Fender Mirror Image Delay Pedal Review – A Pedal Made for the Stage

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If you’re hunting for a delay pedal that isn’t the same-old-same-old, do yourself a favor and take a look at Fender’s Mirror Image unit. Fender may not be known for their pedal output (at least not compared to their guitar and amp offerings), but this new model has a list of unique features that help it make a case for one of the best delay pedals on the market today. Let’s dive into some of these…

Features

The Mirror Image is a little chunkier than your standard foot pedal, with an attractive blue anodized aluminum case and a top-notch footswitch – both ruggedly built for the long haul. It looks great next to some of Fender’s other offerings, such as the Pugilist distortion pedal, if you are looking to build your Fender collection.

This delay pedal features three different delay types to choose from, and each can be tweaked further with a two-stage Variation setting to change the overall voice of the delay. Additionally, you can add a dotted 8th note to spice things up a bit. There is also a bypass feature, so your delay trails fade out naturally when the unit is bypassed, instead of being abruptly cut off. That's useful for live performances in particular.

A mini-jewel LED indicator is a nice nod to the jewel lamps found on many classic Fender amps, and there are both mono 1/4” input and output jacks. Power options for this one include a 9V battery (accessible by a convenient magnetically-latched door) or by an AC adapter, which isn’t included.

Controls

You can tell that Fender had the working musician in mind when it came to designing the controls on the Mirror Image. All of the knobs have a handy LED backlight so you can see your settings in the dark – a godsend for dark stage environments.

Speaking of knobs, there are five of them – each controlling a different delay parameter. Time adjusts the delay time; Level affects the mix of wet-to-dry signal; and Feedback controls the amount of delay repeats that eventually trail off. Meanwhile, the Depth control adds a touch of pitch-shifting, and Rate affects modulation speed.

In the center of the pedal you’ll find three small toggle switches. The first allows you to select the delay type from either Digital, Analog, or Tape. The second switch tends to the ‘dotted 8th note’ effect, and the third one selects between the two Variation voicing settings.

Performance

From a durability and convenience standpoint, the Mirror Image is tough to beat. Taking into account all of the features we looked at (rugged construction, LED lit knobs, magnetic battery hatch, and sturdy footswitch) you should have no worries taking it to gigs, knowing that it is built to thrive in a live setting.

Looking at things from a sonic standpoint, the Mirror Image just sounds wonderful. Having the flexibility to switch between three delay types – all with rich, natural sounds – is a real plus for a wide variety of genres. For example, having the tape echo set with a little slap-back sounds great for some authentic ’50s-style tones.

The voicings you get from the Variance switch only add to your already versatile bank of options, while the dotted 8th effect is just the right thing for getting those modern delay-driven sounds. It's a high-quality pedal when it comes to tone, although hearing is believing!

Conclusion

Fender’s Mirror Image may not be the cheapest delay pedal out there, but the quality seeping from it in both features and sound makes it well worth what you pay. From casual bedroom player to regularly touring musician, any guitarist will find it super easy to dial in the exact delay they want. We wouldn’t hesitate to put it on our own personal pedalboards and neither should you.

For more info about the Fender Mirror Image Delay Pedal, click here.

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