The Third Man Hardware x Anasounds La Grotte is a spring reverb pedal designed by Third Man Hardware, Jack White's gear arm, in collaboration with the French maker Anasounds. Instead of a digital emulation, it packs three mechanical springs into its enclosure, which MusicRadar describes as delivering "super-authentic spring reverb with an extra-long decay"1.
What it does
The La Grotte is an analog spring reverb: the signal is physically sent through three springs, the way a vintage amp's reverb tank works, rather than modeled digitally. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley, writing with input from Jack White, suggests it for "soul, post-rock, reggae, blues and even pop that will greatly benefit from the added soul of an analogue spring"1.
Because it works with electric guitar, bass, keyboards and as a studio tool, it can sit on a pedalboard or in a rack in the studio. Players comparing it with digital reverb pedals should note the difference is the mechanical spring tank itself: three springs rather than the one or two found in a typical amp or pedal1.
The Dry knob and built-in drive
The Dry knob does more than blend the unaffected signal. Turning it can yield dramatic results, including a built-in drive/boost feature that elevates the signal sent to the springs. As MusicRadar put it: "The built-in drive/boost feature you get from the Dry knob is very impressive in how it elevates the signal you are send[ing]"1. That means the pedal can push the spring tank harder for a more aggressive, drippy spring character, in the territory of boost pedals and light overdrive as well as reverb.
Development and price
The collaboration was a long build. MusicRadar reports it took "400 hours of development and some 9,500 hours of production to create the first thousand" pedals1. The asking price at launch was €349 EUR1.
Videos
Reverb
Tone Factory
60 Cycle Hum
