ColtsSurf
Joined: Apr 03, 2008
Posts: 477
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 09:00 AM
I read this on the TDPRI and found it interesting. The comments are from Elliot Easton of The Cars:
"I believe that some of the biggest surf hits are played on Telecasters. Here's why: many of the "bands", like the Marketts were actually made up of studio musicians like Tommy Tedesco, Jerry Cole, Hal Blaine and other members of the "Wrecking Crew", the studio musicians who played on most of the hits out of LA in the '60's. If a record took off, as was the case with "Out Of Limits", the label would simply put together a group of nice looking kids who could play and put them on the road as The Marketts, but they didn't actually play on the records. The Wrecking Crew played on everybody's records, from the Beach Boys to Sinatra, from Phil Spector to the Tijuana Brass. Every one of those guitarists played Telecasters on the rock 'n' roll sessions. In any photo of them that's all you see. They were mostly jazz guitarists and they all went out and bought Telecasters that would enable them to get more work playing the top teenage sounds. Kessell, Howard Roberts, Bob Bain, Tedesco, Burton, Deasy, Cole; they all played Telecasters."
— Paul
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IvanP
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 10331
southern Michigan
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 09:18 AM
All true - but find me ONE surf guitarist that aspires to sound like the Marketts? The fact is that the studio guys' guitar tones were pale copies of what the real surf musicians were doing.
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shivers13
Joined: Jul 29, 2009
Posts: 2605
Boss Angeles, CA
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 09:24 AM
Not so true. Elliot from the Cars must really like Tele's because I think he's over selling their use in surf session recordings.
Session ace Glenn Campbell who played on many surf sessions played a Strat, Davie Allan who played on Hondells stuff played a Jazzmaster and Paul Johnson who played on the Challengers stuff played a Strat.
Also, on the early Beach Boys Hot Rod and Surf Songs they didn't use session guys... Carl played a Jag and Al Jardine played a Strat. David Marks from the BB also played a Strat and in The Marksmen he used a Jag.
(edited for typos)
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Last edited: Jul 09, 2010 06:49:12
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JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 09:34 AM
Elliot's argument is really broad, he is only able to list one example... A sweeping generalization.
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shivers13
Joined: Jul 29, 2009
Posts: 2605
Boss Angeles, CA
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 09:34 AM
Indeed!
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DeadRanchHands
Joined: Apr 15, 2008
Posts: 1281
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 09:38 AM
A Tele with a Bigsby is just as good a surf guitar as any other Fender guitar, IMO. Any bright guitar with single coil pickups and a good vibrato is going to be a good surf machine.
— http://www.reverbnation.com/thedeadranchhands
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZEW74mHjQk
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JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 09:51 AM
UmaFloresta
A Tele with a Bigsby is just as good a surf guitar as any other Fender guitar, IMO. Any bright guitar with single coil pickups and a good vibrato is going to be a good surf machine.
I love teles and I've been using quite a bit of a tele and esquire at the moment, but for a surf band, I don't think they cut enough in the mix when you are playing with a full band at gig volume. When you apply copious amounts of reverb, without some overdrive, to those guitars they just get lost in the mix.
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DeadRanchHands
Joined: Apr 15, 2008
Posts: 1281
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 09:53 AM
JakeDobner
UmaFloresta
A Tele with a Bigsby is just as good a surf guitar as any other Fender guitar, IMO. Any bright guitar with single coil pickups and a good vibrato is going to be a good surf machine.
I love teles and I've been using quite a bit of a tele and esquire at the moment, but for a surf band, I don't think they cut enough in the mix when you are playing with a full band at gig volume. When you apply copious amounts of reverb, without some overdrive, to those guitars they just get lost in the mix.
I don't see why. Teles are known for cutting through the mix like a knife. Granted I haven't had a stock Tele for some years now. 
— http://www.reverbnation.com/thedeadranchhands
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZEW74mHjQk
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JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 09:57 AM
But just not reverberated in a loud surf band with two other reverberated guitars. They just never sounded right. We love telecasters, but they just never worked.
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Brian
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Posts: 19266
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 09:58 AM
What did Podolor use? A strat?
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JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 10:01 AM
Brian
What did Podolor use? A strat?
That is my recollection.
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Icetech
Joined: Dec 16, 2006
Posts: 892
Macomb Mich
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 10:10 AM
Best feeling guitar i ever played was a old ass tele... and the neck pickup was just magic.. but man that bridge pickup. just painful:)
— I wanna play just like him when i grow up...
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DeadRanchHands
Joined: Apr 15, 2008
Posts: 1281
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 10:12 AM
JakeDobner
But just not reverberated in a loud surf band with two other reverberated guitars. They just never sounded right. We love telecasters, but they just never worked.
Three heavily reverberated guitars = sonic mess, anyway.
— http://www.reverbnation.com/thedeadranchhands
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZEW74mHjQk
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bigtikidude
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 25540
Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 10:37 AM
my Boss, used to be in a 3 piece surf band called Green Room.
the Guitarist used a Tele and it sounded pretty good to me.
— Jeff(bigtikidude)
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big_papu
Joined: May 17, 2006
Posts: 657
Buenos Aires
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 11:32 AM
Teles with Bigsbys are GREAT for surf. I don´t know if old bands use them, but they work awesome for us.
— El Papu & los Fantasticos Reverberantes
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DannySnyder
Joined: Mar 02, 2006
Posts: 11046
Berkeley, CA
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 11:36 AM
I think the conclusion here is Tele's are great for surf as long as they don't have to compete with the other guitars.
— Danny Snyder
"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo
Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta
Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party
Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF
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bmsurfcaster
Joined: Oct 29, 2009
Posts: 271
Dallas
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 11:59 AM
11's, Bigsby, Reverb + Tele = Surf Guitar that works for me.
Snappy and twangy on the bridge, warm on the neck. Simple and effective.
— 
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ColtsSurf
Joined: Apr 03, 2008
Posts: 477
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 12:16 PM
It appears that one of the ways that Elliot Easton cuts through the mix is with an altered Tele:
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaster-discussion-forum/105569-heres-another-one-my-collection.html
— Paul
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bmsurfcaster
Joined: Oct 29, 2009
Posts: 271
Dallas
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 12:16 PM
I think part of the reason I like the Tele is that it is not a mainstream popular guitar......On second thought, TELES SUCK DON"T BUY ONE.....
—
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jp
Joined: Feb 09, 2007
Posts: 917
Brew City
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Posted on Jun 23 2010 12:17 PM
I believe that Jan Davis used a Telecaster.
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