The Surf Drive is a one-knob mini overdrive pedal from PB&J Pedals, a builder based in North Carolina. It arrived in a teal, ocean blue enclosure measuring 3.64″ x 1.52″, small enough to tuck into any corner of a pedalboard. When it launched in November 2014, it was on sale for $75 with free shipping from November 10 until November 12th1.
Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Mike B, described it as "a great little overdrive pedal with a small footprint," and summed up its appeal simply: "There's really not much to this thing, but it will make your amp SING."1
One knob: Volume that doubles as gain
The Surf Drive has a single control, and it does two jobs at once. As Pedal of the Day put it, "The only control is Volume, which also acts as a Gain knob of sorts, too. The more you crank it, the louder it gets, sure, but the crunchier it gets as well."1
That means level and drive move together: turn the knob up and you get more output and more crunch in the same motion. Players who like to set a pedal once and shape their tone from the guitar will find that suits the design1.
| Knob position | What you get |
|---|---|
| Around 10:00 | A clean, unaffected, crisp boost to your guitar signal1 |
| Higher settings | Louder output and progressively more crunch1 |
Cleaning up with the guitar's volume
The pedal is designed to work with your guitar's own controls. Pedal of the Day noted its interaction with your guitar's volume knob as a way to adjust the amount of distortion on the fly: set the pedal where you want it, then roll back on the guitar to tame the crunch, or dig in for more1. That makes the Surf Drive behave much like a traditional amp-style overdrive, where touch and guitar volume shape how much dirt you hear.
How much range does one knob give you?
More than the single control suggests. Mike B's verdict was that "the Surf Drive has surprisingly good range for being a one-knob pony," and the clean boost behavior at lower settings means it can cover boost and light-to-medium drive duties without a separate gain control1. For players comparing it with fuller-featured drives, it sits at the simple end of the overdrive pedal field: no tone knob, no separate gain and level, just one dial.
"There's really not much to this thing, but it will make your amp SING."
Related PB&J Pedals drives
PB&J Pedals, the North Carolina maker behind the Surf Drive, built this pedal as part of a small line of drives. The Surf Drive itself is described by Pedal of the Day as coming "from our friends PB&J Pedals in North Carolina," enclosed in "a gorgeous teal, ocean blue box"1. The reviewer summed it up plainly: "There's really not much to this thing, but it will make your amp SING."1
The Surf Drive dates from 2014, and the maker's own specifications for power requirements and bypass style are not part of the published record on this pedal. The details above come from Pedal of the Day's review at launch.
Questions
Does the PB&J Pedals Surf Drive have a gain knob?
Not as a separate control. The Surf Drive's only knob is Volume, and Pedal of the Day's reviewer noted that it also acts as a gain knob of sorts: the more you crank it, the louder it gets, but the crunchier it gets as well. So drive and level are tied together on the one control, which is part of the pedal's simple, small-footprint design.
How does the Surf Drive react to my guitar's volume knob?
Pedal of the Day highlighted the pedal's interaction with your guitar's controls: rolling your guitar's volume back lets you adjust the amount of distortion from the pedal, so you can set the Surf Drive for big crunch and clean it up from the guitar, or leave it lower for a milder setting and push it when you dig in.
How big is the PB&J Pedals Surf Drive?
It is a mini pedal measuring 3.64 inches by 1.52 inches, according to Pedal of the Day's review. That small footprint makes it easy to fit onto a crowded pedalboard alongside other compact effects.
What did the Surf Drive cost when it launched?
At launch, PB&J Pedals ran a sale from November 10 until November 12, 2014, pricing the Surf Drive at $75 with free shipping, as reported by Pedal of the Day on the day the sale began.
Can the Surf Drive be used as a clean boost?
Yes, at lower settings. Pedal of the Day found that with the Volume knob around 10:00, you get a boost to your guitar signal that stays clean, unaffected and crisp. The reviewer also called the pedal surprisingly good in range for being a one-knob design.
Sources (1)
- PB&J Pedals Surf Drive, Pedal of the Day, 2014-11-10