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60s Garage band sound!


burton4snow

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I just watching a documentary on 60s garage bands mainly in and around the Fort Worth Texas area. There was alot of them in that area. They had a pretty big scene going. Now I want to play some of this music. How do you get that sound? I see alot of Vox and Fender amps. The guitars were alot of Gretsch's and 335s but there were some Strats and Dano's. I have a Strat and a Dano also a hollow body with Duncan 59s in it so I don't know if that will work. For amps I have vox and fender simulations. If anybody knows how to get this sound and could tell me things like amp settings and pickup selection I'd appreciate it!

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I would invest in a fuzz box.

 

Other than that, it really is a clean, trebly guitar sound. Don't go for warmth. Don't play your neck pickup. Fuzz for a guitar effect or just clean, sharp tones.

 

There were bands in the '80s that tried to imitate the '60s garage bands. The Fleshtones, The Chesterfield Kings were the leaders in that garage movement. I saw them live and those guys played, as you noted, Fenders and Voxes. Stratocaster into an AC30 would work great for the garage tone. Trebly bite, crisp as hell.

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I wouldn't use any reverb. When I play my Strat or Tele into my Vox AC30, the sound that comes out is a real raw '60s sound. Garage rock. But those '60s garage bands were playing all sorts of stuff. Fuzz was a recognizable tone for garage rock. But so was that crisp treble clean sound. And then there were heavy reverb Gretschy tones. And of course tremolo. As a poster above noted, it really is more attitude than sound.

 

Having said that, if I wanted to do garage rock I'd go with the bridge pickups on my Strat and Tele and play it into a clean, cranked Vox. I'd turn up some tremolo, practically no reverb. This Fleshtones tune has a cool garage feel. The guitar is pure bite. No dirt, just clean treble. He's playing a Strat, can't make out the amp. Those guys were '60s fanatics so it probably is a Vox...or Fender. I'd go Vox because they lack the warmth of a Fender. Warmth is something I would avoid if I were doing garage rock. Strat, clean Vox, tremolo, bridge pickup.

 

And make sure you use a ton of background vocals. The Fleshtones knew that was a key to a '60s garage sound. Throw in some "Heys!," repeat some main vocal lines...background vocals are a lost art. Very '60s thing. This song knew how to use them.

And don't forget a harmonica.

 

[video=youtube;4xPEF28DI7E]

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Tabs? You're going to find it awfully difficult to find tabs to '60s garge rock tunes. The essence of garage rock - be it '60s or the '80s revival - was that it was underground. The "biggest" garage band were The 13th Floor Elevators and I'll be honest with you, I don't think anyone ever tabbed one of their tunes.

 

You may be in luck, though. One of planet Earth's biggest bands actually started out with garage rock roots. Yup, Pink Floyd with their floating pigs and twenty minute songs actually had some cool garage rock tunes in the early day. One song of theirs was covered by just about every '80s garage band. "Lucifer Sam" is the song and I am sure you can find tab for it on the net. Easy song to learn and play. Twenty years ago when I got my first guitar I sure as hell played the death out of this tune. I think every guitar player on Earth has played this lick.

 

[video=youtube;wbIMx2MYNXk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbIMx2MYNXk

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I would think most US garage bands used Fender amps or other 6L6 tube based amps. Not to say they weren't using Vox too, but probably not as much.

Spring reverb is where it's at.

Semi hollow body guitars are a classic garage sound. Attack with not much sustain - but harmonic feedback from the guitar chamber. I love cranking an amp & feeling the chamber breathe with sustain.

Gibson ES335 is probably the best. Gretsch, Vox, Silvertone, Kay. Cheap guitars then -in '66 teens didn't have a lot of money.

Only a handfull of fuzz pedals were available in those days. Muffs weren't around yet. Germanium based transistors, like the Fuzz Face or Univox -there are lots of clones now.

It was about banging away on a guitar with an amp maxed. And lots of SCREAMING....

My garage band with some ex-Cynics.

http://www.reverbnation.com/drugula

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Just found Louie Louie in one of my Hal Leonard Play Along Books so that will work for now. Thanks for the help!

 

 

 

Great place to start. Don't forget The Standells ("Dirty Water", "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White") and The Sonics ("Strychnine", "Psycho").

 

Lots of garage bands used those tuck&roll-upholstered Kustom amps. My brother's is still in my basement, getting regular use.

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I would think most US garage bands used Fender amps or other 6L6 tube based amps. Not to say they weren't using Vox too, but probably not as much.

Spring reverb is where it's at.

Semi hollow body guitars are a classic garage sound. Attack with not much sustain - but harmonic feedback from the guitar chamber. I love cranking an amp & feeling the chamber breathe with sustain.

Gibson ES335 is probably the best. Gretsch, Vox, Silvertone, Kay. Cheap guitars then -in '66 teens didn't have a lot of money.

Only a handfull of fuzz pedals were available in those days. Muffs weren't around yet. Germanium based transistors, like the Fuzz Face or Univox -there are lots of clones now.

It was about banging away on a guitar with an amp maxed. And lots of SCREAMING....

My garage band with some ex-Cynics.

 

 

I checked out some of your songs. Your band is AMAZING !! Especially love Rollin' Machine. Great stuff man. How old are you guys?

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