Galaxie5Hundo
Joined: May 14, 2020
Posts: 1
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Posted on May 14 2020 04:00 PM
Which is the best way to go.
I want a Fender tank classic sound. But don't want to spend near a G.
Oceans 11 seems like the best digital choice
and Surfy Bear the best analog. And on that front, I'm interested in the Metal price tag, but haven't found a convincing video to show it sounds the same as the classic (which seems to sound closer in comparison videos to a 5G15 tank)
Are any of these three worth it—or will I never be satisfied until I drop $800 on a tank.
Last edited: May 14, 2020 16:19:05
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Redfeather
Joined: Jul 30, 2016
Posts: 896
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Posted on May 14 2020 06:04 PM
As has been said countless times before, there's just no substitute for the real thing. And the Surfy Bear is the only real thing aside from the real thing.
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SandBug
Joined: Feb 22, 2016
Posts: 444
California
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Posted on May 14 2020 10:29 PM
Surfy Bear. Hands down. Either model with the large springs will sound amazing. Even the Surfy Bear compact sounds better than any digital pedal, by far.
If you must go digital then the Topanga would be it, after that I'd consider the Flint.
I'm not a fan of the Oceans 11.
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RobbieReverb
Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 2388
San Jose, Ca.
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Posted on May 14 2020 10:50 PM
+1 on Surfy Bear. I've got a Surfy Bear Metal, and two real tanks. The Surfy bear smokes my '63 reissue tank, and hangs right in there with the Gomez (hardwired Fender clone).
— Bob
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Vince_Ray
Joined: Aug 26, 2015
Posts: 252
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Posted on May 15 2020 01:03 AM
I preferred the Boss Frv1 over the Oceans 11, but I'm a contrary onery fellah. I did borrow a pals Surfy Bear build for an afternoon and loved it
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OzReverb
Joined: Apr 28, 2009
Posts: 460
Victoria
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Posted on May 15 2020 02:30 AM
Live in Australia..... - expect to pay AUD$1000+ for a tank. USD$800 for a tank would be a bargain!
SurfyBear all the way. I got two of them and I love them
— https://www.facebook.com/lostremoleros/
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Samurai
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2287
Kiev, Ukraine
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Posted on May 15 2020 03:20 AM
I use both
SurfyBear is sure a way over in terms of sound, powerful drippy beast
Oceans 11 is a nice compact substitute and I also find it more forgiving to the sound quality of amps in the clubs where we play, they may be pretty different. I use echo and other reverbs sometimes, they are fun)
— Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine
https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki
Lost Diver
https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin
Last edited: May 15, 2020 03:21:33
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da-ron
Joined: Jan 02, 2009
Posts: 1307
The original Plymouth, UK.
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Posted on May 15 2020 03:26 AM
You're comparing a digital pedal against an analogue one. The Surfy Bear will give you the sound you want - as has been said, its the closest thing to a real tube reverb thing. If that's what you want, then that's the option.
The Oceans11 may give you something close, maybe exactly the thing you want but it'll be harder to find. The Oceans 11 pedal is good for lots of different types of reverb so it's a more versatile pedal compared to the Surfy which pretty much gives you more or less of the same sound.
The Surfy is excellent for surf music, it's very convincing and reliable unit. The Oceans 11 will be good for loads of different reverb, one of which may be the one you want.
They're two very different pedals though - both will give you what you want, as longs you know what you want. When someone asks 'what pedal should I get', it's often because they aren't sure what sound they want in the first place rather than what pedal will give them the sound.
If you want a vintagey surf sound, the Surfy is the box. If you want a whole host of reverb sounds, then the Oceans11 is the one.
— http://thewaterboarders.bandcamp.com/
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derekirving
Joined: Nov 03, 2011
Posts: 660
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Posted on Apr 25 2021 11:07 AM
I should say I'm not s surf player but a 50's rockabilly rock n roller who loves that 6G15 reverb. (in fact my sound is somewhat rooted in that classic reverb. I've owned vintage and reissue Fender reverb units) Currently I'm using a Oceans 11. I recently purchased a Surfybear Compact, only to return it after a few days. Why? (1) It did sound great, very 3D, fuller and warmer sounding then the Oceans 11. A lot of reverb in the compact. (2) It just didn't sound the same as a true 6G15 (reissue or vintage Fender) (3) Those nuances that made the compact better then the Oceans 11 when playing without a band got lost when playing in the band (4) I just couldn't get the overall reverb (springs) to be bright enough they were always dark/muted and (5) the Compact is about $300 +/- more then the Oceans 11. The sound of the compact wasn't worth the extra $$ to me, where the Oceans 11 worked fine. I'd rather stick with the Oceans 11 or find a reissue Fender reverb unit again. I suggest if you can, play one.
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Surfysonic
Joined: Oct 17, 2009
Posts: 530
Walkersville, MD
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Posted on Apr 26 2021 04:14 PM
I've got a '64 Fender Reverb Unit, a Surfy Bear Classic, and an array of reverb pedals which are all terrific for what they do.
The Surfy Bear Classic is the real deal and sounds very similar to my vintage Fender Reverb Unit. I can't speak to the two other versions other than they have true bypass capability where this one doesn't, which I can live with.
If wanting to go the pedal route, here are my pedals that I heartily recommend - links in names to video demos:
Maybe not so much Fender Reverb Unit emulating, but outstanding pedals in their own right that I would be remiss to not mention.
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Mr. Black Deluxe Plus Reverb & Tremolo - a darker reverb and tremolo pedal that is one of my favorite pedals. A real sleeper hit in my book. Maybe not traditional reverb, but when I use it, I get some Tremolo Beer Gut tones all day long. Love it!
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Nocturne El Pescadoro Reverb & Preamp - another darker tonal pedal, reminiscent of the late '40s and '50s reverb. Think Maybelline by Chuck Berry or Chess Record recordings. Another one of my favorite pedals. 
— The doofus formerly known as Snorre
Surfysonic on YouTube
World Famous Philistines: 2014 - 2015
K39: 2013 - 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv9JADQ4ukw
Last edited: Apr 26, 2021 16:17:31
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TheFintastics
Joined: Jul 28, 2008
Posts: 473
Wichita Falls, Texas
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Posted on Apr 26 2021 10:29 PM
I've been a huge fan of 60 Cycle Hum and their reverb pedal shootouts. To my ears, the Ventris Reverb pedal has the best analogue sounding DRIP that I've ever heard. It sounds totally like the real thing, especially the tails.
— _
Hi, I'm Gellert, guitarist for The Fintastics.
https://www.facebook.com/TheFintastics
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ElectricLimnology
Joined: Nov 20, 2017
Posts: 113
Southeast MIchigan
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Posted on Sep 22 2022 09:09 PM
As of this week I have tried the entire reverb trinity of Surfybear, EH Oceans 11 and Catalinbread Topanga. My Surfybear is an original kit version from some years ago. It’s sounds great and keeps running but I don’t use it all the time. I understand the driving the amp thing and the authentic drip is great but I don’t always want the gain and I don’t like the way it kind of mutes the tone (especially with my Gretsch which is my main surf guitar). The Topanga, which I acquired recently, has a similar effect on tone and gain, which is the whole point of the pedal. It’s startlingly authentic. It’s a cool pedal but just not for me.
My rig is set up with a slightly more modern signal chain which offers control over gain. I like to be able to strip my tone right back to the guitar and amp with the click of a switch or two. When using anything in the 6G15 universe you can never really do this and it always bugs me. I did move my Oceans 11 out of the effects loop and found that it gave the drip a slightly more authentic character and allowed me to take advantage of the preamp setting in the pedal. It’s not 6G15 or Surfybear but it’s close enough for my live needs. And it can really sparkle. As one who is almost always inclined against digital simulations of anything, I find that the Oceans 11 is a great sounding reverb and if you’re not so hung up on the authentic 6G15 thing I would recommend it. I can’t be the only player on this forum who has this sensibility towards tone and gain staging. I love my Surfybear, it’s not going anywhere, but I am tending to use it for recording.
— The Vicissitones
Diesel Marine
The Rasputones
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DeathTide
Joined: Apr 13, 2018
Posts: 1379
New Orleans
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Posted on Sep 23 2022 08:43 AM
ElectricLimnology wrote:
I like to be able to strip my tone right back
Sounds like you'd benefit from a wet / dry rig! I had the same beef with the old 6g15 stealing tone (mostly bass and the microseconds of pick attack during furious tremolo picking). Using two amps has completely solved that. You can also use one amp's two channels, but often you'll need a phase switch for one channel.
— Daniel Deathtide
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ElectricLimnology
Joined: Nov 20, 2017
Posts: 113
Southeast MIchigan
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Posted on Sep 23 2022 09:04 AM
DeathTide wrote:
ElectricLimnology wrote:
I like to be able to strip my tone right back
Sounds like you'd benefit from a wet / dry rig! I had the same beef with the old 6g15 stealing tone (mostly bass and the microseconds of pick attack during furious tremolo picking). Using two amps has completely solved that. You can also use one amp's two channels, but often you'll need a phase switch for one channel.
I have two amps and have done this with an ABY switch. It’s awesome! Hauling two amps around is not. Neither amp has two inputs. Is there a way to do it with one input?
— The Vicissitones
Diesel Marine
The Rasputones
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ElectricLimnology
Joined: Nov 20, 2017
Posts: 113
Southeast MIchigan
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Posted on Sep 23 2022 09:27 AM
Actually, I think I can mix wet and dry signals with an active loop selector switch that I already have. It’s the Saturnworks Active Trails Looper. It has mix knobs for in and out.
— The Vicissitones
Diesel Marine
The Rasputones
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DeathTide
Joined: Apr 13, 2018
Posts: 1379
New Orleans
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Posted on Sep 23 2022 12:25 PM
Oh cool! I didn't think that could be done without an extra mixer before the amp.
— Daniel Deathtide
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ElectricLimnology
Joined: Nov 20, 2017
Posts: 113
Southeast MIchigan
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Posted on Sep 23 2022 03:52 PM
DeathTide wrote:
Oh cool! I didn't think that could be done without an extra mixer before the amp.
False alarm. Wishful thinking. The loop pedal thing doesn’t work. It does seem like a sort of tiny pedal mixer would exist making this possible. Oh well.
— The Vicissitones
Diesel Marine
The Rasputones
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DeathTide
Joined: Apr 13, 2018
Posts: 1379
New Orleans
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Posted on Sep 23 2022 05:56 PM
Yeah like some 2-to-1 pedal with trim pots. There could be phase issues with this but that's an easy pedal fix. There are tiny mixers but I wonder if those would work with guitar-level impedance and such. Probably not.
— Daniel Deathtide
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Samurai
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2287
Kiev, Ukraine
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Posted on Sep 24 2022 03:04 AM
Samurai wrote:
I use both
SurfyBear is sure a way over in terms of sound, powerful drippy beast
Oceans 11 is a nice compact substitute and I also find it more forgiving to the sound quality of amps in the clubs where we play, they may be pretty different. I use echo and other reverbs sometimes, they are fun)
Actually I’ve sold Oceans 11 and a got SurfyBear Compact for a “guitar gigbag pocket pedal”. I love it even more than my Classic for live gigs.
— Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine
https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki
Lost Diver
https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin
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Surfysonic
Joined: Oct 17, 2009
Posts: 530
Walkersville, MD
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Posted on Sep 25 2022 10:38 AM
Samurai wrote:
Actually I’ve sold Oceans 11 and a got SurfyBear Compact for a “guitar gigbag pocket pedal”. I love it even more than my Classic for live gigs.
Since my last post in this thread, I bought a used SurfyBear Compact back in May 2021. It's a mainstay on my pedalboard. It sounds just as awesome as my two SurfyBear Classics (one has a Drip Switch and the other has a Surfy Drip for bypass function).
I love the the 2 Mixer controls and bypass functions on the SurfyBear Compact.
I still have my E-H Oceans 11 for it's variety of Reverb tonal options.
— The doofus formerly known as Snorre
Surfysonic on YouTube
World Famous Philistines: 2014 - 2015
K39: 2013 - 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv9JADQ4ukw
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