Does Reverb Enhance Total Sound?

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Some players prefer less reverb settings than others. I'm at a loss to find the ideal setting for playing country ballads. Any input on the subject would be of great interest. Thanks...

Calvin Walley · From: colorado city colorado, USA

i like mine set on 6
one of the best players anywhere sets his on 7
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Mullen SD-10 /nashville 400
gotta love a Mullen!!!

Guitars that i have owned in order are :
Mullen SD-10,Simmons SD-10,Mullen SD-10,Zum stage one,Carter starter,
Sho-Bud Mavrick

Jack Dougherty · From: Spring Hill, Florida, USA

Bill...

First there are some questions....
How far away do you sit from your amp? Distance plays a factor in what your hearing. Also the room you play in. At home or a club. Plate reverbs are different than spring or room types. What's yours?
But really it's all about what you like. There is a thread floating around the forum somewhere about a picker who had the pleasure of sitting at BE's guitar. After fooling with it for a while
he was then talking with Weldon M. commenting about how badly he thought the guitar sounded. Weldon's reply was yes until Buddy plays it... Very Happy

So you see there is no real answer.....Of course toooooooo much is just plain awful!!!

JD
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There is no such thing as too many steels!!
Emmons P/P 8/7 Strings....whatever I have.....Picks..mixed...Bars...one of four..but I like the Bullet Bar
Walker Stereo Steel Amp

TC M1 XL
Peavey Nashville 400. Fox Mod
Various sundries and toys..

Mike Shefrin · Posted 23 Jan 2008 11:32 am

Bill, I used to use more reverb than I do now. I have it set to about 9:00 or 10:00 on my Fender Steel King. I discovered that too much reverb hides or takes away from the guitar's inherent tone. Using less reverb forces you to get the sound. I used to use a Boss RV3 which had digital delay and a very lush reverb but now I just plug my steel into the volume pedal and straight to the amp with no effects other than a small amount of reverb. It's funny because I used to love alot of reverb until I discovered it took away more from the natural sound than it added. Using less reverb forces you to concentrate on getting a beautiful natural "steely" tone from your hands and volume pedal.
Everyone has their own ideas and preference when it comes to using reverb or effects. Just go with what sounds best to you is my advice.

edited for spelling. I misspelled "inherent"

Dick Wood · From: Springtown Texas, USA

Reverb is a nice sustain enhancer but too much does take away from the pureness of the notes causing them to become indistinct as well as adding some artifacts if the notes are not picked cleanly.

Fred Glave · From: McHenry, Illinois, USA

Thanks for the post Bill, I was going to post a similar question. I play through a Fender Deluxe 90 and I want to set one channel with reverb and the other totally clean. I was going to ask if there was anyone who plays totally clean, and what styles are they playing like that. I think that I prefer my bass settings up all the way, my mid at about 3 and no treble. The reverb is up about 1/3 to 1/2. But Jack makes sense, because it seems the room has a lot to do with it.

Joe Smith · From: Charlotte, NC, USA

For my ear, I like to get the reverb just to the point where you can tell it's on. I'm not too big on effects. To me effects just take away from the beautiful sound of the steel guitar.

Sonny Priddy · From: Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA, R.I.P.

On The Old Session 400's We Set It On 7 On My Nashville 112's I Set It From 2 To 3. SONNY.

Terry Wood · From: Lebanon, MO

I think Calvin and Sonny both are correct on their statements/posts. I find that I can't play well unless reverb is the right amount, but as others mentioned you have to adjust to the room and your distance as well. It really comes down to a matter of personal taste too.

Next, if you feel you got it set right then you will sound and play better, but if your uncomfortable change it. Your the sound tech. This is one reason that I don't like sound people monkeying around with my sound. They are not steel players and most of them haven't a clue as how to set it and get it sounding good. This is precisely why if someone asks me to play and go through the house I refuse anymore.

Hope this helps.

Terry

Jack Dougherty · From: Spring Hill, Florida, USA

Some additional thoughts to ponder.....
This a tough question or problem as this is the product of the hearer. Remember the best sound is about six to ten feet from your amp. Its also important not to have the amp directly in back of you but just to one side or the other. Whether the amp is on a chair or the floor also has some influence. That being if the floor is soft carpet or hardwood. Or is some cases concrete Sad

Reverb is intended to emulate the natural tones of a large room, not really to make the guitar sound better. That's left in the hands of the player.
So one has to start with a good clean tone then add
the "seasoning" so to speak. IMHO don't get married to setting. Like all recipes, there's always room for adjustment.

JD
_________________
There is no such thing as too many steels!!
Emmons P/P 8/7 Strings....whatever I have.....Picks..mixed...Bars...one of four..but I like the Bullet Bar
Walker Stereo Steel Amp

TC M1 XL
Peavey Nashville 400. Fox Mod
Various sundries and toys..

Joe Smith · From: Charlotte, NC, USA

Mike Shefrin, you and I think a like. Smile

Steve Norman · From: Seattle Washington, USA

If my playing is sloppy I'll reach over and turn up the reverb. If I am picking and sustaining well I turn it down.
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Bill McRoberts · From: Janesville, Wisconsin USA

I agree with Terry's additional statement.

I have had two different recording engineers ask my to play with no reverb so they could add it in later.
No thanks!

I set my Fender Twin Reverb at 5 or 6 depending on the room.

Some pickers call the reverb knob "the talent switch"...

Cameron Parsons · From: Angleton, Texas

I don't use any reverb at all when playing live. However, I do use several different delay settings depending on the genre and/or tempo.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I think it can add something to a lot of stuff...if used properly. Too much is worse than none at all, and I feel you have to gear it to the mood and the speed of the song. I don't feel, however, it's very good to use as a "cover-up" for poor tuning or technique (though some players might use it mostly for that purpose).

Nice post, Bill!

Stephen Silver · From: Asheville, NC

I have been using a Steel King and typically set the reverb in the neighborhood of 10 o'clock. If i am outdoors, a little more. I also use delay, mostly as a thickener/doubler for slower type stuff. As I am moving to a Revelation rack system with a TC M350, I will be working with it to find the settings that I need in the future. I like some reverb AND delay on the signal to round out the tone and thicken things up a little bit.

SS
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Bill Moore · From: Manchester, Michigan

I use a small to medium amount of delay only, no reverb at all.

Michael Haselman · From: St. Paul

A lot of these replies confirm my feelings on the subject. I've discussed this with other players and sound techs. I believe reverb is more a psychological aid for the player rather than a real sound enhancement. For instance, when the reverb went out on my Webb some years back it drove me nuts, but no one else noticed a real change. And when I'm listening to recordings or other players, reverb doesn't even cross my mind. Just my humble opinion. I couldn't play without it, though.
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Mark Treepaz · From: Hamburg, New York USA

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

It is a common practice among New Englanders, to avoid "looking a gift horse in the mouth." The openhandedness of others, here in Massachusetts, has touched my life many times. The amp that I'm focusing upon was delivered to me as a gift. It's a PEAVEY Stereo Chorus 400. It delivers 300 watts of power, through two twelve" speakers. It will rattle cages at close range. The reverb unit is of the spring type in a steel enclosure.. the same as Fender used. The electronic options mounted conveniently across the top would no doubt, satisfy most musicians who are looking for a wide range of tonal adjustments. The REVERB seems to be the strongest influence for making distinct changes in sound deliveries. Certain monitorial procedures become optative, while attempting to entertain house guests. It has been agreed upon, that acoustic considerations, can make or break desirable sound deliveries. A great number of folks, (sound engineers in particular) do not understand the need for volume pedals. This can cause a bad rub between a performer and production management. Should a list of reasons be compiled for attaining the ultimate musical tones of the steel guitars, volume pedals, acoustic explorations, and reverb intensities, would no doubt head the list of things to look into. IMHO

Robert Harper · From: Alabama, USA

I just wish I could get to the point it really mattered
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Bill McRoberts · From: Janesville, Wisconsin USA

Yes Mark, both recording sessions were a live band setting.
I've done some recording that was to be added in later,
DRY....It's was a little hard to get used to
at first but, the final outcome was good. Smile

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

If by chance some of the Texas players who may know "Buck" Grantham's reverb setting during his performances, please pass it on to me. In 1993 "Buck" attended and played at a "Cajun Classic" Show. Bobby Seymour, Scotty, Doug Jernigan, Herb Remington, Herby Wallace, and many others performed. "Buck's" reverb setting caught my attention, as he played the Merle Haggard tune; "If I Left It Up To You, It Would All Be Over Now." No doubt he may have been using other effects at the time. Junior Knight played lead guitar at the event. It would be nice to read about others who may have attended the show, and enjoyed hearing "Buck do his rendition of the song.

Marc Jenkins · From: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

I don't think there's any across-the-board rule for reverb. Sometimes, recording with a great spring reverb is much better, no matter how much control the mix engineer loses, than a digital verb. Sometimes, too much reverb is the right choice for the song (check out Calexico's Feast of Wire CD, for example).

I play through one of two tube amps, both with built-in spring reverb. I use just a little from the amp, and if I need more, I stack on a Holy Grail Plus. Then, if I really want to go out there, I'll add a delay, or even two. Yes, that would sound ridiculous for 'Crazy Arms,' but it might be the best thing for the song I'm playing.

So, my reverb goes anywhere from 4 on the amp to somewhere around 27.

John Roche · From: England

No, reverb is our way of saying I can't play unless I sound like other players sound like. A little delay is more pleasing to the ear then reverb, at least you don't loose tone with delay, Some player have so much reverb that you would think they were playing in the Grand Canyon, listen to Jimmy Day , Buddy Emmons and a host of other players some of them who may well be your hero, do they have enormous amounts of reverb , I think not. It's down to ability to master the steel guitar without added effects, when you have achieved this you won't feel the need to use FX to FU your sound.... bed I think..

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