TC Electronic Skysurfer Reverb Pedal: A Review
Ever since I met Dick Dale 20 years ago, I’ve been obsessed with surf guitar. Dale wielded the guitar like none other, his speedy alternate picking and bluesy chord progressions mimicking the vibe of boarders riding the waves.
Lately, I’ve been digging The Surfragettes, an all-woman instrumental surf rock four-piece, fronted by the guitar player Shermy Freeman. Between their surf-inspired covers of songs like Britney Spears’ “Toxic” to their matching outfits and go-go boots, I’m dying to see them live.
I haven’t been able to swing it yet. But after watching a recent demo of Freeman playing with her signature Solid Gold FX Surf Rider IV reverb pedal, I knew I had to have a reverb pedal.
Whiel the Shermy signature pedal sold out super-fast, I was stoked to secure the pale blue, TC Electronic Skysurfer Reverb Pedal as a holiday gift.
It was love at first sight, clearly — but did it give me the vintage surf-rock vibes and tanky echos I was craving?
WHAT I LOVE THE MOST
The TC Electronic Skysurfer Reverb pedal offers, realistic reverb effects for three different room sizes in a stompbox. I’ve tried just two rooms, so far, and it delivers as promised.
I also love that it’s super simple to figure out, with just three knobs: Reverb, Mix, and Tone controls. I went from a more saturated, or “wet” sound (as described by my band’s lead guitarist) to a drier sound simply by toning down the “Mix” knob. When I mix the reverb with my Super Badass distortion pedal, the result is trippy and menacing.
Playing “Miserlou” with a reverb makes all the difference too — it gives my notes a nice “pop” that I didn’t have otherwise.
Also: An onboard toggle switch lets you choose from Spring, Plate, and Hall settings on the fly, which can transform your sound from baby reverb to full-blown, cavernous echoes that give off that desert spaghetti western vibe.
The best part? The pedal is gorgeous, and retails for less than $50!
WHAT I LOVED LESS
It’s hard to find any faults with the TC Electronics pedal. It infuses my playing with just the right touch of reverb. If I had any minor issues, I’d say that its larger size is slightly annoying – I can’t fit it inside my Boss pedal case. But it’s a super minor complaint (and I can always buy the Skysurfer mini pedal, for about $50, if I want one that fits in this particular pedal case).
One reviewer on Sweetwater gave the pedal just three stars because of its noticeable hiss, which they said “is loud enough to compete with the guitar” when playing quietly. I haven’t noticed this yet, personally, however.
WOULD I BUY AGAIN?
Though this pedal was a gift, I’d buy it again in a heartbeat. Most pedals cost so much more money. I’m the kind of musician who craves a touch of reverb now — but wants to explore songwriting that incorporates more of it. So I’ll definitely be using this baby in the near — and hopefully the long-term — future.
Marisa Torrieri Bloom is the writer and editor of Rockmommy.
