Dear Brian,
I have agonised over delays this last year and have had and sent back half a dozen of the things.
The best one i had for my use was the guyatone micro series but i fed the the wrong voltage into it and blew it up last year.
Most of my fellow pros would raise an eye with my choice to use a digital delay over an analogue delay, but for me in this band playing this set of these songs i prefer the clean delay sound.
The guyatone is supposedly a favourite with Nashville pedal steele players, it was certainly mine, but like a woman, precious and temperamental at times.
Try all you can and with as many combinations you can to create a "talent boost" of your liking.
I personally prefer the delay at the end of the chain but many more learned than i would put it first?
No rules, no regulations, the world is your oyster sir,
God bless, Mark.