The Benson Amps Delay is a Benson Amps delay pedal, currently around $237.15. Close alternatives include the Electro-Harmonix Canyon and the Keeley Eccos Tape Flanged Delay. It pairs well with the Marshall Plexi 1959SLP and the Dumble Overdrive Special Amp Head.
Benson Amps Delay
Benson Amps · pedal
The Benson Amps Delay is a digital delay pedal from Benson Amps, Portland, Oregon. Delay time spans 30ms to 1250ms, fast enough for chorus and slapback and slow enough for blurred haunting soundscapes. A TAP/HOLD footswitch toggles between Quarter, Dotted Eighth, and Eighth note tap tempo subdivisions with LED feedback (blinking 1, 2, or 3 times respectively). Controls include Time, Repeats, and Mix. Center-negative 9VDC power supply required, 100mA current draw. Guitar Player reviewed it positively as an analogue powerhouse with surprising versatility. Sweetwater stocks it as the Benson Amps Delay Effects Pedal.
What stands out
“Use case: guitarists who want a compact tap-tempo delay with subdivision control for both short slapback and long ambient delay textures”
— from the community notes
“A TAP/HOLD footswitch toggles between Quarter, Dotted Eighth, and Eighth note tap tempo subdivisions with LED feedback (blinking 1, 2, or 3 times respectively)”
— from the listing
“The Benson Amps Delay is a digital delay pedal from Benson Amps, Portland, Oregon”
— from the listing
“The 30ms-1250ms range covers the full spectrum from chorus-speed slapback through long ambient delays, and the three tap subdivision options make it immediately useful for live performance”
— from the reviews
“Guitar Player reviewed it positively as an analogue powerhouse with surprising versatility”
— from the listing
Trade-offs
“Signal-chain interaction: 100mA current draw requires a dedicated power supply slot; works naturally placed last before reverb in the signal chain for standard delay-then-reverb ambient textures”
— from the community notes
- delay
- slapback
- digital delay
- ambient
- surprising versatility
- chorus
- full
- praise
Good for
- Live
- Studio
Price updated Oct 23, 2026
Genres the Benson Amps Delay is commonly used in
- Ambient
- Indie Rock
- Shoegaze
- Lo Fi
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Post Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Rockabilly
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Benson Amps Delay
Marshall Plexi 1959SLP
amplifier
18% matchThe Plexi's aggressive, saturated tube breakup gives the Benson Delay's ambient slapback repeats a genuinely raw amp voice to trail off against.
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Dumble Overdrive Special Amp Head
Dumble
17% matchInto the Dumble's responsive, transformer-driven blues breakup, the Benson Delay's ambient slapback repeats have a genuinely legendary amp voice to trail off against.
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Marshall Jubilee Head
Marshall
8% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → slapback)
Benson Amps Delay's slapback voice goes in Marshall Jubilee Head's effects loop — it's not there to compete with Marshall Jubilee Head's own crunchy character
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Supro Keeley Combo
Supro
6% matchKeep Supro Keeley Combo's gritty voice out front: Benson Amps Delay goes in Supro Keeley Combo's effects loop so its slapback voice doesn't muddy it
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Supro Royale 50W Head
Supro
6% matchPut Benson Amps Delay in Supro Royale 50W Head's effects loop, clear of Supro Royale 50W Head's own gain stage
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 212
Gallien Krueger
6% matchKeep Benson Amps Delay in Gallien-Krueger Legacy 212's effects loop, clear of Gallien-Krueger Legacy 212's own gain stage
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Synergy OS module
Synergy
6% matchKeep Benson Amps Delay in Synergy OS module's effects loop, clear of Synergy OS module's own gain stage
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Boss Waza-Head
Boss
5% matchRun Benson Amps Delay in Boss Waza-Head's effects loop, clear of Boss Waza-Head's own gain stage
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Pedals that stack with the Benson Amps Delay
Klon Centaur
Klon
17% matchThe Klon's clear midrange boost feeds the Benson Delay's ambient slapback repeats a driven signal instead of a clean one.
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
Dallas
14% matchThe Rangemaster's warm germanium treble boost feeds the Benson Delay's slapback, ambient repeats a brighter signal to echo, not stacking gain with it.
Comes earlier in the signal chain
MXR Phase 90
MXR
12% matchRun the Phase 90's classic sweep after the Benson Delay's ambient slapback repeats and the modulation colors the echoes directly.
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere MKII The Analog Leslie Simulator
pedal
11% matchKeep Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere MKII The Analog Leslie Simulator after Benson Amps Delay in the signal chain, where it won't crowd Benson Amps Delay
Comes earlier in the signal chain
JHS Tidewater Tremolo
JHS Pedals
8% matchBenson Amps Delay's slapback voice goes after JHS Tidewater Tremolo in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with JHS Tidewater Tremolo's own modulated character
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Mu-Tron Bi-Phase
Mu Tron
7% matchKeep Benson Amps Delay after Mu-Tron Bi-Phase in the signal chain, where it won't crowd Mu-Tron Bi-Phase
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Audiocade 1974 CS Analog Tremolo Clone
Audiocade
7% matchKeep Audiocade 1974 CS Analog Tremolo Clone's analog warmth voice out front: Benson Amps Delay goes after Audiocade 1974 CS Analog Tremolo Clone in the signal chain so its slapback voice doesn't muddy it
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Mr. Black Downward Spiral
Mr Black
7% matchPut Benson Amps Delay after Mr. Black Downward Spiral in the signal chain, where it won't crowd Mr. Black Downward Spiral
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Cheaper alternatives
Boss DD-8 Digital Delay
Boss
58% similarityShared character: digital, delay, ambient
Dunlop MXR M299 Carbon Copy Mini
Dunlop
58% similarityShared character: digital, delay, ambient
Walrus Audio Fundamental Delay
Walrus Audio
57% similarityShared character: features tap tempo, delay, ambient
Electro-Harmonix Pico Canyon
Electro-Harmonix
56% similarityShared character: features tap tempo, digital, delay
Wampler Faux Tape Echo
Wampler
52% similarityShared character: features tap tempo, digital, delay
Ernie Ball Expression Series Ambient Delay
Ernie Ball
51% similarityShared character: features tap tempo, delay, ambient
Boutique & premium upgrades
Strymon TimeLine
Strymon
64% similarityShared character: digital, delay, ambient
Eventide Rose Modulated Digital Delay
Eventide
52% similarityShared character: features tap tempo, digital, delay
Walrus Audio Meraki
Walrus Audio
91% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Electro-Harmonix Canyon
Electro-Harmonix
60% similarityShared character: chorus, digital, delay
Keeley Eccos Tape Flanged Delay
Keeley
58% similarityShared character: delay, ambient, mix
Matthews Effects The Surgeon Delay V2
Matthews Effects
57% similarityShared character: features tap tempo, digital, delay
Ibanez AD Mini
Ibanez
56% similarityShared character: chorus, digital, delay
JHS 3 Series Delay
JHS Pedals
55% similarityShared character: digital, delay, ambient
Universal Audio Starlight Echo Station
Universal Audio
53% similarityShared character: digital, delay, full
See all alternatives to the Benson Amps Delay (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Benson Amps Delay?+
The closest matches in character are the Electro-Harmonix Canyon, the Keeley Eccos Tape Flanged Delay, the Matthews Effects The Surgeon Delay V2. Budget picks: Boss DD-8 Digital Delay, Dunlop MXR M299 Carbon Copy Mini, Walrus Audio Fundamental Delay. Boutique upgrades: Strymon TimeLine, Eventide Rose Modulated Digital Delay, Walrus Audio Meraki.
What pairs well with the Benson Amps Delay?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Marshall Plexi 1959SLP, Dumble Overdrive Special Amp Head, Marshall Jubilee Head — The Plexi's aggressive, saturated tube breakup gives the Benson Delay's ambient slapback repeats a genuinely raw amp voice to trail off against..
How much does the Benson Amps Delay cost?+
Around $237.15 (live listing price, updated Oct 23, 2026).