Roland RE echoes are, at least nominally, sound effects but I think it is safe to assume that they are instruments, really. Organic, unrepeatable, quirky, simply amazing. When they work, that is.
Internet is flooded with Roland REs that are supposedly mint (of course “for they age”) or ones that will “only need a new tape to function as new”. That is not true. To make a Space Echo function perfectly, we need 30+ hours of hard labour. That’s at least three working days. But then the echo will look and perform like new, just like the one we offer here.
What we do exactly is:
– Perform general cleaning of the inside and outside of the unit, including tedious cleaning of tolex and metal hardware
– For 100V (Japanese) versions, replace the Japanese PSU with brand new, tailor made 230V PSU
– Replace the capacitiors in the PSU
– Regenerate all pots
– Disassemble, inspect, lube and test the motor. Replace noisy bearing when necessary.
– Polish the heads, set proper levels and positioning
– Replace all felts and install newly sliced tape from Echofix
– Perform calibration to factory specification
REGULAR PRICE:
Standard price is 1156 EUR (940 EUR plus 23% VAT).
Please click on the “Contact” tab in the top right corner of the page if you are not sure whether VAT applies to you.
ONE RE-101 IS IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: How often will I need to change the loop?
A: It depends on how much you use the echo. Some will work on it for hours each day, some a few times a month. What I recommend users is to record a few settings when they receive a freshly restored RE echo witha newly spliced tape and, later, check the present condition of the tape with original, “early” samples. If the delays are dull and muddy, it might be time to replace the tape. The process is very easy, by the way.
Q: I heard the RE echoes are very fragile, prone to failures and generally unreliable.
A: If this was true, our business would have folded several years back. Once properly serviced, echoes are very, very reliable. I have lost track of how many we have serviced over the years but I think the number is anywhere between 250-300. Laws of statistics apply here and I can simply conclude that there is no special risk when buying the RE echo.
Q: RE-101, RE-150, RE-201, RE-301, RE-501 and even the SRE-555. I’m confused!
A: Don’t be. In simple terms, the 101 and 150 is 201 without spring reverb. The 301 is 201 with chorus and Sound on Sound. The 501 is redesigned and updated 301 and 555 is the same as 501 but in a different casing – it’s a rack unit.
