The Best Reverb Pedal Reviews

Our Top Pick for 2018: TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb Pedal
Read our full review.

A reverb pedal is used with a guitar to simulate a certain sound. As the name implies, it reverberates the sound of the guitar and creates an echo type effect. There are a wide variety of effects that you can emulate, which can range from an arena or an open stadium to a tiled, enclosed room. It is hard to say which reverb pedal is the best, because each guitarist’s requirements for what qualifies the pedal as excellent will differ. To help you decide which option is best for you, we have comprised a list of pre-purchase considerations as well as a few great options for you to consider. We have included a budget friendly pick in our list as well.

TC Electronics is a well known for manufacturing and creating devices that add effects to your guitar in home situations and in a studio setting. TC Electronics is responsible for a lot of the reverb you hear in music today, which ranges from the classic reverb sound Michael Jackson created to the intriguing reverb heard in Lady Gaga’s music. A gold pick means that it is an item that is loved by critics and consumers, and the TC Electronics reverb pedal sure does not disappoint. It was selected as the Editors Pick by Guitar Player Magazine as well as given the Editors Award by Bass Player Magazine. With all of this fame and recognition as a company, it is easy to see why their reverb pedal is the first pick on our list.

This reverb pedal has all of the classic features of a reverb pedal, which we will go into shortly, but it also has a unique TonePrint feature. This feature allows you to use an application to completely customize your reverb sound and make it your own. You can then download the sound that you created onto the app to use with your guitar. You can also give permission for other musicians who use this app to be able to use your unique sound when they are playing. You will also have access to the creations and the signature reverbs of top guitarists that you have come to love. In addition, a mini-B USB is included with the purchase of this reverb pedal to make downloading TonePrint creations easier.

This reverb pedal features four knobs and a pre-delay switch, which can be set to either a short delay or a long one. The top left knob is a delay switch that is designed to set the length of your reverb. This knob allows you to go from the acoustics of a small room to those that could be heard in the Grand Canyon. The knob under that is a FX level switch, which is used to adjust the sound that can range from a tiny echo to a glass shattering reverberation.

The top right knob is for tone, which allows you to adjust the amount of warmth you prefer in your music. The knob directly under that allows you to select from ten different reverb modes. The modes that are included with this reverb pedal are room, hall, and church, which can recreate the ambience of anything from a small room to an enormous cavern. Spring and plate are often used to recreate vintage tonality. MOD is a mode that adds a bit of a chorus like background. LOFI is for more rugged music, and tile gives you a bathroom like echo. Gate is an eighties style reverb, and AMB offers an ever so slight ambient sound.

This reverb pedal has two input jacks as well as two output jack, which makes it a true stereo experience. It is powered by a nine volt battery, which means that it will be reasonable on energy consumption. This reverb pedal is designed with a classic style in mind. It is a medal device that is painted candy apple red. It features silver printed detail that gives it a vintage look that you are sure to love. In addition it also sports a silver true bypass switch that not only completes the look; it ensures that you have zero loss of tone when your sound goes through the pedal.

As you know, a gold pick means that the reviews should be amazing. Out of the 180 reviews seen on Amazon that relate to this reverb pedal, 90 percent of them have given this device a positive review and a rating of at least four stars. 78 percent of the reviewers actually deemed it appropriate to give this reverb pedal a five star rating. Many of the reviews rave about the quality of the reverb pedal and the fact that it sounds great. Others express their love for the TonePrint feature and the ability to customize their sound.

Here is an example of one of the reviews provided by an extremely happy customer: “Man, this is an epic pedal. There are lots of settings, and each one sounds fantastic. I use the spring and church reverbs mostly, because of my style, but the others sound awesome too. There’s no signal degradation, and you get an awesome sound whether you’re using it in an effects loop, or putting it directly between the guitar and input on a simpler amp.”

The Digitech POLARA, which is our silver pick, is a compact reverb pedal that is more than your average pedal. This evolution in the Digitech design gives you more style and design than many of the other reverb pedals on the market. In addition, it sports soft click buttons and a vacuum style foot switch.

The POLARA features a true bypass feature that is designed to preserve the tones of your music. This pedal is powered by a nine volt battery, which means that it can simply be connected to your current pedal setup without any issues arising. In addition, you will not have to worry about this reverb pedal using large amounts of power, but it is still a high voltage system that never compromises the quality of the signal being sent through the reverb pedal. In addition, this reverb pedal has a true stereo sound, which means it has two input jacks as well as two output jacks.

As a reverb pedal, this one definitely has a unique style that not everyone will appreciate, but if you want a bit of flair and intrigue in your petals then this may be the reverb pedal for you. To start with, this pedal is a light sea green, which will stand out on any stage. One top of the base color, there is a facial design that is completed in a violet and a soft yellow. The words are designed in the same soft yellow, and they are outlined with light violet. In the center is a blue power indicator, which obviously glows when the pedal is in use. Below that you can see the words POLARA Reverberation and the Digtech logo can be found at the base of the reverb pedal. This color and design combination gives the pedal has an almost psychedelic look, which is perfect for performing vintage music and more unique sets.

The POLARA has a tail switch at the top of the pedal. When this switch is in the on position, the reverb tails will decay and end naturally, but when it is in the off position, the tails end sudden and abruptly. This reverb pedal also has four brushed metal knobs that complete the entire look of the device. The top left knob is a volume control that is simply labeled level. The knob under that is for liveliness, which means that it controls the amount of reverb you can hear in your music. The bottom right knob is the decay knob, which is where you determine how long the reverb effect lasts. The top right knob is where you choose the type of reverb you wish to utilize.

This reverb pedal gives you seven different reverb options. Room has a fast decaying reverb that simply gives your music a bit of warm ambience. Hall is a mode that gives you that same empty room feel, but with a bit more vastness than just being in a small room. Reverse is a unique setting that reverbs in reverse. It starts out quiet and crescendos to its extinction. Modulated is an option that makes chords sound amazing. Plate is the classic reverb heard in studios over the decades. The spring setting gives you another classic reverb option that is a little gentler than the plate style. Halo is a mode that offers you shimmering reverb effects that cascades like a waterfall down the scale of an entire octave.

The purchase of this reverb pedal comes with a stomplock knob guard, which is designed to perfectly cover your specific pedal settings and ensure that they cannot be bumped or kicked out of place during your gig. It also comes with a custom cut pedalboard pad that makes it easy to attach and lock your new reverb pedal to your current pedalboard setup. The POLARA is also backed by a 45 day money back guarantee as well as a 60 day price protection.

When it comes to reviews, this reverb pedal has some stellar ones. On Amazon alone 88 percent of the reviewers gave this reverb pedal a four star rating or above. Overall the sound and the uniqueness of this pedal are loved. Here is one five star testimonial: “When I first placed the pedal in the Halo mode, I thought that God was about to come out of the Amp. It sounds awesome.”

Boss is a leading company in the worldwide market of producing diverse products that offer a guitarist amazing effects and sound options. They have stood by their durable creations and decided to team up with Fender to create a whole new reverb pedal. Our bonze pick, which is the FRV-1, is the result of this collaboration and it is a device that is loved by music critics and guitarists alike.

The FRV-1 is a compact reverb pedal that is designed to recreate the sounds of the classic 1963 Fender spring reverb. This 60s style classic is designed to recreate the timeless sound that was originally heard decades ago, and it even has the same aesthetic retro look and design that it would of had during that period of time. The pedal is two shades of brown that is accented with black and silver knobs and details.

Since this reverb pedal is designed to recreate the sound of the 60s, it only has three knobs to change and distort the sound of your guitar. The first knob is a tone control, which is located in the center of the three knobs. It can control the twang in your country music as well as add more treble to your darker music. The left most knob is the mixer, which lets you customize how much dry sound is sent through the signal. Finding that perfect spot is the key to each and every piece of music that utilizes this reverb pedal. The right most knob is the Dwell control, which is designed to set the exact amount of time that the reverb remains in the musical mix that you are creating. If this setting is turned up too much, it can result in feedback, so it is important to figure out where the sweet spot is for each song.

Even though this reverb pedal does not have all the fancy mode options of some of the others on our list, it is designed to recreate the classic sound that is the staple of rockabilly, grunge rock, surf rock, country, and the blues. This pedal can create a wide range of sound that uses COMS technology to recreate the timeless sound of the 1963 Fender spring reverb amplifier. It has one input jack as well as one output jack, so that means that this reverb pedal does not create a stereo sound.

Boss always creates durable and sturdy guitar equipment, and this reverb pedal is no different. To back and stand behind this product, the manufacturer is including a five year warranty with the purchase of this reverb pedal, but according to several reviews in regards to this pedal, it should last you for decades.

When it comes to the reviews of this throwback reverb pedal, there are only 47 of them on Amazon. The amount of reviews is low, because this is not a reverb style that is for everybody. Some prefer to have more effects and modes available to them, but if you like the simplicity of this reverb pedal, then you will not be disappointed in its performance and durability. 90 percent of the reviewers on Amazon gave this reverb pedal a positive rating of four stars or better; in fact, about 75 percent of them deemed it worthy of a five star rating, which is amazing for a reverb pedal that is designed to recreate the sounds of the 60s.

Here is an example of a five star testimonial that shows exactly how authentic this reverb pedal really is: “This is exactly what I was looking for – a totally authentic (sounding) Fender spring-type reverb! It even simulates the “poing” sounds when touching the strings (with some static or whatever) and makes me remember why I fell in love with surf music back in the day! “

When you are ballin’ on a budget, you do not want to sacrifice your reverb pedal effects in the process of buying your reverb pedal. Our last pick, which is a budget friendly option, is the Behringer DR600. It has an aesthetically pleasing brushed metal finish that is complete with black knobs and metallic blue details.

This reverb pedal features four control knobs that are designed to allow you to customize your reverb sound as much as you desire. Starting with the left most knob, you will notice that it is the knob that adjusts the volume of the reverb that you are creating. The second knob controls the tone and the brightness of the reverb. The third knob from the left allows you to set the length of time you want the reverb to continue being heard, and the last knob, which is on the far right, selects the type of reverb you want to utilize during each session.

On this reverb pedal there are six types of reverb that you can create. The first is a spring reverb, which is a classic style that vibrates the tones you create through a spring before they are heard. A plate reverb is the next option, which vibrates the sound through a sheet of metal to create a unique sound. Hall reverb creates the sound effects that you would hear in a large concert hall or auditorium type area. Gate reverb is a setting that creates a sound that is sustained for a short period of time, and then it is suddenly cut short. Room reverb is an option that makes your music sound like you are playing in a small room, where the acoustics would sound more enclosed. The modulate reverb option makes a sound that is almost chorus like by detuning the tail of your reverb.

This reverb pedal features two input jacks and two output jacks, which means that it is a true stereo reverb. It runs on a nine volt battery, which means that it is not going to be an energy hog during your jam sessions at home. When the battery power is dwindling, there is a blue LED on the top of the reverb pedal that gives you an indication that you need a replacement. This light is also a way to know whether or not you remembered to turn of the device when you are finished with your gig.

When it comes to reviews, there are quite a few great testimonials. On Amazon, 66 percent of all of the users who gave the Behringer DR600 a review gave it a positive rating of four stars or above. The only thing that some expressed dislike about is the fact that this reverb pedal seems to go through batteries quickly, which just means that you need to keep spares in you guitar case at all times. Here is an example of a five star testimonial from a professional guitarist: “I have been playing professionally for more than 35 years and in that time have gone through many amps, guitars and dozens of effects of all sorts. The great ones I have kept over the years (Ibanez TS9 and TS 10, MXR Compressor etc.) and have put them in a small pedal rack that doesn’t take up much stage room.”

Pre-purchase considerations

Modes

There are different modes in any reverb pedal. They are designed to give you different types of reverb options in your music. You can utilize hall or room, which give you the effect of being in a large open space. You can even select the size of the room to determine the exact ambience of the room and its acoustics. Other modes that may interest you are spring, which sounds great with a vintage amp, or you can try the plate setting, which gives a slightly more metallic vibration and ring sound to the guitar you are playing.

Controls

The controls on the reverb pedal determine how much reverb is added to your sound as well as some other features. Here are some of the most common controls found on a reverb pedal:

• Level – This controls the level of the reverb. In effect, it is the way you mix the reverb sound with the sound of the guitar. Turning it down will leave you with a dry guitar sound, which means that it is the main instrument you hear. Turning it all the way up can give you a fully wet sound, which will make the guitar a background instrument that may be drowned out by the other effects. This knob allows you to find the perfect middle ground where the reverb and the guitar sound the best.

• Mode – This is effectively the type of reverb that you will be using. This control allows you to select the one you want for each piece you perform.

• Time – This control allows you to control how long the reverb will be heard in the music you are playing. Sometimes you may want a long reverb effect, but other times you will need a shorter duration.

Connectivity

All reverb pedals have an input jack for the power cable. They even include an output jack, but having only one of each means that the reverb pedal can only produce monotone sound. Other reverb pedals have a left and a right output, which makes it stereo. A true stereo reverb pedal has two input and output jacks. If you need a stereo reverb pedal, make sure that the one you choose has the right connectivity to incorporate that.

Design

Reverb pedals come in many different sizes that range from a miniature pedal to a larger device that may draw attention on stage. They also come in a myriad of different designs. Some are solid colors, some use two or three tones to emphasize the logo or other simple designs, and some go way out and use multiple colors to create a unique look for an artistic individual.

Energy Consumption

Most reverb Pedals utilize a nine volt battery as a means of power, but make sure that this is the case before you decide to make a purchase. The last thing you need is a reverb pedal that runs through expensive batteries faster than you can recharge or replace them, and no one wants a reverb pedal that is going drain your electricity while you are practicing in your basement.

Conclusion (Wrapping it up)

Playing an electric guitar can give you a whole world of effects and sounds, and some of the most loved effects can be created through the use of a reverb pedal. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, you will know the effect when you hear it, and you will soon want to own a reverb pedal of your own. Making the decision on which one is best for you can be daunting, but hopefully this guide will help you along the way. Consider what effects you like to play around with the most, and select a reverb pedal that is perfect for your personal style and guitar needs. You may also use the best flanger pedal, it’s also great for your personal guitar.