A lot of setups begin with string removal. In those cases, use the System 65 String Cutter to get the job done fast and clean—it’ll cut through the thickest bass strings just as smoothly as it’ll cut through the thinnest guitar strings, and it’ll fit right in your gig bag so you always have it on hand.

With the strings off, it’s time to show your frets some love. If you don’t do so every now and then, they get all gritty and tacky under your fingers. That makes for a lame playing experience—don’t put up with that. The System 65 Fret Collar Kit makes polishing your frets super fast and easy while protecting your fingerboard at the same time. Just slip one of the fret collars over a fret, and use the included fret polishing cloth to remove gunk and bring back the nice, natural sheen of the metal. Most guitars and basses can be done in as little as 90 seconds.

After polishing your frets, use the System 65 Uni-Wrench to make sure all your jacks and switches are on tight. This handy little tool can adjust nearly every nut on your guitar or bass, even the round ones, thanks to the exceptional grip provided by its precision-tooled teeth.

Before you put some new strings on, grab the System 65 Superlube Gel Pen to make sure all your moving parts and nut slots are lubricated for improved tuning stability. With the flexible spatula tip, you can easily apply Superlube Gel where you need it—from saddles and nuts to string trees and tremolo parts—and the thick gel will stay put.

Restring your guitar—with help from the System 65 String Cutter, of course—and then tune up. Use the System 65 Action Gauge to check your string height, pickup height, and neck relief. It has both metric and standard units for precise measurements for the greatest playability.

The System 65 Screwdriver and Multi-Tool are both must-haves if you need to adjust neck tension and string height. The System 65 Multi-Tool is a screwdriver, socket wrench, and hex key all in one—features 9 hex key attachments (six metric, 3 standard), a Philips #1 screwdriver attachment, a 2.5mm flathead attachment, and an 8mm socket wrench attachment—while the Screwdriver comes with 4 different bits—2 Phillips-head, 2 flathead. Between the two, you should be able to adjust nearly any screw on your guitar or bass.

If you take your instrument on the same tour through our System 65 Tools collection, you’ll be all set for a great experience. Don’t be afraid to know your instrument inside and out—your playing will thank you for it.

The one that started it all, the original Carbon Copy Analog Delay is for players who want to plug in and play without any option anxiety on or off of a pedalboard. Just use the three external controls set delay time, the number of repeats, and the mix of wet and dry signals, and if you want to add some tape echo warble or shimmery chorusing to your repeats, just hit the Mod switch. You can tweak the speed and width of the modulation circuit by accessing the internal controls if you’re so inclined—just remove the bottom plate—otherwise, all you need to bother with are the three knobs on the front of the pedal. Finally, the M169 runs on battery as well as AC power if you’re a player who likes a more freestyle setup.

The Carbon Copy Deluxe Analog Delay is for players who want more control over the tone and texture of their repeats as well as more freedom in the studio. It takes the warm bucket-brigade delay and cool modulation of the M169 and adds several features for the players who want to take their time to get down and dirty with their delay signal. First, the M292 boasts a tap tempo switch that unlocks a full 1.2 seconds of delay potential so that you can play everything from tight slap-back notes to moody, spatial soundscapes while syncing up the rhythm of the repeats to whatever song you’re playing. On top of that, the Tap Division switch, accompanied by an easy-to-read status display, gives you four different subdivisions: dotted 8ths, 8ths, triplets, and 16ths.

Now, let’s talk tone. As mentioned, the M292 features the same modulation circuit as the M169, but we put the Speed and Width controls on the front of this pedal for players who like to tweak and experiment rather than set it and forget it. For further tonal versatility, we added a Bright switch, which engages the vibrant articulation of the Carbon Copy Bright Delay circuit. The Mod and the Bright switch both offer a wide range of sounds—just what you need when dialing in the right character for your delay signal.

Now for the deep-delvers. First, let’s talk about the expression jack. If you have an expression pedal such as the Dunlop DVP3 Volume (X) Pedal or DVP4 Volume (X) Mini Pedal or an external footswitch such as the MXR Tap Tempo Switch, you can hook it up to the Carbon Copy Deluxe Delay’s expression jack and then program two different configurations for the Delay, Speed, and Width knobs and Bright, Tap Div, and Mod switches. An expression pedal will allow you to blend seamlessly between the two, while an external footswitch will allow you to switch discretely between the two. You can also set up the external switch to control the Bright switch, the Mod switch, the Tap Div switch, and more.

If you plan on laying down some tracks in the studio, the M292 has a couple of features under the hood to make your life easier. Removing the bottom plate gives you access to the internal Input Gain and Dry switches. The internal Input Gain switch can be used to optimize performance for line-level input signals so that you can plug in to an effects loop. The Dry switch can be used to remove the dry signal from the output mix while the delay effect is on, giving you 100% wet return for recording and parallel signal mixing.

Like the M169, the M292 can run on both AC and battery power.

Finally, we get to the new kid on the block. If you love the elegant simplicity and great sound of the original Carbon Copy Analog Delay, but you’re looking to free up some pedalboard real estate, the Carbon Copy Mini Analog Delay is exactly what you’re looking for.

Like both the M169 and the M292, the M299 is built around warm, bucket-brigade delay tones. It has Regen, Mix, and Delay controls with a Mod switch on the face of the pedal —with Speed and Width controls for the modulation circuit located inside the pedal—just like the M169. Like the M292, this pedal features a Bright switch on the side of the pedal for players who want that extra tonal variety.

The Carbon Copy Mini Analog Delay adds another set of delay solutions to the Carbon Copy line. At a time when pedalboard space comes at a premium, the M299 will make the most of its little footprint.

Order yours now. Don’t…wait.

When designing each circuit, I used two very classic early ’80s Japanese pedals, the DS-1 and TS-9, for inspiration, but I wanted to give them a wider, more dynamic range of sounds with more harmonics and higher headroom. Basically, I wanted to update them for modern guitar players.

I didn’t want to limit myself by working from a schematic, though. I listened to what I liked about those pedals and then worked toward emphasizing those qualities and expanding them across a greater tonal spectrum.

If you want an idea of what overdrive and distortion sounds I had when I was designing this pedal, listen to early Prince records. The distortion mode has just enough gain and midrange to be aggressive without being harsh. The full range of gain is usable, depending on the player’s needs. The overdrive mode is fat, smooth, and bluesy. It was a challenge to put this much versatility into a single box, but I am very happy with the result.

What are your favorite pedals of all time? Which ones inspired you to become a pedal designer?

Shin: The Maxon ST-9 Super Tube Screamer, which I got when I was in junior high school, and the MXR Shin-juku Drive come to mind first. I also love vintage EHX pedals and vintage MXR pedals. Mr. Susumu Tamura, who designed the TS-808, has been a great inspiration, as well as Mr.Roger Mayer, Mr.Bob Bradshaw, and also Mr. Jeorge Tripps!

Which music recordings featuring effect pedals most inspired you to become a musician and eventually a pedal designer?

Shin: I have to say that it was players and their unique sounds rather than specific songs that inspired me to play guitar and design pedals. Mr. Jimi Hendrix, Sir Jimmy Page, Mr. David Gilmour—I really liked how they were able to create their own sonic signatures.

Script Logo Dyna Comp^® Compressor

This pedal is modeled on the circuitry of the classic compressor pedal as first released by MXR—it’s the standard by which all other compressors are judged. The go-to stomp for country pickers, ’80s pop rockers, and new wavers, it now features modern conveniences such as a status LED and AC power-supply input.

Dyna Comp^® Compressor

Featuring super simple two-knob operation, the M102 is perfect for adding a percussive snap to your sound along with increased sustain. Compared to the Script Logo version, this pedal has a faster, more aggressive response to your attack. Now updated with true-bypass switching.

Dyna Comp^® Mini Compressor

This pedal puts the classic Dyna Comp Compressor sound in a much more pedalboard-friendly MXR mini housing. It provides all the blooming, rich sustain and the tight, even dynamics that you expect, with the added benefit of the Attack switch, which allows you to go from the classic slower attack or a faster, tighter response, without taking up valuable real estate on your ’board.

Super Comp^® Compressor

A powerful pedal that takes the legendary Dyna Comp Compressor sound and adds flexibility via the Attack Level knob. This gives players control over how the initial crack of the note is treated by the compressed signal, making it a great choice for metal guitarists, active pickup users, or anyone wanting tons of sustain without sacrificing their aggressive picking technique.

Studio Compressor

Bass Compressor

For those who want total control over their compressed signal, these two pedals pack all the power of much more expensive studio compression units into standard stompbox housings. They’ll let you dial in the classic Dyna Comp Compressor squash, but these pedals are built for the utilitarian intricacies of the stage and the studio. With knobs for Attack, Release, Ratio, Input, and Output, plus a bright LED meter to monitor gain reduction, these are some of the most full-featured compressor pedals ever made. With proprietary Constant Headroom Technology™ and true-bypass switching, these are state-of-the-art tone shaping tools.

Dyna Comp^® Deluxe Compressor

The culmination of 46 years of Dyna Comp Compressor design and innovation, the Dyna Comp Deluxe Compressor provides unprecedented compression options for any signal. The time-honored Output and Sensitivity controls are there, but along with them is a Clean knob, which allows players to blend in the uneffected signal, restoring bite and immediacy at whatever level works best. The Tone control provides even more options for treating the compressed sound, making it easy to find the perfect place in the mix. The Attack buttons gives the user a choice between a slow onset of compression or a faster response. Any flavor, from old-school squash to open-sounding modern bloom is right at your fingertips—and under your foot—in the same sized enclosure as the original.

First, the box. Its thinner profile means less cardboard, and we think that’s a plus for the environment.

Next, we’ve changed up the labeling a bit to make it easier to identify your favorite set of strings. In the upper left-hand corner, you’ll find the alloy the strings are made from and the instrument they’re intended for. You can see in our example that Performance+ Strings are made from nickel wound steel for electric guitar.

In the upper right-hand corner, you’ll see the gauge range, which is color-coded so that you can spot your favorite set at a glance. Here, you can see that our pack of Performance + Strings ranges from 10–46, a range that is indicated by the color red. If you want to check the individual gauges within the range, just flip the box over and check the upper left-hand corner.

Finally, there’s a perforated strip that allows you to easily tear the pack open and get to stringing up your instrument with a new set of strings.

On the inside, you’ll see that we’ve done away with envelopes—another plus for the environment. Dunlop Strings now come in a VCI-impregnated bag to preserve their freshness.

Printed on the bag is our new String Legend, which shows you how to identify each gauge by the color of its ball end.

We use a light-to-heavy Gold/Black/Silver system, so a six-string set will have Gold/Black/Silver/Gold/Black/Silver. A 4-string bass set will have Gold/Black/Silver/Gold, and so on.

We make Dunlop Strings at our String Lab in Benicia, California in limited batches, allowing us to stay focused on quality control. The Lab has expertly developed string recipes that fully demonstrate our vision of what a string should be. Our small team of guitar and bass players work with the finest musicians around the world to help us refine our work so that you can always expect a great set of strings, no matter what you play or how you play it. String up and focus on the performance.