Author Topic: PSA: New mini SMD Surfy Bear reverb  (Read 4543 times)

jubal81

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PSA: New mini SMD Surfy Bear reverb
« on: February 25, 2015, 11:45:48 AM »
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.


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juansolo

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Re: PSA: New mini SMD Surfy Bear reverb
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2015, 11:56:29 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.
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jubal81

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Re: PSA: New mini SMD Surfy Bear reverb
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2015, 12:06:56 PM »
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

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Re: PSA: New mini SMD Surfy Bear reverb
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2015, 12:19:01 PM »
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

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Re: PSA: New mini SMD Surfy Bear reverb
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2015, 12:34:19 PM »
Impressive! I wonder if they are willing to sell it as an smd kit too...
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chordball

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Re: PSA: New mini SMD Surfy Bear reverb
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2015, 12:52:47 PM »
That's awesome! I have been interested in this since you first posted your build jubal.

jubal81

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Re: PSA: New mini SMD Surfy Bear reverb
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2015, 01:17:32 PM »
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

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Re: PSA: New mini SMD Surfy Bear reverb
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2015, 05:26:11 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.
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micromegas

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Re: PSA: New mini SMD Surfy Bear reverb
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2015, 05:45:00 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)
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rumbletone

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Re: PSA: New mini SMD Surfy Bear reverb
« Reply #9 on: February 25, 2015, 05:48:06 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.