Hi y'all. Too many threads to sift through at work to see if this has been discussed. Forgive me if it has. Has anyone tried a Gibson SG special (P-90's and vibrola) for surf?
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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »
Gibson
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Joined: Nov 16, 2011 Posts: 106 Illinois 
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Posted on Nov 23 2011 03:12 PM
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Joined: Mar 22, 2006 Posts: 363 Los Angeles 
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Posted on Nov 23 2011 08:30 PM
From 1979 up until 1988, i always played a Mosrite and a G+L in my band. They both were tragically and traumatically stolen after a gig, so i went back to the guitar i'd bought in high school, a 61 Gibson SG Special w/ P90s and maestro/vibrola trem bar. And , turns out, it sounded GREAT through a Fender amp ,especially a Super Reverb! Been using the setup ever since...! |
Joined: Dec 26, 2008 Posts: 122 Binghamton, NY 
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Posted on Nov 23 2011 08:32 PM
I had a few in the past, p-90's have a great tone for surf, and the vibrola, is not my favorite but it works. For me it does not matter the guitar as long as you can get the tone you want. |
Joined: Jun 11, 2006 Posts: 551 Liege (Belgium) 
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Posted on Nov 24 2011 01:49 AM
One of our guitar player plays on a Les Paul Special with P90 but he has a very harsh sound, not very good for picking (but it's ok for what he plays in the band) —Monkey Ju |
Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 12159 Seattle
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Posted on Nov 24 2011 02:43 AM
I used an ES-355 for my last couple months of gigs/practices. It works really well. Lots of tonal options on those guitars. Really adds to the fullness of the sound. I just felt much more comfortable in the mix with that guitar. |
Joined: Mar 15, 2011 Posts: 8528 Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
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Posted on Nov 24 2011 02:28 PM
Jake, This is interesting. I've been using my Cort Source-BV (ES-335 copy with P90-type pickups and Bigsby) http://www.cortguitars.com/_webapp_3832420/Source-BV for a couple of weeks now. It's just easier for me to palm-mute it compared to my Strat. It took me quite a while to find amp and pedal tone settings that work with it. I ended up using a Kustom amp for it and my Fender amp for my Strat so the pedals can be set one way for both. They both sound very surfy if somewhat different. Now with only a touch of an A/B pedal I can switch between them. You? JakeDobner wrote: — This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got. |
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Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 12159 Seattle
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Posted on Nov 24 2011 02:38 PM
No, I don't use multiple amps or any a/b stuff. There are too many sounds to be had with tone knobs/selector switches as it is. I'm just very comfortable on the ES-355, there is no reason for me to own any other guitars. |
Joined: Feb 23, 2007 Posts: 1650 Santa Rosa, CA
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Posted on Nov 24 2011 02:40 PM
Our rhythm guitarist used one on many of the tracks on our last cd..he also used it for lead on (Rumble/Man From Malta I believe) |
Joined: Mar 04, 2006 Posts: 139 Massachusetts, birthplace of Dick Dale
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Posted on Nov 24 2011 06:48 PM
My SG (surf guitar) and my Les Paul, both with 'buckers are my favorites lately... It's the amp (and it's settings) with a reverb unit that makes any guitar surf. |
Joined: Oct 26, 2007 Posts: 542
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Posted on Nov 29 2011 09:19 AM
I played a LP Special w/ P90s and a Vibramate/Bigsby for a good while and loved it. It's a big rounder/beefier tone than playing surf w/ Fender single coils, but it can work well with the right amp. — |
Joined: Aug 27, 2008 Posts: 1570 New York
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Posted on Nov 29 2011 10:56 AM
Actually, I just saw that Epiphone came out with an SG in a gorgeous blue color with a Maestro tremolo. Great price, kind of got me thinking about a humbucker equipped guitar. Last edited: Nov 29, 2011 10:58:07 |
Joined: Apr 21, 2006 Posts: 852 Connersville, Indiana, USA
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Posted on Nov 29 2011 03:59 PM
One thing I've noticed, between a Les Paul Special with P90s and an SG with P90s is, at least the Les Paul can be made to have some manners. The SG "flat don't care"...it just rocks. For now, an SG with P90s (be it an SG Special, or an SG Classic) will be a while for me to obtain, but I can imagine the possibilities of various lead/rhythm combinations between the two guitar types. —Fast Cars & Loud Guitars! |
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Joined: Nov 16, 2011 Posts: 106 Illinois
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Posted on Dec 02 2011 09:08 AM
A surf band with Gibson Firebirds with P90's done in custom colors from the 60's would look cool. Maybe even sound cool. —How's your digestion now? |
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Joined: Oct 23, 2007 Posts: 385 Boca Raton, Florida
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Posted on Dec 02 2011 09:22 AM
Firebirds with mini-humbuckers can offer up good twang. |
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Joined: Apr 21, 2006 Posts: 852 Connersville, Indiana, USA
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Posted on Dec 02 2011 03:42 PM
Surfbones wrote:
Something like this? —Fast Cars & Loud Guitars! |
Joined: May 04, 2006 Posts: 21 San Fran, CA |
Posted on Dec 23 2011 06:03 PM
IMO, the non-reverse Firebird is the OOGLIEST body shape ever to slip under Gibson's door. The reverses look fine, in custom colors, though. Their clumsiness is a positive attribute. The non-reverses look like squashed Gumby, or something... As much as I've tried every darned guitar I could, I still come back to my Curtis Novak-equipped MIJ Jag and Dual Showman, with a reissue reverb unit. That's the sound I have always heard in my head! |
Joined: Apr 28, 2006 Posts: 419 n.y.c.
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Posted on Dec 24 2011 10:55 AM
one of my favorite surf album from back in the day was the sound track to the movie the endless summer(the Sandals) and the lead guitars used a Gibson 355 witch sounded prefect... he got a very nice clean woody mid range surf tone to it...the bass player use an extra long Gretsch bass which all so sounded very cool...... —Facebook pages theSupertones |
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Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 12159 Seattle
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Posted on Dec 24 2011 11:09 AM
supertonesurf wrote:
As an ES-355 owner, I'd love to see a picture/video of this if you can track it down! |
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Joined: Apr 28, 2006 Posts: 419 n.y.c.
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Posted on Dec 24 2011 11:36 AM
they have a myspaces http://www.myspace.com/thesandalsband/photos/75658#%7B%22ImageId%22%3A75658%7D page that has a great shot of them with their gear... Facebook pages theSupertones |
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Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 12159 Seattle
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Posted on Dec 24 2011 11:47 AM
Oh wow... That's a 1960 ES-345. There were fewer than 50 of those produced. They were a transition model, kind of just getting rid of old parts. Gorgeous guitars. The unplugged holes are the give away for its year. |
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