Carl Martin HeadRoom

February 2012 Guitarist 127
£249
EffEcts
Carl Martin
HeadRoom
 Denmark
 £249
 Spring reverb pedal
 Standard jack
input, output, remote bypass and
remote select
 Tone A, level A,
tone B, level B
 Reverb
select, bypass
 9V DC from battery
(supplied) or adaptor
 260 (w) x 140 (d)
x 70mm (h)
 1.1/2.42



tone knob clockwise adds in top
end for more brash, splash or
trash, depending on your
perspective. This is quality
reverb that functions as an
organic part of the overall
guitar sound rather than
something just tacked on, and
with two ‘presets’ always on tap
you can swiftly transition from
an ambient aura to something
that’s a deliberate ‘effect’.
Like any Fender amp with the
reverb turned up, if you give the
HeadRoom a kick you’ll get the
usual thunderclap clang and we
were initially concerned that
we’d get that just by stomping
on a footswitch. The designers,
though, have done their level
best to minimise that
happening by suspending
the spring tray inside the
HeadRoom’s chassis for extra
isolation and fitting thick
rubber feet on the pedal’s base.
The result is that if you are
reasonably gentle with the
footswitch there’s no problem,
but if the level knob is above
halfway and you stomp on the
switch a bit too hard you may
get an audible muffled thump
through the amp. It’s no big
deal, though, and anyone with
persistently clumsy feet can
always add a remote switch.
Verdict
Sound-wise it’s the real deal,
and if you don’t mind it taking
up the space of two or three
conventionally sized pedals on
your ’board then the
HeadRoom is an ideal way to
add real spring reverb to your
rig (if underfoot size is an issue
you can always stick it on top of
your amp and use a couple of
small remote footswitches).
While there are other spring
reverb pedal options out there,
the HeadRoom’s practicality,
realistic pricing and
availability are likely to make it
the popular choice for anyone
who wants some genuine retro
shimmer and twang.
The Bottom Line
We like: Real spring reverb
in a pedal; two different
settings; 9V operation
We dislike: Battery
compartment cover could
go walkies
Guitarist says: The smart
way to get real spring reverb
without buying a whole amp
The Rivals
The Demeter RBB-1
Reverbulator (£359) is
available in the UK but is
perhaps not quite as
pedalboard-friendly as the
HeadRoom, as it runs from a
24V DC supply and has knobs
on one side rather than the
top. Other real spring reverb
pedals are available from the
USA. Van Amps makes three
different reverb pedals but its
Sole-Mate comes in a
specific UK version ($295 +
shipping/taxes). There’s also
Mahaffay Amps’ Little
Lanelei Reverb Pedal ($219
plus shipping/taxes). If you
can justify the expense,
Fender has its vintage
reissue’63 Fender Tube
Reverb (£790) in brown Tolex
and Tweed-covered versions.
Test results






The HeadRoom contains proper reverb springs, just like your trusty old amp…
Sound-wise it’s the real deal… the
HeadRoom is an ideal way to add
real spring reverb to your rig
GIT351.rev_carl.indd 127 12/20/11 4:45:46 PM