Reverb Pedals - Price Range

SNAKEBITE

Any topic that opens with the words "This is going to sound like a silly question" normally precedes a really silly question, but here goes.....

This is going to sound like a really silly question but why are Reverb pedals (or indeed any other guitar pedal, or anything in life) so varied in price?

See I told you it was going to be a silly question.

I'm after a reverb pedal that will do what I want and is reasonably priced. The variation in price is huge, from:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Biyang-Rv-10-3mode-Stereo-Reverb-Guitar-Effects-Pedal-Stereo-designed-TRI-Reverb/262940506814?epid=12011027374&hash=item3d3879babe:g:YqcAAOSwXshaQ0S8

to:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Strymon-Big-Sky-Reverb-Pedal/232627157190?epid=1643842903&hash=item3629a8b8c6:g:qwcAAOSwk~ZaO8WL

Now obviously I'm probably after something in between, but how do I know what I want?

I'm after a "Surf" sound, but I'm not after replicating anything specific. It doesn't have to be period correct or anything like that, I doubt I could tell the difference!

So, if anyone has any useful tips please let me know, because to be honest, other that "surf" I haven't a clue what I need to get!!

EricTheWeary

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/125142/best-small-sized-spring-reverb#latest

If the link works it's a similarly themed question posted earlier today, or at least some of the answers will give you more things to look at.

For surf it's very much a spring reverb sound ( as opposed to plate, hall,etc). So you are probably chasing pedals that do just that ( or rather just do a digital model of a spring reverb, anything with an actual spring in it will be large and probably expensive). However, you could look at pedals that do multiple reverbs like the TC  Hall of Fame which include a spring model. 

As for the variation in price I guess it's all the variables you would normally think of : quality of build, country of origin, label, availability. 

crunchman

The bigger ones like the Big Sky have lots of digital processing power and use it for things like their Cloud algorithm.  It does sound amazing but it would be overkill just for surf sounds though.

It also has 3 footswitches and the ability to have multiple presets set up.  You have 3 per bank, but multiple banks available.  If you do want something that can do the subtle always on reverb, but then switch to an "effect" reverb then presets are great.  I like the way you can modulate the reverbs as well.   I've still got a chorus pedal on my board but I could easily live without it.

It might be worth giving one a try.  You can do so much more with it than basic reverbs.  I bought it thinking about more conventional reverbs, but stuff like the Cloud and Swell algorithms are useful at the right times - like a lot of effects they can sound cheesy if overdone.

SNAKEBITE

Thanks for the help.

It sounds as though Spring Reverb is the way to go.

Whilst I am not after playing surf specifically, that's the sound I like.

munckee

I always say this on reverb threads but I'll say it again : ) I bought a used Boss Fender 63 FRV pedal for £70 and does exactly the 60s surf sound and nothing else.

Edit - loads of available videos online, check out Dave Simpson on youtube who does an in depth play through of it.

Beexter

Price variations will depend on a number of factors as mentioned above but ultimately, go with what sounds best to you. Cheap doesn't always sound bad and expensive doesn't always sound good.
If you buy used at sensible prices, you can always move it on if it doesn't work for you without losing a load of cash.
I've had cheap and I've had expensive. My current pedalboard has been put together over a number of years through trial and error.
It consists of 3 drive pedals, a compressor, a tremolo, a tuner , volume/wah and a delay.
None of them were the first of their "type" that I tried. As an example, I must have tried 6 compressors before finding the one for me. 
You can get a steer from the forums but the best way is to let your ears decide.

Wazmeister

You just have to play em, and my fave sound (for some reason) emerged as Plate Reverb...

Ive owned many many verbs, but the ones that has been bought-sold- bought back again are;


1.) Big Sky - the king for me. Absolutely love it. Seen off H9,Eventide, etc etc

2.) Catalinbread Talisman- gorgeous, splash free, and a future classic. 

3.) Digitech Polara - best of the cheapies - vastly underrated 

I know re-own the top two

BintyTwanger77

Pricing varies wildly for a number of reasons, where it's built, components, how many options it has, processing power.

My favourite is still the Big Sky: it's a lot of money, but you get 12 different reverb "engines" and a huge amount of control of the parameters, and it sounds incredible.

The MXR is also excellent, and I've just bought a Boss RV6 to use with my acoustic and it sounds great. I still say that Boss pedals are popular for gigging musicians not just because they're easily replaced, but they sound good. The thing I listen out for in a good reverb (apart from the big, space-out ambient sounds) is how natural the tails are, how naturally it decays, and you don't always get that with the cheapest ones.

timbuk02

Admittedly I'm only looking at simple pedals with a beautiful Hall setting, so don't need all the other amazing things the Strymon can obviously do - but this is an interesting vid when talking £ vs £££££

https://youtu.be/hBBZ0d9e_YM

theflyisback

I’d heartily recommend a digitech polara. The spring setting sounds great but you get so much more.


also, if you can stretch to it the reverbs on the line 6 m5 are great too. Again you get so much more for your money too. 

I’ve got both on my board and got everything covered. My sound is very very reverb heavy and I’ve got no need to enter blue/big sky territory for a while (as much as I’d like one)

Polara is £108 on Amazon. M5 is £120 btw

SNAKEBITE

timbuk02 said:

Admittedly I'm only looking at simple pedals with a beautiful Hall setting, so don't need all the other amazing things the Strymon can obviously do - but this is an interesting vid when talking £ vs £££££

https://youtu.be/hBBZ0d9e_YM

Thanks for putting this video up.

This is exactly what I was trying to work out, nice to hear the cheapest and the expensive go head to head.

goyt

~£400 pedals are studio-quality, both in fidelity and tweakability. Used with a guitar amp the difference in fidelity between a £100 and £400 pedal doesn’t matter too much - the Spring mode on a Hall of Fame competes with a Ventris, Blue Sky, Space, etc.

I just returned a Ventris for that reason. There’s a nice video of the Source Audio engineer explaining why their Spring is a step-up in realism, and through headphones it really is lovely. But guitar amps make guitars sound good. Play CD/mp3/vinyl though them and it doesn’t sound good. Through a full-range hi-fi speaker the ~£400 reverbs still sound top-notch. They’re more like the rack reverbs that producers used as outboard effects, and the software equivalents that have largely replaced them, but in a pedal format. Not many producers use them because software offers much more. Guitarists unused to software are impressed by the tweakability and pitch-shifting modes. Some will benefit from the sound quality - maybe if you were going direct into a PA and were using reverb as a creative effect rather than trusting the sound engineer’s ears.

Just my take on it, having emerged from a reverb wormhole! 

SNAKEBITE

Thanks Goyt.

A good insight on the differences, I'm learning a lot.

Cheers.

ESBlonde

Are you going to be gigging this thing or taking it to bed? the tails of reverb will be all but lost in an average pub rock band gig. You'll know theres reverb there, but beyond that....

For Surf just get a spring reverb unit or a simple BOSS/Fender reverb so you can set and forget. get on with playing guitar.

If you're going into a studio let the engineer faff about with his very complex and expensive imobile unit.