Reverb Types Explained: Spring, Hall, Plate and Beyond
Open up almost any reverb pedal and you''re faced with a list of modes: spring, room, hall, plate, shimmer. They all add space, but they do it in very different ways. Here''s what each one actually is, and where it shines.
Spring
The classic guitar reverb, originally created by sending the signal through actual metal springs in an amp. It''s drippy, surfy and slightly metallic — the sound of surf rock, rockabilly and vintage Fender amps. If you want one quintessentially "guitar" reverb, this is it.
Room and hall
Room reverbs simulate a small, natural space — subtle, tight, great for adding realism without obvious effect. Hall reverbs are bigger and longer, simulating a concert hall, for lush, spacious tones on cleans and ballads. Most playing sits somewhere between these two.
Plate
Plate reverb came from studios vibrating a large metal plate. It''s smooth, dense and bright, and it''s a favourite on vocals and guitar leads because it sits beautifully without muddying the tone.
Shimmer and ambient
Shimmer adds a pitch-shifted octave to the reverb tail for a soaring, angelic wash, while ambient modes pile on modulation and long decays for cinematic soundscapes. These are special-occasion sounds — gorgeous, but easy to overdo.
Which do you need?
For most players, a pedal with spring, hall and plate covers everything — the Boss RV-6 (check price) has all of those and more. If you want ambient washes, look at a dedicated unit like the Walrus Audio Slö (check price). See our best reverb pedals guide for the full picks.
Common questions
- What reverb type is best for guitar?
- Spring is the classic guitar reverb (surfy and drippy), while hall and plate are great all-rounders for lush cleans and leads. A multi-mode pedal lets you switch between them.
- What is shimmer reverb?
- Shimmer adds a pitch-shifted (usually an octave up) layer to the reverb tail, creating a soaring, synth-like, angelic wash. It''s great for ambient and atmospheric playing but easy to overuse.
I'm Martin, and I have a problem (it's pedals). I play ambient and post-rock — big washes of reverb, delays into delays, the kind of pedalboard that needs its own roadie — so effects are where I live. I love going down the rabbit hole on a circuit: what's the buffer doing, how does it stack, what happens at the extremes of the knobs nobody dares turn? My reviews tend to wander, because that's how you actually find the magic in a box. I'll always show you the weird, useful corners.
Ambient/post-rock guitarist and lifelong pedal collector
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