My Five Favorite Reverbs (For Now)

Today’s article is all about my five favorite reverbs. But to be honest, I'm going to end up showing you a lot more reverbs, because that’s how I roll.

First off, let me lay some ground rules: they have to be reverb pedals, and reverb only. They can't be reverb/delay. That's an important distinction, because I do have favorites like the Dispatch Master, the RV3 and the Keeley Caverns, but they have the delay setting. In this article we’re just looking at straight-up reverb pedals.

Anasounds Element Spring Reverb

My favorite reverb type ever is definitely spring reverb. I typically just leave it on all the time. I love how subtle it is. It's more of a feeling than an effect in most cases. Normally, I would favor a classic Fender Reverb Tank or a Benson Tall Bird Tube-Driven Spring Reverb (which is what we usually use on the JHS Show). Another great option is the Source Audio True Spring reverb. This is the best DSP spring reverb pedal ever made. That's only my opinion, but it’s a very strong opinion. I've played them all and I love them, but there is one spring reverb that stands apart: The Anasounds Element Spring Reverb.

The Anasounds Element Spring Reverb is an analog reverb, and full disclosure: it's not easy to deal with. It is fully analog, which means that it actually hooks into real tanks. This pedal has three different tanks you can buy, but I usually go with the Big Boy. I’ll admit that this isn't the most convenient set up. It might not work out perfectly for a live show. That said, it sounds incredible. There’s even a switch that overdrives the reverb signal in a really nice, natural way.

Electro Harmonix Holy Grail Hall Reverb

I love a good hall reverb sound, which is why I love the Electro Harmonix Holy Grail reverb, which is available in the larger, original version or in a nano version. This is a reverb that gets frowned upon a lot; people think it's not cool, but you know what? I don't care. Cool isn’t cool. Good is cool, and this pedal is really good. I've used this on boards for years, always on, and I love the hall setting because it's dark, it’s gloomy and it sits in a mix really well. It doesn't overwhelm the guitar.

The Holy Grail only has one setback: there’s a setting here called flurb. Just don’t use it. It’s awful. It’s literally the worst reverb setting I’ve ever heard. Everything else about this pedal is magical, so don’t let that spoil the experience.

Eventide H9 Multi-Effect Pedal

Third on the list is a pedal that I have used as a catch-all at the end of my board for the past five years: the Eventide H9 Multi-Effect Pedal. This is a pretty high-tech piece of gear. You use your phone and via Bluetooth you create different presets. I have a preset called Black Hole that I have backed up. I'm scared I'll lose it, because I freakin’ love it. It is a massive, never ending, perfectly mixed, crazy ambient reverb. And I love it.

Now, I do have a special edition H9 in my collection that is literally gold-plated. I’m aware of how ridiculous that is, but it’s also my pride and joy. It literally comes with a wipe so you can make sure to get rid of any fingerprint smudges. That’s quality. Now, this pedal is 100% functional, but I’ve never turned it on because I don’t want to accidentally damage it. Again, I know how ridiculous that is, but I also want to point out that Scrooge McDuck never gets this kind of criticism.

Strymon Blue Sky

Number four is a Strymon pedal, but it’s not the Big Sky. The H9 notwithstanding, I’m still a little scared by complicated pedals, and the Strymon Big Sky Reverb definitely falls under that umbrella. That’s why my favorite Strymon reverb, which is one of my five favorite reverbs ever, is the Blue Sky. Here's why like this: it's really simple. It has three reverb modes: plate, room or spring, and then you could add modulation/shimmer if you want.

I love putting the Blue Sky on plate reverb, and then adding modulation and setting the controls where it's almost infinite. In my head, I call this the “infinite plate.” It's kind of like when you go to Golden Corral to the buffet, they're like, “Hey, get as many plates as you want. It's infinite.”**

**I know that was a stretch, but I’m not sorry.

Line 6 Verbzilla

The last of my five favorite reverbs is technically from the mind of Meris Pedals, but it’s pre-Meris. Back before Meris was even a twinkle in an eye, Angelo Mazzacco worked for Line 6, and created the Verbzilla in the early 2000s, and it has some truly amazing features in the ducking setting. Basically, ducking means that when I play, the reverb will mix itself down and stand out as much in the mix. So, everything's articulate and clear when I stopped picking. When the guitar stops sending input into the pedal, the reverb starts swelling and the mix gets bigger and the decays get bigger. It’s the exact opposite of a vicious cycle. It’s the circle of life.

The Verbzilla is awesome. It's fantastic. You need to hear it.

Honorable Mentions

All right, you guys know me pretty well by now, and you know that I’m not going to be satisfied unless I mention a few runner-ups. I love the pedals I just showed you. They're amazing, and I've used them time and time again. They're incredible. But these pedals also deserve an honorable mention.

Caroline Meteore Lo-Fi Reverb. No one is 100% sure how to pronounce “meteore” and that’s okay. The mystery of the name doesn't matter. This pedal lets you hold down a footswitch and it kind of runs away. Really, really cool.
Cooper FX Arcades Multi-Effect Pedal. This is the epitome of old-school, and that’s why I love it. It’s literally a cartridge-based multi-effect pedal. You can swap out the cartridges (A.K.A. the reverb effects) like games in a Nintendo system. There are some killer reverb sounds in here, so go check out a demo of this.
BOSS RV-500 Reverb. BOSS has honestly been a champion for reverb since they started. They made a ton of strides in reverb effect technology, and I am totally in love with this pedal’s settings like “early reflection” and “non-linear.” There’s some very strange, very cool reverb sounds in this pedal.

I love reverb. I love the history of it, which goes all the way back to Leo Fender in 1961, and I love seeing how these modern pedal builders have taken this effect and really made it their own. Honestly, it’s why I started making pedals in the first place. Go play a reverb!