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PSA: New mini SMD Surfy Bear reverb

Started by jubal81, February 25, 2015, 09:45:48 AM

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jubal81

Just saw today that Surfy Bear has a new mini SMD version.
$69 for an assembled board and it's the size of a typical 1590B circuit. Interesting thing is he added an opamp servo biasing system for the JFETs.


Here's the link.


"If you put all the knobs on your amplifier on 10 you can get a much higher reaction-to-effort ratio with an electric guitar than you can with an acoustic."
- David Fair

juansolo

The big one with massive heat sinks get's quite hot. As in properly bloody hot...

That seems a bit wee...

Otherwise, IMPRESSIVE! Though you've still got to get a tank in somewhere so it's not like you can stick it all in a 1590B.
Gnomepage - DIY effects library & stuff in the Stompage bit
"I excite very large doom for days" - playpunk

jubal81

Quote from: juansolo on February 25, 2015, 09:56:29 AM
The big one with massive heat sinks get's quite hot. As in properly bloody hot...

That seems a bit wee...

Otherwise, IMPRESSIVE! Though you've still got to get a tank in somewhere so it's not like you can stick it all in a 1590B.


Yeah, he's recommending mounting the big trannies to the enclosure. At this size, though, I'm thinking it'd be pretty brilliant to build it right in the amp head.


Also curious about his biasing system. He doesn't have the schematic posted.
"If you put all the knobs on your amplifier on 10 you can get a much higher reaction-to-effort ratio with an electric guitar than you can with an acoustic."
- David Fair

rumbletone

Thanks for the heads up! I have the non-SMD version (though the fets are smd even in that) and it's great. On a related note, accutronics (I think it was them?) has released a really small reverb tank in a plastic enclosure - though I think it's difference impedance specs so won't work with the Surfy Bear as is - too bad because they would make a great pair for a standalone reverb box, or even mounted in the back of an amp.

micromegas

Impressive! I wonder if they are willing to sell it as an smd kit too...
'My favorite programming language is solder' - Bob Pease

Software Developer @ bela.io

chordball

That's awesome! I have been interested in this since you first posted your build jubal.

jubal81

Quote from: chordball on February 25, 2015, 10:52:47 AM
That's awesome! I have been interested in this since you first posted your build jubal.


If you really love reverb, I HIGHLY recommend it.
"If you put all the knobs on your amplifier on 10 you can get a much higher reaction-to-effort ratio with an electric guitar than you can with an acoustic."
- David Fair

juansolo

2nded. Well, well worth the build.

One way I've thought about it that'd work is you could fit that into it's (very warm) 1590b and bolt the tank to the underside of your pedal board if you have space... That'd work.
Gnomepage - DIY effects library & stuff in the Stompage bit
"I excite very large doom for days" - playpunk

micromegas

Quote from: juansolo on February 25, 2015, 03:26:11 PM
One way I've thought about it that'd work is you could fit that into it's (very warm) 1590b and bolt the tank to the underside
of your pedal board if you have space... That'd work.
Hmmm... I've thought about that, but I think it will splash whenever you step on other pedal (not that it isn't a cool feature, but I can imagine the face of the singer if I switch a tremolo on in the middle of a song and everything gets noisy)
'My favorite programming language is solder' - Bob Pease

Software Developer @ bela.io

rumbletone

Quote from: juansolo on February 25, 2015, 03:26:11 PM
2nded. Well, well worth the build.

One way I've thought about it that'd work is you could fit that into it's (very warm) 1590b and bolt the tank to the underside of your pedal board if you have space... That'd work.
That's what I plan to try next. The standard size Mod tank just fits under a pt2 - my only concern is whether it can be well enough suspended that it doesn't get that "kicking a silverface SPROOOOIIIiNG!..." every time I click a footswitch on the board or put my foot on an expression pedal.