Reverb. Most people love it, though there are a few haters out there. I, personally, think it’s a fantastic effect, and love how it works in so many settings. Just a touch adds that little glimmer to your sound, barely noticeable to the common ear, while a full-on cranked spring reverb will elicit some wildly imaginative and out-of-this-world and crazy tones. The good reverb pedals can do both, as is the case here with the Surf Rider III from SolidGoldFX.
First of all, it just looks cool. The deep marble, speckled blue with the crisp white logo and lettering really make it POP on your board, and will have many folks inquiring as to what it is simply based on its aesthetic appeal. That said, the controls are as follows: Tone, Decay, Depth, Level and a 3-position Resonance toggle switch, plus a Bypass switch and a Boost switch (more on that later). Level is the overall volume control for this unit, and Tone controls the EQ of the reverberated signal (lows to the right, highs to the left, like usual). The Res and Depth knobs are where this blue beauty starts to open up and get fun.
The Decay control adjusts the length of the reverb, and is highly affected by the Depth control as well. Depth is the overall intensity of the reverb, ranging from a slight echo to a big, boomy sound, with lots of feedback and power. Plus, it can be controlled externally by an expression pedal, allowing for wide sweep of sound on the fly. Using these 2 in conjunction will yield some unruly sounds, and when they’re both cranked up, you get some really wild oscillation-type sounds, super fun to play around with and let your guitar feedback in and out of. You can also control the Depth with the optional Expression Pedal output, making for easily accessible fluctuation on the fly.
The Resonance switch is a great 3-way toggle, too, from which you can select Hi, Low and Bypassed resonance options, creating a multitude of new sonic adventures (you can use an internal trimpot as well, to dial in the low setting to your liking for added control of your reverb sound). There’s also an added Boost switch, which lets the user cut or strengthen the reverb signal. When engaged, the Hi level is activated, heightening your reverb experience and pushing the pedal to it’s maximum. When off, the Lo setting comes into play, reducing the reverb signal a bit, allowing for smoother and subtler reverb sounds. Plus, there’s even an internal trimpot that you can modify to control how much level reduction you want the pedal to provide.
Lots of options to choose from in this pedal, and the reverb is just beautiful. Subtle, deep, warm, soaring, springy, lush: the Surf Rider III has got it all. If it had the ability to do Stereo Ins and Outs, it might just be the perfect reverb pedal. But as it is, you won’t be disappointed. Thanks so much to Alex and everyone over at SolidGoldFX for donating this pedal for us to review – SolidGoldFX makes a huge line of great products, go check them out and see what else they can offer you!
Submitted by Mike B, Website
Trackbacks/Pingbacks