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June Birthdays
Setting up a strat for surfin'?
Joined: Jun 07, 2018 Posts: 6 
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Posted on Jun 08 2018 07:39 AM
Ok, I guess this has been discussed here like a million times, but I'm a new cat here! I am a strat cowboy, coming from classic rock, blues and 0.9-0.46s Is there any particular set up I should do to my strats that would improve the surf tone? Or should I just crank the reverb on my amp and go for it? Any help would be highly appreciated! —Peace and love! |
Joined: Dec 07, 2014 Posts: 1222 
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Posted on Jun 08 2018 08:24 AM
- Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 14:07:46 |
Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 1062 Berlin, Germany 
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Posted on Jun 08 2018 08:27 AM
From the content of your question I guess you already know about heavy strings and possibly flat wounds. If you want to get closer to a Jazzmaster or Jaguar you could switch the position of the bridge and middle pick-ups in order to get the neck and bridge sound with the standard 5-way switch. Also the fewer springs you have attached to your tremolo block the shorter the sustain, so it makes room sooner for the reverb to come on - like a Jag or JM does. I personally wouldn’t play a guitar with a tremolo that won’t move up, but that’s debatable I guess. —The Exotic Guitar of Kahuna Kawentzmann You can get the boy out of the Keynes era, but you can’t get the Keynes era out of the boy. Last edited: Jun 08, 2018 08:30:25 |
Joined: Jan 17, 2008 Posts: 2188 Atlanta, GA 
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Posted on Jun 08 2018 08:40 AM
I'm a strat player and I actually DON'T like flats on it at all. I use 12-52 Rotosounds (sometimes DRs) and I love them. Flats all day on the offsets! Just not for strats. My $.02 Outboard reverb is also a preferred way to go, and I like a mid-wattage amp turned way up so it crackles! Good luck! It's a fun journey! —
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Joined: Mar 02, 2006 Posts: 11079 Berkeley, CA
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Posted on Jun 08 2018 08:48 AM
Sergio, welcome to the forum. Congrats on making the decision to dive into playing surf music, and thanks for including us to witness your journey. You'll get tons of support here, we're always glad to have new talent in the genre. As for setting up your strat, there is no definitive setup for surf music, as today the style is broad enough to accept all kinds of guitar tones. I personally didn't like flats on my strats having tried several times, though I exclusively use them on my offsets. I use rotosound .12's as suggested by Ivan Pongracic, one of the very best strat players in surf. I do like the thicker strings, I prefer the tone and also allows for more accurate doublepicking than thinner strings. However, if you're a note bender it does limit you, as do the curved fingerboards on the vintage style guitars. Some might think that limitation is a good thing Good luck, we're looking forward to hearing your progress.
Danny Snyder I am now playing trumpet with Prince Buster tribute band 'Balzac' Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF |
Joined: Dec 12, 2006 Posts: 2688 Ventura, CA
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Posted on Jun 08 2018 10:59 AM
Don't forget Dick Dale uses roundwounds on his Strat. Some would consider that the ideal traditional way to go. |
Joined: Sep 09, 2008 Posts: 3158 Guildford England 
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Posted on Jun 08 2018 12:21 PM
DannySnyder wrote:
Ivan gets his Stratocasters professedly breathed on by a guitar tech. Throwing .12's on a Strat which has been factory setup for 09s will cause all sorts of issues. |
Joined: May 09, 2018 Posts: 63 Tacoma, WA
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Posted on Jun 08 2018 12:37 PM
Standard D'Addario nickel 11s with floating trem; four springs. I feel that the stiffer the trem the better it will center...maybe I'll go up to five at some point. Tuned down to Eb right now so I can pretend I'm Robin Trower if I feel like it. |
Joined: Dec 11, 2013 Posts: 2537 Akron, Ohio
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Posted on Jun 08 2018 03:21 PM
Roto 12's and a blender pot. Choose neck a bridge pickups wisely. —The Kahuna Kings https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kahuna-Kings/459752090818447 |
Joined: Jul 16, 2015 Posts: 260 ID
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Posted on Jun 08 2018 04:36 PM
Another vote for the Roto 12s here. I fell in love with them after reading some of the other posts here. If moving up from a lighter guage (.9s) you’ll definitely need to open the slots of the nut to prevent tuning issues. For my Strats I like to have the trem floated with about a half step or so of “up” and the 5 way switch changed out to a 3 way. I don’t have much use for the in between positions and inevitably that’s where a 5 way will end up at the most inopportune time, but that’s me. Haha. Welcome to the forum. You’ll find a ton of great info and even better folks on here!! —-John The Seatopians 2017- |
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Joined: Jun 07, 2018 Posts: 6
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Posted on Jun 08 2018 04:47 PM
Yeah no doubt I won't string up my baby with 0.12s without having it set up with more springs, a truss rod adjustment and a tightening in the claw... Strats are temperamental and should be treated right. Btw is there a thread about right hand technique here? Surf rock is very particular in that aspect. —Peace and love! |
Joined: Sep 07, 2006 Posts: 1510 Redlands, CA
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Posted on Jun 08 2018 09:44 PM
delete double post. Last edited: Jun 08, 2018 21:46:41 |
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Joined: Sep 07, 2006 Posts: 1510 Redlands, CA
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Posted on Jun 08 2018 09:45 PM
Joelman wrote:
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Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 1062 Berlin, Germany
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Posted on Jun 09 2018 04:35 AM
Of course there are different kinds of Surf tones. I was mentioning the points that are different from a regular set-up, while still worth trying. —The Exotic Guitar of Kahuna Kawentzmann You can get the boy out of the Keynes era, but you can’t get the Keynes era out of the boy. Last edited: Jun 09, 2018 04:37:53 |
Joined: Mar 09, 2011 Posts: 273 Melbourne FL USA |
Posted on Jun 09 2018 01:10 PM
I'm in agreement w/Kawentzmann in that you should probably make sure you have the pickups arranged that you can engage the bridge & neck pickup's together. (That way you'll have a "Jaguar" or "Tele" sound). My Strat is set up w/a 3 position switch & the middle "tone" knob is actually a volume pot for the middle pickup. With the middle volume pot turned down, you get the NECK pickup in the first position. In the 2nd position you get bridge & neck together & in the 3rd position you get the the bridge pu/. If you turn the middle knob up 1st pos gives you neck & middle pu, middle pos gives you all 3 pu's together (kind of "Gibsoney") & in the 3rd position you get middle % bridge pu's together (kind of "Clapton like"). Hope this helps. Last edited: Jun 09, 2018 14:03:34 |
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Joined: Mar 09, 2011 Posts: 273 Melbourne FL USA |
Posted on Jun 09 2018 01:22 PM
Fixed - Moderator Last edited: Jun 09, 2018 14:02:50 |
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