Camshaft
Joined: Apr 17, 2012
Posts: 30
Cleveland, Ohio
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 10:37 AM
Ever since I can remember I've had a fascination with the Flying V, even before I could play music I was captivated by its shape - probably a lot of that owing to the fact that "V" is my last initial! It just looked so different from everything else I'd seen, but at the same time, it wasn't ugly. As I got older, its versatile sound drew me in even further. Even played clean, it can do blues, country, heavy metal...it seems to really respond to minor nuances in your playing and magnify them.
When I went to the music store to buy my first electric, a radio advertisement for Guitar Center initially drew me in with the promise of "BIG SAVINGS" on a "GIBSON FLYING V!" Of course I was heartbroken to discover that even on sale a Flying V was well out of my price range at the time. I bought a Strat and I've been relatively happy ever since, but I still look wistfully at them when I'm buying strings or whatever...
Anyways, if the first Flying Vs were produced in '58-'59, albeit in VERY limited numbers, that definitely puts it in the wheelhouse for surf music. In fact, Lonnie Mack legendarily used his, fitted with a Bigsby tremolo, for "Memphis" and "Wham!" around that period. Someone, somewhere, back in '61 probably noodled around with a reverb tank with one of these beauties...question is, did anyone ever record it?
— -Cam
Last edited: Apr 27, 2012 10:38:36
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WhorehayRFB
Joined: Jun 12, 2008
Posts: 3331
Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 10:51 AM
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Noel
Joined: Mar 15, 2011
Posts: 8528
Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 11:18 AM
I think it would be fun for a band playing Space-Surf to dress up in retro-futuristic spacesuit costumes and play Flying Vs.
— This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.
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remora1
Joined: Jan 04, 2008
Posts: 1278
San Pedro, CA
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 11:29 AM
Here's another member who shares your passion for the Flying V who's working on his own version -
Fender V project
— Bill S._______
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WhorehayRFB
Joined: Jun 12, 2008
Posts: 3331
Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 11:29 AM
Noel wrote:
I think it would be fun for a band playing Space-Surf to dress up in retro-futuristic spacesuit costumes and play Flying Vs.
Hopefully this isn't HUGE...
— Radio Free Bakersfield--60 Minutes of TWANG, CRUNCH, OOMPH.
http://radiofreebakersfield.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Radio-Free-Bakersfield/172410279636
http://www.sandiegojoe.com/rfb.htm
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killbabykill34
Joined: Apr 03, 2010
Posts: 3201
Jacksonville, AL
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 11:40 AM
Back when we were really playing up the 'horror' thing, I was seriously considering purchasing a cheap BC Rich Warlock and then retrofitting it with p-90s and a tremolo to play on stage. I never got around to it out of fear that I would hate playing it.
— THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary.
www.thekbk.com
http://www.deepeddy.net/artists/thekbk/
www.reverbnation.com/thekbk
www.facebook.com/thekbkal
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LeeVanCleef
Joined: Oct 05, 2011
Posts: 744
France
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 11:45 AM
killbabykill34 wrote:
Back when we were really playing up the 'horror' thing, I was seriously considering purchasing a cheap BC Rich Warlock and then retrofitting it with p-90s and a tremolo to play on stage. I never got around to it out of fear that I would hate playing it.
— Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers.
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surfgtrnut
Joined: Dec 26, 2008
Posts: 122
Binghamton, NY
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 12:01 PM
I think Yngwie's V could work for surf
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Camshaft
Joined: Apr 17, 2012
Posts: 30
Cleveland, Ohio
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 12:50 PM
Awesome, I had no idea this thread would be so popular.  I was expecting to get chased out of town with nothing but the clothes on my back. 
— -Cam
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Noel
Joined: Mar 15, 2011
Posts: 8528
Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 01:52 PM
Here you go.
— This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.
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caddady
Joined: Feb 14, 2010
Posts: 802
N.E. Ohio
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 02:41 PM
Surf /Instro can and should be played on any guitar you like. It was a happy accident that Fender company and surf was in the same neighborhood. Fender was clever and put their gear in the hands of working musicians to promote their product. You can watch The Lawrence Welk show and see the latest Fender product for the day it was filmed/taped. The Dick Dale connection sealed the deal for "true" surf gear. Now if surf was born in say Cleveland Ohio. The near by major instrument maker would be Gibson out of Kalamazoo MI. We would see Explorers/ Vee's/SG's and Jouniors into a GA-1RVT, then aGA-300RVT to produce the North Coast sound, In Ole Mississippi it would have been Peavey. Hell I’m sure a lot of surf was made on Dano, Silvertone and Teisco product. Play what you like in Cleveburgh.
— http://www.reverbnation.com/thegreasemonkeyz
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squirt50
Joined: Apr 27, 2008
Posts: 82
Chicago.
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 02:42 PM
We use a 1980 "V" in the Squirts. Used to be mine but now our other guitarist Steve has it and is known to break it out now and then during a show. I played a couple lead tracks with it on out first demo tape many moons ago. Thought it sounded pretty good through my surf setup. Had a nice hot overdrive. But I never got used to how it felt and I gotta have tremolo!
— I came. I saw. I left.
Last edited: Apr 27, 2012 14:53:28
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caddady
Joined: Feb 14, 2010
Posts: 802
N.E. Ohio
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 02:47 PM
A Gibson Firebird VII into a Gibson Titan Medalist with 2x10 + 1x15 and 4x6l6 would work with North Coast style.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4diS3khW-5k
— http://www.reverbnation.com/thegreasemonkeyz
Last edited: Apr 27, 2012 14:56:41
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surfgtrnut
Joined: Dec 26, 2008
Posts: 122
Binghamton, NY
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 02:59 PM
You can put a Bowen Handle on a V for a tremolo with out modifying it, as I did on a V copy.
http://www.guitar-museum.com/uploads/guitar/999/79102-1.jpg
Last edited: Apr 27, 2012 15:27:31
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caddady
Joined: Feb 14, 2010
Posts: 802
N.E. Ohio
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 03:29 PM
"Here you go."
Chris Spedding and Peter Frampton play with The Ventures. Never saw that before.
— http://www.reverbnation.com/thegreasemonkeyz
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Noel
Joined: Mar 15, 2011
Posts: 8528
Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 03:33 PM
That's nice. I'm thinking a Flying V with Jazzmaster pickups would sound terrific. Might look great painted like a '50's movie rocket ship or fighter plane, or just silver metal flake. I did notice that Chris sometimes had trouble getting leverage to play. Is that because he had it strapped so low? I've never even had one in my hands. Am I missing something?
— This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.
Last edited: Apr 27, 2012 15:36:53
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Camshaft
Joined: Apr 17, 2012
Posts: 30
Cleveland, Ohio
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 03:39 PM
The Squirts, eh? You might know my buddy Adam LaSota, he hosts a radio program here in Cleveland and has some Squirts posters in his house. He's a big fan, as am I.
— -Cam
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Noel
Joined: Mar 15, 2011
Posts: 8528
Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 03:43 PM
caddady wrote:
"Here you go."
Chris Spedding and Peter Frampton play with The Ventures. Never saw that before.
Neither had I. It just showed up in a new thread about Ventures videos from a TV show.
http://surfguitar101.com/forums/topic/18157/?page=1#p238353
Thanks go to Chuck who posted it here earlier.
— This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.
Last edited: Apr 27, 2012 15:44:48
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WhorehayRFB
Joined: Jun 12, 2008
Posts: 3331
Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 04:10 PM
caddady wrote:
"Here you go."
Chris Spedding and Peter Frampton play with The Ventures. Never saw that before.
What he said.
— Radio Free Bakersfield--60 Minutes of TWANG, CRUNCH, OOMPH.
http://radiofreebakersfield.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Radio-Free-Bakersfield/172410279636
http://www.sandiegojoe.com/rfb.htm
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Camshaft
Joined: Apr 17, 2012
Posts: 30
Cleveland, Ohio
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Posted on Apr 27 2012 04:18 PM
I can't wait to watch that Ventures clip when I get home from work!
— -Cam
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