How overdriven? And yes, overdrive certain has a place in surf. It is surf! A Fender amp tuned up most of the way is going to have a nice amount of break-up. Playing without a PA in most cases, our amps are naturally turned up very high, it is just part of the genre.

For me, distortion in a more contemporary sence, doesn't really have a place in surf. Overdriven tubes - YES, of course. But I hate surf nazzi-ism, so I suppose anything goes... Be creative. We did a gig with a guy named Gary Hoey who played an modern, incredibly distorted guitar and tried to tout himself as a surf act and for me, it just didn't work (didn't evoke the excitement of the beach / surf...).

I would say most surf guitarists have a fair amount of distortion in their tone, it's just minor compared to most rock music. Without it the guitar would sound too sterile IMHO. I've started using a Tube Screamer set low in front of my bandmaster, when I can't use my dual amp set up with the Valco dimed.

Danny Snyder

"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

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

Last edited: Sep 21, 2011 09:00:52

I use a good amount of distortion on a lot of my stuff. All the way up to flat out JCM800 kinda tones.
Then again I don't play traditional "surf" at all.

Psycho surfabilly!

www.thealderkings.com

Well... yeah.

I'm tired of this "surf guitar is clean guitar" thing. Where did that come from? Has no one listened to Dick Dale, Eddie Bertrand, The New Dimensions, The Fender IV, The Atlantics, The Original Surfaris, etc.

Sure it isn't Black Sabbath distortion but there is a fair amount of grit in the tone. It's crazy kids cranking their Fender amps, not country music pedal steel clean.

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me

"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

JakeDobner wrote:

Absolutely Brian! It really hurts a beginner in the
genre as well. When I started I had no idea why I
couldn't get a perfectly clean tone that everyone was
talking about. Then I learned nobody gets that tone,
maybe through solid state..

I agree with Brian and Jake.

I've always thought it was kind of funny that so many here talk about the ultimate surf tone being ultra clean, and stressing clean headroom......... all the while expounding upon the BrownFace amps being vastly superior in to the Black and SilverFace versions, and then usually slamming them with a reverb tank. I agree that the Brownface are the ultimate, but not because of clean headroom, but because they break-up so sweetly (not to mention that wonderful tremolo). I love BlackFace Fenders too, but I like a little distortion, and BrownFaces deliver in spades. And so many love the reverb tank, not just for the reverb, but for the distortion that the tank introduces by slamming the front end of a tube amp.

I'm not saying what is better or worse, right or wrong, or whatever. I just think that it is funny when people talk about CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN, and then expound upon the virtues of equipment that really isn't that clean. Semantics maybe?

Bob

Bob

Brian wrote:

Well... yeah.

I'm tired of this "surf guitar is clean guitar" thing.
Where did that come from? Has no one listened to Dick
Dale, Eddie Bertrand, The New Dimensions, The Fender
IV, The Atlantics, The Original Surfaris, etc.

Sure it isn't Black Sabbath distortion but there is a
fair amount of grit in the tone. It's crazy kids
cranking their Fender amps, not country music pedal
steel clean.

yep.

Last edited: Sep 23, 2011 09:14:39

DannySnyder wrote:

I would say most surf guitarists have a fair amount of
distortion in their tone, it's just minor compared to
most rock music. Without it the guitar would sound too
sterile IMHO. I've started using a Tube Screamer set
low in front of my bandmaster, when I can't use my dual
amp set up with the Valco dimed.

I agree with your opening statement
I use different sized amps depending on venue and set my "clean" volume right at the breakup point and roll back the guitar volume. That way I can be clean or dirty depending on my pick attack, guitar level, etc. If I need a little more (or a lot more) distortion, I have my Celestial Effects "Capricorn" distortion which offers a wide range.

I also use a Rat.. find it to be a very versatile distortion pedal. You can go from mild overdrive, to edgey distortion to a pseudo fuzz sound. Love it.

jackdelicious wrote:

I generally play my Surfy sounds with a touch of
overdrive... does the ragged edge have a place in Surf
music or is ultra clean a determining factor?

Here's two versions of Squad Car. Eddie's sounds like the "Surf music ragged edge", the ragged edge of someone playing hard and an amp working hard.