Strymon Olivera Vintage Oil Can Echo pedal

Strymon proves it's a well-oiled pedal-making machine with yet another knockout delay unit

- BY DARYL ROBERTSON

LATE-FIFTIES OIL CAN echoes are fascinating pieces of gear. Imagine a rotating disk submerged in oil and builtin pickups that work in tandem to recreate the delay. Sounds a little wacky, right? But somehow, this quirky setup produces a dark, murky echo that's surprisingly musical. Now Strymon is dragging this retro tech kicking and screaming into the 21st century with its signature modern twists.

With just a handful of controls with its sleek, quality build, you'd be correct in the assumption that this is an easy pedal to use. First up, we have the Time dial, which adjusts the delay time. For this oil can delay, you're changing the rotation speed of the virtual can. Of course, this goes hand-in-hand with the play heads. Right in the center of the pedal, there's a three-way toggle that lets you choose between three modes, which bracket the delay time ranges.