Reverb

[Don]

I recently went from being a firm believer that a great amp doesn't need any reverb at all to realizing that I like a splash of reverb on almost everything.

I bought a Malleko Spring to try on a couple of amps that I felt needed reverb and was amazed when I heard it with my 5E3 clone! It makes certain licks come alive!

Under close scrutiny, the Malleko Spring would never fool a spring reverb connoisseur, but, in the mix, it actually performs a little better than a real spring reverb.

Unfortunately, it does not sound great in front of a high gain amp like my Mesa Subway Rocket. It sounds great in the effects loop, especially with the reverb maxed and the effects loop level set low.

[buckaroo]

I grew up on blackface Fenders with built in reverb. Addicting. Later in life, in the 1980's, I migrated to Fender tweeds and missed the reverb so I used the venerable 6G13 Fender Reverb. I always thought that the 6G13 was cool, but a bit too much. Too many guys get addicted to that particular reverb sound and they can't play anything without it! Thet get dependent on it and it becomes part of their sonic signature. They can't play without it!

Examples of awesome players who's sound has become cliche with the 6G13 might include Hollywood Fats and Junior Watson. And all of their West Coast Swing followers. I love all of that stuff. I am just saying that the particular reverb sound of it has become cliche, like John Scofield's use of a chorus. I love it all. But the effect has become part of the sonic signature.

I remember when Scofield did a straight jazz record with no chorus several years ago called "Works For Me". It was so refreshing just to hear him play without the chorus! Just guitar tone (and a very transparent reverb).

In the 1990's I decided to abandon reverb for a while. (I really have never used any other effects except a rare tremolo.) At first it was hard but eventually it was very liberating.

I love reverb. I still use a very transparent reverb on some gigs (Holy Grail Nano) but I barely turn it up. Just enough so I can barely tell it is there. And no more.

I like reverb that is subtle and transparent. I don't like it to be the dominant sonic signature that I can't live without. I never practice with reverb.

[Offshore Angler]

Unfortunately, now that I finally figured out reverb I became a geezer
and don't play out a whole lot anymore.

Playing in the surf band I learned a whole lot about reverb. Then, playing in the studio I made the leap. Wet/dry mix is everything with reverb and delays. I had my loop controller built with a wet/dry mix which allows me to mix my clean and effects to keep the cut sans the volume. It's the same as patching your input to two channels on the board and then only putting the effects on one. Leave the dry signal to cut throught the mix at a reasonable volume and then push up the slider for the channel with the send and return for the reverb to take the edge off and round out the sound.

AxeFX has made my life a whole lot easier, but I still worry about the single-point-of-failure possibility...and playing for sixty bux at the local craphole doesn't warrant a backup with a switchover. These babies are spendy!

I can buy a Ford Racing supercharger for less than an AxeFx, and that's a better tone!


YMMV.

Chuck