Reverb is the sound of a room. When you play in a hall, your notes bounce off walls, floor and ceiling thousands of times and blend into a smooth tail. A reverb pedal recreates that space, so a dry, boxy guitar sounds like it lives somewhere.
The main types
| Type | What it sounds like |
|---|---|
| Spring | Bright, drippy, a little "boingy". The classic sound built into many combo amps; essential for surf. |
| Plate | Smooth, dense and shimmery, with no obvious room. A studio favorite. |
| Hall | Big, long and lush, like a concert hall. Lovely on slow leads and ballads. |
| Room | Short and natural. Adds life without sounding like an effect. |
| Shimmer | A reverb tail with octaves pitched in, usually an octave up. Huge, glowing, ambient pads. |
The knobs
- Decay (or Time): how long the tail lasts before it dies away.
- Mix (or Level): how much reverb you hear compared with your dry note.
- Tone: brightens or darkens the tail. Darker tails stay out of the way of your playing.
Less is more
The most common reverb mistake is too much. Alone in your bedroom, a big wash sounds gorgeous. In a band, it turns your guitar into mush and pushes it to the back of the mix. Start with Mix around 9 or 10 o'clock and a moderate Decay. Turn it up until you can hear it, then back it off a little. Often the best reverb is one you'd only notice if someone switched it off.
Faster, busier playing needs shorter, quieter reverb. Slow, sparse playing can take more.
Reverb vs delay
Both add space, but in different ways. Delay gives you distinct, separate repeats you can count. Reverb gives you thousands of tiny reflections smeared into one smooth tail, with no individual echoes. Delay is an echo across a canyon; reverb is the room you're standing in. Many players use both: a little room or spring reverb all the time, and delay for leads.