The Telecaster ~ Surf Guitar?

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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

The Telecaster ~ Surf Guitar?

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RobbieReverb Joined: Feb 28, 2006 Posts: 2344 San Jose, Ca.	Posted on Aug 15 2006 12:16 AM Nice axe!!! A Tele with Bigsby could work fine for surf and spaghetti. — Bob Top
Fripperton Joined: Aug 14, 2006 Posts: 270	Posted on Aug 16 2006 08:32 PM Wraydar That's a really nice looking guitar. Is that a black or alluminum pickguard? (Can't tell on this laptop) It's a blackguard. While a Tele's not my first choice for some Surf Things I find it works great for some of the more esoteric Instrumentals. The tone's not the same as my original 1962 Jazzmaster but it has some voodoo pickups that give it a nice vintage sound. Here's the 62 along with some of the other Surf Guitars I use. Some would say the Duncan Humbuckers aren't exactly Surf either but they seem to work well with the JM trem and bridge.. image — There is Surf east of Sepulveda. Top
surfneptune Joined: Mar 16, 2006 Posts: 923	Posted on Aug 17 2006 04:17 PM Nice sunburst tele! heck yeah! any fender can surf... — THe NEpTuNeS Top
eddiewagner Joined: Aug 12, 2006 Posts: 77	Posted on Aug 18 2006 12:42 PM tele is winning ground in the poll! — www.myspace.com/captaintwangandhisrhythmcat Top
boyecho Joined: Mar 05, 2006 Posts: 251	Posted on Sep 02 2006 12:03 PM i can get some amazing surf tones with a telecaster with a bigsby. i'd choose to go that route before a jazzmaster or a jaguar. sure, they don't fit the aesthetic as well. but if you're going by that token, traditional surf bands shouldn't really have mosrites either. Top
eddiewagner Joined: Aug 12, 2006 Posts: 77	Posted on Sep 29 2006 03:10 AM i got rid of the bigsby on my tele, because it could not hold up against the trem i have on my strat. i know that teles are odd for surfmusic, here is what i found out what makes them quite "surfy": the strings do not brake fast when you use brass-saddles, the 2 pickups give lots of twang, the behind the nut bending posssibilities are endless and can add an interesting touch, they are fenders classic, they are hard to destroy, they look cool, if you like the look, if you have a 3-pup-model you get all the strat-quack you need. of course: they dont have a whammybar. but master dick does not one either. my opinio and ymmv, eddie — www.myspace.com/captaintwangandhisrhythmcat Top
chad3006 Joined: Aug 21, 2006 Posts: 76 USA	Posted on Oct 01 2006 10:00 PM It probably depends on the particular Tele, but I don't see why not, espescially if it had a Bigsby mounted on it. I had a Tele with a DiMarzio Pre-B1 lead pickup and I put a Strat pickup in the neck position. The DiMarzio wasn't quite as "biting" as some can be. If I'd mounted a Bigsby on it, I think it would have worked fine for surf. Top
WR Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 3832 netherlands	Posted on Oct 02 2006 03:28 AM image (didn't care too much for his tone though when he played that thing....) — Rules to live by #314: "When in Italy, if the menu says something's grilled, don't assume it is." https://www.facebook.com/The-Malbehavers-286429584796173/ Top
bigtikidude Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 25540 Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.	Posted on Oct 02 2006 02:08 PM WR who is that? the guy from 50 ft combo? Jeff(bigtikidude) — Jeff(bigtikidude) Top
WR Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 3832 netherlands	Posted on Oct 02 2006 02:12 PM the apemen... I had that tele shoved up my nose once when they were playing on a local bar... no really, they were playing on the bar. WR — Rules to live by #314: "When in Italy, if the menu says something's grilled, don't assume it is." https://www.facebook.com/The-Malbehavers-286429584796173/ Top
bigtikidude Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 25540 Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.	Posted on Oct 02 2006 02:15 PM Duh I meant to say the Apemen I always mix the 2 up. thanks, Jeff(bigtikidude) — Jeff(bigtikidude) Top
Wraydar Joined: Apr 21, 2006 Posts: 265 San Antonio, TX	Posted on Oct 02 2006 03:25 PM WR image:rock: (didn't care too much for his tone though when he played that thing....) That's not a Telecaster, that's a Retsacelet. — <img src="klzzwxh:0000"></img> Top
Anonymous Joined: Nov 10, 2000 Posts: -180	Posted on Oct 02 2006 08:37 PM well, no. this old guy has used and abused dozens of guitars over the years. DD says strats only. i can get anything i want out of a strat. not saying teles cannot surf but the strat i think is much better. so, no. Top
Gravey Joined: Feb 25, 2007 Posts: 1 Ontario, Canada	Posted on Feb 25 2007 05:21 PM Hey everyone... cool forum! Glad I found it. Sorry if everyone's tired of this thread but I thought I'd throw my take in. I find Telecasters are nice for certain aspects of surf, but agree they're largely more suited to country or garage kinda stuff. They give a tone that's a little more raw, dirty and with a bit too much bite for surf. I do however enjoy the sound of a telecaster playing like rythm or just chord strikes, with a little neck bend you can fake small dips with a whammy. The thing that REALLY gets me though is the bridge shape. IT's impossible to ease up on your muting (I'm sure there is a specific term for this, you know where you just BARELY mute the strings for that Dick Dale kind of effect.) because the bridge only allows you to mute in a certain area. Also the height of the edges around the bridge make tremolo picking a pain in the ass. Top
Louie7 Joined: Jan 30, 2007 Posts: 448 50,000 Light-Years Beyond Planet Claire	Posted on Feb 25 2007 05:42 PM well, now... since this thread has risen to the surface....let me say that I'd have to vote yes. I read back thru all the replies and got quite a kick outta some of the attitudes. Let's clear something up right away. PLENTY of Telecasters have Bigsby True Vibratos on them. Ok, fine...they're not designed by Leo...so what? I own Telecasters and Stratocasters (real ones, fellers, not them Squiers, altho I have nothing against Squiers per se').....and I can usually get the sounds I need out of them. final caveat: I long for a Fender Jaguar......and will probably sell a guitar to finance that move. Maybe my 1965 Ventures Mosrite! heheeeee L7 Top
eddiekatcher Joined: Mar 14, 2006 Posts: 2773 Atlanta, GA	Posted on Feb 25 2007 06:27 PM Hey dp, while you are at it, run a router around the top and back of the guitar with a 1" radius carbide cutter and it too, will be real comfy....ed — Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps? Top
eddiekatcher Joined: Mar 14, 2006 Posts: 2773 Atlanta, GA	Posted on Feb 25 2007 06:31 PM Hey guys, while I'm thinking about it, try telling Junior Brown that one can't play surf on a "Tele." — Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps? Top
IronMaiden Joined: Nov 02, 2006 Posts: 564 Virginia Beach	Posted on Feb 25 2007 07:27 PM Hell yeah! I like the tele for anything. Best guitar fender ever made. Top
Anonymous Joined: Nov 10, 2000 Posts: -180	Posted on Feb 25 2007 09:17 PM teles for surf?? hell why not?? in an earlier post i said no, not for surf. iron maiden i do agree the tele is the best guitar dr. fender ever made. hell yess. with the tone control used properly, the plank is fine for surf, with or without the trem bar. for surf all you really need is a single coil at the bridge and alot of reverb. basically that's it. strats, jags and jmasters all have fine single coils at the bridge. get a fender sounding amp, crank the reverb and play. simple. easy. cheap. and 90% of the audience doesn"t know any better. now i recently got out of the tube tyranny fight. tubes are enviornmentally evil, unreliable and just a thought planted in peoples heads. tube amps are model t's in my opinion. have head alot of lousy tube amps in my time. gimme solidstate any day on the week. its an advancing technology while tubeism is just a do-over in my opinion. tubes are dinosaurs in my opinion. which brings me back to strats. i once lauded the strat as the ultimate guitar design. DD says only strats for surf. WELL, i just traded mine for a prs with p-90 single coils!!! it has a wrap around compensated bridge. simple, efficient and not a whole lot of damn little screws falling out and needing adjustments. a little adjustments to the vox 50 watter and hell--surf music comes out!!! well.... so the strat and tube nazis will talk about me. not pure surf. no, i'm a blueser and a rock and roller and i like surf music too!!! so this half-cajun crazy man is gonna surf naked on the bayou while playing howling wolf and muddy waters. yes, i think teles are fine for surf its amazing what a little self reflection can do for you........peace Top
dp Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california	Posted on Feb 26 2007 10:36 AM there is a fine line seperating reverberated "twang" from palm-muted surf glissando "joog...joogajoogajoogajooga...(pipeline)" image I think the Telecaster walks that fine line quite adeptly... Top

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