Here to help you narrow your search for the optimal delay pedal is a review of the Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail Deluxe. The brand is synonymous with the finest pickups in the game since 1976, while the man himself started some years earlier, wiring transducers for the best guitarists of the era: Hendrix, Page, and Beck, among others. That said, Duncan makes a mean pedal as well, as showcased by their small but formidable smattering of effects, including the Vapor Trail deluxe bucket brigade delay.
The Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail Deluxe Analog Delay Pedal Brings a Lot to the Table
Vapor Trail utilizes four bucket brigade chips pushing delay times up to 1.2 seconds. You’ll see the usual parameters like mix, repeats, and time, in addition to four standard time divisions and four specially effected types of delay. This is a versatile pedal, giving users the ability to emulate shorter delays like slapback or Leslie, all the way up to washy ambient and droning soundscapes with endless repeats.
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The end result is a delay pedal that’s equal parts timeless analog and modern-experimental.
Blend in Modulation Like Never Before
One way to add a unique touch to your delayed tones is by way of the included modulation controls. Vapor Trail comes with depth and rate knobs. With these, you can program in a hint of subtle warble, or go all the way into chorus or vibrato.
What’s especially neat about this feature is how easy it is to use. Just twist and turn for the desired effect — as much or as little as you want. We’re huge fans of tools that sound great and are user-friendly, and the deluxe version of the Vapor Trail ticks both boxes.
Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail Deluxe Review
Construction & Interface
The Vapor Trail Deluxe is pretty straightforward as far as stompboxes go. You’ll find a total of six knobs in rows of three, in addition to two footswitches (for things like bypass and tap tempo). The top three parameters control your overall delay and blend, while the bottom three give you access to modulation, specific time divisions, and artsy effects for those who like to experiment.
Effects
The last knob is an eight-way dial. Notches one through four designate time divisions. Notches five through eight let you set one of four specific effects:
- Micro Delay: Emulates super short delays, like slapback or Leslie rotary
- Pitch Sequence: Adds up and down octaves to the signal
- Pitch Bender: Lets you tap dive-bomb and glissando effects
- Runaway: Endless repeats for ambient or chaotic soundscapes
How Does It Sound?
A lot of guitarists will be drawn to the Vapor Trail specifically for its bucket brigade-style sound. This is an authentically analog type of delay that gives the repeats a rounder and darker character than the direct signal. Limitations in bucket brigade circuitry that filter the signal are actually responsible for that color, and it’s a sound people have known and loved for decades. Pair that with a splash of modern digital modulation, and you have yourself a delay pedal that’s both incredibly simple and timeless, and highly versatile and experimental.
Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail vs. Vapor Trail Deluxe: What’s New?
The original Vapor Trail pedal included modulation, but it ditched the special effects and selectable time divisions. It also had only a single on/off footswitch, so there weren’t options like tap tempo or other parameters to be toggled via footswitch. The Deluxe revision also lets players set and recall presets, which was not a feature of the original pedal. All in all, the Vapor Trail has undergone some hefty refinements, though none of them stick the pedal in a new category altogether or make it unreasonably difficult to get on with.
Our Take: Why The Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail Deluxe Deserves a Spot on Your Pedalboard
Vapor Trail Deluxe by Seymour Duncan is a workhorse, no doubt about it. Bucket brigade delay is a major selling point on its own. If that wasn’t enough, the extra versatility that this delay offers is suitable for virtually every player in any genre. Pedal competition is always fierce, and unfortunately this one isn’t the most competitively priced, but it’s well designed, well built, and sounds fantastic.
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