Best Reverb Pedals Roundup (6 Bought and Tested)

Parent article: Best Guitar Pedals

There are a lot of resources online about buying guitar pedals.

However, it's usually pretty obvious that the recommendations being made are made blind, by people that don't know much about guitar, much less, actually tried the gear they're recommending.

For this roundup, we're doing things differently.

We bought and tested six of the best reverb pedals on the market from the most reputable companies. They range widely in price, but we've found them to be quite good, based the following:

• Buying and unboxing
• Playing and recording
• Testing and rating

In other words, we held these reverb pedals in our hands to provide you with a genuine account of how they performed and whether or not we think they could potentially be a good fit for your situation.

Here are the six reverb pedals we've reviewed and recommend:

Best Reverb Pedals (our top 6 picks)

We'll review all six of these reverb pedals in the following sections. Please note that we've taken our own photos and recorded our own audio for the purposes of displaying on this page. If you have questions about our review process or the pedals themselves, please reach out via the comments section at the bottom of this page and we'll be happy to assist.

1. Walrus Audio Fathom Reverb

Our pick for: Fans of lengthy sustain and thicker ambience

The Fathom doesn't have a ton of control on the interface like the BigSky or RV-500, but it somehow manages to create a really wide range of ambient sounds.

What we noticed most specifically about the Fathom was how much sustain it promoted and how long the reverb trails could last.

That can, of course, be tweaked by the decay and mix knobs, but it did a great job of providing an ethereal layer beneath both digital and tube-powered clean tones. It's our favorite out of the bunch.

2. Strymon BigSky

Our pick for: Added control, studio electric guitarists, and fans of subtle reverb layering

While the reverb modes are more subtle in the BigSky than they are in the Fathom, it has a ton of control, perhaps more than we've seen in any other reverb pedal.

It includes 12 reverb modes on top of a banking system that lets you store whatever presets you want and dial them back with the footswitches. We'd like to hear some more thickness and intensity from the algorithms out of the box, and it takes some time to learn the interface.

At the same time, it's hard to complain about a reverb pedal that gives you enough versatility to write a book on.

3. TC Electronic Hall of Fame (I & II)

Our pick for: Budgets, basics, and simplicity

On the balance of complexity versus price, the Hall of Fame series moves closer to the wallet-friendly side of that spectrum, at least when compared to the BigSky.

Though we didn't feel like the Hall of Fame lost much ground in the tone department. 

It sounds great, and still gives you about 10 algorithms to choose from (not counting the TonePrint feature). Many of the modes have a distinct lushness to them, with a thicker sheen over your clean tone, especially with your mix and decay knobs turned up.

Its algorithms almost sound more "ambiguous" than the BigSky and Fathom, almost like the ambient trails are wider and more varied. For the price, it's hard to beat.

4. Boss RV-6

Our pick for: Budgets, reliability, warranty, and simple rhythm playing

The RV-6 came off as a more subtle reverb, kind of like the BigSky, which could be a good thing depending on how you want to use it.

For us it seemed to handle better with chords and rhythm playing. One of our testers even uses one on his acoustic pedalboard. Boss covers all the basics of ambient reverb with this pedal, with several algorithms to chose from and a basic EQ scheme.

If you want the super-long trails like we were getting out of the more expensive pedals, you might be better off looking elsewhere.

Yet, for basic rhythm layering, the RV-6 is technically the cheapest reverb pedal on this list.

5. Boss RV-500

Our pick for: Session guitarists, tinkering, and digital versatility

Boss's advanced reverb pedal, the RV-500, has a ton of flexibility and requires a significant time investment just to explore all the different sound and tinkering options. In setup, it's similar to the BigSky, but sounds more like the RV-6 (not surprisingly) in our testing.

It's almost certain that the reverb algorithms are shared between the two pedals, while the RV-500 just provides a lot more room to manipulate them.

The price tag is off-putting, especially because we're used to Boss pedals going for $200 or cheaper. If you need the flexibility, is the RV-500 a better option than the BigSky? We'd say no, but maybe you just like Boss and you want to stay loyal to the brand.

Besides the RV-500 is usually a good deal cheaper than the BigSky, so it's a tough call if you're stuck between the two.

6. Foxpedal The Wave Reverb & Delay Pedal

Our pick for: Delay fans and off-brand seekers

Personally, this is one of my favorite pedals on this list, but I've kept it low because a good portion of its functionality relies on reverb and delay. But it just sounds exceptionally good, almost as good as the Fathom, and it's a ton of fun to tinker with.

The tape delay elements give it another dimension that fits really well with the reverb algorithms. At no point did I feel like the two sounds had been thrown together without thought, as there's a lot of nice overlap between both effects.

For example, delay repeats seem to have their own ambient reverb, which helps to preserve the clean signal, while the ambient layer sort of ascends over top of it.

Also the "Wash" button is a super-cool feature. Check the demo video to hear it in action.

A Beginner's Guide to Reverb Pedals

This section is for reverb pedal buyers that aren't totally sure about what they're getting into. We'll cover the basics of reverb pedals, what they are, how they work, and how you can go about buying your own.

If you're looking for other types of effects, checkout Guitar Chalk's best guitar pedals roundup.

What is a reverb pedal? How do they work?

Reverb pedals are a type of electric guitar effect.

Reverb can be used on virtually any musical instrument, though is most commonly implemented on electric guitars and keyboards. Reverb is often included as an onboard effect in amplifiers and keyboards, but in pedal form it's a bit different.

Instead of being built into your electric guitar amp, a reverb pedal is like any other guitar pedal.

It sits on your floor as part of the signal chain between your guitar and your amplifier. You step on the pedal to turn it on and step again to turn it off. When the pedal is on it processes your signal, meaning it runs it through a small program or analog circuit, that creates the reverberated sound.

That sound creates a trail, which sounds kind of like you're talking in a large room, like a church sanctuary.

This type of effect is categorized as an ambient effect.

Understanding Ambience in Guitar Effects

But what are ambient effects, and why do they matter when it comes to electric guitar?

As far as electric guitar is concerned, the ambient effect category includes three types of effects:

1. Delay
2. Echo
3. Reverb

All three of these effects are considered ambient because they create an ethereal sound where the original note played is repeated in some capacity. In other words, ambient effects - like reverb - repeat segments of an original signal to create their final product. There are different kinds of algorithms (methods of processing your signal) that create different ambient sounds and reverb modes, which you may have noticed in some of the pedals we've looked at.

Knowing the gritty details of how reverb works isn't necessarily vital to using a reverb pedal. The important part is to know that you like the sound, can make use of it. and know how to turn the pedal on and off.

In that regard, it's a fairly simple process.

Do I need a reverb pedal?

Now, is a reverb pedal vital to your guitar rig?

Well, that depends.

If you're not sure how much you would use a reverb pedal, here are a few things to think about:

• Do you often play with a clean signal (no distortion)?
• Do you sometimes feel like your clean tone could use an "extra layer"?
• Do you use the reverb on your amp often?
• Do you just like the way it sounds?
• Do you often use a delay, chorus, tremolo, or echo pedal?

If you've answer yes to any of these questions, it increases that odds that you would get a lot of use out of a reverb pedal.

What if my amp already has reverb built in?

As I mentioned, guitar amps will often have reverb built in, since it's a fairly easy effect to implement. 

This doesn't necessarily mean you couldn't also benefit from the pedal version.

First, amp-based reverb effects - even the good ones that Fender puts in their amps - are usually not particularly versatile. They're either on or off and there isn't much in-between or room for tweaking.

If your amp has reverb, adding the pedal will give you a lot more flexibility to really tweak and get into the sound so you can make it your own.

Although, the amp-based reverb is a good place to start.

Different Types of Reverb Effects and Pedals

You've probably noticed that even among the six reverb pedals we've listed here, there's some variety in terms of size and setup. While the reverb effect can take other forms entirely (rack-mounted processors, software, etc.), we're talking about just the different reverb pedals you could potentially run into.

Primarily there are three different types of reverb pedals:

1. Single Reverb Pedals (Hall of Fame, RV-6)

The Hall of Fame and RV-6 are single stomp reverb pedals or "stompboxes." They usually just have one button for on and off, also called a bypass switch.

2. Bankable or Multi-Tap Reverb Pedals (BigSky, RV-500)

These pedals are often larger with more controls and the ability to store multiple sounds. The Strymon BigSky and Boss RV-500 are your two best larger-scale reverb pedal examples.

3. Reverb with Delay or Reverb with Tremolo Combo Pedals (The Wave)

In some cases - since reverb is so widely used - it will be paired with another effect, like delay or tremolo. Delay is a common companion since both are ambient effects and tend to sound quite good together. The Wave is the only such example in our list.

How do I choose a reverb pedal?

The process by which you choose a reverb pedal is essentially the same as any other product. You look at features and then compare them side by side.

Comparing Reverb Pedal Features

In the following section, we've highlighted six specific features you should keep an eye on when choosing a reverb pedal, followed by a chart of the six we've mentioned that makes the comparison fairly easy.

1. Overall Tone Quality

All guitar pedals are prized, primarily, for their tone quality. In other words, how good do they sound when they're turned on? The same goes for reverb pedals.

2. Control Scheme/Number of Controls (knobs)

A simple way to tell how flexible your reverb pedal might be is to just look at the amount of control it provides. How much can you tweak the reverb effect?

3. Intensity levels (thick or subtle?)

Reverb pedals can often be categorized by their intensity levels, which can only be determined by listening to clips or testing the pedal yourself. Does it tend to provide a thicker, more intense reverb effect, or is it more subtle and nuanced? 

4. Number of algorithms (or reverb modes)

Many reverb pedals will have multiple algorithms or "modes" which give you different reverb sounds like spring, plate, or hall. These are usually highlighted in product descriptions or easy to spot on the pedal itself.

5. Additional effects (reverb, modulation, etc.)

As mentioned earlier, reverb pedals will sometimes be combined with other effects like tremolo and delay. If this is a priority for you, it's a good (and simple) way to compare multiple reverb pedals.

6. Price

The most universal product comparison tool is the price tag. Most reverb pedals cost somewhere in the range of $100 to $300, though they can go much higher or much lower.

Reverb Pedal Comparison Chart

How does the buying process work?

Even big box retailers like Amazon and Walmart will carry reverb pedals, though a more specialized option would be companies like Sweetwater and Musician's Friend. While many people buy guitar pedals online, local pawn shops, music stores, and Guitar Center locations are also good ways to buy reverb pedals in person so you can actually test and handle them yourself.

What's the cheapest reverb pedal?

What's the absolute nicest/best reverb pedal without regard to cost?

The two nicest reverb pedals available are also two of the most expensive. If money is no object, we like the Strymon BigSky and Eventide Space Reverb.

Do I need more than one reverb pedal?

In most cases, you'll only need one reverb pedal, especially if your amp already has a basic reverb control built in.

Do I need a reverb pedal if my amp already has reverb?

As mentioned earlier, a reverb pedal will be far more versatile and customizable than the reverb in an amplifier, so having it in pedal form can still be beneficial.

Notable Reverb Pedal Brands and Manufacturers

A lot of people prefer to shop for guitar pedals by brand, and not by specific stompboxes. The reverb pedal brands we recommend would stem from our specific recommendations in this article and include the following:

Strymon

Strymon makes a few reverb pedals, including a smaller (and cheaper) version of the BigSky. They're one of the best high-end pedal brands on the market right now.

Boss (Roland)

Boss likewise has several reverb pedals in a variety of different forms and stompbox sizes, and - as a company - have long been known for a really solid five-year warranty. Their quality won't necessarily "blow the doors off" other options, but they're a very consistent and reliable pedal brand.

TC Electronic

As a brand, TC Electronic's presence in the reverb pedal market relies almost entirely on the Hall of Fame series. Still, we've seen multiple iterations of that pedal, including a "Mini" version that's popular for those looking to spend less than $100. As a brand, it's a good one to keep an eye on when shopping for reverb pedals.

Conclusion and Questions

Keep in mind:

These recommendations are based on a first-hand account. All the reverb pedals here have been tested and used by me and couple people that help me write content for Guitar Chalk.

If you have questions about our review process, or about the best reverb pedals in this list, feel free to reach out via the comments section below and I'll be happy to help as best I can.

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