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Guild/Wem Copicat

The Wem Copicat is one of the famous tape delays from Europe. In the USA, it was imported and rebranded by Guild but kept its name and look. This is one such unit that has come back to the old continent. This particular model is a MkIV: one of the simplest transistor types from the large copicat family. It only provides control over the global delay level, the dry signal level (2 inputs), the delay feedback and the selection of the tape heads (3 in total). When I got it, the motor was running but it was still wired as a 110V unit and the electronic was dead. These copicats can easily be converted to 230V so my MkIV was soon up and running.

While I always have appreciated the sound of tape delays on recordings, this was for me the opportunity to enjoy the unique tones that even a simple unit like this can provide (much more enjoyable than my Revox B77 configured as a delay). Wether on a clean sound or in front of a fairly dirty amp, the Swell, Gain and Sustain controls allow precise adjustments of the delay characteristics. The tone is not pristine or clinical but manages to remain precise and very natural, whatever the settings on the amp. Playing through the Copicat is simply a very enjoyable experience: it seems to magnify your tone and makes you feel more inspired.