The Third Man x Anasound La Grotte is a spring reverb pedal and a signature collaboration between the French maker Anasound and Jack White's Third Man. Instead of digital processing, it uses three mechanical springs to produce what the announcement described as a rich, immersive reverb tone, and the whole pedal is 100% analog1.
What it does
La Grotte is a spring reverb: your signal drives three mechanical springs, and the sound they return is the reverb. The announcement from gearnews.com described the result as "a rich, immersive reverb tone"1. Because the springs are real hardware rather than an algorithm, the character comes from the physical tank, which is the appeal players usually look for in a spring design.
The pedal also carries an onboard preamp, inspired by the Tampco Tone Oven, that offers two-band EQ and ample headroom1. That means you can shape the tone going into the springs and push the front end without the circuit running out of room, which matters if you run hot pickups or drive the reverb hard.
Versions and availability
Two versions were announced: a standard version and a limited edition yellow version1. Both were due at the end of September 2024 and were available to preorder at the time of the announcement1.
The pricing and availability here reflect the September 2024 announcement. The MSRP was given in GBP: 300 for the standard version and 350 for the limited edition yellow version1.
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Questions
Is the La Grotte analogue or digital?
It is a 100% analogue pedal. The reverb comes from three mechanical springs rather than digital processing, and the onboard preamp, which was inspired by the Tampco Tone Oven, adds two-band EQ and ample headroom. That makes it a conventional spring reverb design in the physical sense: the signal drives real springs, and the tone shaping happens in analogue circuitry.
How much does the La Grotte cost?
The MSRP was given as GBP 300 for the standard version and GBP 350 for the limited edition yellow version, as of the September 2024 announcement. Both versions were due at the end of September 2024 and were available to preorder at that time.
Sources (1)
- Guitar Gear Gems: La Grotte Jack White spring reverb, gearnews.com, 2024-09-03
