Surfy Industries Modulation pedals

jubal81

jubal81

Well-known member
Was looking around on Freestomp forum and found some links to threads at Musikding (in German) where people are breaking down the Surfy Industries Vibrato and Tremolo pedals and they're pretty interesting designs.

(Links go through Google Translate)
The Vibrato tries to emulate Magnatone but replaces the varistors with a long series of diodes.
The Tremolo uses matched JFETs in a differential pair to mimic how the Fender Brownface tremolo operates with tubes.
 
Interesting, haven’t followed them much. Their spring reverb was one I always wanted to build but never got to. I’ll have to check out what they are doing now, thanks for the heads up.
 
Matmosphere said:
Interesting, haven’t followed them much. Their spring reverb was one I always wanted to build but never got to. I’ll have to check out what they are doing now, thanks for the heads up.
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I don't think they sell any PCBs or kits for any of their pedals now. There was a recent build post about the Deadendfx Hooke (Spaceman Orion) reverb. I don't know how it compares to the surfy but it sounds pretty good to me in general.
 
Yeah, I’ve been considering that one. Ultimately the amp I’ll use if i ever have a band a play shows again has a great spring reverb in it, but it is not an at home playing kind of amp. I have an assortment or little things I’ve built or cobbled together for using at the house. Some good Belton Brick reverb, and some FV1, but no matter how good that stuff is it has nothing on a good spring tank.
 
Matmosphere said:
Yeah, I’ve been considering that one. Ultimately the amp I’ll use if i ever have a band a play shows again has a great spring reverb in it, but it is not an at home playing kind of amp. I have an assortment or little things I’ve built or cobbled together for using at the house. Some good Belton Brick reverb, and some FV1, but no matter how good that stuff is it has nothing on a good spring tank.
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In terms of digital, I think the Source Audio True spring is likely the closest but I think you are probably right that nothing gets it 100%. Whenever I listened to amp sims like Helix I always felt like the Blackface fender thing didn't sound right without the spring verb. I had hoped that Rob Robinette would come up with mini tube driven small reverb project like he did with the 5E3 micro and Blackvibe micro but no luck. A few days ago someone mentioned here that there might be a tube driven reverb in the works which would be super cool.

I am trying to replicate a blackface Fender with pedals and a Quilter Superblock US. A few people suggested that the Quilter + a Barbershop preamp (for the sag) gets really close to the real thing. I figure adding a real mechanical spring reverb will help even more.
 
Hello there! Sorry to bump this old thread, but I've just breadboarded the tremolo circuit corresponding to the latest schematic available and it works!!
There are some good sounds in it, but a little too much treble cut for my taste (I have to double check some values in my breadboard before I start making changes to the filters)
 
lrgaraujo said:
Hello there! Sorry to bump this old thread, but I've just breadboarded the tremolo circuit corresponding to the latest schematic available and it works!!
There are some good sounds in it, but a little too much treble cut for my taste (I have to double check some values in my breadboard before I start making changes to the filters)
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I looked into building it as well but ultimately decided against it because it wasn't true bypass and it doesn't have a volume knob.

Right now the JHS Series 3 is the most appealing tremolo to me. Bias and harmonic modes both sound as good as anything I've heard, volume control and accessible price. Only the Supro sounds better IMO but it changes the base tone too much because it's also a preamp and it sounds like it has a volume boost. I'm too particular about my levels.
 
andare said:
I looked into building it as well but ultimately decided against it because it wasn't true bypass and it doesn't have a volume knob.

Right now the JHS Series 3 is the most appealing tremolo to me. Bias and harmonic modes both sound as good as anything I've heard, volume control and accessible price. Only the Supro sounds better IMO but it changes the base tone too much because it's also a preamp and it sounds like it has a volume boost. I'm too particular about my levels.
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I'm working a layout for it and my plan is precisely to include volume as an external control (it is wired as a trimpot, originally) and make it true bypass.
 
Preverb said:
In terms of digital, I think the Source Audio True spring is likely the closest but I think you are probably right that nothing gets it 100%. Whenever I listened to amp sims like Helix I always felt like the Blackface fender thing didn't sound right without the spring verb. I had hoped that Rob Robinette would come up with mini tube driven small reverb project like he did with the 5E3 micro and Blackvibe micro but no luck. A few days ago someone mentioned here that there might be a tube driven reverb in the works which would be super cool.

I am trying to replicate a blackface Fender with pedals and a Quilter Superblock US. A few people suggested that the Quilter + a Barbershop preamp (for the sag) gets really close to the real thing. I figure adding a real mechanical spring reverb will help even more.
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How do you like the super block it’s been on my radar of late.
 
Locrian99 said:
How do you like the super block it’s been on my radar of late.
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It's ok but I think they hyped it up a fair amount. I haven't had much time with it through a real cab and I've heard that's what it is best at. I will say the cab simulation on it is horrible and the headphone option seems a bit lacking. You might want to hold off because apparently Quilter and Neunaber are going to be working together. The Neunaber wet algorithm reverb with the superblock would be cool. I'm trying to sell my superblock because I've been using Helix Native and IK Tonex a fair amount lately.
 
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