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There's a lot of excellent players on this site, and they have helped
me immeasurably. I started playing guitar just 8 months ago, and I am
almost ready to start a band. My playing is solid, if not creative,
and I can cover many of the 1st Wave Surf Music. I just wanted to
contribute some advice for beginning guitarists and first-time surf
guitar players.
To begin, equipment. I have a performing rig and a practice rig. The
practice rig is absolutely the cheapest way to get an awesome surf
sound and will allow you to "demo" all the classic amps and effects
used in instrumental surf. Outlay: less than $500!
Start with a used 50s Reissue Made-In-Mexico Strat (about $350 on
Ebay). A standard Strat or even a Squier Strat will work okay, too. Or
splurge for a used Jaguar or Jazzmaster (about $425-700 on EBay).
Combine that with either a Behringer V-Amp simulator or Line 6 Pod.
Both have multiple classic amps, including Fenders, and a good
simulation of the spring reverb that's essential to the surf sound.
Prices vary from $129 for the Behringer to $225 for a used POD. Add
another $50 for headphones - yes, no amp needed!
Get a 1/4 to 1/8 conversion plug at Radio Shack that enables you to
connect the V-AMP or POD to a CD player's headphone jack with a
standard guitar cable into the POD or V-AMP input. Now, you can play
along with your surf rock CDs. Total cost: about $529!
One especially good "Cheat" book is "Surf Guitar" by Roy Zimmerman and
published by Hal Leonard. The tabs are pretty good, and mostly made
from the actual recordings. It has some songs with lyrics, but mostly
it's all surf instro. The only bad thing is, it doesn't have a CD, so
you have to acquire the music piecemeal by buying many of the reissued
CDs. Rhino Records is a good source of both original albums and
compilations.
Another book that's widely available is the book "Surf Guitar,"
featuring music from the band "The Torquays." Their approach is very
old-school traditional, and a bit harder to play than the music in the
other book. This book/CD is best suited to experienced players who
want to pick up the nuances of surf sound quickly. It's not for
beginners. but an intermediate player can learn from it quickly.
Once you progress, you may wish to upgrade your gear for live playing.
Here's a reasonable amp/guitar/reverb unit that gets pretty close to
the original surf sound at much lower than vintage prices. Start with
a Fender DeVille 2 x 12, or Fender Deluxe 1 x 12 Amp ($325 to $475
used). If the reverb isn't deep & wet enough for your taste, either
pop for a reissue Fender Reverb unit ($375), or the cheaper Leilani
tube/spring reverb pedal (about $150). The V-AMP and POD can be used,
but it's a real pain to set either up for stage performance. They are
great for recording, however.
On guitars, it's a toss up. The Strat works good, but a Jag or
Jazzmaster is more highly regarded among the people on this site.
Generally, the best prices are on the Jap reissues, which can be had
for about $500 used.
Very soon, I hope to record a few of the tunes I've mastered so that
you can hear what they sound like.
Finally, the people on this site have been invaluable. Some of the
best surf players drop in to share their insights, and I thank all of
them for helping in the development of a fledgling but devoted surf
guitar player.
Thanks to All! Best wishes,
Gavin
