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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Permalink Favorite surf guitar

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After reading all 31 pages again, along with my own input from a year ago, I'm pretty convinced that the only guitars I would never personally use for surf are the ones I don't own yet.

  • Andy

I think that's called an epiphany. Wink

METEOR IV on reverbnation

I got great sounds outta that Guild X160 (my current Avatar pic), prolly more Spaghetti Western than 'surf' but those DeArmond 2000's (just like a Dynasonic) are fantastic - maybe my favorite pickups! Problem is that thing fed back like crazy at practice volumes, though I controlled it live w/ eq and the foam stuffed F-holes. Ended up selling it. Sad

Also love my SG Special w/ stock HBs and added Bigsby, which may surprise you. My newest, however, just can't be beat for surf IMHO; an AVRI TS Jag in Daphane. Looks the part and sounds amazing and funky w/ some flats. Really diggin' some old R&B and Rockabilly licks on 'er too. The Jag (and JM) bodies just sit so nice on ya while sitting or standing and I love the trem - Bigsby type feel but with more range.

I think a Strat sounds fantastic for surf and wish I liked 'em better. {Nice post btw Ivan! ..and yours does sound killer on "Tribal Fires"} Don't like 'em personally though because of volume knob location, middle pickup (which I don't like to pick over) and I hit the pup switch with my hand too. Plus they feel a little squirrely in my lap; also why I don't like LPs.

I applaud those using that Yamaha SG..., funky old Teiscos, Eastwoods, etc. It's nice we don't all play the same thing, that'd get boring pretty quick!

Last edited: Sep 19, 2012 14:12:50

El_Sonido wrote:

I think a Strat sounds fantastic for surf and wish I liked 'em better. {Nice post btw Ivan! ..and yours does sound killer on "Tribal Fires"}

Thanks, El Sonido!

Don't like 'em personally though because of volume knob location, middle pickup (which I don't like to pick over) and I hit the pup switch with my hand too.

Common complaints about Strats. I've just played one forever, so I've learned to work around those problems.

I applaud those using that Yamaha SG..., funky old Teiscos, Eastwoods, etc. It's nice we don't all play the same thing, that'd get boring pretty quick!

Here, here! Viva la difference!

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook
The Space Cossacks on Facebook
The Madeira Channel on YouTube

The Strat is a love/hate relationship for me. They can sound great and I like the trem but they do have a few traits I don't care for.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

I used to hate Strats too... and recently a friend offered me a brand new Jack & Dammy JM-10 in exchange for a couple of stompboxes I DIYed for him. The JM-10 is more or less an inexpensive Strat copy with a JM-shaped body, and while it's certainly no killer guitar the vintage style trem and typical Strat tones are pleasing me much more than I thought possible.

I still don't like the Strat body shape, although I have to admit that seeing Ivan's new acquisition in IBM is doing strange things to my mind...

Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers.

It's a toss up between my Original Senn Jazzguar with Flatwounds and my Teisco TG-64, followed closely by my Eastwood Sidejack and White Falcon, followed closely by my Teisco W2-GL, followed closely...................
I give up!

http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic

image

image

http://www.reverbnation.com/thedeadranchhands

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZEW74mHjQk

Last edited: Sep 23, 2012 22:35:37

Hello a newbie here.
Back when I was playing in the surf genre, it was my Fender/Warmoth Strat
image

I think the Doozy would do a fine job as well.
image

Mark

Guitars: 79 Gibson Les Paul Std, Warmoth Strat, Godin Flat Five X, Duesenberg Starplayer TV, Gretsch White Falcon, Goodall Concert Jumbo, Ovation 12 string, Lakland 55-02

Rig: Axe-FX II, MFC-101, JH Audio Pro16s, QSC HPR 112i, Yamaha AG Stomp

Other: High Country hammered dulcimer 17/17/7

Last edited: Oct 05, 2012 22:02:03

I finished customizing this guitar last week. I thinned the neck, removed paint, repainted in metallic red, added 2 single coils from different makers, added a second selector switch to choose any single coil, most 2 pickup combinations, and four 3 pickup combinations. The FIVE separate single coil pickups have distinctly different tones. I put in a heavy vibrato block with added weights for sustain. Everything worked out well. When you want something different "Do It Yourself."

image

Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com

Last edited: Nov 18, 2012 22:44:50

With a strat, I cannot recommend highly enough getting a re-wire so you can run the neck & bridge pickup in parallel. Creamy top,twangy bottom (ouch!) & a big sound.

That might be a good idea...I have customized an SX to look and sound major surfy even though it's not my #1 surf strat.

I LOVE that bigsby on the VM Squier Mustang! Awesome!

My SX I bought specifically for modding right now looks like this.
Plus I changed out the pickusp for GFS staggered 64's...gets a sweet surf tone.

image

I now prefer my Squier VM Surf Strat which is:

image

Last edited: Nov 09, 2012 09:52:56

I want to add to this thread, but it seems like since I've been back playing surf guitar with a band my "favorite" surf guitar changes monthly.

"as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there"

https://www.facebook.com/reluctantaquanauts/
https://www.facebook.com/TheDragstripVipers/

BillAqua wrote:

I want to add to this thread, but it seems like since I've been back playing surf guitar with a band my "favorite" surf guitar changes monthly.

Dipinto Galaxie IV dude, it surfs for days. Just ignore the lifeless pickups. If it is good enough for Los Straitjackets it is good enough for adult contemporary surf music.

Ok Jake. I just ordered one!

"as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there"

https://www.facebook.com/reluctantaquanauts/
https://www.facebook.com/TheDragstripVipers/

DiPinto single coil pickups rule for surf, with piles of chime and cut-through-the-mix without harshness (if you use your tone control to back off high treble). Of course it does depend on the amp you plug into. And you have to have a tone control on your bridge pickup.

I replaced bridge pickups on other guitars with DiPinto pickups, they're that good.

I haven't tried a Galaxie, but my Mach IV guitar has a neck that obstructs my hands. It is thick and the thickness is also wide and not just near the center. It is the only guitar I have that obstructs me from playing fast. Meanwhile I have DiPinto pickups on guitars with thinner necks.

Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com

Last edited: Dec 20, 2012 21:57:36

I stupidly sold the Galaxies I loved ...1 in LSJ Silver Sparkle and 1 in Sunburst..a few years ago due to pressure from the headstock snobs I was playing with. Bought an AVRI Jazzmaster which I liked about half as much as the Galaxies.

Today I got a great year end job review and a nice raise.

I'm on own my own, playing alone and need a Galaxie to stroke my tone.

So with a 20% off coupon from MF and shipping for free, a Sunburst Galaxie is my Christmas present to me.

Yes, I know this is Lame

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

Stokemon wrote:

So with a 20% off coupon from MF and shipping for free, a Sunburst Galaxie is my Christmas present to me.

Yes, I know this is Lame

As in ?

image

How can that be lame?

He who dies with the most tubes... wins

Surf Daddies

tubeswell wrote:

Stokemon wrote:

So with a 20% off coupon from MF and shipping for free, a Sunburst Galaxie is my Christmas present to me.

Yes, I know this is Lame

As in ?

image

How can that be lame?

HA! I was referring to my bad attempt at rhyming, not the guitar. The Galaxie will breathe some life into this old dog!

Hope to be in New Zealand on business next April or so. Fingers crossed!

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

Which part of NZ?

He who dies with the most tubes... wins

Surf Daddies

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