sound, a more prominent feedback and more effect level. The repeats on this sound are crisp and clear, and sounds great for that typical 'Edge' delay parts. This preset is by no means subtle, but it does the job excellently for that kind of tone.

The last of the saved presets I have is a subtle, crotchet beat tape delay. I use this sound for any type of solo part that doesn't require a more obvious delay sound. The tape sound on the giga delay is somewhere in between the digital and analogue delays, and sounds great. This is the sound I mostly use for recording, altering the delay time and repeats as necessary.

Editing presets on the giga delay is really easy. Ensuring you are on the preset you wish to save, you set the controls as required, then double press the 'Write' button. If you wish to change the sound, you simply have to move the rotary control of the setting you wish to change, then save again - it couldn't be simpler!

The final space for presets in the giga delay is the 'manual' setting. This section plays exactly what is currently on the settings of the pedal. I use this on the 'Warp' setting. This lets you sustain the played notes for as long as you hold onto the pedal bypass switch. If you're not sustaining the note, the delay is the standard digital delay. I have this set to a long delay with a high effects level. I use this, paired with the sustain switch and my volume pedal, for warm, pad-like sounds.

In general, I find the giga delay really easy to use, with great delay tones and customisation options. The display is very clear on stage, and the presets are easy to navigate through. Overall, this is a great delay pedal which sells for a great deal less than other pedals with similar features.