In these modern times, acoustic guitar pedals are included in some of the most technically impressive music equipment on the market.
The challenging part of this is knowing how to shop for The Best Acoustic Guitar Pedals. Out of the numerous pedal brands and types with their limitations but stand as the best, we have gathered this list to help you narrow the search of what acoustic guitar pedal(s) you want.
This page will help beginners and intermediate players who want to know more about acoustic guitar pedals.
We have also split our expert recommendations down further by gears and accessories. So take a look below:
- Get a better recording with the best mic for acoustic guitar
- Choose your best acoustic guitar strings for beginner
- Boost the vibration and sounds with the best acoustic guitar preamp
- Do some blazing solos with the best jazz guitar amplifier
Editor Choice
Boss Waza Craft CE-2W Chorus Pedal Effect
Why is it better?
- It delivers an iconic chorus tone
- Low noise
- Protective and quality build
Editor Choice
Boss Waza Craft CE-2W Chorus Pedal Effect
Why is it better?
- It delivers an iconic chorus tone
- Low noise
- Protective and quality build
The line up at a glance
After a series of in-depth research on several products, we’ve selected these Best Acoustic Guitar Pedals. Read through each product with its pros and cons to find a suitable pedal.
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Summary
Our Rating
A legendary piece in the mini-pedal market. Delivers a clear chorus tone.
One of the best simple and suitable pedals with sound enhancing effects.
This little effect pedal is limited but comes with solid construction and is portable.
A flexible operational and colorful effect pedal that ensures ZERO loss of tone
A special edition craft pedal that gives your sound the BOSS experience.
This compact piece is best long chains and efficient for long term use with its remarkable features.
A giant reverb pedal with all controls and great value.
Our Picks For Top 7 Best Acoustic Guitar Pedals in 2021
1
Ibanez Chorus Mini Pedal Effect
A legendary piece in the mini-pedal market.
+ Mini-pedal format
+ Offers classic BBD tones
+ It is versatile
– Lousy when used with gain
Ibanez is one remarkable brand in the production of guitars and other string instruments. Their credibility expands to building guitar effects and great value pedals. This model of Ibanez pedal piece can deliver the same level of sound quality as other higher models, and the price is lesser.
If you plan to get a mini chorus pedal, this compact and straightforward pedal is one to look out for. It offers the user the depth of vintage pedals. Easy to use, portable for any space, and ushers extra depth and girth to your guitar sound.
Ibanez chorus mini pedal is entirely analog, and that’s what some players prefer. Every owner of this mini beast gets more depth, level, and speed. These are the common controls that come with a typical analog chorus pedal. This pedal packs a True Bypass option too.
Despite its shortcomings, this pedal’s effects can’t be overlooked and is one of the pedals that gives a beautiful response to acoustic guitars.
2
Electro-Harmonix Oceans 11 Reverb
One of the best simple and suitable pedals with sound enhancing effects.
+ It has up to 11 reverb types
+ Has an infinite footswitch jack
+ Rich sound output quality
– Unintuitive access to secondary functions
This reverb pedal’s first talking point is the lower-left rotary switch knob that signals an unobserved complexity in this small pedal. Here, you have to deal with 11 settings: shimmer, tremolo, modulated, echo, spring, plate, hall, dynamic, polyphonic, auto-infinite, and reverse effects.
Effects like modulated, tremolo, and dynamic have their sets of parameters that you can select using the mode switch. The mode switch can as well choose tempo for the echo. Other controls on the pedal are FX level, time, and tone knobs. The tone knobs and time control are sufficient for parameters accessible by pressing down the mode button for seconds.
All the effects’ sound quality is exceptional, creating smooth pro-studio quality and noise-free performance. The spring reverb delivers a rare and unique effect that’s hard to reproduce in some other pedals. It takes after the spring reverb setting in the vintage Fender 6G15. The tremolo also offers a tremolo effect to wet and dry hall reverb.
Shimmer offers an octave-up effect having a long tail that sustains into a synth-like texture. Polyphonic reverb offers different programmable shifts at the reverb tail, thereby generating complex sounds.
An affordable and outstanding pedal as this deserves a space in the pedalboard.
3
Rowin Analog Chorus Pedal Effect
This little effect pedal is limited but comes with solid construction and is portable.
+ Quality hardware and build
+ Has level, depth, and rate adjustment
+ Classic chorus sound
– Has fewer distinctive features
This little device can deliver you that chorus effect your tune lacks. A clarified sound and classic warmth of premium model. You have full control over your sound level, depth, and range with the available control knobs.
Without exaggerating, the sounds delivered by this mode keeps warm to add texture to your tune. Your acoustic guitar sound will be transparent and naturally audible. You can strum pop-rock and blues with your acoustic guitar and make the rare sounds with this pedal in the chain.
We single out the noise gate as the feature that stands out. The noise gate mutes the sound from other pedals in the single chain. These noises ring in the mid of chords and notes, which can be irritating sometimes. It works with a single threshold control to adjust the volume at which the noise reduction is controlled.
In addition to that, the True-Bypass is always ready; this effect redefines your acoustic signal quality. Most pedals in the same price range as this have disposable plastic coverings. This Rowin equipment comes in a durable zinc alloy material.
4
Electronic Hall of Fame 2 Pedal Effect
A flexible operational and colorful effect pedal that ensures ZERO loss of tone.
+ Built for heavy-duty usage
+ Comes with two ins and two outs
+ MASH switch that allows control of effects
+ Comes with ten reverb settings, and 3 are effects TonePrint
– Not the best option for spring reverb
If you’re looking for one of the useful pedals with multiple reverb in one single enclosure, this is one of them. This pedal carries a knob that’s capable of toggling in-between the different reverb. This Hall of Fame model by TC Electronics is endowed with 8 options and 3 slots for preset.
Switching between reverb types is a significant plus for your live performances. You can play different songs for different functions with the different reverb types without stress with this pedal piece. The TonePrint editing software helps you save your preference tone. You can as well download and install presets created by stars like Paul Gilbert.
You have an optimized reverb in this pedal, a True Bypass switch, and a switch for Kill-Dry effects. If your acoustic guitar’s sound must go through this pedal without a reduction in tone quality, the Kill-Dry is responsible for that effect.
This TC Electronics model’s MASH technology brings about a pressure-sensitive expression effect pedal that increases the effect as you press harder on the pedal. The package ships with patch cables and guitar picks.
5
Boss Waza Craft CE-2W Chorus Pedal Effect
A special edition craft pedal that gives your sound the BOSS experience.
+ It delivers an iconic chorus tone
+ Low noise
+ Protective and quality build
– The price may be too costly for some users
While you’re making preparations for your song to kill the show, this chorus pedal is packed with exciting features that will improve your performance on stage. There are three chorus effects this pedal carries, and each effect will cost you more if you’re getting a special effects pedal.
Since acoustic guitars’ best modulation effect is effects, your humble acoustic guitar can sound like a 12 string instrument when connected to this chorus pedal. The vintage sound produced by the chorus pedal is often called “80s sound.” This is because the sound can be likened to the pop and rock music in the 80s.
With great efforts from the engineering team who built this pedal, it can be used as a top pedal for chorus with an electric guitar. Boss Waza CE-2W Chorus Pedal effect is a strong contender for the brand’s best vintage pedals.
The pedal covers both Boss CE-1 and Boss CE-2 pedals into a single unit. The former is the first known chorus pedal made by the brand, and the latter is known as a reputable vibrato effect pedal. This 2W model brings up the two pedals in its structure and is even easy to use.
Most users complained about its limited number of buttons, but the quality of sound isn’t altered. Only the deep and rate knobs are present for this pedal, including a 3-way switch useful for selecting the modes.
You can now split signals to create a stereo mix. Creating a left and right stereo mix means you’ll need two speakers or amps. Professional players prefer a pedal like this in their pedalboard set-up.
6
Neunaber Immerse Reverberator MKII
This compact piece is best long chains and efficient for long term use with its remarkable features.
+ Features a plug and play design
+ Produces studio recommended sounds
+ Has almost all the reverbs tones you’d need
– It has no preset control
Some studio reverb pedal units require that the users have a strong knowledge of audio engineering and physics to operate them. This Reverberator model operates on an easy plug and plays set-up that outshines others with less effort.
It features a rotary switch that can tune you into 8 different reverb effects. These effects are Sustain, Hall, Plate, Spring, Shimmer, Wet version 3 (W3T), and Detune. Other controls on the interface are responsible for reverb depth and mix. There are two extra knobs used for adjusting parameters like tone, modulation, echo time, hold time and pre-delay, blend. The switch is dependent on what effect you select.
Additionally, Neunaber Immerse Reverberator MKII sounds are so musical and classic in its delivery. It is durable for heavy-duty usage and portable enough for any space in the pedalboard. If you can afford the price, it will be a great addition to your pedal collection and a great tool for your acoustic guitar sound effects enhancement.
7
Strymon BigSky
A giant reverb pedal with all controls and great value.
+ Comes with 12 distinct reverb effects
+ The front panel knobs allow adjustment of instant parameters.
– It is expensive
This Strymon BigSky is a large format pedal piece from the brand. It can provide you 12 distinct reverb effects that include bloom, magneto, swell, nonlinear, cloud, and reflections; among these are standard reverbs and special effects.
Users can adjust parameters like mix, pre-delay, delay, parameter 1 and 2, time, and modulation asap with the availability of 7 control knobs at the front panel. There are 300 preset memory locations for the user to save new settings.
The presets can be accessed in three banks preset, A, B, and C. These three are accessible through the pedal’s three footswitches or the rotary value knob. The Large LED is so useful in displaying preset information with a number and a programmable name.
Another characteristic behavior is the LED light changing from green to amber-like when a preset is being modified. The quality is undisputed, and the reverb sound is phenomenal and better than some other digital reverb pedal units.
Reverb tails are smooth in this pedal, and the special effects are the same as that of some higher pedals. Playing with the aid of this Strymon BigSky provides the user with quality sounds whether they’re on stage or in the studio.
Criteria used for evaluation
Tone variety
If you desire a crisp and clear sound from your acoustic guitar while playing, the EQ range of all pedals in this list is capable of improving your sound. A simulator pedal without a proper range handler would distort your sound output. A pedal with a promising range will be best for you.
Your pedal reverb effects will improve your music during recording and live stage performance. That’s why all the pedals mentioned above were chosen, so the user has full control over the sound output.
Size and Weight
Since your acoustic guitar occupies a lot of space in the gig bag, you don’t have to carry heavy equipment before you produce loveable sounds. The load would be too much to bear. A majority of the pedals mentioned above are compact and lightweight. Some can be moved in your trouser pocket.
Since you’re getting a pedal to eliminate the guitar’s weight, it would be less reasonable to go for a heavy pedal unit. The bulkiness of the pedal doesn’t add or reduces its functionalities. Some can even fit in the gig bag and not scratch the guitar.
Warranty
One of the things to look out for after confirming the major specs and features is the product’s warranty. Most users are easily convinced to go for a product after seeing the lengthy warranty it carries. This bus an indication of quality assurance.
The brand is indirectly assuring you that they will cater for the product replacement or repair until the warranty period expires. A warranty won’t land you in loss of the product eventually gets faulty during the warranty period.
Durability
Another thing that tells you the quality grade of a pedal is its rigidity and long-lasting usage. One way to identify this is the quality of materials used for the product, and they have to be top-notch. For acoustic guitar pedals, a protective cover like zinc alloy will cause the pedals to be rugged for days.
Modes
There are different suitable modes for the varieties of acoustic guitars. A standard acoustic guitar requires a standard mode. This one is so important because of the availability of standard acoustic guitars. Jumbo mode will produce sound effects that are identical to that of a jumbo guitar.
A jumbo guitar is usually bigger than the standard acoustic guitar and requires more energy than the standard acoustic guitar when playing. To enhance your acoustic guitar’s sounds for a clear-cut delivery that can be heard with ease while other instruments are playing, you need the Enhanced mode.
The Enhanced mode is never a standard feature, so it is often left out in many substandard pedals.
Frequently Asked Question
Since the invention and introduction of preamps, the way we use and perceive acoustic guitars has changed from mere wooden instruments. Today it is not only possible that the sounds of an acoustic guitar can be amplified, but the tone can be manipulated and experimented on to get the satisfactory output: one that can’t be gotten from electric guitars.
Using a pedal for your acoustic guitar is important if you want your audience to feel the effects you’ve applied, and as such, you need a pedal in your guitar signal chain. The effects of the sound output are reverb, delay, chorus, and other types that you get when you plug in your pedal.
If your acoustic guitar pedal is solid enough, the effects will influence your sound greatly.