What was your first set-up?

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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

What was your first set-up?

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Klas Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 2293 Stockholm, Sweden	Posted on Jan 21 2023 01:53 PM As a 14 year old in 1979 and inspired by Steve Jones, I got a white Hondo Les Paul copy and a 100 W Marshall amp. — T H E ✠ S U R F I T E S Top
MissingLink Joined: Jul 23, 2008 Posts: 488 Edge of the East China Sea	Posted on Jan 21 2023 11:14 PM Right on! That was the first album that really got me interested in rock. Still listen to the Pistols from time to time. As for my first rig: Danelectro Hodad and some kind of amp I bought at a local guitar store. The badge on it said 'Hot Cabs'. It actually had built-in spring reverb, but the pan and springs were too small to give the hoped-for effect. I used to put it in the bathroom to get more reverb from all the tiled surfaces. Replaced it with the Vibro Champ XD, which had a way better (digital) reverb. Top
dirkkahuna Joined: Dec 21, 2012 Posts: 77 Willow Street, PA	Posted on Jan 22 2023 02:54 AM I started out with a Kay bass in 1963. In 1966, I switched to a Framus Strato Super guitar (in something like Fiesta Red), an Ampeg Jet amp, and a Premier Model 90 Reverb. I couldn't afford the Fender and Mosrite gear like The Ventures had... — give me 3-fingers of 1st Wave SURF Top
eddiekatcher Joined: Mar 14, 2006 Posts: 2775 Atlanta, GA	Posted on Jan 22 2023 12:29 PM Here is a picture of my first rig of any note. 1965 Candy Apple Stratocaster and 1964 Fender Super Reverb amp. The cabinet on the bottom is the first "extension" cabinet I ever built. It contained 2-15" Cletron guitar speakers. My dad was the southeastern area Cletron sales rep. The picture was probably made early summer of '65. Cheers, Ed — Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps? Top
Squid Joined: Aug 22, 2010 Posts: 1018 Portland, Oregon with Insanitizers	Posted on Jan 22 2023 01:27 PM As did DirkKahuna, 1963 was the year I began guitar, in response to hearing the first Ventures' album I bought, "Dance" AKA "Twist with the Ventures Vol. 2". My dad bought me a "Royalist" guitar E7751 and amp A575 at a department store for $50 total. The guitar was hollow body with 1 PUP at the bridge, and the amp had a 6.5" speaker with no effects. The guitar was a cruel fingerbreaker with high-set strings, and the amp was rough at every setting. My memories of these consist of self-discipline, bruised fingers, and thick calluses. Eventually a thoughtless in-law borrowed the guitar and said he lost it. I couldn't bring myself to be upset about this loss. — Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com Top
SabedLeepski Joined: Jul 18, 2018 Posts: 128 Tilburg	Posted on Jan 22 2023 04:57 PM Playing music in general: Epiphone Sheraton II + Fender Champ 12 As a bass player: late 60's 3/4 upright bass with K&K Rockabilly pickups When I started playing surf: Epiphone EB-0 For a long time I had no bass amp of my own. — Surfin’ Europe – Surf gigs in Europe The Malbehavers – Instrumental Surf Music from Tilburg (NL) Tout Tilburg Surft – Malbehavers’ debut EP Top
TheOutpost Joined: May 26, 2020 Posts: 264 Highlands Ranch	Posted on Feb 07 2023 09:00 AM 1999 MIM Fender Strat with a 90's Fender Solid State amp. Boss BF2 and DS1 Pedals. — Social Media https://www.facebook.com/TheOutpost/ https://www.instagram.com/theoutpostmusic/ Music https://theoutpostmusic.bandcamp.com/ https://soundcloud.com/theoutpostmusic/ Merch https://the-outpost-merch-store.printify.me/products Top
da-ron Joined: Jan 02, 2009 Posts: 1307 The original Plymouth, UK.	Posted on Feb 07 2023 09:19 AM If you're discounting the first cheapo electric, then my first serious electric guitar was a Rickenbacker 330 Mapleglow with black hardware. I bought that with the aid of loan from my parent for £850, in 1988 or 89. It was a bucketload of cash in those days and it took me a long time to pay it back. I still have the guitar, and until i started to learn surf music about 10 years ago it was my only guitar. I played it for everything, including a pretty uptempo punk band. It sounded fabulous. First amp was a Peavey Backstage, I think. That was replaced with a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe that had just come out when I started the punk band. Since I started surf, I've still only bought two more guitars, both Mexican Jazzmasters, one black, one surf green. — http://thewaterboarders.bandcamp.com/ Last edited: Feb 07, 2023 09:21:56 Top
halibutrick Joined: Mar 01, 2006 Posts: 83 San Diego	Posted on Feb 07 2023 01:43 PM One of my first gigs around 1981. A ‘72 Jaguar thru ‘80 Deluxe Reverb. Later I got my first reverb tank and things sounded better. Next, my first Showman, even better. Next a ‘63 Jaguar. And I was set. Top
cirecc Joined: Mar 06, 2006 Posts: 306 seattle, wa	Posted on Feb 07 2023 05:26 PM First set up for shows back in the early ‘Verb days. Guitars: 1996 Fender avri ‘57 strat (I still miss this guitar, bought it for $400, a crazy deal even in 2005!) Mid-90s fender Japan jazzmaster with a tortoise pickguard that looked like it was made with an inkjet printer. Amps: January ‘64 Fender Tremolux with a 1961 retolexed cab(still have this one!) April ‘64 bandmaster with a ‘63 Bassman cab that someone painted black and replaced the grille cloth(both sold, have a different bandmaster now) reverb unit: brown ‘63 ri, and then soon after a ‘65 (still have!) I don’t know why the knobs aren’t on the amp in this photo. . . Probably for something dumb. — -Eric New music! https://thedesolatecoast.bandcamp.com/releases Spotify Also: https://theverb.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/theverbseattle/ Last edited: Feb 07, 2023 17:29:51 Top
Geefive Joined: Oct 16, 2017 Posts: 14 Paris, Ontario	Posted on May 05 2023 10:11 AM Circa '91? A Lefty Aria Pro II single humbucker pointy black guitar, into a Sony Ghettoblaster. LOL. Cord was a set of RCA cables with 1/4" adapters on each end, running into the mic-in jack on the back. Louder you turned it up, the more distortion you got! Yeahhhhhhhh! Still have the Aria Pro II. Wife painted it and podged pics of all the bands I've been in for a Birthday present. (It was disassembled and non functioning for years) It's a nice piece of wall art now. Top
Samurai Joined: Mar 14, 2006 Posts: 2243 Kiev, Ukraine	Posted on May 05 2023 10:22 AM That was my very first setup in 1992. Soviet guitar Aelita 2 and tube radio Accord. — Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki Lost Diver https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin Top
mad_dog Joined: Sep 23, 2008 Posts: 349 Montclair, NJ	Posted on May 06 2023 07:33 AM My first amp was a Fender London Reverb head. Used it with my second guitar, a '61 strat. The London Reverb was crappy, unreliable. A buddy gifted me a Univox 1x15 combo, which sounded better, but was even less reliable. Top
Jojobaplant Joined: Feb 17, 2020 Posts: 169 46397	Posted on May 06 2023 11:45 AM An Epiphone Coronet, I believe the 1977 model made in Japan. Anyway when I bought it in 1980, it was already more than third-hand. The Amp I can't for the life of me remember what brand it was. I know it was an English brand, also made in Japan. It was also pretty old when I got it and had these two big handles inside the sides, so you could grab it easier. It had a pretty good reverb and overdrive, but that is all I can tell you. Both had been used extensively in other punk bands, so it was ideal for me at the time. Both were very cheap because I bought it from a friend. Back in 1980, I didn't have that much money to even go and buy a cheap Jaguar, which were screamingly cheap at the time. The guitar was the exact same model as the one in the picture, including the same head and all, but in a blank-wooden color with transparent pick guard. I used to have pictures of them, but they all burned in a house fire. — Albums: _Introducing; Impala '59; An Evening with; Herr Magnatech Bittet Zum Tanz; Europa Changing label. https://magnatech.bandcamp.com https://www.facebook.com/magnatechmusic https://www.magnatech-music.com Last edited: May 06, 2023 13:42:42 Top
Surfadelphia Joined: Sep 04, 2017 Posts: 431	Posted on May 06 2023 03:49 PM Samurai wrote: That was my very first setup in 1992. Soviet guitar Aelita 2 and tube radio Accord. You must have developed hands of steel from playing that guitar. Top
Samurai Joined: Mar 14, 2006 Posts: 2243 Kiev, Ukraine	Posted on May 07 2023 03:00 AM Surfadelphia wrote: Samurai wrote: That was my very first setup in 1992. Soviet guitar Aelita 2 and tube radio Accord. You must have developed hands of steel from playing that guitar. Exactly) that helps me a lot since, don’t really care about strings gauge or action) — Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki Lost Diver https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin Top
archimedes Joined: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 104	Posted on May 07 2023 11:02 AM Similar to futureboy, my post highschool rig that I bought with my own money was a 90s CIJ jazzmaster and a ‘72 Twin Reverb. I bought a Fender Reissue Reverb Tank shortly after. Was a great setup and I don’t think I appreciated how ideal it was for my purposes, but I don’t miss the weight of the twin and now, owning a SurfyBear Metal, don’t miss the reissue tank. Top
WoodyJ Joined: Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 1544 Bethlehem, GA	Posted on May 07 2023 11:59 AM In 1965 it was a Jaguar into a Deluxe Reverb. Later in the year, I mowed a lot of lawns and bought a Bandmaster. I still have all of them, pictured below. — Jack Booth (aka WoodyJ) The Mariners (1964-68, 1996-2005) The Hula Hounds (1996-current) The X-Rays (1997-2004) The Surge! (2004, 2011-2012) Various non-surf bands that actually made money (1978-1990) Top
TheOutpost Joined: May 26, 2020 Posts: 264 Highlands Ranch	Posted on May 09 2023 09:26 PM I wish i had them still or even a picture. First Guitar was a off brand Strat into a Fender Pro Reverb amp. — Social Media https://www.facebook.com/TheOutpost/ https://www.instagram.com/theoutpostmusic/ Music https://theoutpostmusic.bandcamp.com/ https://soundcloud.com/theoutpostmusic/ Merch https://the-outpost-merch-store.printify.me/products Top
Tqi Joined: Dec 07, 2014 Posts: 1222	Posted on Sep 07 2023 05:24 AM - Last edited: Jan 31, 2024 16:08:43 Top

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