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Why are people saying the new Hall and Collins echo is the answer to a Shadow sound? It's not all that long since that the etap HW unit was being heralded as the closest thing to heaven any Shad player could get and at a price most people could afford. Profesional players may want the best but what's wrong with the etap HW? More money than sense it appears to me.

As a bass guitarist, perhaps I could offer a view from someone who hears all these things but doesn't need to use them.

From what my ears tell me there is nothing wrong with any of the current contenders. The eTap is excellent, as are the Zooms with EFTP patches and the TVS gear. In all cases you can get a sound good enough to please you, assuming you also play the guitar well enough. After that, it's a bit like choosing which model of Strat to buy, or indeed which car! The H&C I heard on Sunday, with its co-inventor playing through it, was fantastic. What it offers the really good player is a very close simulation of the equipment that was used when the records were made, including the way it responds to the touch of the player. Those refinements required much research and analysis, which is reflected in the price.

It's great that there's so much choice out there and, as with anything, once you try out the options, you'll know what suits you.

Hope this helps - Iain

I choose to look at it this way as one who has tried them all. Close is good, the Hall & Collins offers perfection. The rest is down to the touch and feel of the player and I can live with that. As for the price at £599, it's cheaper than a Watkins Copicat was in 1960 which was 38gns. In 1960 £599 = only £28.80. Food for thought ?

The H&C Unit offers the not just a great echo sound it is also very easy to programme in show order with a click of the pedal. Hank when he used the RE301 would change setting when Bruce talked to the audience but when he went solo he found turning to fiddle with the echo distracted from the show. Then he heard about Charlie Hall after reading about his programmes in the UB Hank Clubs mag. Pat Terrett set up a meet with Hank and Charlie at Arbiters and Hank said then he wanted a unit he could change settings with a foot pedal. It has been a long time coming but the new unit is exactly what Hank said he wanted. From my part I used the Amtech Age-Pro and had Pat at the side of the stage changing settings for me. The H&C means I can now do it myself and by programming the songs in set order in the user section it is simple. The Guys who use the vintage units would try and arrange a show by Echo settings not to be turning and fiddling on every song. This unit gives you the freedom to arrange your set list any way you want it. To conclude The Hall and Collins simply offers more than other units and at £599 when compared with the likes of the Amtech, the Atlantis, the Q20 and the TVS it is very cheap. I was very happy with my Amtech and never felt the need to change but Charlie and John have done a fantastic job. I still use the Amtech in my Teaching room where I am sitting down playing. The H&C is in my Practice room where I play standing up.

Jean Williams wrote:Why are people saying the new Hall and Collins echo is the answer to a Shadow sound? It's not all that long since that the etap HW unit was being heralded as the closest thing to heaven any Shad player could get and at a price most people could afford. Profesional players may want the best but what's wrong with the etap HW? More money than sense it appears to me.

Hi Jean
In part of your posting you ask what is wrong with the eTap HW.Well there's nothing wrong with it ,it is a Great unit
which delivers outstanding echo's for a variety of tunes suitable for all types of players and it comes in hardware and
software versions depending on your requirements.A lot of the new and updated versions now come with the Halo effect
to the echo's and pre amp.As always the ETap team are working on expanding and developing it further with a new
programmable version with display ect.All this will come at a affordable price for most players no matter what styles or
tunes they chose to play.As it's been said before with the eTap THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER.I hope this assures you
about the eTap HW .

Pete

It seems theres echo units for all budgets and folk are getting good results from all of them, everyones a winner !