Traditionally surf bands most commonly seem to be made up of either two guitars, (rhythm and lead), bass and drums or alternatively, a trio with one guitar, bass and drums.

Is anybody in a band that includes 3 guitar players, bass and drums and if so, how do you work it? Do you have one guy playing lead with two rhythm players, or two guys alternating on lead/rhythm or ?

Just curious about the logistics that would make a 3 guitar band work. Anyone have experience with this kind of set up?

I think the 3 guitar band sounds awesome,
For a certain style of instro.
The 2 most recognizable in my mind would be the
Astronauts from the 60s.
And Satan's Pilgrims for 90s to Current.

I've had a few people tell me they don't think 3 is necessary.
Or they think that the 2 rhythm guys are doing the same thing.
If you listen close, you'll hear one guy doing a low chugging rhythm,
Usually with lots of reverb. And the other guy doing 2-6 string chords,
Strummed under the whole thing.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Last edited: Feb 20, 2015 12:23:38

The Mystery Men? have 3 guitars and we try to be VERY careful about how we interact with one another. It certainly varies song to song, but speaking generally, it tends to be 2 leads and a rhythm, but we all take turns in those different positions. We like to do harmonies whenever we can (and will fit). We also like to have lead melodies with a "mid-section" riffing a little between the rhythm and the lead. In any case, we make a point to be in different places on the neck and in the music. RARELY will we double on something. While we probably don't always succeed, we try very hard to keep from any part getting lost in the sound.

• Jamie
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I suppose the Weisstronauts might be worth mentioning here. Not sure how often they do it that way.

We have three, and I could say four as our bassist isn't always just chugging out traditional bass parts.

Adding a third guitar player, allows one guitarist to double on trumpet and the other to play keys. Whether it is on trumpet, keys, or everyone on guitar we are really afforded the ability to play 'harmonies' or counterpoint to each other. I think this is what I enjoy most about being in the band.

Don't forget Jim Messina & The Jesters as well as the later incarnation of Eddie & The Showmen after John Anderson joined.

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I'd like to point out, as a compliment to Ted and Satan's Pilgrims, that it's the drummer answering a guitar arrangement question. I wish there were more surf drummers like Ted!

But for modern 3 guitar bands, you can't go wrong with taking tips from Satan's Pilgrims and The Mystery Men.

spskins wrote:

We have 3! As did the Astronauts and a few not as well known bands from the 60s. We don't use a set formula. Sometimes we have two guys playing rhythm with one or alternating lead players. Unless the song or part of the song calls for it, we try to not duplicate the rhythm parts, like one will play 8ths or 16ths while one does quarter note single strums for example. Sometimes all 3 play the same rhythm for a real powerful section. Some other songs, one plays rhythm, one plays lead, and one plays something in between, or a counterpoint lead-ish thing. Sometimes one plays rhythm while two play lead in harmony with each other. Sometimes, sitting out a section is the best thing you can do. Take each part of the song and the three of you find your way through it. There are a million different combinations you can do if you find the right players.

The Scimitars

John wrote:

Don't forget Jim Messina & The Jesters

John, I have a strong feeling that the 3-guitar lineup of the Jesters was for the purposes of a photo session only. The same photos show a sax player, and just as I cannot hear a sax player on any Jesters recordings, I also can't hear a third guitarist. To my ears all the Jesters recordings feature the simple 4-piece lineup.

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I wanted to say how much I appreciated Ted's discussion, brief as it is, of what the Pilgrims do.

A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of sitting around videoing while some Denver surf musicians (Jesse Carraway and friends) and worked on recording some of the Astronauts' material. I believe they were thinking, too, maybe of a local show to exhibit the material. For various reasons that project is currently on hold. I suggested they might look at some of the Pilgrims' material, but I think they were in a thoroughly Astronautical frame of mind and probably didn't even hear the suggestion.

I remember they were having a lot of fun, and they were discovering how over the years they had learned to simplify and combine the parts to produce the two (and even one) guitar pastiches of the originals that are customary today. Mostly the parts were much simpler and combined to produce something complex, instead of alternating to produce something elaborate and gymnastic. It is apparently quite grueling to keep up the heavy reverb drone rhythm part for a whole song. Usually a modern rhythm guitarist can switch between the two rhythm parts to rest his arm. (Maui Malara's observation, as I remember it.)

More is not really louder. For more not to be a muddy sounding mistake there has to some careful arranging. You have to position the guitars in different registers or sound qualities. Some of the parts may be played quite softly and,as Ted mentioned,it may be that some of the guitarists are not playing all the time. They are waiting for just the right moment to throw in a particular chord or run.

Just watching one of these bands play is an education in arranging.

For what it's worth, it's my impression that pieces like Banzai Pipeline actually have several bass parts too.

Last edited: Feb 23, 2015 17:17:22