Tel-Ray Variable Delay
In the early 1960s, technicians at a small company experimented with electronics and technology. When they came up with something great, they would tell Ray (the boss).
One invention involved a tuna can, a motor, and a few tablespoons of cancer-causing oil. The creation: an "Electronic Memory Unit" — a technology, they were sure, that would be of great interest to companies like IBM and NASA.
Though it never made it to the moon, the killer technology that gives Tel-Ray its unique sound was licensed by most every major guitar amp manufacturer.