Guitar Pedals · owner-verdict comparison

Boss RV-6 Reverb vs Electro-Harmonix Soul Food: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food: 72% of 61 owners recommend it, vs 66% of 68 for the Boss RV-6 Reverb.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

Boss RV-6 Reverb

66%of 68 owners recommend
66% recommend · 24% neutral · 10% don't
Owners praise
  • Modulate mode is the standout, and several owners keep the pedal for that setting alone
  • Shimmer turns lush and usable with the tone knob rolled right down
  • Quick to dial in, with no hidden button combos or manual to keep referring back to
Owners complain about
  • A minority hear the algorithms as digital or metallic, competent rather than inspiring
  • Shimmer is abrasive at default settings and needs the tone rolled well back to tame
  • Too conventional for players who want experimental or heavily washed ambient sounds
Full owner report →

Electro-Harmonix Soul Food

72%of 61 owners recommend
72% recommend · 15% neutral · 13% don't
Owners praise
  • Widely trusted as an always-on clean boost and gain stage
  • Stacks well in front of tube screamers, SD-1s, OCDs and fuzzes, adding definition instead of mud
  • Loud, with a drive range owners find musical and easy to keep subtle
Owners complain about
  • A mid-forward color, described as honk or boxiness, that fights the amp's own voice and thins single coils as the drive comes up
  • Divisive as a standalone overdrive, with several owners using it only as a boost or taking it off the board
  • Hardware gripes vary unit to unit: hiss, a loud pop on switching, and one that would not pass signal in bypass
Full owner report →

Which should you buy?

Get the Boss RV-6 Reverb if
  • ✓Players who want one reverb for standard hall, room, plate and spring sounds and expect to run it always-on
  • ✓Anyone who wants shimmer occasionally and is willing to roll the tone knob back to get it
  • ✓Gigging and travel-board players who need something compact that holds up at volume
  • ✓Boards that already have a weirder ambient reverb and want a dependable base layer under it
Skip it if
  • Players chasing experimental, washy ambient textures as their main sound
  • Anyone who wants a reverb with a strong voice of its own rather than a neutral do-everything one
Get the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food if
  • ✓Players who want an always-on gain stage sitting under their main drive
  • ✓Anyone stacking overdrives or fuzzes and looking for a lead push with more definition
  • ✓Blues rock and humbucker players who want subtle grit that roars when the drive is cranked
  • ✓First klon-style pedal for someone curious about the circuit without boutique money
Skip it if
  • Players who want a boost that leaves the amp's midrange untouched
  • Single-coil strat players who need the low end intact at higher drive settings

What Boss RV-6 Reverb owners say

“The Reverb is a gem. That pedal has a lot of settings to get some really cool sounds out of it.”
— neverw1ll on Reddit
“Big fan of RV-6. When I got it I thought it was “pretty good” but after a couple of years I love it.”
— ziganaut on Reddit
“Had the RV-6 at one point, but found it too metallic. All Boss reverbs are like that to my ears though. Modulated is the best algo on the RV-6, but it seriously pales in comparison to Mercury7 modulation.”
— KickFragrant7836 on Reddit

What Electro-Harmonix Soul Food owners say

“This pedal really shines when you stack it with something like a tube screamer or OCD. It produces this super “chewy” (best way I can describe it) sound that I love. Great pedal”
— BackcountryAZ on Reddit
“It’s a great pedal especially for that price. Nice lead boost tone.”
— DuckDouble2690 on Reddit
“Sounds great but I could not tame the loud click it made turning on and off. Tried a bunch of recommendations but nothing worked.”
— Shirtarm on Reddit

Boss RV-6 Reverb vs Electro-Harmonix Soul Food: frequently asked questions

Is the Boss RV-6 Reverb or the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food better?

Real owners lean toward the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food: 72% of 61 owners recommend it, vs 66% of 68 for the Boss RV-6 Reverb.

Who should get the Boss RV-6 Reverb?

Owners point the Boss RV-6 Reverb at players who want one reverb for standard hall, room, plate and spring sounds and expect to run it always-on, and anyone who wants shimmer occasionally and is willing to roll the tone knob back to get it.

Who should get the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food?

Owners point the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food at players who want an always-on gain stage sitting under their main drive, and anyone stacking overdrives or fuzzes and looking for a lead push with more definition.

What do owners complain about?

The most-cited downside of the Boss RV-6 Reverb is a minority hear the algorithms as digital or metallic, competent rather than inspiring. For the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food, it's a mid-forward color, described as honk or boxiness, that fights the amp's own voice and thins single coils as the drive comes up.