“A saturated reverb with a boingy, surf-like character – garage and lo-fi pedal junkies are going to flip over its seductively dark and grungy splash”: Anasounds La Grotte Analog Spring Reverb review

Jack White's maverick collaboration puts real mechanical spring reverb on your pedalboard and pairs it with a tone-sweetening preamp

Third Man Hardware x Anasounds La Grotte
(Image: © Anasounds)

Guitar World Verdict

Designed by Anasounds and Jack White, the La Grotte is a remarkable achievement as a fully analog spring reverb pedal with a built-in spring tank and a preamp for a dark and grungy reverb.

Pros

  • +

    100% analog and mechanical spring reverb with a built-in 3-spring tank.

  • +

    Separate and adjustable Dry/Wet volumes.

  • +

    2-band EQ. ​

  • +

    Built-in preamp.

  • +

    Internal controls for gain, true, or buffered bypass and input level pad.

  • +

    Original and collectible design.

Cons

  • -

    Costly.

  • -

    Digital reverb players might find it dark-sounding.

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Is there anything Jack White doesn’t have his hands in? The legendary musician, serial collaborator, and entrepreneur has been making hay for his Third Man Hardware company by partnering with select brands like Donner, Fender, and MXR to create musical gear aligned with his eclectic vision.

Now you can add French boutique pedal-maker Anasounds to the list. Nearly all these musical-product collaborations have sported contrasting yellows and blacks and symbolic pattern motifs that he’s adopted as his “Jack White-ish” signature.

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Ratings scorecard
TestResultsScore
Build qualityAn incredible work of pedal design.★★★★1/2
UsabilityPreamp and reverb are interactive. Knock the unit and it it makes a splash.★★★★☆
SoundsDark, grungy, vibe-y, and very cool.★★★★☆
OverallA must-try for Jack White fans and those who like spring reverb's saturated magic.★★★★☆

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