I’ve had this idea for a while. It might be a bad idea, but something like it would have saved me a lot of money buying a lot of gear that wasn’t the best for playing surf guitar. If someone has a limited budget and wants to buy a guitar, amp and a pedal or two to get started playing surf, there are probably hundreds (thousands?) of threads on SG101 to search and read to learn what works and what doesn’t. My idea is to have something like this, at different budget levels, in one place, of setups that work well to play surf music.

For example, if someone has a $500.00 limit and needs a guitar, amp and pedal, what would work. Using street prices for new gear it could look like this.

Squier Classic Vibe ‘50s Stratocaster guitar $350.00
Fender Frontman 25R amplifier $100.00
Rogue Analog Delay guitar effects pedal $ 50.00
Total $500.00

Why this? The consensus here is that the Squier Classic Vibe ‘50s Stratocaster is an excellent guitar for the money that has very useable surf tones. The Fender Frontman 25R has typical Fender tone and decent reverb. I’ve found that the Rogue analog delay pedal is a very competent delay pedal that produces vintage-sounding surf delay effects.

If I had seen this list a year ago, I wouldn’t have bought any of what I did and would have saved a lot of money. I’m sure there are alternatives. That’s the idea.

Here’s my idea for a $1,000.00 budget surf rig.

Fender Classic Series ‘50s Stratocaster guitar $700.00
Fender Vibro Champ XD amplifier
or
Fender Mustang II amplifier $200.00
BOSS FRV-1 ‘63 Fender Reverb pedal $130.00
Total $1030.00

I’ve spent more than this on my gear and am not certain I’ve really got a more effective or better-sounding setup for surf music.

There are lots of alternatives. Other brands of guitars and amps, and different approaches to reverb and delay effects. That’s the idea. If I’d seen these lists when I first found SG101, I wouldn’t have bought so much gear I don’t use anymore and would have saved a lot of money.

Another price point might be $750.00, though I’ve had a hard time determining what would fit that budget. Any ideas at this price range?

And, Brian, if this or the equivolent is already out there, I looked and couldn't find it. I've written and deleted this a dozen times thinking I could find it if I looked hard enough. If I've missed it, please just move this over there, or whatever you think is best.

Sorry about the formatting mess. So, THAT'S what dashes do!

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

Last edited: Nov 18, 2011 13:16:05

I greatly appreciate this discussion.

I knew I should have built HeathKits when I was a kid! Jake's idea is the right one for some players. There is so much great gear out there waiting for repair, refurbishing and assembly. And the savings are compelling. I've gone the route of upgrading a cheap Japaneese guitar, and it's still a sow's ear, not a silk purse. It sounds great, but it's worth less than when I bought it because it isn't original anymore.

I have an idea based on what Shawn wrote.

Squier Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster guitar $350.00
Fender Mustang III amplifier $300.00
BOSS RE-20 Space Echo $250.00
Total $1,000.00
plus BOSS FRV-1 reverb pedal $1,130.00

Leave out the Space Echo and the total is $880.00

This rig gets away from the practice amp limitation and will definitely allow some exploration of the limits of surf sound, if not volume.

Then, there's this.

Squier Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster guitar $350.00
Quilter MP-200 amplifier First 50 price $650.00
Total $1,000.00

I would want this myself.

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

I guess it depends what you are going to do, but if you're going to play live, I tend to agree with Jake that you should go for a cheaper guitar and the best suitable amp you can afford.

I've (now) got some really nice stuff, but I've been playing for over 30 years and have built it up over time.

Los Fantasticos

I like the idea of keeping this to real street price, no mods, entry level pricing, as Joel suggested. I've based all my pricing on regular prices from Musicians Friend, so of course the pricing would be lower if you bought used/seconds.

*This is just for fun. I've played all this gear, and I think it's pretty damn good. At one point, I would have killed for all of it. I think the entry level aspiring surf guitar player would have a hell of a lot of fun with this gear.

My $500 rig:
Squier Deluxe Strat
Fender Mustang 1 amp
Boss FRV-1 pedal

total price $509.97 ( overshot it by $10, sorry)

My $1000 rig
Squier Classic Vibe Strat
Fender Super Champ amp
Boss FRV-1 pedal
Line 6 Echo Park

total price $948 ( extra can be spend on better strings )

My $1500 rig
Squier J. Mascis Jazzmaster
Fender Reissue '63 Reverb tank
Fender Super Champ amp
Line 6 Echo Park

total price $1479 ( 2 sets of flat wounds not included)

"You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been"

To stay in budget and leave the Fender area the Aria Diamond DM380 might be added. Just my opinion...

The Hicadoolas

Well, for $100 more than a Squier Classic Vibe Strat, the Burns Cobra is available again in the US. The Cobra and its big brother the Marquee are Strats on Steroids. Couple that with a Quilter MP-200 and for $1100, you've got one hell of a rig!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0Hq4Pvoxwk&feature=youtu.be

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

No love for G&L's? Their regular models cost half as Fenders, and they're real fine guitars IMHO that cans serve you a long time, w/o need to upgrade anything.
Also back to Fender, the road worn Strat feels really really good. I'm disgusted with the whole relic thing but it's easily the best Mex. I ever played.

Both of those ^^^ can be had very cheap second hand, a lot of time with upgraded parts.

The FRV-1 for surf beginners is mandatory, it's just right. No other pedal comes close to it when looking for drip. More important than amp, IMO.

Ampwise, any of the new small modeling amps can do the job, and so much more - the Fender Mustang, Roland cube, Line6 etc...
I wish I have bought one of these instead of a Blues Jr.
Now that I got a '65 Showman I still need a small usable practice amp. the BJr. is too much for that, but for gigs it's too little, I'd rather have versatility and portability.

I know the prices of used stuff can vary wildly from region to region, but around here This is what I'd choose:

Amp: Something from the Randall RG series, provided it has reverb. Lots of these 80's relics around. Many are compact, Mesa-Boogie-sized amps with ample wattage, hard to kill, and cheap to fix if you do. Top-notch reverb in these guys, and they have a tube amp like response when you dig in. Several pawn shops around here have RG-112s and RG-80's going for 150 and under, and you could probably haggle 'em down.

Guitar: I'd look at Hamer Slammers, Peavey Predators, Vantage and Cort Strat copies. There is quality to be had in a lot of these cheapos, and without a brand name, you could grab one for under 200 bucks, easy.

Tremolo: I think in surf, after reverb, trem is your next most important effect. A Dano Cool Cat or Tuna Melt can be had for 30 bucks or less, and a Behringer Tremolo is in the same range.

Total spent: $390.00 Maybe less if you tried hard.

--Crispy

PS--I actually did a hunt like this a few years ago for a friend whose niece wanted to get into surf music--he has very eclectic tastes, so no mere Strat copy and cheap solid state Fender would do. The winning combo ended up being a neat old Univox hollowbody and a vintage Kustom K-50 tuck n' roll amp. Total cost? $425.00. I hear she still uses 'em both.

howz about an ibanez jetking III?? no trem but otherwise a solid guitar. pick your own amp!!

Enjoying the surf,sun and sand!!