Reverb is a sound distortion that occurs when a sound bounces or reflects off a hard surface to create a unique echo at various levels and times. Reverb pedals are popular in creating this effect by exaggerating and distorting reverberations. There are different reverb pedals and methods for achieving specific and unique reverberations. In this article, I’ll show you 10 of the best reverb pedal.
When choosing a reverb pedal, it’s essential to determine the sound you want to create and experiment with various styles, whether for a “surf” style echo or a large concert hall or cavern echo.
When you chose our top picks, we considered musicians’ quality, brand reputation, overall rating, and experiences with each product. There’s a variance in cost and quality for reverb pedals, and choosing the right option for your rock band and practice session is an important decision for sound and development.
Best Three-Setting Pedal
JHS Pedals Three Series Hall Reverb offers three controls so that you can toggle between various sounds and styles. It’s an excellent option for beginners, with the option of experimenting with the distortion echo effect.
JHS’s pedal offers a fuller, open sound that you would hear in a large concert hall or cathedral, with a massive, seemingly infinite echo that’s ideal for various music styles and progressive sounds.
This product is made in Kansas City, Missouri, with only high-quality parts and craftsmanship, so you’ll receive an excellent, durable reverb pedal with exceptional performance.
Pros
- Three controls give you access to various sounds and effects
- It’s easy to use for beginners and ideal for professional musicians
- JHS Three Series is a well-established, reputable brand that offers exceptional quality at a reasonable price
Cons
- Available in one color (white)
Best Fender Reverb Pedal
Fender is one of the top brands for guitars and accessories, and the Fender Marine Layer Reverb Pedal is a top-notch option for your set. It’s a lightweight pedal that creates amazing reverberation effects, and trails continue even after the device is muted. There are LED-lit knobs and controls, so you can easily set up and operate this pedal on a dimly lit stage or venue.
Pros
- Creates room, hall, and shimmer reverb effects
- The battery door is magnetically latched to keep the 9V battery well contained
- All controls are equipped with LED lighting for easy viewing and use where there is minimal lighting
- Fender is a reputable brand known for its superb quality, instruments, and accessories
Cons
- This cost for this reverb pedal is more expensive than similar distortion pedals, though it’s a worthwhile investment
Best Reverb And Delay Effects Pedal
The Keeley Caverns V2 Delay and Reverb Effects Pedal Waves is a fantastic investment if you’re looking to expand your reverberations and delay effects to the next level. This pedal offers choral modulation for large, extended, cavernous reverberations. You’ll also have the option of adding other effects, such as Flutter and Wow. There’s also an analog-style tape delay and modulation options.
Pros
- This reverb pedal offers more variations on the echo effect, with Choral modulation mode, Shimmer mode, and three-way switchable modulation options for adding Flutter and Wow.
- You’ll have the option of adding an analog style with the pedal’s modulation techniques
- Keeley offers superb quality and a variety of techniques for professional performances and recordings
Cons
- Available for all skill levels, though not recommended for beginners
Best Budget Pedal
TC Electronic Skysurfer Reverb pedal is an excellent option when shopping within a budget for guitar accessories and equipment. This brand offers a great selection of distortion pedals, including Cinders overdrive, Afterglow Chorus, Rusty Fuzz, Forcefield Compressor, Grand Magus Distortion, etc. This reverb pedal is a lightweight, easy-to-use device if you’re a beginner.
Pros
- TC Electronic is an award-winning brand for reverb algorithms
- Highly durable and easy to use for beginners
- Offers True Bypass for signal integrity
- Provides studio-quality sound so that you can use it for professional recordings and stage performances
- Reasonably priced and affordable for new guitarists
Cons
- This reverb pedal by TC Electronic doesn’t offer all the distortion techniques that other pedals include
Best Old School Pedal
The Caline Reverb Digital Guitar Pedal is a fun way to achieve the old-school reverb effect. This product is stylish and enjoyable and uses 9V batteries. Caline’s old-school reverb pedal offers a spacious soundscape and various reverb tone and options to modify the effects to fit your style.
Pros
- This reverb pedal is available in various colors and designs, including red, yellow, light green, dark blue, maroon, and more
- You’ll have access to three-way tone-shaping controls, which gives this pedal endless possibilities with reverberations and echo effects
- The “old school” effect offers a more classic, warm sounding effect that’s common in old rock, blues, and metal styles of music
- The design is durable and made of high-quality aluminum alloy
- This reverb pedal offers three options for effects, including hall, room reverb, and church reverberations
- Reasonably priced
Cons
- This reverb pedal doesn’t include a DC adaptor
Best Pedal With Relay Bypass
The MXR M300 Reverb Guitar Effects Pedal offers studio-grade results and a low noise floor. This pedal offers various styles, including delay, reverb, and modulation effects.
Pros
- This MXR M300 reverb pedal offers six high-end reverb styles
- Tuned and crafted by the MXR design team, an award-winning brand
- Includes a Hi-Fi analog dry path and 20 volts of headroom
- The reverb offers stereo reverb input and output, true relay, and trails bypass
- MXR pedals are excellent for bass and guitar
Cons
- This reverb pedal is not ideal for vocal use
Best Multi-Texture Guitar Pedal
The Walrus Audio Slo Multi-texture Reverb Pedal offers fantastic effects so that you can create modulated, ambient sounds and layered soundscapes. Various settings work with the dream mode, which uses a latching pad function, rise, creating a “swelling” or crescendo effect, and dark for lower octave notes and deep, expansive atmospheric sounds.
Pros
- Beautifully designed and ideal for any guitar set
- Creates a wide range of atmospheric and cavernous soundscapes and effects to fit your music style
- Audio interface offers excellent preset options and works with every tone for a wide range of effects
Cons
- This reverb pedal costs more than other devices
Best Electro-Harmonix Reverb Pedal
The Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Max Reverb offers a durable spring reverb pedal that’s versatile, compact, and ideal for travel. This reverb pedal includes a 9.6 DC-200 power supply with True bypass. You’ll have access to various effects, including spring reverb, plate reverb, hall, and reverse reverb.
Pros
- Lightweight and compact, which is ideal for traveling musicians
- Includes various reverb options so you can create different soundscapes, including reverse, hall, plate, and spring reverb
- It pairs well with electric and bass guitar
Cons
- The cost of this reverb pedal is more than other devices
Best Dual Reverb Pedal
Source Audio One Series Ventris dual reverb pedal is an excellent investment if you’re an intermediate or professional musician. This pedal offers creative styles in both reverb and delay distortion effects.
Pros
- Source Audio is a reputable brand that makes professional-grade guitar devices, including distortion pedals
- Produces a wide range of guitar effects with advanced engineering
- Includes DC power supply, a cable for Neuro Mobile App connection, knob controls, and durable casing for long-term use
Cons
- It’s an expensive option, though a good purchase if you’re building a professional set
Best Premium Reverb Pedal
The Eventide Blackhole Reverb Pedal offers excellent pairing with many instruments and guitars. This reverb effects pedal features mono/stereo output, software edit, expression input, and live level input for instruments.
Pros
- Eventide is a well-established brand that features top-notch guitar equipment, and accessories, including an excellent line of reverb and distortion pedals
- Ideal for professional recordings, performances, and enhancing various music styles
Cons
- This brand is typically more expensive than other options
Selecting the Best Reverb Pedals: Buyer’s Guide
Guitar pedals alter the sound of music and have become popular in the mid-1960s with the availability of various transistor circuits. Over time, guitar pedals became a much-needed accessory for musicians to alter the sound and distortion of their music.
Reverb pedals have come a long way and are far less expensive than earlier mechanisms to create similar distortion in the sound.
What to Look for in a Reverb Pedal
Focusing on quality and brand is essential when shopping for the best reverb pedals. If you’re working within a budget, you can start with a less expensive option to get the reverb effect, then invest in premium reverb pedals once you have the option. There are essential factors to consider when you choose a reverb pedal, including
- The reverb type is essential based on the effects that you want to create with your guitar, whether you’re looking for a shimmer reverb, natural reverb, space echo, or another sound effect
- If you’re new to buying reverb pedals, start with one or two to experiment with until you get familiar with their reverberations.
- Using too many reverb pedals at once can lead to a short cable and isn’t recommended. If you plan on using several at once, plan your purchase and cable configuration to accommodate
- Price range is essential, and you don’t have to spend too much at once to find quality reverb pedals for your guitar
Different Effects of Guitar Pedals
There are many unique effects that you can create with different pedals. Reverb pedals add an echo or reverberations that you would hear in ample, open space, such as a concert hall. There are other pedals you’ll want to get familiar with when you’re adding to your guitar set, including:
- The delay pedal is similar to the reverb, although it differs in that it repeats each note in a more defined echo than a distorted sound
- Overdrive and fuzz guitar pedals add a hard, hazy distortion sound most commonly used in rock, metal, and similar music genres.
- Chorus pedals create a sound that replicates your guitar to create the effect of multiple instruments playing simultaneously.
- Looper pedals don’t create a distortion. But instead, they record and replay a short clip and “loop” in on repeat
- Wah-wah pedals create the famous “wah” sound between guitar notes, which became very popular in the mid-60s rock music scene.
Frequently Asked Questions about Choosing the Best Reverb Pedal
How much can I expect to spend on reverb pedals?
The cost of a reverb pedal varies depending on the type of processor you’re looking for, the brand, and the quality. You can expect to pay approximately $50 for each pedal on average.
What accessories do you need to buy with new guitar pedals?
When you purchase a new reverb pedal or any distortion pedal, you’ll need at least two instrument cables for each one. Each cable plugs into the pedal’s input, and the other cable gets plugged into the output.
Can I buy an analog reverb pedal, and are they a good option?
Analog reverb pedals were initially used decades ago. While they are not as common, you may want to experiment with one or two analog reverb pedals for their unique sound. They operate with a spring inside, similar to original amp units. These pedals are typically oversized, making them easier to use with your feet. While digital reverb pedals are most popular, some guitarists enjoy the authentic effects of the analog reverb pedal.
How many types of reverb pedals are there?
There are five main reverb type pedals: room, chamber, hall reverb, spring, and plate reverb. You’ll find many different reverb pedal options that offer unique reverberations for your performance.
How does the reverb sound effect work?
The reverb effect happens when a sound bounces off a hard surface, reflecting the listener’s varying distortion echo effects. It’s like a complex, distorted echo that exaggerates natural sounds and reverberations.
Which type of music typically uses reverb pedals?
Rock music is one of the main genres that use a lot of distortion pedals, including reverb pedals. Other common music styles that use this pedal’s effect include pop music, metal, blues, and funk.
