The Tone City Tremble is a compact analog tremolo pedal from Tone City, a maker of small-format effects. Tremolo is the effect that rhythmically varies a note's volume, the same effect built into many vintage amplifiers, and it remains a staple on pedalboards of every kind. Tone City describes the Tremble as recreating "the built-in tremelo like classic amplifiers from the 50s and 60s, gets you warm, full and true tone."1 If you are new to the effect type, the Tremolo Pedals page covers how tremolo works and how it differs from vibrato and other modulation effects.
What it does
Tremolo works by modulating the volume of the signal, producing the pulsing swell long associated with amplifier tremolo circuits. Tone City positions the Tremble for players after that vintage-style sound: the maker says the effect is "extremely popular for creating large swelling chords and surf-style sounds, it offers all of that classic" character of amplifier tremolo.1 Surf-style playing leans heavily on that pulsing volume effect, which is why tremolo sits alongside reverb as a core effect for that style.
The pedal is analog throughout, and Tone City lists it as True Bypass, so the circuit is removed from the signal path when the effect is off.1
Size and connections
The Tremble is a mini pedal, and its small footprint is the main selling point. Tone City says it is "small enough to add to practically any pedalboard," aimed at players "looking for a warm tremolo effect similar to sound on a tube speaker" who "want to save space on your effect board."2
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 9.4 (L) x 4.5 (W) x 4.8 (H) cm1 |
| Weight | 0.26 kg1 |
| Input impedance | 500K1 |
| Output impedance | 10K1 |
| Bypass | True Bypass1 |
Power
The Tremble runs on a DC 9V adapter and draws 3 mA, a very light load by pedal standards.1 Tone City's page states that "This pedal is powered by DC 9V power supply," with no battery operation described.2 The maker recommends an independent pedal power supply, naming its own "TONECITY TPS SERIES All independent pedal power supply" as an example.1
The Tremble has no battery option: it needs a DC 9V power supply to run.2
Videos
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Questions
Is the Tone City Tremble true bypass?
Yes. Tone City lists the Tremble as a True Bypass pedal on its product page, so when the effect is switched off the signal passes through without the tremolo circuit in the path. That matters on a pedalboard where the pedal sits between other effects, because the guitar's tone is not filtered when the Tremble is bypassed.
Does the Tone City Tremble take a battery?
No. Tone City's product page states that the pedal is powered by a DC 9V power supply, and no battery operation is described. The maker recommends an independent pedal power supply such as its own TONECITY TPS series. At a 3 mA current draw it is a light load that almost any pedalboard power supply can handle.
How small is the Tone City Tremble?
It is a compact mini pedal measuring 9.4 cm long, 4.5 cm wide and 4.8 cm high, and it weighs 0.26 kg. Tone City describes it as small enough to add to practically any pedalboard, aimed at players who want to save space on their effect board.
Is the Tone City Tremble good for surf guitar?
Tone City says the effect is extremely popular for creating large swelling chords and surf-style sounds, and that it offers that classic amplitude-modulated wobble associated with vintage amplifiers. If you are after the pulsing volume swell heard on surf records, a tremolo like this is the effect type that produces it.
Sources (2)
- TREMBLE-Compact Tremolo Pedal-TONE CITY ▏Analog Pedals & Power supplies, Tone City Audio, 2026
- TREMBLE-Compact Tremolo Pedal-桂林华声乐器有限公司, Tonecity Audio (桂林华声乐器有限公司), 2026
