The Steel Guitar Forum

Matthew,
Most amplifiers have reverb built in. If yours doesn't, you should get some kind of reverb effect. It will help your sound if you are not a very experienced player. I would consider it to be the most important effect if I could have only one.

Might I suggest a Boss '63 Fender Reverb? They sound great and work great on those stages that are shaky that make the spring ones in your amp crash.

Yes Sir,
I would highly reccommend getting a reverb pedal, if you don't have rvb in your amp. It just sounds more professional . You will hear it on all pro recordings.. Don't use too much. I've been at steel shows where I wanted to go up and tell the player,"man you're good but we can't hear what you're doing thru all that reverb. RP

like said above- just the right amount of reverb will add alot of depth to your sound. I use a Holy Grail Reverb pedal mounted to my steel leg so I can make quick adjustements. Also if you are using a reverb tank in your amp, don't setup to close to the drummer or your reverb tank will be "crashing" all night!

My opinion only; I can easily live without using reverb, but I almost always use delay. I don't over-do the delay, usually just one repeat, which gives a kind of reverb sound. But it's a cleaner sound that doesn't change the tone as much as reverb. Lately, I used the Digitech Rp-155, sometime using a combination of a little reverb with the delay. The 155 is an nice option that has some good sounding effects.

Thanks for all the input. I do have reverb in my amp and I do use a delay pedal also. Thanks for the tips.

I like a bit of plate reverb on faster songs and reverb and delay on slower songs.
Just my 2 cents....

just delay for me on stage. i used to use too much reverb and wash out the sound.

I just got a Lee Jackson Mr. Springgy pedal from a member here and it is the closest thing I've heard to the reverb in a 60's Fender Reverb combo amp. While most of the new pedals are digital, Mr. Springgy is 100% analog. Although I got it for my amps that don't have reverb, I've also been using it with my amps that do have reverb because it is such a big improvement. (It is rather pricey, retailing for $400 and usually selling for $250 but the forum member here made me an offer that I couldn't refuse. )

I had been using the Malekko Spring Chicken pedal (with the Belton digital reverb "brick") for the past two years and a Holy Grail before that. Yeah, I guess I do like reverb...

Steve Ahola

I've heard just about all of the steel players in town at sometime or another and the late great Gene O'Neil is about the only one that I hardly ever heard use any reverb. He worked down on the Alley for many years and I can't recall him ever using any verb. Now that doesn't mean he never did I just never caught him using any.

I've heard him use chorus and I even sold him a digitech harmonizer which he utilized perfectly and he was also good enough at playing steel that he pulled off not adding reverb to his playing very well. I think I heard him use some delay at times but not a lot of that.

I sure miss him and what a great player!!

Bob Martin

I like reverb better than the delay. I like the Holy Grail, as I tend to use a tight setting fargin uptempo songs and fatter for ballads. I switch to Hall for ballads and Spring for quick stuff without moving the knob

If you want a foot pedal the Digetech RV7 Has the clearest best sound I've found with the Boss RV2 a close second. A good rack mount would be the Boss RV70 it will sound great it has reverb and or Digital delay you can set to taste and is user friendly. start with reverb and add delay slowly. If you get one I would be glad to tell you a good place to start.There are other good units out there but some change the tone of your amp and need an electronic wizard to operate. The above is price conscious.

You think the RV-3 and RV-7 better than the Holy Grail? I've found that the Grail does affect the sound, but in a good way: it's almost like a Lil Izzy when you turn it on. And apart from the power switch, there's a 3-way switch and the rotary knob.

I had a holy grail for a while but it didn't hold a true sound without trailing off with a different sound which with a steel you want sustain and you do any change you desire. I think a few of the early rack analog and digital were like the early pedals that had high quality chips in them for great sound but no one uses them because cheap is the key factor now. I agree reverb is most important but the right amount of delay adds to the fullness of your tone but tone has a lot to do with technique and how you pick the strings and hold the bar. Practice Practice practice.the Pros can sound good on most anything.

Jerry - I know the noise you refer to. The newer Holy Grails give you a choice between "spring" and "hall". I've noticed that noise when using the "spring" setting; however, the "hall" setting doesn't do that. On the bandstand, I don't notice the noise at all, when using the "spring" setting.

I use a Holy Grail myself and have been very happy with it. Even in some very demanding situations. I did just used a TC Electronics Hall of Fame Reverb in a recording session last week and I was very impressed.

Lee
I know what you are saying. I guess I'm to picky about clutter. I like the RV7 and DD2 hardwire better than the RV2 and DD2 because used with my power supply (the regulator] it is dead quiet and has awsome string seperation and tone thru my ZUM and Hot Rod Deluxe and with stock speaker and with a (JBL K130) as extended it will get loud. I haven't used either Evans or my Vegas 400 in quite a while. I can't get enthused with a practice amp with poor tone, besides I heard a well known Pro say He'd rather hear a decent player with good tone than a great player with bad tone. I agree Jerry