J_Razor
Joined: Dec 29, 2007
Posts: 57
Buffalo
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Posted on Sep 10 2008 07:02 PM
Hi, all. I've been at the beach all summer I have been having this discussion with a surf drummer. I feel that Carl can certainly be considered a surf guitarist, even though the Beach Boys were not a surf band (even if D Dale himself thinks that they are!)
Any thoughts?
— the Keef Richards of Surf Guitar
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kenposurf
Joined: Feb 23, 2007
Posts: 1650
Santa Rosa, CA
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Posted on Sep 10 2008 07:10 PM
Hell yes..take a listen to Moon Dawg, Surf Jam or Carl's Big Chance for a start....
— www.northofmalibu.com
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big_papu
Joined: May 17, 2006
Posts: 657
Buenos Aires
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Posted on Sep 10 2008 08:14 PM
the BB use to play some instumentals, like "misirlou"........but with not good reverb sound
i see some of the "lost concert" songs, and there was 2 tanks on the stage..........you can hear them "crushing" all the time............that was great !!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_k09doejQI
maybe he wasn´t a great "surf guitarist" like DD or EB, but I love The BB, so I consider Carl a surf guitarist, and BB a great surf band
— El Papu & los Fantasticos Reverberantes
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Baine
Joined: Mar 08, 2008
Posts: 197
NJ shore
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Posted on Sep 10 2008 08:23 PM
Lots of good BB instrumentals. He was.
— "We're lousy, we can't play. If you wait until you can play, you'll be too old to get up there. We stink, really. But it's great," Johnny Ramone .
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JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
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Posted on Sep 10 2008 08:59 PM
He played some surf instrumentals, but I wouldn't call him a surf guitarist. He is a guitarist, that is all. Not defined by the instrumental surf guitar style. Through the success of the Beach Boys he was able to escape being labeled as such. Their success allowed them to experiment with their sound, something Dick Dale and others may not have gotten a chance to do because of their label's interference.
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spskins
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 3796
tn
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Posted on Sep 10 2008 09:02 PM
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Stormtiger
Joined: Dec 12, 2006
Posts: 2688
Ventura, CA
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Posted on Sep 10 2008 09:06 PM
There is no such thing as a "surf guitarist", only guitarist--it is the music that is surf and I would hope that any guitarist could play it. Carl Wilson did a good job of Let's Go Tripping on their live album, he is the reason I bought a Jaguar years before I knew anyone was still making that kind of music.
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Baine
Joined: Mar 08, 2008
Posts: 197
NJ shore
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Posted on Sep 10 2008 09:36 PM
He's the reason I got a Jazzmaster. It was only later that I realized I should have looked closer at the pictures! 
— "We're lousy, we can't play. If you wait until you can play, you'll be too old to get up there. We stink, really. But it's great," Johnny Ramone .
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zak
Joined: Sep 24, 2007
Posts: 2728
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Posted on Sep 10 2008 10:32 PM
This post has been removed by the author.
Last edited: Sep 23, 2009 19:14:58
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Ron-Rhoades
Joined: Aug 19, 2006
Posts: 958
Kekaha, Kauai, Hawaii
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Posted on Sep 10 2008 10:50 PM
Carl Wilson was a "surf guitarist". He would have been great in an instrumental band.
— The TakeOffs
"Kauai's Only All-Instrumental Surf Band"
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-TakeOffs/312866840587
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LHR
Joined: Aug 23, 2006
Posts: 2123
The jungle
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Posted on Sep 11 2008 12:04 AM
zak
Stormtiger
There is no such thing as a "surf guitarist", only guitarist
A "surf guitarist" is a "guitarist" with a drastically reduced chord vocabulary who is incapable of sounding good without reverb...and not just any reverb, but a specific kind of reverb.

Never one to mince words...
Or bite the hand that feeds...
Yet, I admire the truth and humor of this.
— SSIV
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Kawentzmann
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 1062
Berlin, Germany
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Posted on Sep 11 2008 03:00 AM
Yes. Why do you ask?
— 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.
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tenderfoot
Joined: Feb 01, 2007
Posts: 308
Ellicott City, Maryland
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Posted on Sep 11 2008 06:43 AM
zak
A "surf guitarist" is a "guitarist" with a drastically reduced chord vocabulary who is incapable of sounding good without reverb...and not just any reverb, but a specific kind of reverb.

An impressionist is an artist with a drastically reduced ability to paint realistically... 
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big_papu
Joined: May 17, 2006
Posts: 657
Buenos Aires
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Posted on Sep 11 2008 07:31 AM
zak
A "surf guitarist" is a "guitarist" with a drastically reduced chord vocabulary who is incapable of sounding good without reverb...and not just any reverb, but a specific kind of reverb.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.................... I disagree a lot with this, there are a lot of surf guitarists that can sound really good without reverb, and got a lot of chord vocabulary........I know a lot of chords like Am13+, but I hate the way it sounds, and I can play the same things <u>exactly</u> with or without reverb................the sound and the notes that you choose are about MUSIC, not musical skills 
— El Papu & los Fantasticos Reverberantes
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eddiekatcher
Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2778
Atlanta, GA
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Posted on Sep 11 2008 08:00 AM
In my book, Carl was certainly a very capable surf guitarist. His Jaguar's tone on the early Beach Boys recordings was as pure as his voice was...............
One of my faves is the coda on "Drive In." In typical Carl Wilson fashion, his playing was very understated but timeless.........ed
— Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?
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BillAqua
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 1054
Chicago IL.
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Posted on Sep 11 2008 09:15 AM
zak
A "surf guitarist" is a "guitarist" with a drastically reduced chord vocabulary who is incapable of sounding good without reverb...and not just any reverb, but a specific kind of reverb.

So true. I think anyone coulda played the original version of surf music from the first wave. What 60s garage band didn't play Pipeline? I'm all the way out in the midwest and I've got my fathers old 45's and among them are Pipeline and Wipeout.
As for Carl, every attempt I've heard of his at surf music was missing reverb. I think he was better singer than guitarist. That said, when most of the Beach Boys retired to just singing in the studio Carl's name appeared on session musician lists for recordings along side the big names Brian was using in the mid 60s.
— "as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there"
https://www.facebook.com/reluctantaquanauts/
https://www.facebook.com/TheDragstripVipers/
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Tuck
Joined: Sep 02, 2006
Posts: 3166
Denver, CO
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Posted on Sep 11 2008 09:28 AM
Not to be a cynic or anything, but how do you know for sure who's playing in a studio recording, especially an early one?
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big_papu
Joined: May 17, 2006
Posts: 657
Buenos Aires
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Posted on Sep 11 2008 09:30 AM
BillAqua
zak
A "surf guitarist" is a "guitarist" with a drastically reduced chord vocabulary who is incapable of sounding good without reverb...and not just any reverb, but a specific kind of reverb.

So true. I think anyone coulda played the original version of surf music from the first wave. What 60s garage band didn't play Pipeline? I'm all the way out in the midwest and I've got my fathers old 45's and among them are Pipeline and Wipeout.
As for Carl, every attempt I've heard of his at surf music was missing reverb. I think he was better singer than guitarist. That said, when most of the Beach Boys retired to just singing in the studio Carl's name appeared on session musician lists for recordings along side the big names Brian was using in the mid 60s.
I dont think that anyone could play DDs "hava hagila" or EB "scratch"
— El Papu & los Fantasticos Reverberantes
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JoshHeartless
Joined: Jun 17, 2006
Posts: 1010
Bay City, Michigan
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Posted on Sep 11 2008 10:27 AM
big_papu
BillAqua
zak
A "surf guitarist" is a "guitarist" with a drastically reduced chord vocabulary who is incapable of sounding good without reverb...and not just any reverb, but a specific kind of reverb.

So true. I think anyone coulda played the original version of surf music from the first wave. What 60s garage band didn't play Pipeline? I'm all the way out in the midwest and I've got my fathers old 45's and among them are Pipeline and Wipeout.
As for Carl, every attempt I've heard of his at surf music was missing reverb. I think he was better singer than guitarist. That said, when most of the Beach Boys retired to just singing in the studio Carl's name appeared on session musician lists for recordings along side the big names Brian was using in the mid 60s.
I dont think that anyone could play DDs "hava hagila" or EB "scratch"
they are both easy songs, especially hava nagila...so what the hell are you talking about?
— The Tremblors on Facebook!
The Tremblors on MySpace!
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JoshHeartless
Joined: Jun 17, 2006
Posts: 1010
Bay City, Michigan
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Posted on Sep 11 2008 10:31 AM
Tuck
Not to be a cynic or anything, but how do you know for sure who's playing in a studio recording, especially an early one?
are you speaking of the beach boys? well, i don't know for sure, but i believe the session players should be listed on the album of any of the sundazed releases, i wouldn't know because i don't have any beach boys sundazed releases, but the studio musicians are listed for the Super Stocks and Dick Dale and such. i know for sure the studio players were listed on the Capitol release of Pet Sounds. also you can easily find this information throughout the internet as far as the Beach Boys go. i didn't have to look very far to know Carol Kaye played rhythm guitar in Surfin U.S.A.!
— The Tremblors on Facebook!
The Tremblors on MySpace!
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