mechagodzilla wrote:

I have a question about the latest kits and the function of the isolation pad.

Does the iso pad need to be grounded by touching the bare metal chassis of the enclosure? I have an old ammo box that's painted and I was wondering if I need to sand away the paint for the iso pad to touch the bare metal.

Looking forward to getting it up and running!

From the manual:

"Remove the protection foil from the isolation pad. Important: this tape isolates the MOSFETs from chassis (ground)"

http://www.surfyindustries.com/download/SurfyIndustries-SurfyBear_Kit-UserGuide.pdf

So, with regard to grounding there is no need to sand away the paint.
But you have to make sure there is proper heat transfer from the heat pad to your metal enclosure (through the paint). Also, make sure the paint doesn't peel off because of the heat, leaving the circuit with no heatsink.

Last edited: Aug 24, 2017 20:09:50

agentjonny wrote:

I apologize in advance if this question has appeared in the thread already, but 87 pages is a lot to dig through! I have a Surfybear DIY kit on the way and I noticed I already have a few 12v center positive adapters lying around. nothing that’s 1a, but I have a 1.5a and a 3.0 a. Are either of these safe or does it need to be 1.0a?

Both of these will work. Just select the one that gives you the least hum.

Finally finished my build!

I decided to try to fit both the SurfyBear reverb and trem PCBs into one relatively small Hammond 1590BB aluminum enclosure. The PCBs themselves are slightly too large to fit nicely while still leaving space for knobs and all the connections, so I decided to try mounting them on top of each other with PCB mounts glued in The reverb board is below, with the FETs touching the enclosure, while the trem is on top with a bit of tape to ensure nothing is touching. In the process I learned normal super glue doesn't really work with aluminum, so I ended up re-gluing a few times over (tightening screws was occasionally enough to twist and break the bond with normal superglue) until I tried a metal epoxy superglue. In the end I gave up on the mounting screw for the reverb board, since the mount wasn't tall enough to tighten against the board and I didn't think of using enough washers before it broke off for the fourth time... However, since it's all pretty tight in there, I'm not particularly concerned, the trem board is also pushing down and the FETs seemed to stick to the surface OK. Björn, you might consider leaving a bit more space between the FETs around the mounting hole in the next redesign, if anyone else happens to be foolhardy enough to try this as well

It's a quality kit, so wiring up the boards themselves was quite easy, but the bypass wiring is really fiddly. However, the pedal is true bypass with an effects order switch, so I can run reverb into trem or the other way around, or then remove everything from the chain. Additionally, all the connections are at the top (just enough space to make it work decently) so everything is as compact as can realistically be, at least with my patience level.

I ordered some vintage-style knobs for "that look", but it seems the pots that came in the kit have different shafts to the ones I got, so I'm still waiting the final pots (6.3 mm solid shafts) and 3mm LED bezels to indicate if the effects are on or off and the tremolo rate. I'm still monitoring the whole thing for heat buildup, but everything seems to be working fine after an hour powered up. It's warm to touch, but doesn't seem worryingly so. I'll have to go back and redo a few steps once all the additional components arrive, so I'll have an excuse to see what it looks like on the inside afterwards...

Really happy about this so far, after a few months of waiting and planning. All in all, I'd say that I spent at least 4-6 hours soldering this together, and at least 1 hour drilling and measuring (some of the holes are slightly out of place, but it looks close enough), so it's not a quick procedure. I also have a few of the usual suspect pans to test, but these can be trivially swapped out with the top-mount RCA connections. In a gigging situation, the pans will probably fit under a larger pedalboard or just on the floor.

A few more pics of the build, unfortunately I seem to have forgotten to take one with just the reverb and it's connections wired up: http://imgur.com/a/iXI0y

Last edited: Sep 03, 2017 14:52:31

TikiHead,

So glad to hear you love your prebuilt Surfybear Reverb. I have one on its way today (in black Tolex) that I cannot wait to try.

I was hoping to use the 12v setting on my Pedaltrain (while hoping the little AC cord is universal) until I have a chance to get, say, a Dunlop 12 power supply. Or one of those adapters for the existing power supply's plug.

I can't wait to play through this beautiful unit - into my recording setup, as usual.

I have always wanted to build a Surfybear (the idea of a custom cab especially appeals to me!) but I'm sorry to say the soldering/construction daunted me. I think the cabinet they created for the prebuilt Surfybear Reverb Unit is really cool (have I missed seeing it discussed here??)

Anyway, I can't say enough about the great politeness/helpfulness of Bjorn and Lorenzo in my email dealings with Surfy Industries thus far. I wrote with a question about the adapter, and to wish them well.

Meanwhile, as I eagerly await this delivery, the monster Hurricane Irma is bearing down on us in Florida. THAT is not the kind of high-volume, epic drip that I enjoy experiencing.

Last edited: Sep 07, 2017 10:52:45

Could you venture any description of the sound? I know that it's all in the individual's hands, settings and setup - but for you personally?

As far as US power supplies are concerned, I bought this on amazon and it works great. It's a little more robust (12v @ 2A) than the euro supply as well, so there's less hum. < $8 shipped.

http://a.co/f5aiBkr

The Surfybear Reverb has arrived! It was well packaged - the custom carrying case is great - and the unit itself truly is a thing of beauty.

It's going to be torture, working from home for the rest of the afternoon while thinking about how this baby will sound. I hope I get a chance to test it this evening.

Hi there fellow surfybear owners, I have recently assembled my reverb setup and have run into a hum issue when introducing the mix pot which I have tried to resolve with no success. As recommended on the surfy industries website faqs section, i have attempted using different adaptors, shorted all the lengths of wire as best I could and it's still hanging around. I have attached a photo detailing my setup. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

I had major hum issues until I tried a different power supply. My local thrift store has a big box of them for $1 each, so I was able to try several different ones without breaking the bank.

I found that a 2A power supply took care of the hum and have previously posted a link to a compatible product from Amazon.com.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Q2E5IXW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you are not in the US, I can try to find you a part number or source it for you or you can use an adapter.

I just found that the 1A supply always had hum, even with a factory made unit.