The SurfyTrem is an analog tremolo effects pedal from Surfy Industries, the Italian maker best known for its analog spring reverb units. It is built to recreate the sound of the famous "vibrato channel" of vintage Fender amplifiers, and it offers two distinct tremolo voices in one box: BROWNFACE and BLACKFACE1.
Surfy Industries describes the sound from the pedal as gently warmed up, a tiny darker than the dry signal. The effect is not digital: it is an analog circuit, and the Deluxe version is described as one of very few tremolos based on bias modulation, the same approach the company uses in its well known reverb units12.
Brownface and Blackface: two vintage Fender tremolo voices
The two modes on the SurfyTrem correspond to two different tremolo circuits Fender used across its amplifier eras, and they behave quite differently13.
BROWNFACE is a harmonic tremolo modeled on the second channel of a Fender 1961-1962 Showman amplifier. Surfy Industries describes it as a sound in which the signal floats on the harmonic wave, alternating highs and lows, and compares it to a rotating Leslie speaker1. Delicious Audio's Griffin Jennings, reviewing the Deluxe, describes the same mode as recreating that Showman second-channel voice3.
This kind of tremolo has one quality the maker highlights: dynamic adaptability. On slow melodies the effect is rich and deep, while on aggressive loud playing it is almost absorbed, maintaining the full attack of the notes1.
BLACKFACE is the more familiar kind of tremolo: amplitude modulation, in which the signal is moved alternatively in and out. Surfy Industries calls this a sort of on/off feeling, a more efficient and audible effect1. Delicious Audio found that this mode "really stands out when needed and cuts through the mix easily and loudly"3.
| Mode | Tremolo type | How it behaves |
|---|---|---|
| BROWNFACE | Harmonic tremolo, modeled on the Fender 1961-1962 Showman second channel | Signal floats on the wave, alternating highs and lows, comparable to a rotating Leslie speaker; rich and deep on slow playing, almost absorbed on aggressive playing1 |
| BLACKFACE | Amplitude modulation | Signal moved alternatively in and out, an on/off feeling, more efficient and audible, cuts through the mix easily and loudly13 |
History and versions
The SurfyTrem began as a limited edition. For the Surfer Joe Summer Festival 2016, which Surfy Industries calls the world's #1 surf music event, the company built the first version of the SurfyTrem pedal with a custom Surfer Joe logo. Only 20 pieces were built and they sold out quickly1.
The discussion that special edition generated led the company to start selling the effect as a DIY Kit as well1. That kit is no longer made: Surfy Industries discontinued the SurfyTrem DIY kit in 2019, with no plans to bring it back4.
The SurfyTrem DIY kit was discontinued in 2019 and Surfy Industries has no plans to bring it back4.
The SurfyTrem is built to recreate the sound of the vibrato channel of vintage Fender amplifiers, the circuit that inspired its two tremolo settings1. Surfy Industries gives the pedal two modes, BROWNFACE and BLACKFACE, named after the Fender amplifier eras they draw on1. The company describes the resulting sound as gently warmed up, a tiny darker than the dry signal1. Reviewers have noted the pedal's popularity among tremolo players, with Delicious Audio calling it Surfy Industries' popular SurfyTrem tremolo5.
The Deluxe also gained polarity auto detection, allowing the use of power supplies with either center-positive or center-negative polarity2.
| Version | What it is | Key differences |
|---|---|---|
| Surfer Joe 2016 Special Edition | First version, custom Surfer Joe logo, 20 pieces | Limited edition, sold out quickly1 |
| SurfyTrem | Standard pedal, BROWNFACE and BLACKFACE modes | No true bypass, kept intentionally to preserve the vintage tone change1 |
| SurfyTrem DIY Kit | Kit version introduced after the 2016 edition | Discontinued in 201914 |
| SurfyTrem Deluxe | 2022 update | Stereo in and out, true bypass, volume control, click-less mode switch, polarity auto detection23 |
Bypass: a deliberate vintage choice
The original SurfyTrem does not use true bypass, and this is intentional. Surfy Industries states it plainly on the product page: "NO TRUE BYPASS"1. The company kept the pedal's bypass behavior to preserve the vintage tone change the circuit imparts.
The DIY kit took the same approach, and for a historical reason: the original Showman amp did not have true bypass either. Bypass was achieved by just stopping the oscillator4.
The SurfyTrem Deluxe changed this, adding true bypass functionality2, which Delicious Audio confirmed in its 2022 coverage3.
What reviewers said
Delicious Audio, covering the Deluxe in August 2022, described Surfy Industries as a maker "mainly known for their analog spring reverb units" that had "updated their SurfyTrem pedal to a deluxe version in a slightly bigger casing"3. The same article noted the effect "is built to recreate the sound of the famous 'vibrato channel' of the vintage Fender® amplifiers"3.
In a 2025 news piece, Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio referred to the SurfyTrem as the company's "popular SurfyTrem tremolo"5.
"This effect is built to recreate the sound of the famous 'vibrato channel' of the vintage Fender® amplifiers."
Videos
Surfy Industries
Surfy Industries
Brett Kingman
Questions
Is the SurfyTrem true bypass?
No. The original SurfyTrem deliberately has no true bypass, a choice Surfy Industries made to preserve the vintage tone change the circuit produces. The SurfyTrem Deluxe, released in 2022, does add true bypass switching, along with stereo in and out and a volume control.
Is the SurfyTrem analog or digital?
It is fully analog. Surfy Industries states plainly that the effect is not digital, and the Deluxe version is described as 100% analog, one of very few tremolos based on bias modulation in the same way as the company's well known spring reverb units.
What changed on the SurfyTrem Deluxe?
The 2022 SurfyTrem Deluxe moved the pedal into a slightly bigger casing and added full stereo in and out, true bypass switching, a volume control, a click-less Brownface/Blackface mode switch, and polarity auto detection so it works with center-positive or center-negative power supplies.
Is the SurfyTrem DIY kit still available?
No. Surfy Industries discontinued the SurfyTrem DIY kit in 2019 and has no plans to bring it back. The kit followed a 2016 special edition of 20 pieces built for the Surfer Joe Summer Festival, which sold out quickly and prompted the DIY version.
What is a harmonic tremolo?
A harmonic tremolo splits the modulation between high and low frequencies, so the signal floats on a wave that alternates highs and lows, comparable to a rotating Leslie speaker. Surfy Industries modeled its Brownface mode on the second channel of a Fender 1961-1962 Showman amplifier.
Sources (5)
- Surfy Industries, Surfy Industries, 2016
- Surfy Industries, Surfy Industries
- Surfy Industries SurfyTrem Deluxe, Delicious Audio, 2022-08-15
- Surfy Industries, Surfy Industries
- New Pedal: Surfy Industries Surfybear Compact Deluxe, Delicious Audio, 2025-02-24
