Clips below. The first three are with the Filtertron pickups. There's a couple of clips of the stock guitar below them as well. All recorded using Amplitube Fender. No real amps used, unfortunately.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=501181&content=music

http://www.reverbnation.com/thedeadranchhands

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZEW74mHjQk

RecRoomSurfer

UmaFloresta
Clips below. The first three are with the Filtertron pickups. There's a couple of clips of the stock guitar below them as well.

Thanks for taking time the to make these clips. Compared to the stock guitar clips I hear a Gretschy sound. "Average Weekend" was a good choice for a demo, but I think "Morricone Surf" works the best.
I've shied away from solid body Gretschs because with mahogany bodies set necks and a roller bar Bigsby they seem to sound more Gibson than Fender.
What flavor of Filtertrons are you using? TV Jones? I see they are standard mount so I guess there is some wood under the pickguard to mount them to.

I'm just using stock Gretch Filtertrons. TV Jones would probably be better because apparently they're brighter sounding, but they're also $130 a pop.

The pickups are mounted on some heavy rubber strips that were under the pickguard - that's how the stock P90s were mounted, too.

The routing under there is one big swimming pool rout.

http://www.reverbnation.com/thedeadranchhands

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZEW74mHjQk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdJvk8KRg9Q
I may have posted this link in another thread by mistake.sorry

Last edited: May 23, 2014 10:53:27

Very Cool!

http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic

Hi everybody. This is my first post here at SG101. Please forgive my approximate English.

I wanted to have an offset guitar and I was looking at this model since quite some time. I don’t have so much money to spend to buy a Jaguar or a Jazzmaster, even Squier models, and I am a bad player (but I try to improve). My aim in playing surf guitar is to have fun and learn something. I started music at 47 y/o with reggae/ska bass (I have a Squier VM Jaguar bass) and then I switched to surf guitar at 50, two years ago.

This guitar is one of the few Fender’s offsets Chinese copies with good press on the internet. The Jack and Danny’s JM10 is sold in Europe by Music Store, a German retailer at the price of 111€ shipping included (about a hundred and thirty USD, I guess). I ordered it with a lot of questions. Will it be looking nice, will it have a good sound, will I regret it ? I was delivered four days after having ordered.

First, it was looking good. The layout is a Strat one with three single coil pups but only two knobs, one tone and one volume. The “surf green” painting looks really 60’s, more green than surf I think, but it is OK. The pickguard is mint green and, like the Dude’s rug, it really ties the guitar together, really suits the body colour. The pups and knobs are aged yellow, but the vibrato arm button is white, what a pity... The neck is a maple one with 22 frets and normal scale. It’s looking nice for the price and it is very comfy for a guitar of that price, maybe a bit dry. The frets are OK, I didn’t hurt any finger. The headstock has an interesting design and looks like... a wave. I don’t know if it was done in purpose as the J&D “Strats” have the same ones. But I came to LOVE the headstock.

Then I plugged the thing. I passed through a FRV1 pedal (as I said, I don’t have so much money to spend, but any tank sent from anywhere would be accepted...) in a Mustang 1 V2. And, despite the strings, the guitar was sounding good with a lot of sustain and a “natural” reverb, a sharp sound with a lot of treble. I decided to put new strings with a bigger gauge (11-49 Fender’s). I adjusted the neck, action and harmonics. I didn’t have so much work. My problem was to adjust the vibrato which was too hard. I had to unscrew the comb and adjust the springs. But it is somehow better. I guess the new strings help.

I have been using it since two weeks. I play lead guitar only, I don’t know to play chords. With the FRV1, it sounds really like being back in time. It is as if the guitar was made to have a sound ready for surf music. Of course, it is a cheap guitar, but the pickups are quite good (I mean correct, without buzzing or humming). It stays in tune, even using the vibrato, it is fun to play with. It is like a strat in an offset body with a longer vibrato arm and only two knobs. A strange guitar but made in a Fender spirit (could be a pawn shop series, a mix of a Jaguar, a JM and a Strat...).

I think I will not change a lot of things, the vibrato of course, taint the neck with a vintage colour but that’s all. The tuners do the job. I’ll keep it in the way it was made, a kind of rustic instrument which would have been a dream for broke European musicians in the early sixties when everybody wanted to be the Shadows or the Spotnicks here in Europe.
If I compare with what I know (I own a MIM Strat and I borrow from time to time my son’s Squier Strat), I think the quality is in between. The guitar is well made and the sound is better than the Squier Strat, more musical, with more sustain. Of course, it is not as precise as the MIM, but I think it is good as a beginner’s stuff or as a second guitar one can take from home without fearing anything.

I think it is a serious good deal for anyone who would like a good base for improving it with his skills or to learn how to change capacitors, pups and so on...
If you want some pics, let me know.

Cowabunga !

Prof. Longboard

"My ambition is handicapped by laziness". (Charles Bukowski)

It sounds like you have a winner there. For me, the price of the guitar doesn't matter as much as long as I find it comfortable to play (and stays in tune).

Nice find,
Rev

Canadian Surf

http://www.urbansurfkings.com/

I wish you sun, waves, and not a grain of sand inside your bathing suit, dear friends! I am new to this forum and must apologize to kick this old thread up. The reason I post here is that I am completely new to playing surf guitar, and I have the most stupid question for you experienced wave-dwellers.

Being an absolute beginner, it was the opening review by Rio that pulled me over the line to buy a J&D JM10. Very helpful review btw, thank you for that, good Sir!

So I had never before used a tremolo bar (virgin detected, fellas, please be gentle with me ). But I wonder: is it normal to be this stiff? I was surprised by the pressure I have to put onto it. When I see experienced players gently "wobbling" it; that's nearly impossible here.
It almost feels as if I'm going to break something, or is this just my inexperience?

Since I'm not a technical wizard like you guys (read as: hardly knows a screwdriver from a pair of scissors), I'm getting a bit scared when I read Thunderhead's post: "Upon disassembly I found the Trem would not function with the factory rout!!!! I took a Dremel and made the rout an 1/8th in. wider around the front and sides."

And this post was about the JM40; not even my humble JM10!

So, is my very first experience with surf guitars ending at the post office; return to sender? I'm sad to say I'm seriously considering it Or am I doing something wrong here?

Apologies for my - in your experienced eyes - undoubtedly stupid question

• Kid Del Air

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Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 16:35:48

Thank you for your warm and quick welcome, gentle six-stringed souls! You know, Tqi, I had been wondering what mischief you guys were up to after enough of the magic potion...

Simoncoil; a very clear explanation! As a true beginner; I appreciate that.
I will also be looking at that video as quickly as possible; thank you!

Last edited: Aug 18, 2023 18:43:36