Review: T-Rex Room-Mate Junior

Our next T-Rex review concerns the Room-Mate Junior. This reverb pedal is basically a stripped-down version of the original Room-Mate II, garnering all of its best features, at a more affordable price. It was designed using a combination of the most up-to-date digital technology and detailed analogue craftsmanship to deliver an incredible vintage reverb sound. I've never personally used the Room-Mate II, but based off of what I've heard from demos, it seems more suited for surf rock reverb whereas the Room-Mate Junior creates a warm, buttery tone that sounds amazing accompanying either my electric or (but especially!) acoustic guitar.

This pedal features five controls: MIX (controls the clean and reverberated signal blend), LEVEL (sets the overall volume of the pedal), DECAY (the higher it is turned, the longer the length of your reverb trail, and the bigger the sound), MODE (determines the overall feel of the pedal with Spring, Room, Hall and LFO options) and input gain (prevents an overload of the pedal’s input stage when used in an effects loop). It runs on a 9V/DC battery or power supply and comes with an input as well as right and left output jacks. To switch it on, you simply tap the footswitch and a bright blue LED flashes to indicate that the pedal is in use.

The first MODE is Spring which probably needs no introduction as it is a setting featured on many amps. I will say you probably won't get as sweet a sound on most amps that do provide it as you will with the Room-Mate Junior (this IS T-Rex, after all!) Room is a little more exciting than Spring, giving you that same classic sound, though with a hint of live vibe; great for using at coffee shops or small gigs. Next is Hall, my personal favorite. This setting creates a livening concert hall reverb that can be adjusted to suit your personal tastes, and upon doing so awakens your inner performer. The fourth and final mode is LFO, a chorus-embellished reverb that sounds amazing paired with acoustic guitar. Each setting far surpasses most any reverb I've used before, whether from an amp or pedal.

The final verdict? Let's just say, it was very painful giving back the Room-Mate Junior. Probably more so than any other pedal my friend let me try out. Unfortunately, it's pretty high up in price ($399 list! you can get 25% off at Guitar Center, but still...kinda steep). So, yeah...I won't have one of my own any time soon. However, it will probably be my next effects purchase. Besides the fact that it produces just about the best reverb you could probably get for it's discounted price, it has a very sturdy, attractive build and I really dig the color. Check out the demo below and let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Get it for $299 at Guitar Center!