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This is kinda funny. I was just doing some random web surfin' and
came across this interview with Wayne Charvel, the guy that started
all the Eddie Van Halen-style "SuperStrat" customizing in the late
seventies (He actually sold the Charvel brand to Grover Jackson way
before those guitars became ubiquitous, so he can't take the full
blame). Anyway, he's back to building the heavy metal guitars that
look like late seventies/early eighties California metal specials
under the name of Wayne. What does any of this have to do with surf
music? Well, check out the first paragraph of his interview:
It would be interesting if he actually did some designs intended to
appeal to the surf music crowd.
On a somewhat related topic, I was reading an interview with Roy Z,
the leader of a band Tribe Of Gypsies. I know him better from his
late nineties work with Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden singer) and more
recently with Rob Halford (ex-Judas Priest singer). Roy is a
fantastic metal guitarist, songwriter, and producer - just an awesome
young musician (he's 34). Well, in this interview he mentioned how
he's good friends with Richie Podolar - better known to surf music
fans as Richie Allen!! You know, the guy who did Risin' Surf,
Casbah, The Quiet Surf and tons more great surf stuff either solo, or
with the Superstocks or Sandy Nelson. Technically speaking, probably
one of surf music's best guitarists ever (he did "Voodoo Juice" by
the Ghouls - try playing that one sometime, and prepare to experience
pain and frustration), and a favorite of, among others, Jim Thomas
and Rip Thrillby (and myself). In case you didn't know, in the mid-
sixties Podolar became a producer of the hippy bands, and reached his
greatest claim to fame by producing the big Steppenwolf albums.
Apparently, for the last twenty years or so he only produced metal
albums, though I don't think by anybody really well known. Anyway,
for you SoCal surf bands, maybe you can get in contact with him and
try to persuade him to get back to his roots - though you're running
the danger of your recording ending up sounding like Ratt!!! Oh, the
horror!! :)
Ivan
