The StellarVerb is a reverb pedal from Center Street Electronics, a small builder, first covered by Guitar World in July 2014 as a two-knob, true-bypass reverb pedal with a $149.99 street price at the time1. A revised StellarVerb v2 followed, reviewed by Pedal of the Day in July 2015 as a larger pedal with more controls2.
What it does
Guitar World's reviewer, Billy Voight, described the original StellarVerb's character this way: "It claims to sit between a hall and a spring reverb." In other words, the pedal aims at a middle ground between the roomy wash of a hall reverb and the metallic snap of a spring tank, which makes it flexible enough to cover rhythm and ambient duties without committing to one reverb type1.
Of the v2, Pedal of the Day's Mike B wrote that "the reverb sound thrown out by the StellarVerb are lush, organic and sweeping, adding multiple layers and dimensions to your instrument's tone"2.
Controls
The original StellarVerb keeps things simple with two knobs1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Tone | Shapes the reverb tone: bright Fender-style spring reverb when turned up, darker ambient reverb when rolled back, neutral at 12 o'clock1 |
| Reverb Level | Sets the reverb level1 |
Guitar World's reviewer admitted the Tone knob looked unnecessary at first: he thought it would be redundant, but found it made sense the more time he spent with the pedal. In his hands it let him move the pedal from bright spring tones to dark ambient washes from one control1.
The StellarVerb v2
In July 2015, Pedal of the Day reviewed the StellarVerb v2, calling it "the new and improved StellarVerb" and noting that "the new version of this classic reverb pedal is a bit bigger, a little bolder and sports more options and controls"2.
The v2 adds controls beyond the original's two knobs, including Decay, Warble, Filter and Dry2. Of the Warble control, Mike B wrote: "Warble is another rad feature, that adjusts the amount of oscillation in the reverbed tone," and described it as "a nice, subtle control, which doesn't send your echoes into the stratosphere, but rather adds small changes." Players who want a gentle, tape-like wobble in the reverb rather than extreme oscillation get it here2.
Power and connections
Both versions run on 9 volts DC. The v2 specifies a 2.1mm center pin negative power adapter, the common center-negative standard, so it will run from a typical pedalboard supply2. Guitar World notes that on the original, "The 9-volt power jack along with input/output jacks are mounted on the sides of the pedal," a side-mounted layout that affects how the pedal fits on a board1.
Neither review mentions battery power, and the v2 specifies a 2.1mm center pin negative adapter, so plan on a 9V DC center-negative supply.
What reviewers said
The two published reviews are broadly positive. Guitar World's Billy Voight found the Tone control genuinely useful once he spent time with the pedal, and took the pedal at its word on the hall-meets-spring character1. Pedal of the Day's Mike B praised the v2's reverb as lush, organic and sweeping, and singled out Warble as a well-judged, subtle feature2.
Videos
Center Street Electronics
MrExcane
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Is the StellarVerb true bypass?
Yes. Guitar World's review of the original StellarVerb describes it as a two-knob, true-bypass reverb pedal, and Pedal of the Day's review of the StellarVerb v2 likewise lists True Bypass switching. With the pedal off, your guitar's signal passes to the output without the reverb circuit in the way.
Does the StellarVerb run on a 9-volt power supply?
Yes. Both versions run from 9 volts DC. The v2 uses a 2.1mm center pin negative power adapter, the standard center-negative pedal supply. Guitar World notes the original has a 9-volt power jack, so plan on a supply rather than expecting battery power.
What does the Tone knob do on the StellarVerb?
Tone shapes the character of the reverb itself. Guitar World describes it as producing a bright Fender-style spring reverb when turned up and a darker, ambient reverb when rolled back, with a neutral point at 12 o'clock. The reviewer initially thought the knob would be redundant but found it made sense the more he played with the pedal.
What is different about the StellarVerb v2?
Pedal of the Day describes the v2 as a new version of the original classic reverb pedal that is a bit bigger, a little bolder and sports more options and controls, with added Decay, Warble, Filter and Dry controls. The Warble control adjusts the amount of oscillation in the reverbed tone.
Where are the jacks on the StellarVerb?
On the original StellarVerb, Guitar World reports that the 9-volt power jack along with the input and output jacks are mounted on the sides of the pedal, rather than on the top or back.
Sources (2)
- Gear Review: StellarVerb Reverb Pedal by Center Street Electronics, Guitar World, 2014-07-25
- Center Street Electronics StellarVerb v2 Reverb, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2015-07-14