Members stratocaster202 Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 Purely out of interest, what would you, Harmony Central Electric Guitar Forum, say is the best guitar for playing surf music. Please don't just a type but give pickup info and things. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tumbleweeed Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 Use a strat and turn the midrange all the way down on your amp and the reverb up to tatse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ganjaseed Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 Strats,Jazzmasters,Jaguars all work great.Use big strings,Fender style amps and a lot of reverb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roy Brooks Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 I usually play this here Mosrite Joe Maphis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tumbleweeed Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 I usually play this here Mosrite Joe Maphis. I'll give you cash right now....how much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roy Brooks Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 I'll give you cash right now....how much? You are in the San Francisco Bay area. I am in Maryland. It would be impossible for you to give me cash right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members voneville Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 Any amp with descent reverb and any guitar can sound good if played with the right chops. The guitarist in Zombie Surf Camp (So Cal horror surf band) gets awesome tone with an Ibanez and a Marshall JCM 900. The other guitarist goes the more trad route with a Jag or a Strat and a Fender ext reverb unit through an old fender tube combo (can't remember which one, it's sort of an oddball one named after some college). My personnel preference would be any guitar with a P-90 type pup and a trem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ArKay Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 Next to the Mosrites the Yamaha SGVs (and the current Blue Jeans models) are pretty popular in Japan. Just another option which doesn't get mentioned that often It was a re-issue of the Yamaha SG models from the mid-60s, their response to the Fender offerings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SharkMinusBear Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 Fender Custom Shop Dick Dale Strat: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dewysoss Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 Jazzmaster/Jaguar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slodge Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 This might be sacriligous, but I'm finding more and more that the type of guitar doesn't matter anywhere near as much as those of us who like to accumulate them might have you believe. (But please don't tell my wife.) I can get a perfectly acceptable country twang out of a Les Paul, for example. I think it's more a matter of tone adjustment and the skilled use of a few effects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 Next to the Mosrites the Yamaha SGVs (and the current Blue Jeans models) are pretty popular in Japan. Just another option which doesn't get mentioned that often It was a re-issue of the Yamaha SG models from the mid-60s, their response to the Fender offerings. Arkay, I was mentionning this guitar of yours in another thread (I mistakingly called it SGB) or rather I was mentionning its tremolo which appears to me to be an extremely well designed and smooth working trem. What are your thoughts on it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Carbohydrates Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 I've gotten particularly nice surf tones out of a Gretsch, a strat, and a jazz. My jazz is my #1 these days- original 70's jazzmaster pickups, either the neck or bridge pickup only (raaaarely both) with the tone knob turned to 10. Amp reverb turned to 6, tremolo and chorus pedal used occasionally. I used to have it done up with heavy flatwounds, but I actually kinda prefer a normal 10-46 set on it, so I guess that's unusual for surf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ArKay Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 Arkay, I was mentionning this guitar of yours in another thread (I mistakingly called it SGB) or rather I was mentionning its tremolo which appears to me to be an extremely well designed and smooth working trem. What are your thoughts on it? The original was called SG (Surf Guitar?), the re-issue SGV (V for Vintage). The vibrato unit sadly isn't well designed and it goes out of tune easily. I see people use it in some clips on YouTube, but I really have no idea how they do it. Maybe it only needs a good setup, but since I don't use the vibrato anyway I haven't fiddled with it much. There are only 2 springs on it and you can't add any more (pic from the low-end SGV-300 I sold in favor of the 800 I pictured above). There are also "high end" models available in Japan, maybe those have a more stable vibrato Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members placeboemotion Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 The original was called SG (Surf Guitar?), the re-issue SGV (V for Vintage). The vibrato unit sadly isn't well designed and it goes out of tune easily. I see people use it in some clips on YouTube, but I really have no idea how they do it. Maybe it only needs a good setup, but since I don't use the vibrato anyway I haven't fiddled with it much. There are only 2 springs on it and you can't add any more (pic from the low-end SGV-300 I sold in favor of the 800 I pictured above). There are also "high end" models available in Japan, maybe those have a more stable vibrato Actually, I also own a SGV-800 (even in the same color). I like the vibrato a lot. I do not have the impression that I have tuning issues (it also has locking Sperzels at the other end), but I do not play it very often, so I might be mistaken ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ArKay Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 Actually, I also own a SGV-800 (even in the same color). I like the vibrato a lot. I do not have the impression that I have tuning issues (it also has locking Sperzels at the other end), but I do not play it very often, so I might be mistaken ... The tuners are a nice touch, but they usually don't have much to do with tuning stability. I always try the vibrato on a new guitar and then take the arm off since I don't use it. My impression was that it doesn't return to pitch by itself so you have it help it out a little. One of the reviews I read also mentioned that, but it didn't stop me from buying http://arkay.de/temp/Yamaha_SGV_Guitar_Magazin.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GAS Man Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 In addition to the obvious strat, Jazzmaster (which I prefer for surf over the Jaguar since the Jazz has more twang) and Mosrites I also recommend the DiPinto Galaxie 4. It's a tone bargain at $565, and unlike Charlie, this guy definitely surfs. I own the LS model of that guitar, plus a Wilson Brothers Mosrite copy, and a MIJ Jazz and a MIA Jag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 The original was called SG (Surf Guitar?), the re-issue SGV (V for Vintage). The vibrato unit sadly isn't well designed and it goes out of tune easily. I see people use it in some clips on YouTube, but I really have no idea how they do it. Maybe it only needs a good setup, but since I don't use the vibrato anyway I haven't fiddled with it much. There are only 2 springs on it and you can't add any more (pic from the low-end SGV-300 I sold in favor of the 800 I pictured above). There are also "high end" models available in Japan, maybe those have a more stable vibrato I am very surprised because when I heard of how this trem works, rotating on a sealed bearing PLUS a roller bridge, I imagined it to be as smooth working as it almost gets. I was mistaken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ArKay Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 I am very surprised because when I heard of how this trem works, rotating on a sealed bearing PLUS a roller bridge, I imagined it to be as smooth working as it almost gets. I was mistaken. Yes, it looks good on paper. Maybe it needs more tension, more or better springs, ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 Yes, it looks good on paper. Maybe it needs more tension, more or better springs, ... Would tightening the two screws change something in the trem's position (like it would on a strat). That would presumably give the springs more tension. Or, as you say, different stronger springs... The article you posted talks about raising the bridge but that seems like a PITA, having to shim the neck, etc. Does the $9,000 custom shop version have a better trem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rob Dobbs Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 my Epi Dot Studio has a very dark sound to it thats great for surf tones. Just add a set of dualing tremolo effects and some reverb.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Krashpad Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 Strats, Jags, Mosrites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 's mel gibson Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 I'd say any twangy guitar with a trem but, ...you have to have a Fender tube amp with Reverb. Something like an old Twin Reverb with no master volume and nothing but CLEAN. It's ALL head room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dimmypage Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 Modern surf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ArKay Posted June 7, 2008 Members Share Posted June 7, 2008 Would tightening the two screws change something in the trem's position (like it would on a strat). That would presumably give the springs more tension. Or, as you say, different stronger springs... The article you posted talks about raising the bridge but that seems like a PITA, having to shim the neck, etc. Does the $9,000 custom shop version have a better trem? From a HC review... "when i use the whammy bar, the G and B strings often go out of tune (up by about a quarter tone). while this is annoying, i just give them each a yank and they settle right back down; so if you are real quick it's not a problem except when recording." Maybe relocating the treble spring could help? Never seen one of the Japanese models in person (both the 300 & 800 are made in Taiwan). That Eastwood guy has a SGV 700 for sale. http://www.myrareguitars.com/affordableGUITAR.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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