Making Something Like the Jim Dunlop EP101 Echoplex Part 3

Hello.
I’m the person who eats a banana and drinks coffee for breakfast every day.

The reason I eat bananas for breakfast is that they contain fructose, glucose, sucrose, and oligosaccharides, which are carbohydrates that are digested and absorbed at different speeds. This helps prevent a sudden spike in blood sugar levels while providing a sustained source of energy.
On top of that, bananas are rich in potassium, which helps regulate salt and water levels and supports nerve and muscle function. They also contain plenty of dietary fiber, vitamin B6, tryptophan, and polyphenols.
Combined with caffeine, they make for a pretty powerful breakfast. Apparently, adding protein-rich foods such as boiled eggs can make it possible to get an even more ideal nutritional balance.

So, I’ve gone on and on with a bunch of science-sounding explanations, but the real reason is much simpler.
“They taste good, they’re nutritious, and you can eat one in seconds just by peeling it. You don’t even have to wash a plate.”
What’s more, in today’s world of rising prices, bananas have continued to cost just a little over 100 yen per bunch. It’s no exaggeration to say that they’re the ultimate budget-friendly food.

One day, I was talking about breakfast with a senior colleague at work when they asked me, “Have you ever tried bananas that cost around 300 to 500 yen per bunch? They’re on a completely different level of deliciousness.”
As I mentioned earlier, I choose bananas for breakfast to save money and time.
Buying expensive bananas would defeat the whole purpose.
Of course, I’d never bought them before.
But I’m a bit of a glutton, and once I hear that something tastes good, I can’t stop thinking about it. So, on my way home that very day, I made sure to buy some of those expensive bananas.

The next morning, excited to try them, I took a bite...
“Huh? They’re pretty good, sure, but they’re not that amazing.”
They did seem a little chewier, but I couldn’t detect any dramatic difference, and I was left feeling a little underwhelmed.
Then, the following morning, something completely unexpected happened.
The moment I took a bite of my usual inexpensive banana, I was hit by an overwhelming sense that something was wrong.
My usual banana tasted strangely watery, with a vague, unsatisfying flavor that lacked both texture and sweetness.
It seems that the rich sweetness and chewy texture of the expensive bananas, which hadn’t really impressed me at first, had somehow overwritten the ‘standard’ my tongue used to judge bananas.
Our brains really do remember differences without us even realizing it.
Unable to stand it any longer, I decided to try the expensive bananas again...
And they were unbelievably delicious!
The rich sweetness and depth of flavor in that first bite hit me like a shock.
After comparing the two, I could finally appreciate just how high the quality of the expensive bananas really was.
However, I’d go broke if expensive bananas became my everyday breakfast, so I quickly went back to the cheaper ones.

Still, a little luxury costing just a few hundred yen can make you quite a bit happier. So, if you’re someone who has always stuck to inexpensive bananas, I highly recommend trying expensive bananas just once.
It’s not the first bite that will surprise you, but the second shock that hits when you return to your usual bananas. You’ll have no choice but to acknowledge what makes the expensive ones so special.

Now, moving on to the EP101 Echoplex. After I stripped off the paint because I wasn’t happy with the finish I’d applied before, I somehow lost the motivation to work on it and left it sitting around. But summer is already coming to an end, so I thought I’d at least get the painting done and have decided to pick up the project again.
Painting becomes a hassle once the weather gets cold, after all.
Personally, I hate the cold so much that I’d take hot weather any day, so I’m going to get this done nice and quickly.

All right, let’s start here.
The aluminum enclosure has already been sprayed with black surfacer and sanded smooth.

For now, I’ll spray on the silver.

Next, I’ll spray on translucent pink and blue, and I’ll try translucent green on the lid.

There’s not much to say about the actual process, but if I had to point out one thing, it’s that I’m blending the pink and blue together rather than using masking tape to create a sharp boundary. This takes a little technique to get the color separation right.
Next, I’ll prepare the masking for the design.

Just like the VOODOO-1 I made previously, I’m going with a floral pattern.
I quite like floral patterns.
There are also plenty of designs and samples available, which makes things convenient in various ways when I’m making something. So, whenever I want to add a design through painting, I tend to go with flowers.
All right, let’s stick it on.

I’ll press down the slightly raised area on the far right firmly, then spray on the colors until they look just right.

And here’s how it turned out.
The overall base is a solid pale yellow, with the pattern in candy colors.
Next, I want to add some lettering, but if I put the letters directly over the pattern, it’ll look too cluttered. So, before adding the lettering itself, I’d like to paint the outlines of the letters first.

I’ve sprayed on the same pale yellow as the base color.
By the way, I forgot to take a photo of the masking used to create the outlines of the letters.
I also forgot to take a photo of the masking for the lettering itself.
I’m still not used to taking photos while I’m working.
Anyway, after a bit of this and that, I got the lettering on.

The color is solid pink.
I didn’t think too hard about it and just went with pink, thinking it would probably work. But it looks reasonably good... doesn’t it?
Wouldn’t a color that makes the lettering stand out a little more be better? ...Well, let’s just say it looks good.
All that’s left is to spray on the topcoat, and it’ll be finished. But with a pattern like this, I start getting the urge to try all sorts of things, like making it sparkle even more or adding a pattern to the sides as well. So, for now, I’ll hold off on the topcoat and leave the project here.

What did you think?
This time, I pushed ahead with the work pretty much on impulse, but things went relatively smoothly, which was nice.
As for whether I’ll simply spray on the topcoat and call it done next time, or take things further, even I don’t know yet. Either way, I’d like to get the work finished while the weather is still relatively warm.
Thank you for reading all the way to the end.
I’ll see you again on the Sound House Staff Blog.
Goodbye!