Boss RV-5 vs Holy Grail vs POD XT?

[b0b]

I don't like power adapters (wall warts).

[Chip Fossa]

Kenny,

Yes. Both thru steel, and 6-string electric & acoustic.

I'll admit my hearing isn't what it used to be, but I really don't hear any noise; and no complaints from fellow players.

I'd like to hear what b0b has to say, as well.

[KENNY KRUPNICK]

Chip, maybe it was in the hook-up. I read some folks ratings on Musicians Friends web site on the Holy Grail's page,and several noted it as being noisy.But then again,what was their electrical situation like?
Flourescent lighting, etc.
b0b, what is your conclusion on the H G?

[John Groover McDuffie]

I could be wrong, but I seem to recall that the HG only runs with a power supply, does not have a battery mode. This seems to be indirectly confirmed by the instructions on the EH website. So you won't like it if you don't like wall warts.

Also, I didn't like the wet/dry mix control - as you add reverb your dry signal gets softer. I prefer the dry sound to stay at the same volume as the reverb is turned up or down.

Just my $0.02

[KENNY KRUPNICK]

I went to G C this afternonn,and picked up a 2nd RV-5 for guitar.

[b0b]

Dave came by yesterday with the Holy Grail and we tried it with my blackface Fender Princeton. It turned it into a Princeton Reverb! It really sounded authentic, like it was built into the amp, not like an outboard effect at all. I was very pleased!

On the noise issue, we were able to hear a slight amount of high frequency hash noise when we turned the amp up to 10. We wouldn't have noticed it if we weren't listening for it. The amp's native hum was louder.

I really like the idea of having just one knob to adjust the amount of reverb. Perfect!

There's a 3-way switch for Spring, Hall or Flerb. I'd never move it off of Spring. Hall is okay, but it's not "that sound". Flerb is just plain wierd.

To me, the only downside is the wall wart, but I guess I can get over that.

[Chip Fossa]

That's just where I leave my setting, b0b. On "spring". The hall has less depth and is a bit thinner, and I haven't messed much with "flerb".

Was kind of thinking you'd might like it. Warts ain't so bad. Just another cord to plug in. At least they don't quit on you like batteries do.

[Johnny Thomasson]

For whatever this may be worth (or not), I played fiddle thru a '65 Twin Reverb for about 20 years, so that's my idea of what a good reverb is supposed to sound like. I started playing steel (a Pro II) almost 3 years ago thru a NV400 - killer tone IMO, but I always thought the NV400 reverb was horrible... thin, tinny, and "artificial". Kind of like the built in reverb in a cheap mixer.

I fairly recently bought a RV5 right here on the forum (thanks again, Curt!). I can get VERY close to the reverb in my Twin. Not an exact match, but the subtle difference is a complete don't care for me. I don't need delay or anything else. I never tried a Holy Grail with my steel rig, but I did try one at Guitar Center with a 6 string. I thought it was a very nice reverb also, but did notice a slight noise which disappeared when the unit was removed from the signal chain. Not enough to pose a problem in a live performance, but there is no noise that I can tell from the RV5.

Summary: IMO, the RV5 gets very close to a vintage Fender spring reverb, and is very quiet. I don't notice it being "digital", or "sterile"; in fact I would describe it as rich and lush. It scratched my itch for a Fender spring reverb in my NV400. It uses either batteries or wall wart. I hear they eat batteries pretty fast, so I use a wall wart.

Disclaimer: I pounded my eardrums with high SPLs for a couple of decades, so YMMV. I don't know what my rig sounds like to anyone else, but I am completely satisfied with it.

[b0b]

Warts ain't so bad. Just another cord to plug in. At least they don't quit on you like batteries do.

I don't mind plugging in a power cord. It's those flimsy little wires and plugs on the external power supplies that bug me. I use a Black Box sometimes and also a Real Tube distortion unit. They both have sturdy AC power cords.

[Chip Fossa]

Just rechecked my HG settings, and, my mistake, I use the "hall" setting mostly; not "spring".

'Hall' seems to have more depth, but 'spring' has it's own fine qualities as well - even flerb (it's really just a sound effect) might find a way into some song. I don't mess around with it at all.

Just looking for a good quality simple reverb.

[Martin Abend]

Today my Holy Grail arrived. I tried several Stomp boxes, but there was only one that I really liked - The Marshall Reflector. Very versatile and great sound pedal.

Since a lot of folks are raving about the grail I wanted to try this one before I make a final desicion and I'm pretty sure I will keep the Holy Grail.

Apart from that fact that I like the look it really feels like an built-in reverb to me. It makes next to no noise and comes with a wall-wart (I don't mind).

The Spring setting sounds very much like a Fender spring reverb, though I like the hall setting as well. It seems to be more "hi-fi" and has more depth then "spring". The "flerb" effect is nice and I'm sure I will use it some day.

One thing I don't liked about the Marshall that you can't really crank it up until you sound like you're playing in a cathedral, do the intesity is somewhat limited. But if you're shopping for a reverb pedal you should have this one on your radar.

[b0b]

I'm VERY happy with mine. It turned my Princeton into a Princeton Reverb!!

[Michael Pierce]

In some posts I've read about the HG, it says the potential noise issue can be handled by putting it in the effects loop (I have a Nashville 112); earlier in this post I believe Keith H. indicated it should probably be in the direct chain to the amp. Any thoughts/experiences using the Holy Grail with a Nashville 112 in/outside of the effects loop? Thanks, mp

[b0b]

In some posts I've read about the HG, it says the potential noise issue can be handled by putting it in the effects loop (I have a Nashville 112); earlier in this post I believe Keith H. indicated it should probably be in the direct chain to the amp. Any thoughts/experiences using the Holy Grail with a Nashville 112 in/outside of the effects loop? Thanks, mp

I don't know why you'd want a Holy Grail with a Nashville 112, in the loop or otherwise. Doesn't the N112 already have reverb?

FWIW, the S/N ratio of the Holy Grail in the input chain is very good. At normal levels I hear no noise at all from the HG. I have to turn the amp up to 10 to hear that little bit of high end hash noise.

[Dave Mudgett]

I'm late here. Although I'm very happy with the spring reverb on either the old-version Pod 2 and Pod XT, I think the HG is the best stompbox digital spring reverb out there except the out-of-production Guyatone MR-2. Good luck finding one of those, but they're great. My standard for reverb is also the classic Fender spring reverb sound.

The chip clock noise in the HG wasn't any issue through a lower gain amp, but when I ran it into the front-end of my THD Flexi 50, it buzzed like a hornet's nest on higher gain settings. But running it through the effects loop fixed that completely. I do think this limits the pedal somewhat - I probably wouldn't try using it with a vintage Marshall stack with no effects loop.

I tried the HG through my NV 112. Not everybody loves the Peavey reverbs, so I could see running a separate reverb unit. I sometimes use the Pod reverb instead of the internal. The noise wasn't a big issue running through the front-end preamp, but if the noise bothers you, run through the effects loop. There is a secondary issue of whether you want the reverb pre or post the preamp. If the noise isn't a problem, I sometimes prefer to run reverb pre - I sorta think that's what a lot of stompbox manufacturers design for.

[Michael Pierce]

Thanks, Bob and Dave. To respond to Bob's question:

I don't know why you'd want a Holy Grail with a Nashville 112, in the loop or otherwise. Doesn't the N112 already have reverb?


As Dave notes, the Peavey reverbs aren't all that terrific. In addition, I live in a very old (1748) house with wide-board plank floors. Whenever anyone walks by, the spring reverb in the Peavey objects. I'm currently using an RV-5 in the N112 effects loop, but the great reviews the HG has gotten recently have made me want to compare the two.

[Charlie Powell]

FWIW - I have both an RV-5 and a HG. I prefer both of them to the internal reverb of my 112. Of the two, I prefer the sound of the Holy Grail. I have not had the noise issues some mention.

I do use the internal reverb on my Fender.

[Terry Sneed]

FWIW - I have both an RV-5 and a HG. I prefer both of them to the internal reverb of my 112. Of the two, I prefer the sound of the Holy Grail. I have not had the noise issues some mention.

Well, I reckon my ears hear differently than you guys that don't like the Nashville 112 reverb.
Do ya'll have the burr brown chips in your 112's?
I wadn't crazy about the reverb in my Nashville 112 untill I installed the burr brown chips. Now I love the tone I'm gettin, and the reverb sounds great to me. And yes, I did try the Holy Grail, but prefered the amp reverb.

Terry

[Charlie Powell]

Yes I do have the Burr Brown Chips installed now. Improved the amp considerable to my ears, but I don't think I have even turned the reverb on and listened to it since installing them. I will have to check that out. Who knows, I may be changing my mind.

[Dan Tyack]

I prefer the Line6 Verbzilla to the Holy Grail.