SurfGuitar101.com | Forums: “BAJA” - live: Attempt at a surf guitar tune with Squier Jazzmaster J. Mascis

Abdel

Joined: Apr 10, 2006
Posts: 257
1 Link Pin

Posted on Jun 03 2019 02:29 AM

Hi all,
I hope I didn’t disfigure the tune too much.
Please disregard the misses and the sound as it is a live take and it’s sometimes challenging to
maintain a clean double-stop at this speed.
I found the backing track on Youtube and I guess it’s taken from the Ventures version.
Hope you can still like some of it.

Blessings,
Abdel

Last edited: Jun 03, 2019 02:30:31

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Ariel

Joined: Aug 29, 2009
Posts: 1556
Israel
Israel

Posted on Jun 04 2019 12:11 PM

Great playing!
A hard one to pull off no doubt, makes me want to hone my double-stops with this arrangement. Could you link to the backing track?

Last edited: Jun 04, 2019 12:13:57

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Abdel

Joined: Apr 10, 2006
Posts: 257
1 Link Pin

Posted on Jun 04 2019 04:41 PM

Hi Ariel,

Glad you liked it (I don't).

Here you go.

Blessings,
Abdel

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Surfing_Sam_61

Joined: Jan 15, 2019
Posts: 1515

Posted on Jun 04 2019 08:07 PM

The Astronauts studio version is played on the G and B string for the main riff at the 9th and 11th fret on the G string and 9, 11 and 12 fret on the B string etc. That's my favorite way for me, you can play the same riff on the B and and high E string as well 5th and 7th fret on the B string and 4th, 6th and 7th fret on the high E string as well. Many players like that way best. Maybe you would like that way better - Dunno

This is one of those songs people play all kinds of different ways and some how pull it off. It's hard to play right being its so simple a song and the note duration have to be so exact to sound like the record. I usually muff this one up the first try at it, then sounds much better the second time around most of the time

The song I see played different the most from the record is El Gato - many play the A note on the E string but the record is played on open A more like a country and western cat would in the 40's, you can play faster that way, its all mechanics in the end with the speed thing by the same notes we choose to play any song. The first two notes of El Gato in the Blues style would play F# then go to 3 frets higher on the same low E string. Where the country and western style would play the same F# then go to the open A string string etc for the first two notes of the riff. Its hard to play that fast without the open A string on that song.

But like I said there are many diffrent ways to play Baja.

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Abdel

Joined: Apr 10, 2006
Posts: 257
1 Link Pin

Posted on Jun 04 2019 09:33 PM

Hi Surfing Sam 61,

You are probably right as I don't know much about the original version. I just heard it played excellently by our local bands at 101 conventions.
I need to apologize to the purist for my hectic version

I am surprised by the good sound coming out of this low end Squier ($299).

I think that the Mustang IV amp also deliver a very good sound for a Solid State amp.

You have to keep in mind that what you hear is a live (room) sound from the P.A and from my guitar amp both behind me.

That's why no mixing is possible.

Blessings,
Abdel

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Surfing_Sam_61

Joined: Jan 15, 2019
Posts: 1515

Posted on Jun 04 2019 09:55 PM

You can play a song anyway you want - that's the cool part about playing live.

Yeah live mixing isn't the best situation, but studio recordings had expensive equipment to get good mixes as well. Even in the 1950's

The Ventures always seemed to record covers in different keys or the same notes in different parts of the neck etc … they put their stamp style wise on all the covers they did. What they did best was take a old hit or a song climbing the charts somewhere and rework the song and make it their own in away. So we can do all that too

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drumsdick

Joined: May 29, 2007
Posts: 224
Central CT, USA
United States

Posted on Jun 05 2019 08:00 PM

Hey Abdel, I recorded a drums-only Baja backing track that you might enjoy trying: https://surfguitar101.com/downloads/details/592/

—

*Dick B.
The Aquatudes
http://www.aquatudes.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Aquatudes/107419619521

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Abdel

Joined: Apr 10, 2006
Posts: 257
1 Link Pin

Posted on Jun 05 2019 09:01 PM

Hi Dick B,

Very nice track, I could have added it to the BT I used.

Thank you,
Abdel

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One_Note

Joined: Jun 03, 2019
Posts: 16

Posted on Jun 09 2019 09:44 PM

Sounds very nice, I think you pulled it off. The P90s on the Mascis version give it a kind of 50s rock vibe.

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Abdel Joined: Apr 10, 2006 Posts: 257	Posted on Jun 03 2019 02:29 AM Hi all, I hope I didn’t disfigure the tune too much. Please disregard the misses and the sound as it is a live take and it’s sometimes challenging to maintain a clean double-stop at this speed. I found the backing track on Youtube and I guess it’s taken from the Ventures version. Hope you can still like some of it. Blessings, Abdel Last edited: Jun 03, 2019 02:30:31 Top
Ariel Joined: Aug 29, 2009 Posts: 1556 Israel	Posted on Jun 04 2019 12:11 PM Great playing! A hard one to pull off no doubt, makes me want to hone my double-stops with this arrangement. Could you link to the backing track? Last edited: Jun 04, 2019 12:13:57 Top
Abdel Joined: Apr 10, 2006 Posts: 257	Posted on Jun 04 2019 04:41 PM Hi Ariel, Glad you liked it (I don't). Here you go. Blessings, Abdel Top
Surfing_Sam_61 Joined: Jan 15, 2019 Posts: 1515	Posted on Jun 04 2019 08:07 PM The Astronauts studio version is played on the G and B string for the main riff at the 9th and 11th fret on the G string and 9, 11 and 12 fret on the B string etc. That's my favorite way for me, you can play the same riff on the B and and high E string as well 5th and 7th fret on the B string and 4th, 6th and 7th fret on the high E string as well. Many players like that way best. Maybe you would like that way better - Dunno This is one of those songs people play all kinds of different ways and some how pull it off. It's hard to play right being its so simple a song and the note duration have to be so exact to sound like the record. I usually muff this one up the first try at it, then sounds much better the second time around most of the time The song I see played different the most from the record is El Gato - many play the A note on the E string but the record is played on open A more like a country and western cat would in the 40's, you can play faster that way, its all mechanics in the end with the speed thing by the same notes we choose to play any song. The first two notes of El Gato in the Blues style would play F# then go to 3 frets higher on the same low E string. Where the country and western style would play the same F# then go to the open A string string etc for the first two notes of the riff. Its hard to play that fast without the open A string on that song. But like I said there are many diffrent ways to play Baja. Top
Abdel Joined: Apr 10, 2006 Posts: 257	Posted on Jun 04 2019 09:33 PM Hi Surfing Sam 61, You are probably right as I don't know much about the original version. I just heard it played excellently by our local bands at 101 conventions. I need to apologize to the purist for my hectic version I am surprised by the good sound coming out of this low end Squier ($299). I think that the Mustang IV amp also deliver a very good sound for a Solid State amp. You have to keep in mind that what you hear is a live (room) sound from the P.A and from my guitar amp both behind me. That's why no mixing is possible. Blessings, Abdel Top
Surfing_Sam_61 Joined: Jan 15, 2019 Posts: 1515	Posted on Jun 04 2019 09:55 PM You can play a song anyway you want - that's the cool part about playing live. Yeah live mixing isn't the best situation, but studio recordings had expensive equipment to get good mixes as well. Even in the 1950's The Ventures always seemed to record covers in different keys or the same notes in different parts of the neck etc … they put their stamp style wise on all the covers they did. What they did best was take a old hit or a song climbing the charts somewhere and rework the song and make it their own in away. So we can do all that too Top
drumsdick Joined: May 29, 2007 Posts: 224 Central CT, USA	Posted on Jun 05 2019 08:00 PM Hey Abdel, I recorded a drums-only Baja backing track that you might enjoy trying: https://surfguitar101.com/downloads/details/592/ — *Dick B. The Aquatudes http://www.aquatudes.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Aquatudes/107419619521 Top
Abdel Joined: Apr 10, 2006 Posts: 257	Posted on Jun 05 2019 09:01 PM Hi Dick B, Very nice track, I could have added it to the BT I used. Thank you, Abdel Top
One_Note Joined: Jun 03, 2019 Posts: 16	Posted on Jun 09 2019 09:44 PM Sounds very nice, I think you pulled it off. The P90s on the Mascis version give it a kind of 50s rock vibe. Top

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“BAJA” - live: Attempt at a surf guitar tune with Squier Jazzmaster J. Mascis