I would say that the sounds of Surf and Rockabilly are different and require different approaches. I never hear much reverb in rockabilly music, I mostly hear the a hollow body thud along with slapback echo and the grind of a slightly overdriven amp.

In surf I mostly hear single-coil solid body sparkle with spring reverb through loud clean amps.

I'm not much of a Rockabilly fan, so I'll just tell you what I use for Surf tones.

I use a handbuilt Fender Reverb Unit clone or amp reverb. For echo, I use a Strymon El Capistan (emulates a tape echo) and I use a ToneCzar Powerglide Tremolo.

My amp is a blackface Fender Vibroverb clone w/ 15" Speaker.

These are all I would need for any surf sound I want. I don't do traditional surf, so I have some other stuff like a vibrato, wah and fuzz boxes.

Early Rockabilly did not have much reverb but it picked it up later, listen to James Burton and others and you'll hear lots o' verb at a later date. Rockabilly players today use almost as much as the surf guys, at least the ones I know and work with.

Hi, Deadlands!
Thanks for your suggestions.
I have the amps, but need to investigate the effects.
Some of your pedals are quite expensive.
I have checked into the Strymon pedals.

Just purchased a Boss TR-2 Tremolo pedal
and am checking out the following three delay type pedals:
1) Carl Martin Red Repeater
2) Boss DD-3 Delay
3) DigiTech Hardwire DL-8 Delay w/Tape Delay, Slapback, Reverse

But, it is great to read about what others use.
Thank you. Toppscore

Fan of Surf & Rockabilly Reverb Music
Love Fender Trainwreck Dumbles Amplifiers
Play Fender Stratocaster & Fender Telecaster Guitars

bamboozer wrote: > Early Rockabilly did not have much reverb but it picked it up later, listen to James Burton and others and you'll hear lots o' verb at a later date. Rockabilly players today use almost as much as the surf guys, at least the ones I know and work with.

Bamboozer ~ This is really an interesting subject.
What is the difference between shower echo, sustain, reverb,
tremolo, vibrato, slapback, analog delay and digital delay?
Personally, after studying amplified music, I know the differences
much better than before.

But, IMHO, the sounds are all mostly sustained tones/sounds from
the original pluck of a guitar string. So, to my once untrained ears,
the above effects seemed like echo to me. It all sounds good
and it all seems similar to the overall vibe of an older song.

Yes. Reverb came into the guitar amp market in a big way with the
1964 Fender Blackface amps and the 1962 Reverb tanks, right?
Before that, vibrato (pitch) and tremolo (volume) and slapback (delay)
and echo were so close in the listeners' minds, that to many, including me,
they sounded similar.

What do you think? More reverb today?
I like today's players heading back to analog effects. Toppscore

Fan of Surf & Rockabilly Reverb Music
Love Fender Trainwreck Dumbles Amplifiers
Play Fender Stratocaster & Fender Telecaster Guitars

Last edited: Mar 16, 2013 01:11:32

Toppscore wrote:

killbabykill34 wrote: > Welcome to the group. This thread is covered in so many places(almost all of the gear threads) and I hope you find the answers you are looking for. I believe Deadlands summed it up though. An amp with nice cleans with a reverb in front of the preamp and a nice single coiled guitar before that.

Yes, KillBaby. I bet subjects are covered and can be researched
on this forum and other forums. But, I am new and love to interact
with others. Also, my needs and goals may be different than the
OP of threads in the past ~ as well as new products may have hit
the market. Anyway, thank you for the greeting

KillBaby ~ Question:
Would you consider a "clean" tone from an amp be from the normal channel?
I have Fender Tweed, Brownface Blackface & Silverface amps.
They all have some form of presence, speed, intensity, reverb, etc.
But, I would not mind getting or play an tremolo pedal or a vibrato pedal
or a reverb pedal in a Fender amp that already has a reverb & vibrato
channel. I have heard that effects pedals make great and different tones
than the natural tones of the amps.

Therefore, a Boss TR-2 Tremolo will sound very good
on my 1960 Fender 6G4 Super Amp. Right?

And a good reverb pedal can make great tones/sounds on my
1964 Fender Super Reverb Amp that are awesome in tone,
but different that the Super Reverb's spring reverb unit. Correct?

What do you think? Please share your views.
Thanks, Toppscore

Personally, I am one who utilizes pedals in front of my amp. But my tone really doesn't do a great job of representing that traditional surf tone. I keep a TS-9dx Overdrive on at all times. I have parts in songs where a tremolo pedal is engaged. I utilize bits of tape and analog style delay at times as well.

It really all boils down to what you are going for with your tone. Many purest not only don't embrace effects, but are at times outright standoffish towards them.

As far as clean tone goes, that has been a constant subject of debate here. Many of the early amps, I suppose simply due to low wattage, reached overdrive simply due to the clean channel being brought up to performance volume levels. Even more, with the use of outboard reverb units your tone already is pushed, sometimes to the point of overdrive. This is evident in that Dick Dale tone we all hold dear.

I am and will always be a proponent of taking what our founders created and building upon it. But I certainly don't represent the opinion of everyone on this board.

In regard to researching old threads, it is an encouraged practice here to look up old threads that address the issue you are looking at and then continuing them, as repeat subjects are a bit too much of a constant here.

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

What Sancho describes is your classic purist surf rig.
I'm happy with pretty much any blackface combo with tremolo, a Fender Reverb unit, and a Deluxe Memory Man. I like how the tank + Memory Man drive the amp. I play Strats--occasionally a Jazzmaster, or a Hallmark 60C. A Jag is on my GAS short list.
I also enjoy west coast swing blues, but I'm not good enough to take it out--I'm working on it. I use the same rig as my surf but different settings, plus a Gibson ES295 and a Telecaster.
Right now, practice time is my most valued asset.

Personally I avoid delay, other than what the reverb tank has. Guitar, tank, amp, speaker. That's about it.

Oh, and bagful of killer tunes...

http://thewaterboarders.bandcamp.com/

SanchoPansen wrote: > I think a blonde 60s Showman amp with a 15" tone ring cab + same era Fender Reverb unit + same era Jaguar sums it up to nail that surf sound. From here on, you can go everywhere you want...

Good collection.
I am seeking a 15" cabinet.
I have a 1954 Fender 5D6 4x10 Bassman
1960 Fender 6G4 2x10 Super Amp
1962 Fender Reverb Tank Unit
1964 Fender 2x12 Twin Reverb
1964 Fender 4x10 Super Reverb
1968 Fender Bandmaster Reverb amp head
1968 Fender Showman Reverb amp head.
Just missing that 15" something ~ someday soon.

Sancho Pansen ~ Question:
Using the Blonde Showman amp head, the tone ring cabinet
and the Jaguar, how do you get your reverb, echo, etc???
Toppscore :)

Fan of Surf & Rockabilly Reverb Music
Love Fender Trainwreck Dumbles Amplifiers
Play Fender Stratocaster & Fender Telecaster Guitars

Toppscore wrote:

Sancho Pansen ~ Question:
Using the Blonde Showman amp head, the tone ring cabinet
and the Jaguar, how do you get your reverb, echo, etc???
Toppscore :)

Fender Reverb Unit aka Tank.

The Hicadoolas

deadlands wrote: > Toppscore wrote: > > Yes. Reverb came into the guitar amp market in a big way with the

1964 Fender Blackface amps and the 1962 Reverb tanks, right?
Before that, vibrato (pitch) and tremolo (volume) and slapback (delay)
and echo were so close in the listeners' minds, that to many, including me, > > they sounded similar.
What do you think? More reverb today?
I like today's players heading back to analog effects. Toppscore

For guitar reverb was a studio effect using chambers or plates. The first portable reverb for guitar was the Fender Reverb Unit in 1961. The first Fender amp with reverb was the 63 Vibroverb.

I can see how vibrato and tremolo could sometimes sound similiar, but slapback sounds distinctively different. That could just be my trained ear.

Totally agree. What I meant and will add to, is that
Reverb * Echo * Vibrato * Tape Delay * Slapback * Tremolo effects,
to me when I was young, were the same (as I did not know better)
and all those effects sounded cool ~ more about extending
the sound(s)/tone(s) from the original pluck a string. Later, I learned.

But, I'll still say that some guests within a live audience
will NOT be able to discern:
Reverb from Echo
Tremolo from Vibrato
Analog Delay from Digital Delay
True Slapback from Tape Delay . . . . etc.

To most all UNKnowledgeable guests ~ it all simply just sounds darn great
To the "purists" ~ well, they can be picky
Toppscore

Fan of Surf & Rockabilly Reverb Music
Love Fender Trainwreck Dumbles Amplifiers
Play Fender Stratocaster & Fender Telecaster Guitars

Last edited: Mar 16, 2013 01:45:42