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Fender's Champ 600: A Great Lil' Surf Amp

When I decided to move to Mexico, to a place you can only get to by boat, I knew I would have to foresake my huge Fender Twin. But I didn't have much hope of finding a decent small amp that would make me happy. Most small amps sound like crap, the attitude being that you don't need decent tone for practice. But, I wanted a small amp that didn't make me cringe when I played it - and of course, I wanted clean Fender tone.

Fortunately, Fender just released the Champ 600, a 5-watt tube amp that is a tribute to the 50s-era Champ.

Did they get it right? Let's put it this way: when I put it next to my big blackface Twin, it actually added a sonic element to my sound that the big blackface beast was lacking. Of course, that was largely because the Champ 600 has a 6" speaker, meaning that its treble response is very good. But, surprisingly, it still gets a full, round sound that really works well for surf. The amp's power section comes through a single 6V6 tube, while a single 12AX7 completes the pre-amp section.

Controls include a single chicken-head style volume knob, which was the setup for the original Champ. You pretty much have to crank it all the way up to get decent volume, and even then, it is a little paltry. Still, plenty good for practice. There are two guitar cord inputs, one a clean channel and the other a mildly-distorted channel. Really, the distortion is almost non-existent, so I just plug into that channel and use the volume knob on my guitar to vary the drive. Naturally, there is no reverb, so you'll need either a pedal or a Fender reverb unit to get a decent surf sound. The amp also responds well to a drive pedals, but don't expect to get Marshall tone through your ProcoRat or other heavy-distortion pedal. A nice TS-9 tube screamer with mild overdrive is about all this amp can handle.

The two-tone cosmetics are a nice touch - very retro in appearance, with a nice Fender '50s vintage red-on-chrome badge that complements the overall look of the amp. A brown leather handle complements the vintage look.

For $200 bucks, this is a pricey addition to your collection, especially for a practice amp. But if good, clean Fender tone is important to you, this little amp does a good job for the money. I highly recommend this amp for newbies looking for a good surf practice amp and veterans looking for a nice apartment practice amp or even a recording amp.

There is more to this story, continue reading ...


The Mighty Surf Lords Are Back!!!

Reno's own Mighty Surf Lords are back, with Billy Woods on guitar, Mike Warner on bass, and Jeff Campaigne on drums.

Check out our webpages and links  www.angelfire.com/ms3/themightysurflords

Will get more pictures up this week. We will be available for shows in August 2007.

"Praise The Lords"


The Continental Magazine - Issue #14 w/24 song CD Available Now

The Continental Magazine - Issue #14  w/24 song CD - #CT014 - $5.95 (OUT NOW!!!)

The latest issue of The Continental Magazine, featuring interviews with The Ghastly Ones and Wormtone Records, along with a 24 track CD, is now available for only $5.95. Also included in this issue are Satan's Pilgrims, a look at the Scandinavian surf/instro scene, the Double Crown On The Rocks 10th Anniversary Fest and much, much more. 36 pages in all, with a 2 color glossy cover. To order send $5.95 US + shipping ($1.05 to any US/Canadian address, or just $2.05 to any other address) to Double Crown Mail Order. You can also send a Paypal payment to records@dblcrown.com or cash/check/money order or order through the Double Crown website.

There is more to this story, continue reading ...


The 'Verb's Debut Album Out Now!

Reverberated For Your Pleasure is officially available to buy. We are selling them for $15 which includes the shipping and handling. All you have to do is paypal the money to ptdobner@verizon.net and I will ship one out your way.

Check out some previews at http://www.myspace.com/theverb
The actual recordings are of a much higher quality.

The packaging is in really great digipacks and let's face it those are much cooler to have than a jewel case. Click read more for the album art.

So again, $15 to ptdobner@verizon.net via paypal. Vintage payment options such as through the mail will also work. Contact me about that.

Any questions e-mail me at jacobdobner "at" gmail.com or you can pm me.

Read More...for cover art!

There is more to this story, continue reading ...


The Pyronauts

The Pyronauts “Surf and Destroy” California Tour:

The Pyronauts are hitting the road and coming to a town near you in California this summer! Along the way they will be performing with many of their friends in the surf community like Pollo Del Mar, The Detonators, The Longboards, The Sand Devils, and Slacktone!  Will will be within a couple hours of virtually everywhere in CA!  We will also be releasing a new CD entitled: The Pyronauts Live at the Mystic Theatre featuring Dusty Watson.  More info on that soon.  Here is the schedule:

There is more to this story, continue reading ...


Announcing the SurfGuitar101 Podcast!

I have created and published the first in what will hopefully be a series of SurfGuitar101 podcasts! The feed has been submitted to iTunes, but as I type this it is not currently available yet. In the meantime, you can download and listen to episode #1 by visiting surfguitar101.podcastspot.com. Remember kids, you don't need an iPod or portable MP3 player to listen, just download or stream on your computer. This link provides an easy way to listen from your computer.

This episode features music by Satan's Pilgrims, The Halibuts, Pollo del Mar, The Madeira, The Volcanos, Jon & The Nightriders, The Wet Tones, and many more! Plus we have an exclusive interview with Danny Snyder from Meshugga Beach Party and The TomorrowMen!

I've created a SG101 Podcast sub-forum, so please direct all your comments, criticisms, ideas, suggestions, and requests there. Thanks everyone!

P.S. I asked a lot of bands if I could play them, but due to space and time constraints I could only play a subset. You will definitely hear from them on future episodes!

ADVENTURES IN THE LAND OF TWANG out now!

Hey guys,
ADVENTURES IN THE LAND OF TWANG, the new CD of The Incredible Mr. Smith is out now!
If you wonder, who this guy is, check out www.the-incredible-Mr-Smith.com
For those, who are too lazy to click on the link:
It's Rob Razorblade of THE RAZORBLADES and this is his twangy solo project...
On the drums we have Mr. Dusty Watson (you might know him from Dick Dale, Slacktone, Agent Orange or one of the million other bands he played in...
21 songs, between surf, rockabilly, blues and Lounge exotica...
Order right now rom my website or guitar9, Double Crown, CD Baby or DWM...in a few days....

GET THREE COFFINS READY UPDATE.

AFTER COMING OFF A STELLAR SPRING SEASON WHICH INCLUDED PLAYING WITH DEADBOLT, HANGING WITH DUSTY WATSON, AND AN AWESOME CD RELEASE PARTY FOR THEIR SELF TITLED RELEASE, GET THREE COFFINS READY IS  ALL BOOKED UP FOR THE SUMMER! HERE IS A LIST OF SHOWS YOU CAN CATCH IF YOU LIVE IN COLORADO:

JUNE 9TH: FLYING DOG BREWERY. "THE ART OF DRINKING ART SHOW: FEATURING OVER 40 ARTISTS NATIONAL AND LOCAL! MOST NOTEABLY MARK MOTHERSBAUGH OF DEVO FAME. THIS SHOW WILL BE THE FIRST TIME BANDS AHVE PLAYED AT THE FLYING DOG IF IT GOES WELL AMYBE WE WILL HAVE A NEW VENUE HERE IN DENVER THAT IS SURF FRIENDLY!

JUNE 23RD: THE ROCKET ROOM IN COLORADO SPRINGS W/ THE MANSFIELDS.

JULY 14TH: 15TH ST. TAVERN, DENVER CO. I FORGOT WHO ELSE IS PLAYING BUT IT SURE WILL BE ROCKIN

JULY 15TH: THE LARIMER LOUNGE. PLAYING THE FRONTSIDE FIVE / FIVECORE RECORDS BBQ W/ FRONTSIDE FIVE, LBRO, THE CHEAP SKATES, VALIOMIERDA, TARD, AND MANY OTHERS! BUT GET THREE COFFINS PLAYS THE 8:30 SLOT WHICH IS (STRANGELY)  HEADLINING..

JULY 28: (TENTATIVE) THE CRICKET ON THE HILL, DENVER CO. W/?????

AUGUST 11TH: ??? IN GRAND JUNCTION, CO. W/ RENO DIVORCE.

AUGUST 25TH: RETURN TO THE 3 KINGS TAVERN END OF SUMMER SHOW!

ALSO THE COFFINS HAVE PLANS FOR AN E.P. SLATED FOR A 4TH QUARTER RELEASE! AS WELL AS THE VENTURE BOTHERS FULL LENGTH FEATURING MEMBERS OF GET THREE COFFINS READY, THE ROYAL ACES, DENVER CITY SALTLICKS, AND OTHERS.


BITCH BOYS ARE BACK IN ACTION

Hello dear friends !!
 
I am glad to inform you that The Bitch Boys are BACK IN ACTION with 2 new members and fresh recordings.

You can check fresh REVERB OVERFLOW at:
 
http://www.novitwingo.si/hit/songs-7.jsp

AND klicking the Bitch Boys- HIT 'N' RUN
 
The story about How and Where this (live) recording was taken is following soon..., the important thing is that we have it here and it is one of the candidates for the
RENAULT TWINGO ADWERTISING CAMPAIGN...


WE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO RECEIVE SOME FEEDBACK- yours especially since we might be the only band with feedbacks from abroad!!!

FEEDBACKS SIMPLY BY klicking
 "komentiraj" (COMMENT)  -

YOU NEED TO FILL UP THE FIRST two FILEDS
(Ime- NAME) & E-mail

Thanks for all the support ever since!!


 
yours Bitch Boys

Ride The Wild Bass (book exerpt)

How the Fender Bass Changed the World - Chapter 6, Ride the Wild Bass As the 1950s drew to a close, the low end was getting more and more attention. Quite a few hit songs from that era were based on twangy licks played on Fender or Danelectro basses - or, sometimes, just by whacking the low E string on a standard electric guitar. That's what Eddie Cochran did on "Summertime Blues (1958), which has sometimes been described as a song with electric bass. Not true–but clearly lots of low-end presence didn't hurt.

Nokie Edwards gave the punchy sound of the Precision Bass a big boost on the immortal instrumental "Walk Don't Run," a hit for The Ventures in 1960. (Edwards, originally the group's bassist, later switched to lead guitar). The tune was highly influential, especially among 1960s California surf bands–many of which were equipped top to bottom with matching Fender instruments.

In a 1997 article in Vintage Guitar Magazine, Peter Stuart Kohman wrote: "The surf/instrumental rock genres of the early 1960s were crucial proving grounds for the still-newfangled electric bass, and many of the seminal records in these two interrelated styles are also showcases for the Fender bass sound. You can't really imagine surf music without a Fender bass–this is not true of any earlier rock & roll style. During this era, the bass guitar went from optional to essential equipment and set up the electric bass for its dominant role in the British Invasion, folk rock, and all that followed."

Kohman goes on to pointo out that bassists in budding surf bands played different types of electric basses, including Harmony and Danelectro instruments, but it was a sign of success to have a shiny new Fender bass, usually in a custom color like Candy Apple Red or Lake Placid Blue. The musicians who played these flashy Fenders approached them like guitars rather than uprights, playing downstrokes with a flatpick and going for a tighter, more focused sound than the thud of an acoustic bass. The instrument's potential was just beginning to be tapped.

pgs. 56-57, by Jim Roberts. Contributed by Gavin "Windansea Beachboy" Ehringer, June, 2007.