The Anasound La Grotte is an all-in-one analog spring reverb pedal: a three-spring tank sits inside the pedal body itself, driven by an embedded preamp based on Tampco's Tone Oven12. It was designed by Anasounds, the French boutique effects maker, in close collaboration with Third Man Hardware, Jack White's signature product brand, and White himself31. Where Anasounds' earlier Element reverb was a two-part system with a preamp pedal hooked into an external spring tank, the La Grotte puts everything in one enclosure, with settings of its own14.
A three-spring analog reverb
The heart of the pedal is a three-spring tank, which the manual calls the source of "the most cavernous tones"3. The tanks are high quality Accutronics/Belton units made in Korea2, and Guitar World's review noted the tank is a quality Accutronics/Belton unit211. Because the springs are real metal springs vibrating inside the box, the sound is generated mechanically, not modeled. Guitar World's reviewer found the enclosure ruggedly built, with an engraved surface and a plexiglass faceplate that lets you watch the three springs vibrate4.
The preamp is set at the edge of breakup, pushing the dry and wet sections of the reverb circuit, with an internal Gain trim pot that can be set for a cleaner or more saturated character32. Anasounds says the preamp design comes from the Tone Oven by Tampco10.
Guitar.com's review rated the pedal 9 out of 10, calling it "wonderfully authentic" and "hugely versatile," with an "impressively punchy preamp"5. The reviewer also found that "the depth and lushness of the sound is so much more alive and vibrant than your bog standard digital spring setting," even on the pedal's polite vintage setting5.
"An authentic spring reverb in a pedal, but so much more besides..."
Controls and internal settings
The La Grotte keeps its control set simple on the surface, with the deeper options inside the box423.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Dry | Level of the direct, uneffected sound. Left reduces the guitar level, right boosts it. In Reverb Tails mode it stays active with the pedal off, so it can act as a boost3 |
| Wet | Level of the reverb signal. Guitar.com's reviewer found it also adds gain, but only to the reverbed sound5 |
| EQ (two-band) | Shapes only the reverb itself, not the dry signal. Low cut at 700Hz, high cut at 1.6kHz32 |
Separate volume controls for the direct and reverb sound give you the ideal mix, and MusicRadar noted the independent wet and dry volume settings as a key feature312. Inside the pedal there is more to find:
- An internal Gain trim pot for the preamp, set for cleanliness or saturation2
- A -10dB pad, activatable internally, for plugging in line-level sources2
- An internal switch for true or buffered bypass3
- A fade in / fade out system that avoids splash sounds from footswitch activation on stage, an issue affecting many spring reverbs2
The EQ is what Anasounds calls an ultra-efficient two-band active EQ, and because it affects only the reverb, your dry tone stays untouched while you darken or brighten the wet signal3.
Bypass and connections
The bypass has two modes, selected by a toggle switch inside the pedal, and it ships in true bypass mode32:
- True bypass: the effect stops abruptly when the pedal is switched off3
- Buffered bypass (Reverb Tails): switching off lets the reverb trail off naturally310
Guitar World's reviewers described the difference the same way: in true bypass the reverb shuts off abruptly, while in buffered mode the tails die with elegance11. Delicious Audio put it as "On buffered bypass, when you bypass the pedal, we leave the tails die with elegance"2.
Connectivity is 1/4" input and output jacks with a top-mounted power supply input4. The pedal is mono, unlike the stereo pedals some players prefer13. One practical point from the manual: use mono jacks to connect the pedal, since the circuit is powered through them3.
Because input impedance is very high and output impedance very low, the system is not sensitive to the other pedals around it, so it can sit anywhere in a signal chain2. MusicRadar noted it can be used with electric guitar, bass guitar, electronic keyboards, or as a studio tool12.
The springs respond to physical shock as well as signal. Guitar.com's reviewer found the kick pad easy to trigger by accident, "especially as the springs jangle even with the pedal bypassed"5. If you stomp hard or bump your board, expect some spring noise.
Made with Third Man Hardware
Anasounds says the La Grotte features the most complex enclosure the company had manufactured to date1. Alongside the standard version, there have been limited editions: a mostly yellow limited edition sold direct from the Third Man Records Store13, and a black-and-yellow swirl finish exclusive to Reverb.com4.
Guitar World's review called the pedal "a must-try for Jack White fans and those who like spring reverb's saturated magic"4.
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Questions
Is the Anasound La Grotte a real spring reverb?
Yes. It is an analog, mechanical spring reverb with a three-spring tank built into the pedal body, using high quality Accutronics/Belton tanks from Korea. The springs physically vibrate, visible through a plexiglass faceplate, so the reverb comes from real springs rather than a digital simulation3126.
Can the La Grotte be set to true bypass or buffered bypass?
Yes. An internal switch selects either mode, and the pedal ships in true bypass mode, where the reverb cuts off abruptly when switched off. In buffered bypass, called Reverb Tails, switching off lets the reverb trail fade naturally instead21011.
What does the pad inside the La Grotte do?
Inside the pedal is a -10dB pad that can be activated or deactivated internally. It lets you plug line-level sources straight into the La Grotte without overloading it, which is part of why it works with keyboards and in the studio as well as with guitar and bass212.
Who is the La Grotte made with?
It is made by French effects maker Anasounds in collaboration with Third Man Hardware, Jack White's signature product brand. White bought an Anasounds Element in 2021 and approached the company about designing a spring reverb, leading to a collaboration of almost four years.
Can the La Grotte go anywhere in the signal chain?
According to Anasounds, the pedal has very high input impedance and very low output impedance, so it is not sensitive to the pedals around it and can be placed anywhere in a chain. It is mono, with 1/4 inch input and output jacks2134.
Sources (13)
- La Grotte, Anasounds, 2024-08-28
- New Pedal: Anasound + Third Man La Grotte Mechanical Reverb, Delicious Audio, 2024-08-29
- La Grotte, Anasounds, 2024-08-28
- Anasounds La Grotte Analog Spring Reverb review, Guitar World, 2024-11-06
- Anasounds/Third Man Hardware La Grotte review, Guitar.com, 2024-10-07
- “A commanding new effects pedal that merges aggressive octave fuzz with earth-shaking analogue synth tones”: Third Man Hardware joins forces with Eventide for the Knife Drop, MusicRadar, 2024-10-29
- “Conjuring nightmarish soundscapes through a sinister blend of distortion and synthesis”: Jack White's Third Man Hardware teams up with Eventide on Knife Drop, Guitar World, 2024-10-29
- La Grotte, Anasounds, 2026-09-16
- Jack White's Third Man Hardware & Anasounds debut La Grotte, Guitar World, 2024-08-29
- La Grotte, Anasounds, 2024-08-27
- Guitar World's 30 favorite guitar pedals from the past 5 years, Guitar World, 2025-06-02
- “It's been a lifetime of searching for a small spring reverb effect unit that could be used as a stompbox onstage or in the studio”: Third Man Hardware and Anasounds unveil La Grotte, a Jack White reverb pedal with real springs in the tank, MusicRadar, 2024-08-30
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-08-29
