tibbs12
Joined: Nov 01, 2017
Posts: 3
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Posted on Nov 18 2017 01:04 PM
Hi All - I just recently got into surf music and absolutely love it. As a guitar player, it’s appealing because there are no vocals. Mostly guitar focused. I love the melodic riffs both rhythm and leads.
I’ve been playing guitar for more than 20 years (as a hobby) mostly rock and heavy metal. Are there any other members here who grew up on metal and switched over to surf? I find some of there vibrato picking and molodies familiar. I am learning lots of songs now and am having a good time doing so.
I just need to figure out what to do about equipment now. ESP guitars with EMG 81 active pickups don’t really get you that vintage tone.
I’m looking for either a strat, jazzmaster or Jaguar now. I’m leaning towards a strat because of how well it can support many styles. But I really like the JM too.
Thanks,
Chris
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JONPAUL
Joined: Apr 29, 2010
Posts: 2472
Venice, CA
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Posted on Nov 18 2017 02:56 PM
Hi Chris! Warm welcome to SurfGuitar101! You've definitely come to the right place. This is without question the most comprehensive site dealing with Surf guitar and any possible related topic. One of the ways it is most useful is as a kind of reference library. Just enter whatever key words you'd like into the extremely easy to use search engine!
For instance, entering "heavy metal" and "metal" yielded the following threads:
Heavy Metal Roots, You too?
Heavy Metal Bands Who Cover Surf Songs
If Metal Were Surf/Instrumentals And Vice Versa
Nordic Black/Death Metal - Surf Versions
Most often, questions that arise have already been asked and it's cool to add to the previous thread rather than create a new one. This keeps things nice and organized.
There is an overabundance of discussion regarding which gear is preferred and absurdly enough, still folks that argue that it doesn't matter at all. I believe it's important to follow the example set forth by the pioneers and masters of the genre and realize that there are definitely tools of the trade that contribute a tremendous amount to making the music sound like "Surf." (Watch--just saying this here will likely ignite yet another stream of people that cling desperately to their "it's all in the fingers" argument). Funny enough, even beyond that, the age-old argument of Strat vs. Jaguar/Jazzmaster is still raging strong today!
There is no hard and fast rule that you MUST play this gear of course, and many have created entirely new, unique sounds for themselves doing otherwise. But to really get inside and deep in the genre, it is imperative to respect and learn the traditions first and foremost. Only then is it truly possible to change it and build up on it.
Even more important than the guitar or amp is the outboard reverb unit. There is an "Aha!" moment when one first plugs in that is unobtainable any other way. First choice would be a stand-alone tube reverb unit. Fender is the most common and most historic, but there are several boutique "cork-sniffer" models available as well. The Fender reissues are great and can found right now for as little as $400. Cheaper if you look diligently enough! An easy second choice would be the Surfy Industries Surfy Bear, which can be purchased as a very easy to assemble kit, or completed unit HERE.
Again, warm welcome! Cheers!
— Insect Surfers
The Tikiyaki Orchestra
The Scimitars
Lords Of Atlantis
Fiberglass Jungle - Surf Radio
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Reverbenator
Joined: Jul 26, 2015
Posts: 261
San Diego, Ca
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Posted on Nov 18 2017 03:36 PM
Welcome aboard, Chris.
Can't go wrong with a Strat, just move up to a heavier gauge of strings. And, from a historical perspective, long before people's faces were being melted by Marshall's and Mesa Boogies, they were being pummeled by Dick Dale and his Showman amps.
Although there are alot of things discussed here that may define the Surf genre, it also allows for alot more latitude as to how the individual musician defines it for themselves.
Thank you for joining us.
Edit: Fwiw, I have Jazzmasters, Jaguars and Strats in rotation in my starting lineup. They're all good.
— -Cheers, Clark-
-Less Paul, more Reverb-
Last edited: Nov 18, 2017 15:48:50
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Syndicateofsurf
Joined: Oct 08, 2014
Posts: 1073
Northern Ohio
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Posted on Nov 18 2017 03:55 PM
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stratdancer
Joined: Dec 11, 2013
Posts: 2537
Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Nov 18 2017 06:48 PM
Welcome aboard Tibbs! I came from a somewhat hard rock/metal background as many surf musicians have. Surf is pure, raw power and is a great place for for anyone that loves hard rock/metal!  . As far as a guitar? Just buy a strat like countless great guitar players have. Choose your pickups wisely, install a blender pot (jag/JM tones)and shred to your hearts content.
— The Kahuna Kings
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447
https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases
Last edited: Nov 18, 2017 18:52:17
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stratdancer
Joined: Dec 11, 2013
Posts: 2537
Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Nov 18 2017 06:54 PM
Oh, and make sure you order a surfy bear reverb kit asap. Don't even waste your time with pedals for reverb.......
— The Kahuna Kings
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447
https://thekahunakings.bandcamp.com/releases
Last edited: Nov 18, 2017 18:54:57
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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 Nov 18 2017 10:45 PM
Welcome to sg101, Chris! Very glad you're here.
— This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.
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Samurai
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2291
Kiev, Ukraine
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Posted on Nov 19 2017 03:34 AM
Welcome, Chris! I started from playing hard rock and heavy metal but in my 30+ years discoved surf and now lead my surf band for 10 years) so its pretty natural as for me, both generes are guitar-focused and got a lot in common in technical approach or even general feel and mood)
Strat is a perfect point to start you surf guitar jouyrney, so just do it!
— Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine
https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki
Lost Diver
https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin
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HallmarkSweptWinger
Joined: Jul 27, 2006
Posts: 1284
Berlinesia, Germanifornia
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Posted on Nov 19 2017 05:34 AM
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Badger
Joined: Nov 16, 2013
Posts: 4537
Wisconsin
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Posted on Nov 19 2017 08:07 AM
What a wonderful post from Jon Paul. 
— 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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tibbs12
Joined: Nov 01, 2017
Posts: 3
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Posted on Nov 19 2017 06:55 PM
Wow. Thanks for the replies. Jonpaul - thanks for those links. Made for an interesting read. People from all sorts of musical backgrounds end up here. You're in the Insect Surfers? If so, that's amazing. Your songs have been popping up on my Pandora playlist. Great stuff.
Right now, I'm learning as many songs as I can with my metal axe and with the limited time my schedule allows (I have 3 young kids and demanding job).
I am definitely leaning towards a Strat. 2 currently have my attention; The Classic Series 60s or the Classic Player 60s. They both look cool and feel/sound great. I can't figure out which one is better though. I actually like the feel of the vintage frets. For an amp, I may end up with a Princeton Reverb down the road. I have been reading very good things about that one. Just not yet. This gear is pretty pricey.
I have 2 brothers that live really close by. It just so happens that one is a drummer and the other plays bass. We had a band when we were younger and used to play Metallica covers as well as other 90's metal and rock. I am trying to get them into surf. It would work out too perfectly for us to start a New York based surf band. The bassist is getting pretty bought in. He definitely appreciates the surf style and all of the daily surfy youtube videos i text him. My bro the drummer will take some work. This will be interesting to see if we can make something work.
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TheFintastics
Joined: Jul 28, 2008
Posts: 474
Wichita Falls, Texas
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Posted on Nov 19 2017 10:12 PM
I played (still playing) in a rock cover band for many, many years. Surf music is closest to my heart. With 24 guitars in my possession, I'd say about 16 are "metal" and the rest are surf-style Strats etc. Incredibly enough...my favorite surf guitar is one I bought off of Reverb for $255. I guess it's pretty rare as I can't find one anywhere. Here's the link ---> Lace Guitar Sounds GREAT and the tremolo stays in pitch no matter what.
I highly recommend a Line 6 POD 1.0 or 2.0, tweaking the "Black Face" amp setting coupled with a Surfybear Industries pedal. Run it straight into the mixer/PA. The POD will set you back $80. The reverb tank about $400.
If you need a cabinet, a 1x12 in surf-green tolex works great with a mic placed off-axis in front of the speaker. Use a Quilter Micro-amp to power it all up and you're set.
— _
Hi, I'm Gellert, guitarist for The Fintastics.
https://www.facebook.com/TheFintastics
Last edited: Nov 19, 2017 22:14:54
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tibbs12
Joined: Nov 01, 2017
Posts: 3
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Posted on Nov 28 2017 11:48 AM
TheFintastics wrote:
I highly recommend a Line 6 POD 1.0 or 2.0, tweaking the "Black Face" amp setting coupled with a Surfybear Industries pedal. Run it straight into the mixer/PA. The POD will set you back $80. The reverb tank about $400.
I had a POD XT for many years and used it heavily for jamming late at night with headphones. I even played around with some recording using it. Lot's of fun. I recently got the Fender Mustang GT40 to play in my office late at night. Its great for that purpose and I like streaming my music through it via bluetooth to jam alongside tracks. I can get a pretty good enough surfy tone to play along. Obviously you can't use this unit for jamming in a band.
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HallmarkSweptWinger
Joined: Jul 27, 2006
Posts: 1284
Berlinesia, Germanifornia
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Posted on Nov 28 2017 02:05 PM
For me it would be interesting to get a bit away from the typical surf music to more metal / Doom / Gore Grind / Grindcore / Deathcore ...
Is there some kind of Black Surf already?
Who knows good bands with such a sound?
— Twang cheers!
Ralf Kilauea
www.kilaueas.de
https://kilaueas.bandcamp.com/album/touch-my-alien
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amnesiack
Joined: Feb 06, 2014
Posts: 105
Seattle, WA
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Posted on Nov 28 2017 03:29 PM
HallmarkSweptWinger wrote:
For me it would be interesting to get a bit away from the typical surf music to more metal / Doom / Gore Grind / Grindcore / Deathcore ...
Is there some kind of Black Surf already?
Who knows good bands with such a sound?
Coffin Haze: https://coffinhaze.bandcamp.com/
The Surfzums: https://thesurfzums.bandcamp.com/
— Four String Fender for The Delstroyers & The Woodhavens
Last edited: Nov 28, 2017 15:37:45
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Chippertheripper
Joined: Mar 11, 2011
Posts: 819
Semass
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Posted on Nov 29 2017 09:46 AM
HallmarkSweptWinger wrote:
For me it would be interesting to get a bit away from the typical surf music to more metal / Doom / Gore Grind / Grindcore / Deathcore ...
Is there some kind of Black Surf already?
Who knows good bands with such a sound?
I think you'll like what you're going to hear in 2018. hopefully.
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Chippertheripper
Joined: Mar 11, 2011
Posts: 819
Semass
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Posted on Nov 29 2017 09:52 AM
amnesiack wrote:
HallmarkSweptWinger wrote:
For me it would be interesting to get a bit away from the typical surf music to more metal / Doom / Gore Grind / Grindcore / Deathcore ...
Is there some kind of Black Surf already?
Who knows good bands with such a sound?
Coffin Haze: https://coffinhaze.bandcamp.com/
The Surfzums: https://thesurfzums.bandcamp.com/
this is a breath of fresh air for me. I'm probably in the minority here, but this suits me a lot more than the trad sound.
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amnesiack
Joined: Feb 06, 2014
Posts: 105
Seattle, WA
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Posted on Nov 29 2017 10:53 AM
Chippertheripper wrote:
this is a breath of fresh air for me. I'm probably in the minority here, but this suits me a lot more than the trad sound.
I love it all, from the trad to the rad! But, yeah, I'm always interested in seeing what folks are doing to push the boundaries of the genre.
— Four String Fender for The Delstroyers & The Woodhavens
Last edited: Nov 29, 2017 10:55:38
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HallmarkSweptWinger
Joined: Jul 27, 2006
Posts: 1284
Berlinesia, Germanifornia
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Posted on Nov 29 2017 11:24 AM
Thanks for the links! Never heard about those bands before.
I also like Coffin Haze a lot!!! Good power. Yes, this is also a part of the power of surf music for me. I thought simply this IS surf music.
— Twang cheers!
Ralf Kilauea
www.kilaueas.de
https://kilaueas.bandcamp.com/album/touch-my-alien
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HallmarkSweptWinger
Joined: Jul 27, 2006
Posts: 1284
Berlinesia, Germanifornia
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Posted on Nov 29 2017 11:27 AM
Chippertheripper wrote:
amnesiack wrote:
HallmarkSweptWinger wrote:
For me it would be interesting to get a bit away from the typical surf music to more metal / Doom / Gore Grind / Grindcore / Deathcore ...
Is there some kind of Black Surf already?
Who knows good bands with such a sound?
Coffin Haze: https://coffinhaze.bandcamp.com/
The Surfzums: https://thesurfzums.bandcamp.com/
this is a breath of fresh air for me. I'm probably in the minority here, but this suits me a lot more than the trad sound.
I am also in the minority probably. I also thought, yes, sounds frsh and good! Power!!!!!
These days I listen also a lot to Triptykon´s albums. If you like reeeally dark stuff, check this amazing production. Are you able to listen from beginning to the end?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQsuagpSDtM
Love it!
— Twang cheers!
Ralf Kilauea
www.kilaueas.de
https://kilaueas.bandcamp.com/album/touch-my-alien
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