Spring is here and what better time to have acquired the Seaverb reverb by Andy Green Pedals. Inspired by the classic Fender Amps, this pedal delivers their reverb effect in spades; it’s soaked with surf-a-licious deliciousness.

A thorough review follows but, for those wanting to jump straight to my concluding thoughts: considering 1) the quality of tone/effect, 2) the build quality and, 3) the price — this pedal comes highly recommended for those looking for a simple, classic, spring reverb; one that is properly voiced/mixed, with a great and fluid range of effect.

The Seaverb reverb is a assembled by hand in Andy Green’s boutique workshop, located in Hollywood, Fl., just down the street from one of the area’s most famous Ice Cream parlours (I share that little detail in case one is hungry when they go to visit). Every pedal conveys a great sense of pride (certainly well deserved), illustrating his attention to detail, professionalism, and mastery of his craft. I was referred to Andy many years ago for his luthier services and, as I have come to expect, my guitars always play and feel better than ever before after he works his magic. As a bonus, the gear-talk and stories shared, while providing a brief glimpse into his years of experience in the music industry, are often both informative and entertaining.

About the Pedal: The Basics

Spring Reverb; Period. The range of the effect goes from very mild (also great for country slap-back) to surf-drip territory and yet, one always remains in sight of the shore; no deep ocean or outer space exploration here.

Simple controls: Depth & Shine. The Depth knob is self-explanatory; in practical terms, it controls the size of the emulated space. To illustrate the setup: imagine a set of springs in the center of the tank with a mic set at a specific distance from them. As one turns the depth knob to the right, the springs and the mic remain stationary but the walls of the spring tank move further away creating the greater sense of space.

The Shine Knob feels very much like a tone knob specific to the reberations of the springs. While the source tone remains constant, turn the knob to the left and the simulated response from the springs/space is a tad bit darker/muted — all the way to the right, and the captured response from the springs/space is bright and chimey.

As seen in the pic below, there is an internal Dip Switch which, when turned on, routes the effect/feedback back into itself which, in practical terms, feels like the reverb is a bit more intense and envelopes the core tone a bit more (read: the blend between the dry signal and the effect shifts to emphasize the effect a tad bit more.)

The Seaverb is a very straight-forward and simple pedal; this is not a bad thing. What it was designed to do, it does with great success. Based on the Belton Brick chip, found in many a reverb pedal, there are many similarities to the EQD Ghost Echo (link to review below) but each pedal has a different approach and end goal as it pertains to sculpting the effect via the available control scheme. Example: The EQD Ghost Echo allows for some low-orbit exploration thanks to the additional dwell and pre-delay controls.

I spent a few hours (on/off) testing and comparing the reverb effect to the Strymon Flint. Both sound great, each with nuanced differences. The simulated springs in the Seaverb feel a bit more relaxed (think: less tension) and thus, the trailing reverberations while present tend to mellow out. The Flint, in comparison, sounds like the springs are very fresh/high-tension and the intensity of their response is a bit sharper to the ear (think: more pronounced). It is not a question of which is better, they are just different — left to the taste/preference of the musician. While my opinion, I feel like the actual quality of the reverb effect of the Seaverb very much stands tall when next to the Strymon.

When envisioning the iconic 60’s longboards, the Seaverb catches the big wave and finds comfort in the heart of the pipeline.

As with all of my reviews, I will come back over time to edit, update, answer questions; jump back up to the top for my concluding thoughts. Sample clips provided in post below. One of the driving motivations for purchasing this pedal and sharing my thoughts was to answer the question, “What Reverb would work well with my Quilter amp?” — happy to say, the Seaverb is a perfect companion; a great reverb pedal and well worth the price.