1. The quick list
2. Best value for money
3. Best for versatility
4. Best for ambient
5. Best for simplicity
6. Best for gigging
7. Best budget option
8. More options
9. Buying advice
10. How we choose products
A great reverb is an ever-present pedal on any player's pedalboard and you'll be hard-pressed to find a pro guitar player who doesn't utilize it in one way or another. Whether used subtly to underpin your sound or cranked up to blast it into the stratosphere, the best reverb pedals will add to your tone no matter what you're playing style or preferred genre.
A reverb pedal places your guitar tone in a simulated space, lending a sense of depth to your tone. Thanks to the use of complex algorithms in a matter of a few button presses you can transfer your sound from a small room to a massive cathedral, right to the furthest reaches of the cosmos. There's a lot of choice available these days, so picking the right reverb pedal for you can be tricky.
Lucky for you we've trawled through a frankly ridiculous amount of reverb pedals both personally and professionally, all to bring you the best of the bunch. If you're new to reverb, make sure to check out our buying advice section at the bottom of this article to expand your knowledge. If you just want to see the best reverb pedals available today, then keep scrolling for our top picks.
Best reverb pedals: The quick list
Looking for the best reverb pedals without having to scroll through endless walls of text? Well here you'll find our personal favorites, with links to read more if you want.
If you want an array of top-quality different reverb algorithms in a pedalboard-friendly enclosure, without having to spend loads, the Electro-Harmonix Oceans 11 is your perfect match.
If you're after a reverb pedal that will do the 'drip' of a proper spring reverb just as well as the angelic sounds of a shimmer reverb, the Boss RV-500 is an incredibly versatile reverb pedal.
For those who like their soundscapes dripping in ambiance, the Strymon NightSky will deliver otherworldly sounds with an incredible array of functionality for truly unique reverb tones.
For those who want usable reverb sounds quickly without loads of knobs to tweak, the MXR M300 Reverb combines top-quality algorithms with ease of use in a bullet-proof enclosure.
One of the most popular reverb pedals of all time, the Strymon BigSky combines incredible sounds with an array of options to tweak your tone, making it perfect for gigging players.
If you're after a quality reverb pedal on a budget, the TC Electronic Hall Of Fame 2 gives you loads of different quality reverb algorithms that won't break the bank.
Best reverb pedals 2023
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Here you'll find full writeups of all the best reverb pedal available right now. All of our picks are drawn from our team of expert writers, so you can rely on our recommendations.
Best value for money
The lower left rotary switch knob on the Oceans 11’s front panel gives the strongest indication of the complexity lurking within this diminutive device. Here, users will find 11 different settings that consist of hall, spring, plate, reverse, echo, tremolo, modulated, dynamic, auto-infinite, shimmer, and polyphonic effects.
Several of these effects - tremolo, modulated, and dynamic - have three different sets of parameters that can be selected with the mode switch. The mode switch also selects tap tempo divisions for the echo setting and engages either interval or mix edit parameters for the Poly setting. Other controls include an FX level, time (decay), and tone knobs, with the latter two also providing a second set of parameters that are accessible by holding down the mode button for about one second.
The sound quality of all of the effects is stellar, boasting smooth tails and pro-studio-quality noise-free performance. The spring reverb setting is based on a 1962 Fender 6G15 reverb unit and delivers some of the best spring reverb effects you’ll ever hear. Echo combines delay and reverb, while tremolo applies a tremolo effect to both wet and dry hall reverb.
Shimmer is an ethereal, octave-up reverb effect with a long, sustaining tail that produces a synth-like texture, and the polyphonic reverb applies two programmable pitch shifts to the reverb tail to also generate complex, synth-like sounds.
Whether you want outstanding versions of bread-and-butter reverb effects, complex and unusual special effects, or a combination of both, the Electro-Harmonix Oceans 11 Reverb is a worthy and highly affordable contender for any pedalboard, large or small - and is easily one of the best Electro-Harmonix pedals in their lineup right now.
Read the full Electro-Harmonix Ocean's 11 review
Best for versatility
Boss’s RV-500 is a large-format powerhouse, with 32-bit AD/DA, 32-bit floating point processing, and a 96 kHz sampling rate. The jam-packed unit boasts three footswitches, digital delay options, and 12 modes with 21 unique reverb types – all with a wide range of adjustable parameters, from decay, density, and modulation to EQ, ducking, and more. For good measure, there are also Roland classics like the SRV-2000 Reverb and RE-201 Space Echo.
Additionally, the RV-500 features an A/B Simul mode, making it possible to use two reverb patches at once, close to 300 onboard patch memories, selectable buffered-bypass or true-bypass operation, and the capability to interface with MIDI control devices. A seemingly endless array of options and combinations, all in Boss’ most powerful and versatile reverb processor to date.
Best for ambient
Even for those used to complex pedals and software plug-ins, the NightSky is initially daunting. However, its saving grace is that more-or-less every parameter is accessible quickly via a control on the front panel.
There are three main modes. Sparse is a tap-delay-based reverb, Dense is more of a plate-style reverb, and Diffuse, as the name implies, is more of an ambient reverb. The tap delay mode can put you in the ballpark of more standard delays as well, further adding to the versatility of the NightSky.
There are dedicated controls on the front panel for adding harmonic intervals, shimmer reverb tails, and modulation to the core reverb sound, plus a footswitch to trigger an infinite reverb mode.
Finally, there's also a step-sequencer in the NightSky, presumably to add experimental options akin to those in the Hologram Infinite Jets and Microcosm. It's not clear that it's a USP in the context of the NightSky, which is more of a studio reverb workstation than an esoteric weirdo box.
Read the full Strymon NightSky review
Best for simplicity
It took MXR a while to come out with a reverb pedal, but it was worth the wait and fully deserves the number 3 spot in this best reverb pedals guide. The M300 is a compact, low-noise unit constructed with the usual MXR attention to detail. The simple layout features just three knobs - Decay, Mix, and Tone - with the last of those also employed to cycle through the pedal’s six verbs: Plate, Spring, Epic, Mod, Room, and Pad.
There’s also a hi-fi analog dry path with 20 volts of headroom and an Exp jack that makes it possible to connect an expression pedal and blend between two different setting configurations. A trails bypass mode - a particularly cool feature - allows the reverb effect to fade out when you switch the pedal off, instead of cutting off the effect abruptly. Smart, straightforward, and great-sounding, the M300 is an absolute winner.
Best for gigging
One of Strymon’s “large-format” pedals, the BigSky provides 12 different reverb effects that encompass standard reverbs and special effects like swell, bloom, cloud, chorale, shimmer, magneto, nonlinear, and reflections. Seven control knobs on the front panel allow users to instantly adjust parameters like decay, pre-delay, mix, tone, parameter 1, parameter 2, and modulation, while new settings can be saved in any of 300 preset memory locations.
Presets are accessible in separate banks of three presets (A, B, and C), which are accessible via the pedal’s three footswitches and/or the rotary value control knob. The large LED displays preset info, including its number and a programmable name. The LEDs surrounding the rotary reverb-type control change color from green to amber to let users know when a preset has been modified.
What’s more, the quality of BigSky’s reverb sounds is simply phenomenal and actually much better than many famous digital reverb rack units from the past three decades. The reverb tails are incredibly smooth, and the special effects rank right up there with those usually found on studio gear costing well over $2,000. Playing through the Big Sky instantly provides that elusive professional sheen both onstage and in the studio.
Best budget option
The sequel to TC’s best-selling Hall Of Fame takes the successful formula - which spans the typical spring, plate, and church settings, plus mod and lo-fi sounds - and adds a host of extras.
Besides a polyphonic shimmer mode, the HOF2 boasts TC’s pressure-sensitive MASH technology, which allows you to adjust the intensity of the reverb depending on how hard you push on the footswitch.
Three slots are onboard to store TonePrint presets, too - you can use TC’s computer or app-based editor to create your own sounds, as well as download artist presets.
More options...
Eventide’s Space boasts a wide variety of spatial effects, including basic reverbs, delays, and unique combination effects, with 12 of the company’s studio-level reverb combo algorithms - Room, Plate, Spring, Hall, Reverse, Shimmer, ModEchoVerb, DualVerb, Blackhole, MangledVerb, TremoloVerb and DynaVerb - on board.
There are also more than 100 factory presets, guitar and line-level in/out, MIDI control via USB or MIDI in, real-time control with 10 knobs, MIDI or an expression pedal, tap tempo and MIDI clock sync, mono and stereo operation, and much, much more.
While Space doesn’t come cheap relative to other pedals, the unit can readily do the job of more pricey rackmount processors, making it an incredibly useful stage and studio tool.
Walrus Audio’s entry into multi-function reverbs keeps its boutique credentials in check while offering a practical array of thoroughly usable reverb types - hall, plate, lo-fi, and Sonar - each with a preset-specific parameter.
The hall and plate settings really shine here, while lo-fi’s filtered tones offer some gnarly textures for more ambient players. Sonar adds high and low octaves to the reverb trails, and although it’s not the strongest shimmer available from a compact pedal, it’s a neat extra to have in your back pocket.
The pedal’s greatest strengths are the ability to add modulation to any sound, as well as the onboard sustain footswitch, which maxes out the decay for infinite reverbs.
Guitarists have long been hoping for the epic sound of a Strymon in a smaller unit, and now we’ve got it with the Strymon Cloudburst. This little blue box is only small in stature though, delivering huge, ambient tones that will no doubt please the shoegazers and experimentalists out there.
It’s a versatile pedal that can do some incredible things considering the limited amount of knobs at your disposal. The algorithms respond smartly to each knob individually, compensating to give you epic soundscapes or just spring-style reverbs with a twist. The ensemble mode is absolutely incredible and sure to bring a grin to your face when you use it.
There are additional functions for infinite and freeze modes, but you’ll need to spend extra on a Strymon MiniSwitch to access those. If you’re looking for the Strymon sound but want something more focused and wallet-friendly, look no further.
Read the full Strymon Cloudburst review
The sequel to TC’s best-selling Hall Of Fame takes the successful formula - which spans the typical spring, plate, and church settings, plus mod and lo-fi sounds - and adds a host of extras.
Besides a polyphonic shimmer mode, the HOF2 boasts TC’s pressure-sensitive MASH technology, which allows you to adjust the intensity of the reverb depending on how hard you push on the footswitch.
Three slots are onboard to store TonePrint presets, too - you can use TC’s computer or app-based editor to create your own sounds, as well as download artist presets. Considering the cost of this pedal, you get a whole lot of bang for your hard-earned bucks here.
The Ventris comes from digital pedal experts Source Audio, and its killer app is the ability to run two fully independent reverbs from one modestly proportioned pedal. So, you could send one reverb left, and one right, stack one into another, or run both at once in parallel for epic trails.
It's these flexible routing options that make the Ventris such an inspiring unit to play with, but the sounds are what seal the deal. Source Audio's spring emulations is one of the most accurate you'll hear, while the pedal's array of ethereal settings (E-Dome, Shimmer, Offspring) are sure to meet the needs of the most fastidious soundscapers.
The Ventris is super-easy to use right out of the box, but you can edit the whole lot and access deep parameters via Source Audio's Neuro Editor app, too.
Granular reverb can create pads and textures from audio inputs by chopping up and re-playing small grains or buffers of audio. Of course, this is pretty much how all delay pedals work, if you kind of squint, and so the fact that the Particle is a granular reverb pedal means it also has powerful delay modes too.
The grains are controlled by the chop and parameter controls, and in many of the modes, the particle is more of a delay pedal than a reverb. However, push the chop control into freeze territory, or experiment in the 'random' mode, and you'll discover a granular reverb in the Particle geared perfectly toward guitar use.
Version two of this already popular pedal moves the freeze control from the chop knob to a separate footswitch, making an already excellent pedal even more expressive.
For many players of an older-school persuasion, reverb peaked with Fender’s ’60s tube amps, and those iconic sounds are exactly what the guitar giant set out to capture with this vintage-voiced pedal.
Reverbs include a ’63 ‘brownface’ reverb tank, a ’65 ‘blackface’ reverb tank, and a studio-style plate reverb emulation, with impressive accuracy, while the optical, bias, and harmonic tremolos do a great approximation of these classic effects, too.
Naturally, this isn’t the place to look for grand, soundscaping reverbs, but if you’re after vintage amp effects in one box, this is a nicely priced offering from the company behind the original sounds.
It’s less common than you may first think to see genuinely unique pedals hit the market. We expect to see overdrive pedals based on stompboxes from the late 70s, chorus pedals based on the iconic Boss circuit, and relatively standard bucket brigade delay pedals, so it’s refreshing to see something we have never seen before – and Gamechanger Audio seems to do this with every release.
The Light Pedal is GCA’s attempt at redefining what a reverb pedal can be. Combining a real spring tank with an innovative infrared optical sensor system, the Light Pedal can be used to create brand-new sounds we guarantee you’ve never heard before.
This mega pedal includes six types of reverb, which can all be adjusted with the control knob, and better yet, the clever gate knob allows you to dramatically shorten the reverb tails and even create ducking effects. Oh, and in case you were worried about mechanical spring noise while you stomp around the stage, it’s okay, the built-in shock sensor is designed to eliminate that problem.
Best reverb pedals: Buying advice
What does a reverb pedal do?
To put it simply, a reverb pedal takes your guitar tone and puts it in a simulated space. When you clap your hands in a large space and hear the sound coming back at you, it’s being reflected off of the various surfaces in the space. A reverb pedal does the exact same thing with your guitar sound and thanks to advanced processing technology, can simulate your guitar in a small room, a vast cathedral, or even the infinite space of the universe.
Where does reverb go in the pedal chain?
We always like to say there are no hard and fast rules on where you should place your pedals, but if you’re new to reverb, we’d start by placing it at the end of your chain. Reverb creates a sense of space in your sound, so if you place it before certain effects it can end up sounding mushy and distant rather than tight and focused. Of course, this may be the effect you’re going for but for the majority of styles, reverb works better at the end of the signal chain.
If you have an effects loop on your amplifier, then situating your reverb, or any other time-based and modulation effects for that matter, can really open up your sound. This is because it bypasses any coloration from your amplifier’s EQ and gain stages, which can often lend some clarity, particularly when it comes to massive pedal chains with loads of effects.
Why are reverb pedals so expensive?
Unfortunately, reverb is one of the most expensive effects out there and this is because of the computational power that’s required to take your guitar’s signal, simulate it being played through digital space, and play it back at you, all in real-time. A mixture of complex algorithms and powerful computer chips is required to handle this workload and still deliver a top-quality tone, hence the associated cost. If you’re on a budget, not all is lost though, there are some budget reverb pedals available if you look hard enough that still deliver a great sound.
Are reverb pedals worth it?
In our opinion, absolutely yes. Reverb is probably the most used effect in the whole of music and was certainly one of the first effects that were ever used. Way back when loudspeakers were being played into a recording studio's bathroom to create a sense of space, right through to today’s wild soundscapes that are possible thanks to advanced digital signal processing, reverb is a must-have effect for any guitar player. It is an investment, but trust us, it’s totally worth it.
Are all reverb pedals digital?
Reverb is, for the most part, a digital effect. This is because for it to be analog, you’d need something physical to play your sound through. Early reverb effects like the plate reverb required huge metal sheets through which the sound was played. Echo chambers had sounds played into them which were then captured by a microphone and added to the dry signal to create a sense of space on the recording. So as you can imagine, it’s pretty inconvenient to use an analog reverb outside of the studio or sound design spaces.
That said, spring reverbs had a physical spring that the sound was played through to create it’s metallic twang, and you can still get these analog-type reverbs today, usually found built into amplifiers. Gamechanger Audio and Danelectro both do physical spring reverb pedals too, bringing analog sound straight to your pedalboard.
How we choose the best reverb pedals
Here at Guitar World, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything guitar related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.
When choosing what we believe to be the best reverb pedals available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.
First and foremost, we are guitarists, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best reverb pedals on the market right now.
Read more about how we test products and services and how we make our recommendations.
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