Pricing and availability

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Average Price: $87

Standard/Professional

$50

$176+

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High-end

Price History

Based on price data from 1 merchant for "Carl Martin Surf Trem". Prices shown reflect NEW condition. Tracking began Apr 2, 2026.

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Description

Dive into the warm, vintage vibes of the Carl Martin Surf Trem, a tremolo effects pedal that captures the essence of classic surf rock and beyond. Designed with the modern guitarist in mind, this pedal offers a seamless blend of simplicity and functionality. Its straightforward interface makes it easy to dial in the perfect tremolo effect, from gentle waves to intense pulses, allowing you to effortlessly enhance your sound with depth and character.

The Surf Trem is crafted with precision, featuring a robust housing that withstands the rigors of any gig. Its true bypass ensures your original tone remains pure when the pedal is disengaged, while the intuitive controls provide a user-friendly experience. Whether you're surfing through vintage rock, blues, or crafting your own unique soundscape, this pedal is your ticket to a sonic adventure.

Key Features:

  • Smooth, vintage-inspired tremolo effect
  • True bypass for uncolored tone
  • Easy-to-use controls for quick adjustments
  • Durable construction for stage and studio use
  • Compact design for easy pedalboard integration
Music Force Official

Music Force Official

Carl martin Surf Trem Tremolo

Video thumbnail for Carl martin   Surf Trem Tremolo by Music Force Official

Carl martin Surf Trem Tremolo

Music Force Official

Music Force Official

Video thumbnail for Carl Martin: SURF TREM 2018 by Brett Kingman

Carl Martin: SURF TREM 2018

Brett Kingman

Brett Kingman

Video thumbnail for Carl Martin Surf Trem by Iga Massardi

Carl Martin Surf Trem

Iga Massardi

Iga Massardi

Video thumbnail for Carl Martin Surf Trem by james Cooper

Carl Martin Surf Trem

james Cooper

james Cooper

Video thumbnail for LOUD soft LOUD soft LOUD soft - Carl Martin Surf Trem Review by EytschPi42

LOUD soft LOUD soft LOUD soft - Carl Martin Surf Trem Review

EytschPi42

EytschPi42

Video thumbnail for Carl Martin Surf Trem - Demo by Martin Klaja by Martin Klaja's Guitarchannel

Carl Martin Surf Trem - Demo by Martin Klaja

Martin Klaja's Guitarchannel

Martin Klaja's Guitarchannel

Video thumbnail for Carl Martin Surf Trem by Wall of Sound

Carl Martin Surf Trem

Wall of Sound

Wall of Sound

Video thumbnail for Carl Martin SURF TREM - Sweeter Than Honey !! by Alberto Barrero

Carl Martin SURF TREM - Sweeter Than Honey !!

Alberto Barrero

Alberto Barrero

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Carl Martin Surf Trem.

Features and functionality

  • The Carl Martin Surf Trem V3 is praised for its rich, round sound but lacks waveform or boost controls, unlike the Voodoo Lab tremolo.

    Source
  • The Hummingbird's v4 model offers a JFET boost with light treble enhancement when the depth knob is turned down, providing versatility beyond traditional tremolo effects.

    Source

Use cases and applications

  • Works excellently in front of a Fender amp with spring reverb for a classic surf sound.

    Source
  • The Joyo Tremolo is favored for achieving subtle "amp" reverb sounds and features a quirky aesthetic with a yellow finish and a dog illustration.

    Source

User experience

  • Owners report no noise issues, contradicting some reviews that suggest potential noise in front of tube amps.

    Source
  • A user indicates that the need for a volume boost is subjective; they rarely set their tremolo pedals above unity.

    Source
  • Owners of the EQD Hummingbird appreciate its unique, choppy square wave tremolo, likening it to a true optical vibrato with a distinctive percussive upswing effect.

    Source

Comparisons

  • While the Carl Martin Surf Trem is basic, users also consider alternatives like the Boss TR-2, Mooer Trelicopter, and Marshall Vibratrem for varied feature sets.

    Source
  • The Joyo Tremolo, priced at around $35, shares a similar circuit design with the Demeter Tremulator and Fulltone SupaTrem, offering a budget-friendly alternative with comparable sound quality.

    Source
  • The Source Audio Vertigo is praised for its versatility, offering stereo ins and outs, MIDI programmability, and deep editing features, appealing to those who desire extensive customization.

    Source
Add

4.5 out of 5

Based on 2 Reviews and 8 Ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
faber_fdm

A pedal that only delivers one sound but does it very well.

A very simple two-knob pedal, delivering a sine-wave tremolo, close to that of the Fender Vibrolux, Princeton ou Deluxe Reverb. Therefore it does only produce one sound and this is a very vintage-like one. The sound is absolutely transparent, it doesn't affect the signal. There's a subtle volume drop but this is the principle of a tremolo-pedal, it is almost unavoidable. Its main defect, in my opinion, is its range. The speed knob produces a very slow tremolo, which, although enjoyable, is not very useful. The usable tremolo sound, the one you hear on many classic records, is at the very end of the spectrum, almost at 3 o'clock. The other defect is that the knobs are kind of sloppy, you need to be very careful where you put your feet if you do not want to lose your settings. My review does not seem very engaging but in fact it is a very useful pedal to produce a classic, vintage-like tremolo sound. I've owned an Electro-Harmonix Pulsar but I've sold it and kept the Surf Trem because I really love its simplicity.

mx1810

Great, but...

Two knobs... That's what it takes to get an amazing sound. My only complain: some hiss.

Artist usage

Add artist
See how Jake Bugg uses Carl Martin Surf Trem

Jake Bugg

Guitarist, Singer

...
Verified via Photo

Jake Bugg uses a Carl Martin Surf Trem pedal, as evidenced by a user-uploaded photo on Equipboard. In an interview, Bugg mentioned acquiring a vintage tremolo pedal from Hot Rox, a renowned pedal shop in Nottingham frequented by artists like the Arctic Monkeys.

See how Eric Schenkman uses Carl Martin Surf Trem

Eric Schenkman

Guitarist

Spin Doctors

...
Verified via YouTube

In the video "Spin Doctors Cover Prince On The Spot" by Musora, Eric Schenkman is observed using the Carl Martin Surf Trem on his pedalboard at approximately 7:37.

See how Martin Miguel Tonne uses Carl Martin Surf Trem

Martin Miguel Tonne

Guitarist

Pom Poko

...
Verified via Photo

From an Instagram Story on his private Instagram. You can see the wide version of the Carl Martin Surf Trem on the board, but it's the same circuit more or less.

Album Usage

The Carl Martin Surf Trem has been featured on the following albums:

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Carl Martin Surf Trem, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

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Community setups

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sunny_climate

Gear IQ 661

sunny_climate

sunny_climate

Gear IQ 661

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