I pick the type of reverb based on the song arrangement and the number of instruments. The faster and bigger the band, the smaller the reverb time. But a solo musician in a large room might allow me a larger and longer amount of reverb—depending on the song tempo.
My go-to reverb is plate but it’s hard to say that because so many factors come into play. It might be the effect I try first but that’s it.
Other effects
Distortion, chorus, delay and the list goes on. Anything is possible but not everything sounds good. I’ve used electric guitar Crunch to add more frequencies to the acoustic guitar so it sat better in the mix. I’ve added delay to make a small band sound big—getting the guitar to sound more like a 12-string guitar. It’s a matter of listening to the whole mix of the song and deciding if the guitar needs something else, and when you know the options you have, you know what you can do.
The Next Step
If you’re an acoustic guitarist and want to improve your tone, check out the two effects boxes below—I use the Para DI.
This article originally appeared here.
