The Alexander Pedals Golden Summer Ambient Reverberator is a reverb pedal aimed squarely at ambient playing. Premier Guitar described its basic reverb tone as that of a large chamber or hall, with a lush decay and fully adjustable pre-delay, and called the pedal "Alexander's take on reverb with a decidedly ambient slant"1. It was introduced at a $190 retail price1 and shown as a new release at Summer NAMM 2015, where Premier Guitar filmed demos of it alongside the F.13 Flanger2.
Controls and modes
The Golden Summer has four knobs covering Reverb, Delay, Mix and Tweak1. The Reverb and Mix knobs adjust the reverb level and the mix respectively, while the Tweak control has a completely different function in each reverb mode1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Reverb | Adjusts the reverb level1 |
| Delay | Delay control alongside the reverb engine1 |
| Mix | Adjusts the mix1 |
| Tweak | A different function in each mode: octave up or down on the reverb trails in Shimmer, dark analog or bright digital delay character in Echo1 |
Three control modes are available: Mod, Shimmer and Echo1. In Shimmer mode, the Tweak knob produces a classic ambient effect with the addition of an octave up or down to the reverb trails1. In Echo mode, the same control lets the user dial in either dark analog delay tones or bright digital repeats1.
Bypass and trails
The Golden Summer does not use true bypass. It uses buffered bypass switching with optional trails and a soft-touch footswitch1. Alexander Pedals' own support pages confirm the design: "Some of our products (notably the Golden Summer) feature buffered bypass with optional 'trails'"3. Trails are user selectable, so you can decide whether the reverb tail continues after you switch the pedal off1.
Because the Golden Summer is buffered rather than true bypass, it will always pass signal through its buffer when engaged in the chain. Whether the reverb tail continues after switching depends on the trails setting13.
Where it sits in Alexander's lineup
The Golden Summer is Alexander Pedals' ambient reverberator from the handbuilt era, a compact pedal running on 9-volt operation with a standard DC input and a $190 retail price1. The maker's reverb range has since grown around it, and players comparing the Golden Summer with later Alexander designs can read about the Space Force and Now We Are Ghosts, or browse the wider field on the Reverb Pedals type page.
Questions
Does the Golden Summer have true bypass?
No. The Golden Summer uses buffered bypass switching with a soft-touch footswitch, and the buffer comes with optional reverb trails. Alexander Pedals notes that the Golden Summer in particular features buffered bypass with optional trails, so the reverb tail can continue after you switch the pedal off, depending on how you set it up.
What does the Tweak knob do on the Golden Summer?
The Tweak control has a completely different function in each reverb mode. In Shimmer mode it produces a classic ambient effect by adding an octave up or down to the reverb trails, and in Echo mode it lets you dial in either dark analog-style delay tones or bright digital repeats.
Can the Golden Summer add octave-up shimmer to the reverb?
Yes. Setting the pedal to Shimmer mode and using the Tweak knob produces a classic ambient effect with the addition of an octave up or down to the reverb trails, which is the shimmer sound many ambient players look for.
What power does the Alexander Pedals Golden Summer need?
The Golden Summer runs on 9 volts with a standard DC input, so it works with a typical pedalboard power supply. The maker's specifications do not list a battery option or a current draw figure for this pedal.
Does the Golden Summer have reverb trails?
Yes, trails are user selectable. The pedal uses soft-touch bypass switching with user selectable reverb trails, so you can choose whether the reverb tail rings out naturally after you disengage the effect or cuts off when you switch it.
Sources (3)
- Alexander Pedals Launches Golden Summer Reverberator, Premier Guitar, 2015-07-10
- Alexander Pedals SNAMM '15: Golden Summer & F.13 Demos, Premier Guitar, 2015-08-03
- FAQ - Alexander, Alexander Pedals
