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New to the group, although I printed out most of Brians MOA? tabs a couple years
ago.
I play for fun--not in a band--my main guitar is one of the Dano reissues that I
enjoy playing, but trying some others and talking to people, it seems the
quality on these varies widely.
Lately I've been buying parts/bodies/necks of teiscos and other Japanese 60s
guitars to fix up for fun. Got two or three in various stages.
A couple years ago, my oldest son traded a bunch of Magic: The Gathering cards
for a guitar with a purple home paint job and no labelled parts. I "customized"
it and you can see it here:
or try
My oldest two sons also came home with a fairly nice 3-pu Teusco with the metal
"ribbon" pickguard and 4+2 headstock. I want to fix that one up as soon as I can
find a replacement whammy bar.
I also have a Gibson L6-S deluxe that's great for blues, not so much for surf.
(Actually, between me and my sons, there are probably a dozen guitars in the
house--most on the cheap side)
MDG
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> I "customized" it and you can see it here:
That is a cool looking axe. Nice Rat Fink. hadn't seen one in a long time. :)
--
Malcolm <<-- not a signature
I'm a drummer, but my ears are often blasted by a variety of the guitars
mentioned in this thread, so I know what I like.
Mosrites are the shit, both in appearance and sound. Listen to The Ghastly Ones
or either of the Hypnotic IV CDs & you'll hear what I mean (and I mean "mean").
I think the Ventures sound is more achievable with genuine Fender products, so
if you're going after that, then don't bother trying to find the right Mosrite.
I know there are multiple sources that produce "new" Mosrites & all of them may
not be equal, but I've recently heard one that came directly from Japan that
sounds pretty damn fine, but of course it was played through the proper amp &
reverb devices.
Jaguars & Jazzmasters: these two are too the shit for surf, again in both
appearance and sound. I think the Jag has more balls and gritty attack, while
the Jazzmaster sounds warmer, but I've heard Jazzmasters sound pretty growly
with guys like Gein. I know there are all sorts of mods that can and should be
done with these, so that should be taken into consideration when trying to
obtain your sound. I know the American reissues are supposed to be better (and
they are twice the price of the Japs), but I know someone that returned an
American RI and bought a JRI because he preferred the sound of the cheaper
model.
Gretschy - These guitars also kick ass and have alot of nut - as stated before,
they are best suited for rockabilly and or twangy surf, but the bottom line is
you can get play some mean surf with these if you want - soley based on
appearance, though, they are not the "best" surf guitar - and they cost a
friggin' mint.
Strats & Teles - I'll lump these two together because a) I don't know any better
and b) I think these are general purpose guitars that can be used (quite well)
for surf, but can also used for everything else. If the question is what is the
best "surf" guitar, then your answers can be found above.
Mustang: don't forget about the Mustang - I've heard some good surf played with
these economy models, too, so if money is an issue, you can consider this. I
would probably still lean toward a Jap Jag or Jazzmaster which you can probably
get for $500+
DePinto: These look neat, but I liked the Straitjackets better when Danny
played his Jazzmaster & Eddie his strat. But hey, they can make anything sound
good. And again, you can get a jap Jag or Jazzmaster some strings and picks and
cords for the price of a DePinto.
Danelectro - these also look neat and the new ones are very inexpensive & i've
heard some good sounds come out of these. A good backup guitar.
It all comes down to how much you have to spend and the equipment you plan to
use it with. If you don't have a Fender tube reverb tank (new or old), then
don't spend $1000, $2000 or more on just the guitar. A $500 Jap Jag and reissue
tank will sound much better and wetter than an original '63 Jag played through a
$35 "surf and turf" pedal with no tank. And obviously, the amp is a huge part
of the equation - old/new, tube/no tube, big speakers/little speakers. It's all
part of the big picture - no point in playing a Mosrite once owned by Nokie
Edwards through a Gorilla amp.
good luck to you in finding the best surf guitar, and better luck to me in
finding a fargin' life on a Friday night
toofastjim
drummer/loser
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