Fishman AFX Reverb review

There are plenty of electro-acoustic guitars being played on stages all over the world these days, and an increasing number via one or more pedals - the Boss tuner pedal, for one, seems to be a ubiquitous part of the singer-songwriter's arsenal.

However, it's probably fair to say that most of the pedals on the market are designed and voiced for use with standard electric guitars, with the resulting possibility that the acoustic player isn't really getting the optimum results from them.

Fishman, the acoustic pickup specialist, is aiming to remedy that with the new AFX range of pedals which are designed to be used by acoustic musicians without having any adverse effect on the signature sound of their instruments.

To achieve this result the effects are EQ'd in sympathy with the resonances of an amplified acoustic guitar and, rather than the whole signal getting the full effects treatment, the effected sound is added in parallel with the direct sound proportionally so it can be used subtly without completely colouring the sound.

Overview

What you get with this reverb pedal is a series of presets representing the sound of various real spaces of differing sizes - there are studio, room, stage, concert hall, cathedral and canyon presets plus studio-style chamber and a plate reverbs.

There are knobs for reverb decay, time and for tonal changes ranging from 'warm' to 'bright'.

If you want to add a touch of ambience to your acoustic sound each preset gives a different but realistic sense of space from the controlled sound of the studio preset to the echoey long decay of canyon.

The plate setting is nice and thick with a vintage vibe and the tone and decay time knobs, used in conjunction with the level control, means that there is plenty of variation that can be dialled in to get the sound just right.

If you play an electro-acoustic on stage and want more variety in your sound or just more control over it, rather than leaving it to whoever is working the PA, then the AFX Reverb may be for you.

The pedal is a little pricey so will probably only appeal to the really committed, but what you get is classy sound and a build quality that looks like it would last a lifetime, so the expense could be justified.