Over in the Downloads section, in Gear Samples, I posted a song by my surf band, the Royal Aces, called "Midnight Surf", in which I'm playing an Esquire. You can check that out and see what your thoughts are regarding the tone, feel, etc.

LHR wrote:

I made a special effort to haul my Bigsby Telecaster
across the desert to play it in this year's member's
jam at the SG101 Convention. I thought something
heterogeneous was just what the day needed. Ha! Anyway,
I played like absolute sh*t, but it sounded okay, I
guess. Maybe a hair shrill but I had no control over
amp settings.

The following day I brought it to Matt Quilter's Wave
Machine thing at Don the Beachcomber. It fit in just
fine. No problems to my ears.

Your fine Tele playing and that Quilter Microslant 200 were an unbeatable combination!

Not surf, but OH MAN! I say the Telecaster works for surf perfectly fine as long as it has a Bigsby or another tremelo. Through a Fender amp, this would sound like any other single-coil Fender guitar.

Matt "tha Kat" Lentz
Skippy and the Skipjacks: 2018-2020
Skippyandtheskipjacks.net
https://www.facebook.com/skippyandtheskipjacks
Otto and the Ottomans: 2014-2015
The Coconauts surf band: 2009-2014
www.theamazingcoconauts.com
Group Captain and the Mandrakes 2013
http://www.gcmband.com/
The Surfside IV: 2002-2005, 2008-2009
the Del-Vamps: 1992-1999, 2006-2007
http://www.dblcrown.com/delvamps.html

I have 2 surf green Teles with Bel Air Green binding built by a friend. He took pains to make them sound more "surfy" than a "stock" Fender Tele. I don't play much lead, but I can say these guitars rank up there with my Strats and Jazzmasters when it comes to rhythm...both for surf and Shads.

Matt, thanks for posting the clips of "The Stranger". Makes me want to grab Rotnroby by what little hair he has and force him into a Shads cover band. He absolutely nails the Hank Marvin sound, and anything else he puts his mind to!

You're not drunk if you can put your socks on while standing.

Last edited: Oct 20, 2011 00:43:23

Stokemon wrote:

Matt, thanks for posting the clips of "The Stranger".
Makes me want to grab Rotnroby by what little hair he
has and force him into a Shads cover band. He
absolutely nails the Hank Marvin sound, and anything
else he puts his mind to!

LOL, you're welcome, and Yeah, get Robby out there playing again!

Matt "tha Kat" Lentz
Skippy and the Skipjacks: 2018-2020
Skippyandtheskipjacks.net
https://www.facebook.com/skippyandtheskipjacks
Otto and the Ottomans: 2014-2015
The Coconauts surf band: 2009-2014
www.theamazingcoconauts.com
Group Captain and the Mandrakes 2013
http://www.gcmband.com/
The Surfside IV: 2002-2005, 2008-2009
the Del-Vamps: 1992-1999, 2006-2007
http://www.dblcrown.com/delvamps.html

That's a good question and I think it's up to the individual. I answered the question for my own tastes, as I use the tremelo quite a bit, and I posted video of how a Telecaster sounds when used for Shadows' style instrumentals. Any guitar could be a surf guitar if that's the type of music you wish to create.
I personally wouldn't use a telecaster unless it had a tremelo. I know quite a few people who don't even use the bar. I've also seen Deke play surf with a Gibson ES-335. Many people use Mosrites, which I don't consider a surf guitar. However, if they like it, I say use it. Didn't you use a Telecaster and a PRS for Squid Vicious?

Matt "tha Kat" Lentz
Skippy and the Skipjacks: 2018-2020
Skippyandtheskipjacks.net
https://www.facebook.com/skippyandtheskipjacks
Otto and the Ottomans: 2014-2015
The Coconauts surf band: 2009-2014
www.theamazingcoconauts.com
Group Captain and the Mandrakes 2013
http://www.gcmband.com/
The Surfside IV: 2002-2005, 2008-2009
the Del-Vamps: 1992-1999, 2006-2007
http://www.dblcrown.com/delvamps.html

Not really surf, but close enough, I just had to post this:

James Wilsey's Tele. I'm not a Tele man at all, but this thing is mesmerizing, so so cool. Maybe because of his playing.

DreadInBabylon wrote:

Not really surf, but close enough, I just had to
post this:

James Wilsey's Tele. I'm not a Tele man at all, but
this thing is mesmerizing, so so cool. Maybe because of
his playing.

Mmmmm. Parson's B-Bender. I had a red sparkle ASAT and used a Hipshot B-Bender...well, I tried to anyway. I quickly realized it was impossible to use sitting down!

Shawn Martin
http://www.drummerman.net
http://www.youtube.com/GKacedrummerman
http://www.facebook.com/drumuitar

Anonymous,
"tubes are enviornmentally evil, unreliable and just a thought planted in peoples heads. tube amps are model t's in my opinion. have head alot of lousy tube amps in my time"
Hmm.. let's take that apart:
Environmentally evil? it's that idiotic thinking that has tube manufacture exported overseas with "fast and loose" specs when the U.S. (RCA, GE) made the best ones around. And what do you think is in transistors? Bio-degradeable silicon? I have working tubes in my tube amps from 40 years ago - that's pretty reliable in my book. Whaddya want - a few centuries worth? Gimme a break.
"Tube amps are Model T's" - close but you're off about 40 years. They are more like 426 Hemis and solid state is wimpy Toyota Camry fluff. I have both - my ears can tell the difference. Ever hear an early solidstate amp? They can't suck enough. Like an amplified fuzz box.
I've heard alot of lousy anmps in my time, also.. most were solidstate.
So plant those thoughts in your head...think hard.. perhaps they will germinate.
J Mo'

Anonymous wrote:

             i once lauded the strat as the

ultimate guitar design. DD says only strats for surf.
WELL, i just traded mine for a prs with p-90 single
coils!!! it has a wrap around compensated bridge.
simple, efficient and not a whole lot of damn little
screws falling out and needing adjustments. a little
adjustments to the vox 50 watter and hell--surf music
comes out!!! well....

            so the strat and tube nazis will talk

about me. not pure surf. no, i'm a blueser and a rock
and roller and i like surf music too!!! so this
half-cajun crazy man is gonna surf naked on the bayou
while playing howling wolf and muddy waters.

There's a reason very few guitars use wrap around tailpieces these days. They're impossible to intonate. I don't care what frilly words PRS, Gibson, or whoever uses to convince people they're just as good as a tuneomatic and a stop tailpiece.

Shawn Martin
http://www.drummerman.net
http://www.youtube.com/GKacedrummerman
http://www.facebook.com/drumuitar

Last edited: Oct 26, 2011 20:07:04