Boss FRV-1 '63 Fender Reverb Pedal Reviews

John Robinson
from Pflugerville, TX
May 3, 2013Music Background:
working musician

exceeds expectations

I purchased the FRV-1 as a reverb solution for an Egnater Tweaker 40 amp which does not have onboard reverb. While I have a reverb effect in my current pedalboard (boss me-50), none of the presets were to my liking. While a stand alone '63 reissue fender tube reverb unit was out of reach financially, I was convinced there had to be a solution. I remembered seeing a youtube demo clip of the amp when I was researching amps that appeared to have this unit running through the effects loop. I began researching this pedal in earnest and found the majority of reviews favorable. I purchased the pedal and was thrilled that it exceeded expectations. It took about 40 seconds to dial in the sound I was after and it really rounded out the sound of the amp nicely- especially the 'AC' setting on the Egnater. Is it identical to the product it models? No. Does it do a great job of emanating the characteristics of a Fender reverb sound? Absolutely. It captures the attack and resonance of the spring (virtual though it may be) as good if not better than anything else I have tried. I have used Boss pedals since their introduction in the '70s and have never had a Boss pedal fail - or at least never had one fail without my help. Like all things musical, this is subjective and I am the first to admit I am narrow minded and opinionated, but this pedal was definitely the correct choice for my rig and application.

Stephon
from North Liberty, IN USA
July 7, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

Great Pedal

Always have been a Boss fan. This pedal gives my tone the boost it needs.

Don Lovell
from Kansas City
June 4, 2012Music Background:
Pro guitar player

BOSS FRV-1

amazing a pedal can sound like the old Fender Tube reverb I played through in the 60's

Brian Shore
from Pasadena Maryland
January 3, 2012Music Background:
80's Hair Band, write & record at home now.

Great stomp box!

I got this to use with an old Plush amp with a Redcoat 10" Ramrod speaker, that did not have reverb. I was amazed at the spring reverb sound. I also have a Fender Twin Reverb. I wish the Twin Reverb had the Mix knob that the pedal has. In an A B test of the box VS the Twin Reverb it is very very close reproduction. & the mix knob lets me get effects I can;t get with the Twin. I also use it with a Marshall Hazs 40. It has some nice reverb in it, but I like to set the box over the top and the amp reverb mid way. It's great for kicking in that Eddie over the top reverb for dive bombs and then back to the mid level reverb on the Haze. If anything happened to this pedal I would buy another the next day. This is my favorite Boss pedal, I have 5 other Boss pedals now. Keep up the great work. Also, shipped fast, packed up tight, works great!

Tom C.
from Chicago, USA
February 9, 2010Music Background:
Professional guitarist

Leave your vintage tank at home

I bought the FRV-1 so that my original '63 Fender reverb tank wouldn't get damaged or worse, stolen when I am on the road. Wow! This pedal sounds so good, and so close to my tank that I only use my tank for recording; the rest of the time, I am using the FRV-1. Exceeded my expectations - Great job, BOSS!

Pedro Henrique Ruzão
from Ponta Grossa, PR BRAZIL
December 23, 2009Music Background:
Pro Musician

Cowabunga!

Woooww!!!
This pedal sounds so good!
Sweet sounding reverb at lower setings, Drippy surf splashy tone with increased Dweel knob! The tone knob is algo very usefull to shape your sound from a smooth jazzy reverb to a monster wet surf tone!

Steve Stratocaster
from Detroit, MI
November 6, 2009Music Background:
Guitar Teacher

Boss' New Master-Piece

Ordered this pedal from here, got it earlier today. This pedal certainly does not dissapoint, does great by itself and interacts well with other pedals on the board. You can get very vintage reverb sounds from this pedal. You can really get the great 60's American tones, they're easy to dial in. If you turn the Dwell knob more to like 3'clock ish the pedal starts to develop a very realistic tube-like distortion that sounds great - not too hard but very warm and tube sounding. Sweetwater had this in stock when no-one else did and for that I am very thankful.

John Franks
from United States
August 21, 2012Music Background:
semi professional guitarist

almost as good as a twin reverb.

I have a marshall 100 watt tube amp and a Fender Princeton tube amp. I bought this effect because it is cheaper than buying a twin reverb amp. This pedal sounds great and has added to my over add sound.

Aaron
from Fort Wayne, IN
January 27, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

I love this pedal!

I'm big on the surf sound but didn't really have the space / setup for a Fender Reverb unit, this pedal really solved the problem. It sounds great and really nails that beach sound!

Mike Michalski
from Minneapolis
November 26, 2011Music Background:
Live player and Studio Guitarist

It's as Close as You Can Get!

I have been traveling with the actual Fender tube tank for many years. The tank just doesn't hold up on th road - I was constantly repairing connections and remounting the springs.
I have tried other pedals, none came close to the tank.
The FRV-1 is the REAL thing!! It sounds so good my band buddies can't tell the difference on stage.
This box is GREAT!!

Brian Williams
from Lexington, KY
September 25, 2011Music Background:
Hobbyist

I am very happy with my FRV-1

This is a great little reverb pedal. I think the secret is having the three controls (Mixer, tone, and dwell) just like the vintage outboard reverb units. I use it into a silverface Vibro Champ. I find it easy to dial in a sound that I like, and then forget about the whole business of knob-twiddling and get lost in the joy of making music. And that's what a good piece of gear is all about IMO.

from Fort Wayne
June 15, 2010Music Background:
hobbyist

Very close to the real deal

I own a silverface twin reverb which has a wonderful rich and sparkly reverb sound. Once you hear a really nice fender spring reverb (and not every fender these days has "fender" sounding reverb) nothing else sounds as good. The problem is many amps, even nice tube amps, do not come with reverb. Often when they do, it sounds weak and flaccid, and lacks the sparkle that makes a good sounding tube reverb so essential.

I am not a big fan of modeling, it usually sounds like crap. So many things happen in a real tube situation that just cannot be reproduced digitally. This pedal, however, does a very nice job of adding the depth and richness to your tone that only reverb can provide. Surprise!

Does it sound as good as a really good Fender long spring reverb tank? No. It lacks some of the depth, richness, and sparkle. I would put it about 60-70% of a really good tube driven spring reverb. Now don't take that the wrong way. To my estimation, 70% of the way there from a pedal is an amazing accomplishment.

Let me also qualify this statement by saying that I am talking about 70% of a really top notch reverb. It sounds every bit as good as a decent (but not great) tube driven spring reverb, and much better than a substandard reverb unit (ie the reverb in the new epiphone valve jr. hotrod head. yuck).

This pedal gives you a very clean, usable reverb sound. It does not strip your tone to any appreciable degree, and the reverb provides a good range from light to very drippy. the tone nob does not do a whole lot, you will get a little (and I mean little) brighter tone if you crank it up, and turning it down will take out the sharpness without totally muddying up your signal. I find this limited tone range typical of Boss pedals that I have tried.

Overall this is a very nice, useable pedal. The sound is much, much better than one would expect from pedal, and really does offer a decent tube reverb sound. It is not going to make any amp sound like a top notch super or twin reverb, but it is perfect for adding depth to low wattage tube amps or amps larger amps which lack a good reverb tank. I have a Crate palomino which sounds great, but the reverb tank only goes so far. The pedal gives me a much deeper, stronger reverb effect, and does not sound like a corny pedal in comparison to the real tube reverb tank that is in the amp. Awesome.

Eric
from Temecula Ca.
November 17, 2009Music Background:
Hobby

Boss Really? Cant be good.

Great reverb, very transparent off and on leaving your original tone intact. Very drippy spring sound at medium settings and good sounding reverb at lower settings. As close as I think you can get to the real thing.

Alan
from Indianapolis, IN
August 17, 2009Music Background:
Weekender

Awesome - '63 Fender Reverb

Got this hooked it up at home. Thought it sounded really good, then I put it in my road rig. I use a Fender Twin amp, and have turned its reverb off completely and just use this. Easy to tweak the mix and tone to give color. Cool thing is, when I turn the amp on from standby, there is that little sound that a tube-driven spring reverb makes (I have this pedal hooked in the amp's pre-amp). Has a great sound and vibe. Still feeling my way through it, but a little of the dwell does A LOT! I've always liked my Twin's reverb, but THIS is the way it was supposed to sound.

Glenn Shelburne
from Ft Wayne, In
February 19, 2013Music Background:
Electric Banjo, Keys & Recording

True sound of the old spring reverb without effects when you bump the amp.

I have a 96lb tube amp with the true spring reverb. I purchased a ART project series tube MP Au/Di amp for acoustic and recording applications. The tube amp had a nice warm sound but was missing the depth that I would get from the 96lb amp. Put the boss FRV-1 "63 Fender Reverb Pedal in line and now for 1/5 the weight I have a great sound. The best if you are after the spring reverb sound. Ps. don't bump the pedal though.

Gerald Dye
from Wayzata, MN USA
December 21, 2012Music Background:
Nearly 50 years, semi-pro, bass & guitar. Recording & live sound.

That Surf Sound

I have the '63 reissue Fender Tank Reverb. This FRV pedal sounds better, in my opinion, for most applications. I prefer the reissue for old-timey electric blues, it's tighter and drier. The FRV stomp has a nice clean wet sound for most any genre where you would want reverb. Your results may vary. Fair price.

from Santa Barbara, CA
December 9, 2010

Nice pedal

I bought this pedal to liven up my Fender Ultra Chorus solid state amp. The effects sound pretty sweet, actually better than the small reverb tank on the amp. All in all the sound is good and it has a warm tone with adjustments and breaks up just the right amount to give it that tube feel.

Chuck
from Tampa Fl
January 2, 2013Music Background:
musician

Fender Reverb Pedal not what I expected

Have used reverb pedals for years and was looking forward to the Fender FRV-1 giving my new amp that echo slap of days gone past- however it did not work that way.. The pedal sounds to sharp-little echo like I am used to. Would not recommend it.

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