Do reverb pedals get muddy when run in front of an amp?

[vibrostrat43]

I used to have a Tech 21 Boost RVB...the version without trails, and I thought it sounded pretty good for reverb, but my amp doesn't have an fx loop and when I ran it front of the amp while the amp was overdriven the sound was terrible and muddy. I have since gotten rid of it, but haven't purchased another...is this the case with all reverb pedals?

 

[ajchance]

I have a Mr Springgy that I run in front of my amps. Nothing muddy about it at all. Never have had much luck with running pedals in effects loops though.

 

[Jesus freak]

My RRR sounds fine in front of my amps.

 

[AXXA]

I like reverb in front of my amps fine. I play with the amps overdriven, but if the amp is really distorted, the reverb will likely sound like garbage. Different pedals and amps may interact differently, but for my tastes, high gain amps don't sound so hot with reverb pedals.

 

[jb4674]

I used to have a Tech 21 Boost RVB...the version without trails, and I thought it sounded pretty good for reverb, but my amp doesn't have an fx loop and when I ran it front of the amp while the amp was overdriven the sound was terrible and muddy. I have since gotten rid of it, but haven't purchased another...is this the case with all reverb pedals?

It probably depends on where in your chain you had the reverb.

 

[BeauZooka]

If the reverb is post-distortion, then it sounds good. If it is pre-distortion then it sounds bad.
If you get you distortion from your amp then you should put the verb in the effects loop. My 2 cents anyways.

 

[MiguelO]

If the reverb is post-distortion, then it sounds good. If it is pre-distortion then it sounds bad.
If you get you distortion from your amp then you should put the verb in the effects loop. My 2 cents anyways.

Agreed!

 

[vibrostrat43]

Ok, it sounds like I may have just had a sub-par pedal then. The reverb was last in the chain, and the amp was an un-modded '66 Fender Bassman head...so it could get pretty crunchy, but I wouldn't consider it high gain, and it didn't have an effects loop to run the reverb in.

Thanks for the reassurance because I've been wanting to get another reverb pedal, but I've been avoiding getting one for the fear that it would sound bad at amp distortion levels. I'm still considering modding my Bassman to include an fx loop.

 

[RockManDan]

it definitely depends on what kind of breakup your amp has. yes some pedals will sounds better than others put pre-distortion, but there are definitely certain sounds that are simply unattainable without putting the verb post-distortion. no way around it.

 

[td2243]

If the reverb is post-distortion, then it sounds good. If it is pre-distortion then it sounds bad.
If you get you distortion from your amp then you should put the verb in the effects loop. My 2 cents anyways.

Good info to know! So if I buy a reverb pedal, I'd need to put it through the FX loop, whereas my other pedals are in front of the amp.

More cables = more fun.

 

[teleclem]

If the reverb is post-distortion, then it sounds good. If it is pre-distortion then it sounds bad.
If you get you distortion from your amp then you should put the verb in the effects loop. My 2 cents anyways.

That's how I see it as well. I'm happy running my reverb in front of the amp & after the dirt pedals. I run clean amps most of the time anyway.

 

[Garygtr]

Ok, it sounds like I may have just had a sub-par pedal then. The reverb was last in the chain, and the amp was an un-modded '66 Fender Bassman head...so it could get pretty crunchy, but I wouldn't consider it high gain, and it didn't have an effects loop to run the reverb in.

Thanks for the reassurance because I've been wanting to get another reverb pedal, but I've been avoiding getting one for the fear that it would sound bad at amp distortion levels. I'm still considering modding my Bassman to include an fx loop.

I doubt very much that you had a subpar pedal, it is simply the nature of the beast as far as running reverb or delay in front of a dirty amp. The different answers you receive have more to do with what someone considers "distorted" or "dirty" than with one reverb unit being superior over another. In other words, you could take one of the reverb units recommended by someone as working great in front of a dirty amp and have the same experience with your rig that you had with the other unit.

 

[vibrostrat43]

I doubt very much that you had a subpar pedal, it is simply the nature of the beast as far as running reverb or delay in front of a dirty amp. The different answers you receive have more to do with what someone considers "distorted" or "dirty" than with one reverb unit being superior over another. In other words, you could take one of the reverb units recommended by someone as working great in front of a dirty amp and have the same experience with your rig that you had with the other unit.

Hmmm...you're probably right. The Bassman does have a pretty thick gain structure...at least compared to the Vox Top Boosts that most people use for more ambient styles. Also, I guess I may be kinda picky, or may have been setting the reverb levels way too high for overdrive sounds.

I just found it strange that the reverb pedal sounded so washed out a muddy when reverb tanks are generally run before the amp, and in my blackface Vibrolux the reverb section is before the power section which is generally the first thing to distort in those amps. My Vibrolux Reverb just sounds awesome with the reverb on like 4 or 5 when the amp is cranked, I was just hoping that I could get a pedal to sound something like that for other amps without verb (which are a shame imo )

Either way I think I should get another pedal, and if it doesn't work at overdriven levels I'll at least be able to appreciate it for cleans

Thanks for the advice everyone.