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Improving your live acoustic guitar tone takes more than practice; pedal power makes perfect.
It takes attention to detail to choose the very best acoustic guitar pedals. We dive right into those details below! We'll go over the best acoustic guitar pedals on the market in this round-up, including budget buys and DI boxes.
Acoustic guitar players in need of guidance on the pedal-picking process will find great tips in our buyer's guide below. Our top pick is the Fishman ToneDEQ pedal, which offers a preamp and effects to boot.
Read on to find your perfect acoustic guitar pedal!
Quick Summary of the Best Acoustic Guitar Pedals
- Fishman ToneDEQ Acoustic Instrument Preamp with Effects (Best Overall)
- Behringer ADI21 V-Tone Acoustic Driver DI Pedal (Best Budget Acoustic DI Pedal)
- LR Baggs Venue DI (Best Acoustic Guitar DI)
- Orange Acoustic Guitar Preamp Pedal (Best Acoustic Guitar Preamp)
- Fishman AFX AcoustiVerb Reverb Pedal (Best Reverb Pedal for Acoustic Guitars)
- LR Baggs Align Session Pedal (Best Acoustic Compressor Pedal)
- Boss VE-8 Acoustic Singer Effects Processor Pedal (Best Acoustic Guitar Multi Effect Pedal)
Best Acoustic Guitar Pedals
1. Best Overall – Fishman ToneDEQ Acoustic Instrument Preamp with Effects
SPECS
- Pedal Type: Preamp and Multi-Effect Pedal
- Inputs and Outputs: Inputs: 1 x 1/4" (instrument) | Outputs: 1 x 1/4" (main out), 1 x XLR (DI out)
- Dimensions: Height: 2.2" | Width: 9.5" | Depth: 5.3"
- Power Options: 9V DC power supply (sold separately) | 1 x 9V battery
Owing to the massive amount of bang you get for your buck, this is definitely one of the best acoustic guitar pedals you can bag right now.
You get a 3-band EQ, a phase switch to clap back at feedback, a powerful preamp, direct inject circuitry, multiple AFX digital effects, and a ground lift to give ground loops a run for their money. It's a lot to take in.
The effects, in particular, make this one well worth its weight on your pedal board, as they're all made with acoustic guitars in mind. We're talking chorus, delay, reverb... The works - all in one.
Those who have already purchased this acoustic guitar pedal seem to take a real liking to the built-in tremolo effect and its heavenly nuances. Whether or not it actually sounds like singing angels is up to you to decide, though.
The incorporated compressor is shown a lot of love for its contribution to the overall acoustic tone, too.
If you play acoustic guitar and are looking for a guaranteed upgrade in amped-up sound quality, this is a great pedal to grab.
Even if you only want a good reverb pedal, the price of the Fishman ToneDEQ is right, and the value is insane.
2. Best Budget Acoustic DI Pedal – Behringer ADI21 V-Tone Acoustic Driver DI Pedal
SPECS
- Pedal Type: Acoustic Amp Modeler
- Inputs and Outputs: Inputs: 1 x 1/4" | Outputs: 1 x 1/4"
- Dimensions: Height: 5" | Width: 3.9" | Depth: 2"
- Power Options: 9V DC power supply (sold separately) | 1 x 9V battery
For less than 40 bucks, you can get your hands on the Behringer ADI21, and your acoustic guitar will thank you.
Your acoustic tone is in good hands once you have one of these. Adjust the 3-band EQ to match your musical ambitions and squash those nasty piezo pickup squeals. Just looking to escape the dreaded ground loop hum? This pedal packs a proper ground lift switch, too!
People praise this pedal's preamp power and its ability to elevate their acoustic guitar tones to the level of the gods (or close enough).
If you want what only the best acoustic guitar pedals can do for your tone but don't want your wallet to go on a serious diet to make it happen, this is the pedal to take home.
3. Best Acoustic Guitar DI – LR Baggs Venue DI
SPECS
- Pedal Type: Preamp Pedal
- Inputs and Outputs: Inputs: 1 x 1/4" (instrument), 1 x 1/4" (return) | Outputs: 1 x 1/4", 1 x XLR (DI out), 1 x 1/4" (send)
- Dimensions: Height: 1.5" | Width: 7.6" | Depth: 7.5"
- Power Options: 9V DC power supply (sold separately)
Imaginative country star Sturgill Simpson and guitar hero Eric Johnson of "Cliffs of Dover" fame give this big pedal its own space in their acoustic rigs for a reason - it's that awesome.
Yes, this is yet another DI stompbox, but it really is one of the best acoustic guitar pedals you could possibly buy for a big difference in amped-up sound.
Everybody seems to get a kick out of having so many functions rolled into a single unit. You get a solid DI, EQ, and a tuner, too - all in one place.
This pedal is a perfect match for most acoustic guitar players looking to tame onstage feedback and boost their tone's depth without muddying the mix.
The addition of tuner pedal functionality is a nice touch that can really come in handy halfway through a lively set. The footswitch mute function is pretty nifty as well.
The built-in clip meter is a great visual aid for gain optimization, and the option to run this thing on batteries makes it a surprisingly flexible piece of kit.
4. Best Acoustic Guitar Preamp – Orange Acoustic Guitar Preamp Pedal
SPECS
- Pedal Type: Preamp Pedal
- Inputs and Outputs: Inputs: 1 x 1/4" (instrument), 1 x 1/4" (return) | Outputs: 1 x 1/4" (main out), 1 x XLR (balanced DI out), 1 x 1/4" (send)
- Dimensions: Height: 2.4" | Width: 4.1" | Depth: 5.1"
- Power Options: 18V DC Center Positive power supply (included)
Anyone looking for a preamp designed to be used with an acoustic guitar will find that and a bit more in this awesome stompbox from Orange. You get a built-in equalizer with controls for notch filtering and Q factor adjusting to help tame your amped-up tone.
Dedicated Bass and Treble controls are available as well to further shape your sound, and a buffered effects loop makes stacking additional effect pedals simple enough to manage without introducing unwanted distortion.
Those who already own this unit claim its ability to preserve the organic warmth of their instruments makes it one of the best acoustic guitar pedals on the market.
This preamp pedal has also been praised for its ability to restore seemingly lost dynamics in piezo pickup-based signals, making it a solid addition to electric guitarists' rigs as well.
The inclusion of a balanced XLR output makes plugging your acoustic guitar right into a PA system possible, and the separate 1/4" mono output simplifies standard amp connections.
This pedal even comes with its own power supply, so there's no need for you to purchase one separately.
5. Best Reverb Pedal for Acoustic Guitars – Fishman AFX AcoustiVerb Reverb Pedal
SPECS
- Pedal Type: Reverb Pedal
- Inputs and Outputs: Inputs: 1 x 1/4" TRS | Outputs: 1 x 1/4" TRS
- Dimensions: NA
- Power Options: 9V DC power supply (sold separately)
The AcoustiVerb pedal by Fishman may be the reverb pedal to rule them all, especially if you play an acoustic guitar (and maybe even if you don't).
This pedal opens doors for acoustic guitars to benefit from hall, plate, and spring reverb as needed. Adjust everything from tone to decay time to produce the perfect sense of presence without overwhelming your instrument's original vibrations.
Acoustic guitar players who have acquired the AcoustiVerb claim it is as easy to use as it could possibly be.
And if you're concerned about the amount of space it may take up compared to other reverb pedals, you'll be delighted to find it nearly small enough to go unnoticed.
For anyone interested in preserving the unique sound of their instrument, even when using effects, this is arguably among the very best acoustic guitar pedals to purchase.
The actual reverb component of the sound this pedal puts out is run in parallel with your guitar's dry sound to achieve sonic nirvana. Buffer or bypass this pedal with ease via its external switch to shift dynamics mid-performance.
This is a great reverb pedal all around, and it has been designed from the ground up to meet the needs of acoustic guitar players in particular.
6. Best Acoustic Compressor Pedal – LR Baggs Align Session Pedal
SPECS
- Pedal Type: Compressor and Saturator
- Inputs and Outputs: Inputs: 1 x 1/4" | Outputs: 1 x 1/4"
- Dimensions: Height: 1.93" | Width: 3.18" | Depth: 4.93"
- Power Options: 9-16V DC power supply required (sold separately) | 1 x 9V battery
This Align Session pedal by LR Baggs is exactly what you should go for if you want top-tier compression with the added bonus of warm saturation. You can expect a major boost in tonal complexity when plugged into this pedal, especially around the mids.
Others who have used this pedal for acoustic guitar compression insist it is a prime tone enhancer and a perfect choice for use as the proverbial cherry atop your tone-defining pedal stack.
The Align Session proves that not all of the best acoustic guitar pedals need to be DI boxes. You can coax harmonic nuance out of your rig with this pedal and round out your own signature sound without breaking the bank.
7. Best Acoustic Guitar Multi Effect Pedal – Boss VE-8 Acoustic Singer Effects Processor Pedal
SPECS
- Pedal Type: Multiple Effects
- Inputs and Outputs: Analog Inputs: 1 x 1/4" (instrument), 1 x XLR (mic), 1 x 1/8" (aux in) | Analog Outputs: 2 x XLR, 2 x 1/4", 1 x 1/8" (headphones), 1 x 1/4" (external footswitch)
- Dimensions: Height: 2.56" | Width: 8.56" | Depth: 6.37"
- Power Options: 9V DC power supply | 6 x AA batteries
KT Tunstall defers to the Boss to blend vocal effects, loops, and such in her own acoustic guitar rig. Whether you're a fellow country player or something else entirely, this pedal can produce some superb sounds without muddying your acoustic tone in the process.
It has just about everything you could ask for, from a preamp and notch filter to vocal pitch correction. You can plug your mic and guitar into this pedal to modify them with distortion, reverb, and more.
Even better, you get great outputs for both mono and stereo mixes. You can even route audio out over USB, using this pedal as a simple audio interface to play directly into your DAW.
People who have bought this for use with their own acoustic guitars claim to be stockpiling them as they're so reliable. They praise the built-in looper for dynamic stage antics and the inclusion of appropriate inputs to manage vocals as well.
The aux input is a stellar inclusion that lets you plug phones and such into this pedal alongside everything else and blend all of the output into a single signal. It's great for practice purposes and more ambitious performances.
Basically, if you buy the Boss VE-8, you're really buying guitar preamp pedals, a chorus pedal, a reverb pedal, a mini mixer, a streamlined audio interface, a tone corrector, an EQ pedal, an electronic tuner, and a delay pedal all in one unreal unit.
And if you're looking to play your amped-up acoustic guitar off the grid, you can count on this pedal to work with AA batteries just as smoothly as it does with its own included power supply.
Best Acoustic Guitar Pedals Buyer's Guide
If you are new to the idea of hooking your acoustic guitar up to an amp or mixer and have yet to consider crafting a comprehensive pedal rig for it, then this simple guide should serve you well.
In short, you should pay special attention to the type of pedal, its inputs, its outputs, its dimensions, and all of its power options to ensure the pedal you purchase is a perfect match for your musical ambitions.
Pedal Type
In the wide world of acoustic guitar pedals, there is no clear winner as far as overall importance is concerned. Some might point to EQ pedals and tuner boxes as all-important, but they would be ignoring the vital role preamp pedals and direct inject or "DI" boxes play.
Unless you happen to be having a whisper concert, your guitar's signal simply can't stand up to being plugged into a mixer or PA system without a preamp of some sort.
A DI box with EQ functionality is one of the only ways you can reliably stave off the dreaded feedback acoustic guitar pickups have been infamous for a while, guaranteeing compatibility with a diverse array of sound system setups.
Important as they may be, the above is just the tip of the iceberg here...
What about reverb pedals? You can't go onstage without the added resonance from a solid reverb unit, can you? How about a chorus pedal? Lay into a few chords with one of those bad boys in your signal chain, and there's really no going back, is there?
Let's not even get into the creative possibilities of looping pedals or multi-effects units right now... Suffice it to say that life is a lot less interesting for the chronically pedal-deprived, and there are sound arguments to be made in favor of all of the pedal types touched on above.
Inputs and Outputs
The most common output from an acoustic guitar is a standard 1/4" jack. We'll just pretend MIDI guitars don't exist for now.
Mono TRS jacks are all fine and dandy, but unlike electric guitars, acoustic guitars benefit greatly from stereo pedal outputs, even when their own outputs are merely mono.
Tone saviors like preamp-equipped DI boxes can also restore the vibrant dimensionality of an acoustic instrument's soundstage if they have the right outputs for the job.
Namely, you'll need two separate outs to produce a decent stereo mix, so pedals that provide such connections are ideal if you want real dimensional separation in your sound. Balanced XLR outs can also be super useful for direct PA system connections.
Dimensions
All pedals purchased for use with acoustic guitars must be patched into whatever complex array of pedals the player already depends on. Size and weight can quickly create positioning problems as new pedals are added to an existing rig.
Acoustic guitarists looking to expand their sonic horizons will always be at odds with the very real spatial limitations of their pedal boards. Thus, it may make sense to prioritize smaller pedals wherever possible.
Power Options
Most musicians will find no fault with a pedal that uses a standard, plug-in power supply, but there are many acoustic guitar pedals for sale that do not come with the power supplies they need to function. Be sure to read the fine print on the packaging before placing a purchase.
Besides determining whether or not the pedal you have in mind comes with a power supply, you may also be interested in powering it without one. Some pedals, like the Boss VE-8, can be used with batteries as an alternative to seeking sockets.
If you have other battery-powered gear to work with off-grid, then this may be an important detail to keep in mind.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What pedals work with acoustic guitar?
Most effects pedals can, in fact, be used with an acoustic guitar. However, not all pedals will produce a particularly nice tone with such guitars. Some pedals will actually contribute to onstage feedback and other unwanted distortion if your setup isn't quite right.
Essentials like preamps and DI boxes are a great place to start if you're looking to enliven your acoustic guitar's plugged-in sound.
Can I use guitar pedals on an acoustic guitar?
In a word, yes! You can totally use guitar pedals with your acoustic guitars. You just need to make sure that the pedals you choose to use will not adversely affect your tone or boost unwanted feedback from your guitar's acoustic pickup system.
What effects sound good with acoustic guitar?
There are loads of great effects to try out with acoustic guitars, including reverb and saturation. A chorus pedal, in particular, can take anyone's tone to the next level and enhance the sound of chords tenfold.
Can I use overdrive pedal on acoustic guitar?
Sure, you can totally use an overdrive pedal with your acoustic guitar. That being said, unlike an electric guitar, your acoustic's pickup system may include the use of a microphone that is prone to feedback loops.
Overdrive effects used without any kind of EQ can relegate unwitting acoustic guitarists to a world of sonic pain and perdition by way of unstoppable feedback attacks.
What is the one pedal that every guitarist needs?
To build the world's best acoustic guitar rig, you're going to need to pick up a special DI pedal or some kind of preamp to reign in your tone. But, arsenals of both acoustic and electric guitar pedals are generally not complete without a proper EQ pedal of some sort.
Now What?
You should now have a good idea of what makes an acoustic guitar pedal special and what kinds of pedals you should prioritize for your own rig.
For a reliable preamp pedal with great effects included, you can't beat the Fishman ToneDEQ. If you're looking for something more wallet-friendly, then the Behringer ADI21 V-Tone can safeguard your sound in studios and onstage.
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