Post-punk
The Edge
U2, 1983 onward
The most influential use of delay by anyone, and the clearest case of an effect being part of the composition. The dotted-eighth repeat is not decoration on the Where the Streets Have No Name riff, it is half the notes in it.
$102 for the 1 of 4 in stock right now
The chain
Shown in conventional signal order rather than the order the sources list them, so it reads the way it would be wired: guitar on the left, amp on the right.
- 1
Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer
Drive / fuzzA push into the amp rather than a distortion, keeping the chime intact.
- 2ModulationNo photo available
Boss CE-2 Chorus
ModulationWidening the clean tone so the delayed repeats sit in a bigger space.
Not stocked by any store we track
Search the site - 3DelayNo photo available
Korg SDD-3000
Delayrack or amp-top unitThe rack delay behind the timed, rhythmic repeats, and its preamp is as much of the sound as the delay line.
Not stocked by any store we track
Search the site - 4DelayNo photo available
Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man
DelayThe warmer, modulated analogue repeats on the earlier records.
Not stocked by any store we track
Search the site
Documented on
War
album · 1983
- Sunday Bloody Sunday
- New Year's Day
The Unforgettable Fire
album · 1984
- Pride (In the Name of Love)
- Bad
The Joshua Tree
album · 1987
- Where the Streets Have No Name
- With or Without You
The intro riff is a dotted-eighth delay locked to the tempo, which is why it cannot be played convincingly without one.
Editorial gear history, assembled from interviews, rig rundowns, live photography and liner notes. The Edge is not affiliated with Gear Avail and nothing here is an endorsement. Rigs change between tours and between takes, so this one is scoped to 1983 onward rather than presented as a career-long setup. In most cases what is documented is that a pedal was on the board during those sessions or that tour, not that it is audible on a specific bar of a specific take.