Dick Dale Guitar Setup

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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Dick Dale Guitar Setup

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MineCharger Joined: Mar 30, 2020 Posts: 7	Posted on Mar 30 2020 05:35 AM Hi I am writing this post with the hope to find what pickups Dick Dale was using on his guitar. Some people say they are fat 50s, vintage 65s, stock 60s. It is rediculus that there is no specific spec. Can someone please help me to find his exact pickups or the closest you can get to them. Thanks Top
TomH Joined: Mar 15, 2006 Posts: 765 Oberlin, Ohio, USA	Posted on Mar 30 2020 06:08 AM The Fender Custom Shop Dick Dale Signature Stratocaster has "three Custom ’50s pickups with special switching." http://www.fendercustomshop.com/series/artist/dick-dale-signature-stratocaster-rosewood-fingerboard-chartreuse-sparkle/ Top
MineCharger Joined: Mar 30, 2020 Posts: 7	Posted on Mar 30 2020 04:36 PM Ok But on the fender site, they say their pure vintage 65s pickups produce clean surf rock tones. So completely clear and the signature guitar is not a complete replica. So is it known when he got is guitar, 1950s or 1960s? Top
Strat-o-rama Joined: Oct 23, 2007 Posts: 385 Boca Raton, Florida	Posted on Mar 30 2020 05:28 PM Hey MineCharger, There are several old threads on DD's gear if you search. But to cut to the chase, Dick claims he got the guitar directly from Leo Fender in the mid-50's. That Stratocaster, affectionately known as The Beast, has a rosewood fretboard, which first appeared as standard on Strats in mid 1959. So the original pick-ups would probably be from late fifties. Maybe 1960. I have heard a story that one of the pick-ups were stolen from the guitar, and replaced with a much later version, 1970's. The Beast went through all kinds of mods over the years. A forum member here actually had the chance to play The Beast and as I recall, he said it has a distinctive tone to it even when played acoustically. I believe it was Ivan Pongracic. Maybe he will chime in. Top
MineCharger Joined: Mar 30, 2020 Posts: 7	Posted on Mar 30 2020 06:15 PM Thanks So if you were to create a complete replica, what pickups would you use? Top
Strat-o-rama Joined: Oct 23, 2007 Posts: 385 Boca Raton, Florida	Posted on Mar 30 2020 06:41 PM Something replicating Strat pick-ups from the late 50's early 60's. There's a lot to choose from. Top
IvanP Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 10321 southern Michigan	Posted on Mar 30 2020 11:32 PM Strat-o-rama wrote: Hey MineCharger, There are several old threads on DD's gear if you search. But to cut to the chase, Dick claims he got the guitar directly from Leo Fender in the mid-50's. I believe Dick first received a right-handed Strat from Leo, and only a bit later the left-handed Beast. There were probably two Strats when he's talking about these things. That Stratocaster, affectionately known as The Beast, has a rosewood fretboard, which first appeared as standard on Strats in mid 1959. So the original pick-ups would probably be from late fifties. Maybe 1960. Steve Soest, of the Torquays but also of the Del-Tones, who not only played bass for Dick but also did a lot of work on his guitars through the years, said that he got to take it apart at several points and saw the '59 date on it. The Beast is a late '59, as also indicated by its rosewood fretboard. I have heard a story that one of the pick-ups were stolen from the guitar, and replaced with a much later version, 1970's. Yep, this is absolutely factual, again confirmed by Steve on Facebook some time ago. He said he was amazed that when Dick plugged in the Beast first time with those pickups, Steve was amazed that he sounded exactly the same! Dick's sound is not about the pickups - it was simply him. The Beast went through all kinds of mods over the years. A forum member here actually had the chance to play The Beast and as I recall, he said it has a distinctive tone to it even when played acoustically. I believe it was Ivan Pongracic. Maybe he will chime in. Yep, it was me. Too late now to look for that thread, but you remember exactly correctly! Dick has really impressed his personality into that guitar through the decades, imprinted his own sound into it in a pretty remarkable way. I had a chance to play it in '03 or '04, and it was just beat to HELL at that point, I can't believe it was still holding together! But he used it and abused it for another 15 years. Pretty remarkable, really! — Ivan Lords of Atlantis on Facebook The Madeira Official Website The Madeira on Facebook The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook The Space Cossacks on Facebook The Madeira Channel on YouTube Top
MineCharger Joined: Mar 30, 2020 Posts: 7	Posted on Apr 01 2020 02:30 AM Also Does any one know what the two mini toggle switches do in this photo? Top
Redfeather Joined: Jul 30, 2016 Posts: 854	Posted on Apr 01 2020 02:40 AM The big toggle activates the neck and middle pickups together (since his guitar has the old 3-way pickup selector) and the small toggle turns on his built-in tuning system. Top
MineCharger Joined: Mar 30, 2020 Posts: 7	Posted on Apr 01 2020 03:06 AM the small toggle turns on his built-in tuning system. How does that work? Top
IvanP Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 10321 southern Michigan	Posted on Apr 01 2020 10:50 AM MineCharger wrote: the small toggle turns on his built-in tuning system. How does that work? If you look at the photo of The Beast two posts up, right above Dick's left hand you can see a bunch of notches on the edge of the pickguard. There are tiny LED lights on the side of pickguard there where if you flip the microswitch, it shuts off the guitar signal and turns on the tuner, and those LEDs act like a regular tuner. I don't know if those kinds of pickguards are still available, but they were a thing for a while in the '90, and Dick had it installed in his guitar. I also don't know if that tuner pickguard stayed on the Beast until Dick's passing, and if it's still on there or whether he got rid of it at some point. — Ivan Lords of Atlantis on Facebook The Madeira Official Website The Madeira on Facebook The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook The Space Cossacks on Facebook The Madeira Channel on YouTube Last edited: Apr 01, 2020 10:50:50 Top
SabedLeepski Joined: Jul 18, 2018 Posts: 114 Tilburg	Posted on Apr 02 2020 08:36 AM IvanP wrote: MineCharger wrote: the small toggle turns on his built-in tuning system. How does that work? If you look at the photo of The Beast two posts up, right above Dick's left hand you can see a bunch of notches on the edge of the pickguard. There are tiny LED lights on the side of pickguard there where if you flip the microswitch, it shuts off the guitar signal and turns on the tuner, and those LEDs act like a regular tuner. I don't know if those kinds of pickguards are still available, but they were a thing for a while in the '90, and Dick had it installed in his guitar. I also don't know if that tuner pickguard stayed on the Beast until Dick's passing, and if it's still on there or whether he got rid of it at some point. Cool, a Dick Dale Against The Machine toggle! — Surfin’ Europe - Surf gigs in Europe The Malbehavers – Instrumental Surf Music from Tilburg (NL) Top
Surfadelphia Joined: Sep 04, 2017 Posts: 403	Posted on Apr 02 2020 12:29 PM All I know is super heavy strings and high action. Even Dick said only he could play his guitar because he had "claws" for hands. Top
Redfeather Joined: Jul 30, 2016 Posts: 854	Posted on Apr 02 2020 02:42 PM Ivan reported that it had low action, which makes a lot more sense. Top
MineCharger Joined: Mar 30, 2020 Posts: 7	Posted on Apr 17 2020 06:26 AM Hello again Looking at more Dick Dale performances and found a rectangular piece on his guitar. Does anyone know what this is? Top
Brian Joined: Feb 25, 2006 Posts: 19194 Des Moines, Iowa, USA	Posted on Apr 17 2020 09:43 AM I believe that was a tuner. — 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 Top
duncanjames Joined: Dec 20, 2011 Posts: 150	Posted on Apr 17 2020 10:29 AM Yeah, it's a tuner. I can't remember what it was called, but I remember finding information on them long ago. It disappeared after the tuner in the pickguard happened. Could it be the same system, just taken out of that black box? Top
TheFintastics Joined: Jul 28, 2008 Posts: 459 Wichita Falls, Texas	Posted on Apr 17 2020 11:58 AM Sabine AX-800 guitar tuner. — _ Hi, I'm Gellert, guitarist for The Fintastics. https://www.facebook.com/TheFintastics Top
Toneschaser Joined: Jun 14, 2012 Posts: 462 Ohio!	Posted on Apr 17 2020 12:35 PM When we played with him in 2015 the Sabine pickguard was still on it. I watched one of his guys change the battery. Under the guard was a pretty crude battery cavity, maybe gouged out with a screwdriver. I wonder where that thing will end up, Deke maybe? Last edited: Apr 17, 2020 12:35:56 Top
MineCharger Joined: Mar 30, 2020 Posts: 7	Posted on Apr 22 2020 07:09 PM Does anyone know what this specific box is on his guitar? Top

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