Mark2Bra
Joined: Sep 01, 2013
Posts: 248
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 12:42 AM
A small introduction:
I think Starts have a good balance between the fatness of the JM and the edginess of a Jag , but sometimes I feel the bridge pickup is too ice-picky and was wondering how I beef it abit.
I tried JM and though I think it is the coolest guitar ever made , it doesn't feel right to me for fast double picking DD style , which I do ALOT.
This is the sound I have in mind: Surfin' St.Helens
Thicker than a single coil but yet round and separated for fast double picking.
All this bring me to consider putting a GFS Surf 90 into a SSH strat (or Blacktop HH Jaguar?) , but I don't manage to find good sound samples to get the idea how it would sound?
The best I found was this video but he doesn't play with reverb so it doesn't help me much.
I'v seen threads here of people who use this pickup - how can you describe it? comparing to a strat single coil or Jazzmaster pickups?
Is it hotter/thicker/less focused?
How well it can pull fast Dick dale picking?
P.S
I had a brief chance to play a Gretsch Double Jet with Filtertrons (ye , I know they are Humbuckers) and I surprisingly I got a very vintage round sound. Does anyone have some experience double picking on those?
Cheers,
Mark.
Last edited: Jul 19, 2015 00:57:44
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JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 01:02 AM
The GFS Surf 90s are Dynasonic pickups, you can hear a Dynasonic on all tracks on this album: http://theverb.bandcamp.com/album/only-verb-can-break-your-heart
It is the lead guitar in songs that don't have Mercenary in the title, Caveat Auditor, and French Quarter. Keep in mind we aren't trying to copy a Dick Dale style, or any other specific tones. We just love instrumental music, a good melody, and reverb.
Filtertrons make great pickups for lead instrumental music/surf. Humbuckers do not equal distortion in the same way that single coil does not equal clean.
bridge pickup is too ice-picky and was wondering how I beef it abit
Roll off your tone knob, turn the treble down on your amp, get new speakers, slightly lower the pickups, pick in the different spot, get a new tone cap, lower the 'tone' or 'mix' knob on your reverb unit(if you use one).
Lots of people have used Strats for surf, it wouldn't be a common guitar in our genre if the bridge pickup was constantly ice picky.
I feel comfortable in saying that Surfin' St. Helens is a Strat in the main melody. Strats have a very specific sound to them.
Last edited: Jul 19, 2015 01:05:58
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JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 01:04 AM
Also, I will add strings to my list of ways to cure the ice-pick.
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JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 01:16 AM
Also, in listening to the album I linked to above, and our first album. I'm really going to recommend you don't get the GFS Surf 90. If you really want a surf tone, definitely stick with the Strat. You will be unhappy if you go with the Surf 90, it doesn't have "that" sound. Dynasonics are great pickups and I love playing with them but they aren't going to do the specific thing you want them to. They will make wonderful music, but you are looking for something specific and your best bet is to find a way to tame the ice pick.
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RaistMagus
Joined: Mar 30, 2011
Posts: 388
Copenhagen
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 04:20 AM
You can wire the bridge pup to a tone knob and dial some of the ice pick away. You can also try a hotter bridge pup, a lot of strat sets are being offered with a hotter bridge pup. You could try adding a baseplate to the bridge pup or even playing a Tele.
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Mark2Bra
Joined: Sep 01, 2013
Posts: 248
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 05:17 AM
you can hear a Dynasonic on all tracks on this album: http://theverb.bandcamp.com/album/only-verb-can-break-your-heart
WOW , Jake, you solved years of mystery to me - I heard the music of many members here but couldn't find you. Turns out I never heard of your band.
I really dig your band music and the overall classic vibe, especially "Suspense in Sector Seven".
Lots of people have used Strats for surf, it wouldn't be a common guitar in our genre if the bridge pickup was constantly ice picky.
I guess this is true. I always just put all the knobs on 10. I did switched from d'addario strings to boomers - that mellowed the sound a bit.
I feel comfortable in saying that Surfin' St. Helens is a Strat in the main melody. Strats have a very specific sound to them.
Really??  I always thought it was a Mosrite.
Also, in listening to the album I linked to above, and our first album. I'm really going to recommend you don't get the GFS Surf 90. If you really want a surf tone, definitely stick with the Strat.
The guitar in the album sounds awesome with double pickin , but I see what you mean when saying that it is not a classic surf sound.
Thanks Jake, really like your band!
Cheers,
Mark.
Last edited: Jul 19, 2015 05:28:33
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Mark2Bra
Joined: Sep 01, 2013
Posts: 248
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 05:31 AM
You can wire the bridge pup to a tone knob and dial some of the ice pick away
My bridge is wired to a tone knob , it was just always rolled to 10.
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Surf_Skater
Joined: Sep 06, 2012
Posts: 1300
Lawrenceville , GA
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 05:54 AM
I've had Surf 90's in my Gretsch for a few years now and they sound really good. That said, my Jazzmaster with av65 pickups gets played way more for Surf. I agree with Jake. The ice pick comes from how you eq your amp/tank. My settings for low volume practice are much brighter than when I have it cranked.
Listen to some Madeira and Space Cossacks. Ivan plays a Strat the majority of the time and his tone is never harsh. The only reason I don't play my Strat much is I'm a spaz and I accidentally hit the volume knob when palm muting.
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Mark2Bra
Joined: Sep 01, 2013
Posts: 248
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 06:56 AM
My settings for low volume practice are much brighter than when I have it cranked.
Good tip! Thanks.
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Badger
Joined: Nov 16, 2013
Posts: 4536
Wisconsin
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 07:50 AM
JakeDobner wrote:
The GFS Surf 90s are Dynasonic pickups, you can hear a Dynasonic on all tracks on this album: http://theverb.bandcamp.com/album/only-verb-can-break-your-heart
Thanks for the insights on that. Miss Bardot going really well with morning coffee. 
— Wes
SoCal ex-pat with a snow shovel
DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices.
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Gilette
Joined: May 04, 2014
Posts: 734
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 08:15 AM
I like the Surf 90's for the darker Duane Eddy stuf. Lot's of body and also great on a cranked amp.
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Surf_Skater
Joined: Sep 06, 2012
Posts: 1300
Lawrenceville , GA
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 08:34 AM
http://surfguitar101.com/forums/topic/17103/?page=1#p295329
There's a couple sound samples in this thread. I think they are a great low cost alternative for a humbucker guitar that you don't know what to do with. But I don't think it's worth buying a guitar just to put these in. YMMV!
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CrazyAces
Joined: Jul 31, 2012
Posts: 4053
Nashville, TN.
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 10:16 AM
I have them, I like them.
As Jake said, they resemble a Dynasonic but do not have as wide of a frequency response as a Dynasonic.
Technically they are not built the same as the Dynas but that's boring stuff.
They are a little warmer in the top end, have a little more mids and the low end is not quite as big as a Dynasonic.
I think they can be a great alternative pickup for Surf. Definitely warmer and thicker than a Strat but not as thick as a P-90.
No verb here and the tremolo picking is shit in the beginning but this is whatt they sound like.
The camera attenuated some of the high end so they are a little clearer brighter than what you hear here.
Cheers,
Jeff
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Brian
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Posts: 19334
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 11:07 AM
Mark2Bra wrote:
This is the sound I have in mind: Surfin' St.Helens
Thicker than a single coil but yet round and separated for fast double picking.
Jake wrote:
I feel comfortable in saying that Surfin' St. Helens is a Strat in the main melody. Strats have a very specific sound to them.
That's the Volcanos on their first full length album Surf Quake. So it's either Rick or Chris, although live they alternate lead guitar duties. If it's Rick, and he wrote the song so it might be, that's a MIJ Jazzmaster (with heavy strings -- 12 or 13s) with stock pickups. If it's Chris it's some kind of Mosrite. I don't think Rick upgraded his JM pickups until the second Volcanos album. That's my recollection from trading emails with Rick over the years. Maybe he can chime in here.
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Mark2Bra
Joined: Sep 01, 2013
Posts: 248
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 12:21 PM
That's the Volcanos on their first full length album Surf Quake. So it's either Rick or Chris
I actually wrote to Rick_Volcano , asking what guitar and amp are used for this song but haven't yet get an answer.
To me it sounds too "round" to be a JM , but than again , what do I know. .
I also want to say that the amp is ether a vox or a princeton but I can be wrong here as well.
Last edited: Jul 19, 2015 12:22:14
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IvanP
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 10331
southern Michigan
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 12:34 PM
Brian wrote:
Jake wrote:
I feel comfortable in saying that Surfin' St. Helens is a Strat in the main melody. Strats have a very specific sound to them.
That's the Volcanos on their first full length album Surf Quake. So it's either Rick or Chris, although live they alternate lead guitar duties. If it's Rick, and he wrote the song so it might be, that's a MIJ Jazzmaster (with heavy strings -- 12 or 13s) with stock pickups. If it's Chris it's some kind of Mosrite. I don't think Rick upgraded his JM pickups until the second Volcanos album. That's my recollection from trading emails with Rick over the years. Maybe he can chime in here.
Brian, I believe that Rick played his '70s Strat on the first Volcanos album. He's got the Strat in the photo on the back of the album.
— Ivan
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Brian
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Posts: 19334
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 12:38 PM
Pretty sure Rick told me it was a Fender Twin Reverb amp.
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Last edited: Jul 19, 2015 12:45:40
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Brian
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Posts: 19334
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 12:48 PM
Yeah, sorry, I think he used the JM with stock pickups on some of the early Hellbenders recordings.
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Brian
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Posts: 19334
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Jul 19 2015 01:03 PM
Back of Surf Quake album:
Another shot from that era:
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arny
Joined: Aug 22, 2010
Posts: 614
Netherlands, Europe
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Posted on Jul 20 2015 01:55 AM
I've changed the dreadfull 'Gretschbuckers' of my Gretsch Electromatic for GFS Surf 90's a couple of years ago. Never looked back, original plan was to put TVJones in the Gretsch but the Surf 90's was really the sound I was looking for. On a hollowbody they do really magic. Soundwise somewere between dynatones and DeArmonds. Twangy, but warm. Really love the sound, you can rock with them but also have a traditional surf sound.
And not so agressive like real P90's. Don't know what Guild uses in their X-175b, but they sound even better, a bit more agressive but still very twangy and warm with a nice rough edge. I use the Guild for the more raunchy songs and the Gretsch for the surfy stuff.
My Fenders don't see many action nowadays (65 Jazzmaster and 2 Jaguars). I even have the humbuckers of my Modern Player Jaguar replaced by 2 (Duesenberg) P90's, but the Surf 90's sound better.
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