Fender Amp for the Surf sound?

jjw43 · May 2nd, 2006, 06:42 PM

So is the Delux Reverb the one and only or can another Fender amp do the job? Any suggestions appreciated

Wally · May 2nd, 2006, 07:34 PM

the DR can do surf at some low volume level. To really do the thing, get a TR. Or, if money is no problem, get a Blonde Showman with a Fender reverb unit. This is the rig that Dick Dale had Leo build for him. If you have ever seen Dale perform, you will understand what he is going for... big volume, clean sounds, good reverb...and a lot of hard work and sweat. You need an amp that can do clean at whatever volume you want, but with a drummer, imo a DR is about 60-100 watts short. The minimum imo would be a Super Reverb. You could get away with that at moderate volumes with a controlled drummer and bass player, maybe.

WickedGTR · May 2nd, 2006, 07:48 PM

Ideally, you want high watts (for clean headroom), big speakers, built in reverb and tremolo.

In other words, a Twin or Showman Reverb.

jjw43 · May 2nd, 2006, 07:50 PM

Unfortunately money is always an issue. I should have been more specific. Amp for livingroom run into mix board with a REV 7 rack reverb. Price range $500 - $800. Thanks again for your help.

Tremo · May 2nd, 2006, 08:03 PM

For surf, you don't want rack reverb. You want spring reverb.

Slim · May 2nd, 2006, 08:44 PM

I would suggest an early 70's Twin Reverb. Used prices are nearly exactly in that price range. Fender reverb is classic surf. And a Twin doesn't need mic'd, so you can save that P.A. for vocals and such.

Lars · May 2nd, 2006, 10:54 PM

For $500-800 you should be able to get a sf twin with JBLs.A killer amp for surf guitar tone.

Lars

Rick S · May 2nd, 2006, 11:33 PM

For the classic surf tones an outboard reverb unit is a must have.

Some of the current surf bands are doing well going a little less wet on the verb and a touch of overdrive. Los Straitjackets for example, using SF Vibrolux reverbs.

Surf Coasters are really hot on the circuit now, and their guitarist has really good tone (not to mention chops). I think I heard he usually uses Vibroverbs+reverb unit.

When discussing best surf rigs, my cohorts and I came to the consensus of Tremolux+reverb unit+Jaguar as the ultimate surf rig.

cowboytwang · May 2nd, 2006, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjw43

Unfortunately money is always an issue. I should have been more specific. Amp for livingroom run into mix board with a REV 7 rack reverb. Price range $500 - $800. Thanks again for your help.

If money is an issue, then go with a Silverface Twin, Bandmaster Reverb, or Showman. All the big amps are about half the price of what a Deluxe goes for.
Silverface twin's are around $600 and so are Bandmaster Reverb's. You can find a Dual Showman with a two 15 cab for around $500-$600 and then get a RI reverb unit for $200 and still be in your price range of $800.

If you want an old Deluxe then your looking at $1200 to $2500, unless you go with a used reissue one.

Bill · May 3rd, 2006, 12:47 AM

Or a later 70's Pro Reverb. It's got 70 watts and an ultralinear output transformer that makes it stay cleaner than earlier model PRs.

Phil M · May 3rd, 2006, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick S

For the classic surf tones an outboard reverb unit is a must have...

I think the Twin will get'er done just fine for this guy's purposes.

stantheman · May 3rd, 2006, 10:47 AM

Any Twin Reverb with Altecs, EV's, or JBL's and You've got it OR any Fender with an Outboard Reverb Tank.
I really LOVE the "Surf Tones" that Magic Sam gets on both "West Side Soul" and especially "Black Magic" and
if I'm not mistaken Sam's going through either an Epiphone Rivera or a Strat with an Ampeg.
Frankly I believe that Magic Sam had the greatest Surf Tone of all of 'em.
Listen to "What Have I Done Wrong" and you'll get the picture.

jjw43 · May 3rd, 2006, 01:24 PM

Couple other questions. Could a Fender Princeton with a different speaker and a Holy grail peddle be convincing? With your information it's clear I need a speaker that will not break up easily. Remember this is for my home and 15 watts can be pretty loud. Also when you all mention JBL or other speakers could I ask the model number? Thanks again.

CancerLeoCam · May 3rd, 2006, 01:33 PM

..nothing beats a Twin or a Showman with a reverb tank. The TR is gonna be the best value here as a Showman, speaker cab and reverb tank are really pricey as a package-like ~3K compared to $600 for a used TR (and it has everything you need).

If you need convincing ask WickedGtr to demo his amp and you'll never think twice. When it came time for me to buy an amp I remember seeing him play one at a gig in '97 with The Mysteries and said.."If I'm buying an amp that's the amp I gotta buy."

You CAN use smaller Fender amps for just about anything ...it all depends on what volume you need.

The tweed amps will not be what you need so stick with the blonde, brown or blackface amps.

Gluck.

CancerLeoCam · May 3rd, 2006, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjw43

Could a Fender Princeton with a different speaker and a Holy grail peddle be convincing?

It could be but I would rather get a SF Princeton Reverb that has onboard reverb than a digital pedal. There IS a difference and it is HUGE! You can install a 12" high powered speaker that will help with the breakup. Have the amp biased a little cooler and you should have what you need.

tweedtone · May 3rd, 2006, 03:54 PM

Among other stuff, I play surf and use a BFDR along with a Fender Reverb Unit and it's plenty for 80% of the gigs I do. I've opened for Dick Dale a couple of times and his tone ain't as clean as you think - he's got those Dual Showmans running wide open and there's a lot of delicious power tube distortion. Of course, the soundman rarely needs (or wants) to put his guitar through the PA at that volume ... :)

tdu · May 3rd, 2006, 04:26 PM

Another great surf amp on a budget is the Traynor YGM-3 (made in 60's and 70's). I own one, and that's mainly what I use it for. It's similar to a Fender DR, but IMO has much better tremolo. They can be found for pretty cheap. Their only shortcoming is they do have some dirt at very high volumes. I seem to be able to keep that under control running it into an extension speaker at the same time though.

Maggot · May 3rd, 2006, 06:04 PM

I would not settle for anything other than vintage Fender or Ampeg reverb. Amp reverb should do just fine unless you're getting into gradations of reverb perfection.

Even if you are playing at relatively modest volumes, I'd get a big surfy speaker, especially for a single speaker amp. The Weber California series works well with just about everything, and also sounds good for more distorted styles. Some of the new Eminence line may be cheaper and would work for that style. EVs and JBLs are the standard for that kind of sound. Even if it's not going to be loud, you need it sounding big.

Really, whatever volume you'll be playing at, I'd recommend a Twin. Contrary to received wisdom, they sound good at all volume levels and they are priced really well compared to the smaller models.

jjw43 · May 3rd, 2006, 08:50 PM

Really appreciate your imput. Twin it is. If any of you have suggestions as to where to pick one up please e-mail me. I've been Ebaying, Googling and Asking without much success. Think I'll pick up a copy of Vintage Guitar and poke around their ad's. Again thanks for the help. I'm on my quest...

mojohen · May 3rd, 2006, 09:51 PM

I second the Twin Reverb.. A silverface would be nice as they're a bit strident in the cleans, and yes, the JBL's would be the speaker choice here..
P.S. Don't forget the Jag!
mojohen

Rich Rice · May 4th, 2006, 02:24 AM

If you have trouble finding a good Twin, the '70's SF Vibrosonic Reverb is another often overlooked amp that would do it for you, and they sound fantastic. I have both Twin and Vibro, most times I prefer the Vibro. It has 100 watts, reverb, tremolo, and a single 15" speaker. My JBL D130F was in need of repair, so I installed a EVM15L. Killer amp, lots of everything... I like the 15" better than two 12's- personal preference. My son got a Vibro with a Gauss 15" speaker in it, again it needs repair... but I remember vividly just how great those big orange Gauss speakers sound.. amazing. These are usually a bit less expensive than Twins, too. Good luck!

getbent · May 4th, 2006, 02:40 AM

http://www.craigslist.org/sfc/msg/157128571.html

http://www.craigslist.org/nby/msg/155998255.html

http://www.craigslist.org/sfc/msg/156518978.html

Probably all worth the drive from Ventura! the quad twin would be a beast, but really cool... I toyed with buying that one just for playing really, really loud about twice a year... (which coincides with when one of my buddies visits and much makers is imbibed)

4mal · May 4th, 2006, 10:39 AM

Actually unles you need blistering loud a 45 watt Pro Reverb combo or a Band Master head would do fine. We do some surf. My guitarist has an SF Twin and a Blues Deluxe - the Blues Deluxe had the speaker replaced and was re-tubed. It rocks for surf. Actually it rocks period. Those amps are sort of over-looked.

He just snagged a 22 watt 4x10 Dr Z and is now looking for the outboard rev unit.

jjw43 · May 4th, 2006, 02:07 PM

Contacted those sellers on Craigs List, we'll see.

eddiewagner · May 4th, 2006, 04:21 PM

music mans are real good too. the big ones are still easy on the bugdet....

JohnnyCrash · May 4th, 2006, 06:32 PM

Any Fender amp with plenty of headroom and spring reverb will be good.

For Surf I'd really recommend the standalone Reverb unit though.

For blues, Rockabilly... or ANYTHING the standard amp reverb is more than plenty good, BUT the standalone unit is almost required for the Surf sound... almost more important than the amp.

May 2nd, 2006, 06:42 PM	#1 (permalink)
jjw43 Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Ventura Posts: 148	Fender Amp for the Surf sound? So is the Delux Reverb the one and only or can another Fender amp do the job? Any suggestions appreciated __________________ employee discount?

May 2nd, 2006, 07:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
WickedGTR Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Hillbilly Hollywood Posts: 2,150 4 Photos	Ideally, you want high watts (for clean headroom), big speakers, built in reverb and tremolo. In other words, a Twin or Showman Reverb. __________________ http://www.myspace.com/jameswilsey

May 2nd, 2006, 07:50 PM	#4 (permalink)
jjw43 Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Ventura Posts: 148	Thanks for the info Unfortunately money is always an issue. I should have been more specific. Amp for livingroom run into mix board with a REV 7 rack reverb. Price range $500 - $800. Thanks again for your help. __________________ employee discount?

May 2nd, 2006, 10:54 PM	#7 (permalink)
Lars Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Austin Tx Posts: 122	surf Amp For $500-800 you should be able to get a sf twin with JBLs.A killer amp for surf guitar tone. Lars

May 3rd, 2006, 12:47 AM	#10 (permalink)
Bill Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bay Area, California Posts: 2,697 59 Photos	Or a later 70's Pro Reverb. It's got 70 watts and an ultralinear output transformer that makes it stay cleaner than earlier model PRs. __________________ B i l l B a e c k A journal of our year in London

May 2nd, 2006, 07:34 PM	#2 (permalink)
Wally Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Lubbock, TX Posts: 4,212	the DR can do surf at some low volume level. To really do the thing, get a TR. Or, if money is no problem, get a Blonde Showman with a Fender reverb unit. This is the rig that Dick Dale had Leo build for him. If you have ever seen Dale perform, you will understand what he is going for... big volume, clean sounds, good reverb...and a lot of hard work and sweat. You need an amp that can do clean at whatever volume you want, but with a drummer, imo a DR is about 60-100 watts short. The minimum imo would be a Super Reverb. You could get away with that at moderate volumes with a controlled drummer and bass player, maybe.

May 2nd, 2006, 08:03 PM	#5 (permalink)
Tremo Banned Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Silicon Valley, CA, USA Posts: 3,803	For surf, you don't want rack reverb. You want spring reverb.

May 2nd, 2006, 08:44 PM	#6 (permalink)
Slim Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Fayetteville, AR Posts: 306	I would suggest an early 70's Twin Reverb. Used prices are nearly exactly in that price range. Fender reverb is classic surf. And a Twin doesn't need mic'd, so you can save that P.A. for vocals and such.

May 2nd, 2006, 11:33 PM	#8 (permalink)
Rick S Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 494	For the classic surf tones an outboard reverb unit is a must have. Some of the current surf bands are doing well going a little less wet on the verb and a touch of overdrive. Los Straitjackets for example, using SF Vibrolux reverbs. Surf Coasters are really hot on the circuit now, and their guitarist has really good tone (not to mention chops). I think I heard he usually uses Vibroverbs+reverb unit. When discussing best surf rigs, my cohorts and I came to the consensus of Tremolux+reverb unit+Jaguar as the ultimate surf rig.

May 3rd, 2006, 10:47 AM	#12 (permalink)
stantheman Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: White Mountains Posts: 5,071	Any Twin Reverb with Altecs, EV's, or JBL's and You've got it OR any Fender with an Outboard Reverb Tank. I really LOVE the "Surf Tones" that Magic Sam gets on both "West Side Soul" and especially "Black Magic" and if I'm not mistaken Sam's going through either an Epiphone Rivera or a Strat with an Ampeg. Frankly I believe that Magic Sam had the greatest Surf Tone of all of 'em. Listen to "What Have I Done Wrong" and you'll get the picture. __________________ Somebody Loan Me A Dime

May 3rd, 2006, 01:24 PM	#13 (permalink)
jjw43 Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Ventura Posts: 148	Thanks all for the great information Couple other questions. Could a Fender Princeton with a different speaker and a Holy grail peddle be convincing? With your information it's clear I need a speaker that will not break up easily. Remember this is for my home and 15 watts can be pretty loud. Also when you all mention JBL or other speakers could I ask the model number? Thanks again. __________________ employee discount?

May 3rd, 2006, 01:33 PM	#14 (permalink)
CancerLeoCam Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mule Deer-Mt. Lion Safari, CA Posts: 1,692 5 Photos	From what I have heard, seen and listened to... ..nothing beats a Twin or a Showman with a reverb tank. The TR is gonna be the best value here as a Showman, speaker cab and reverb tank are really pricey as a package-like ~3K compared to $600 for a used TR (and it has everything you need). If you need convincing ask WickedGtr to demo his amp and you'll never think twice. When it came time for me to buy an amp I remember seeing him play one at a gig in '97 with The Mysteries and said.."If I'm buying an amp that's the amp I gotta buy." You CAN use smaller Fender amps for just about anything ...it all depends on what volume you need. The tweed amps will not be what you need so stick with the blonde, brown or blackface amps. Gluck.

May 3rd, 2006, 03:54 PM	#16 (permalink)
tweedtone Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Tampa Bay, FL Age: 42 Posts: 684	Among other stuff, I play surf and use a BFDR along with a Fender Reverb Unit and it's plenty for 80% of the gigs I do. I've opened for Dick Dale a couple of times and his tone ain't as clean as you think - he's got those Dual Showmans running wide open and there's a lot of delicious power tube distortion. Of course, the soundman rarely needs (or wants) to put his guitar through the PA at that volume ... :)

May 3rd, 2006, 04:26 PM	#17 (permalink)
tdu Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Age: 32 Posts: 2,531 11 Photos	Another great surf amp on a budget is the Traynor YGM-3 (made in 60's and 70's). I own one, and that's mainly what I use it for. It's similar to a Fender DR, but IMO has much better tremolo. They can be found for pretty cheap. Their only shortcoming is they do have some dirt at very high volumes. I seem to be able to keep that under control running it into an extension speaker at the same time though. __________________ Torn Down Units brand Rock n' Roll My Solo Stuff:

May 3rd, 2006, 06:04 PM	#18 (permalink)
Maggot Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Durham, NC Posts: 746 1 Photos	I would not settle for anything other than vintage Fender or Ampeg reverb. Amp reverb should do just fine unless you're getting into gradations of reverb perfection. Even if you are playing at relatively modest volumes, I'd get a big surfy speaker, especially for a single speaker amp. The Weber California series works well with just about everything, and also sounds good for more distorted styles. Some of the new Eminence line may be cheaper and would work for that style. EVs and JBLs are the standard for that kind of sound. Even if it's not going to be loud, you need it sounding big. Really, whatever volume you'll be playing at, I'd recommend a Twin. Contrary to received wisdom, they sound good at all volume levels and they are priced really well compared to the smaller models. __________________ www.myspace.com/feierman

May 3rd, 2006, 08:50 PM	#19 (permalink)
jjw43 Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Ventura Posts: 148	Thank you all Really appreciate your imput. Twin it is. If any of you have suggestions as to where to pick one up please e-mail me. I've been Ebaying, Googling and Asking without much success. Think I'll pick up a copy of Vintage Guitar and poke around their ad's. Again thanks for the help. I'm on my quest... __________________ employee discount?

May 3rd, 2006, 09:51 PM	#20 (permalink)
mojohen Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: NY Posts: 177 12 Photos	I second the Twin Reverb.. A silverface would be nice as they're a bit strident in the cleans, and yes, the JBL's would be the speaker choice here.. P.S. Don't forget the Jag! mojohen

May 4th, 2006, 02:24 AM	#21 (permalink)
Rich Rice Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: In a dream world.. Just ask my wife. Age: 53 Posts: 2,610 11 Photos	If you have trouble finding a good Twin, the '70's SF Vibrosonic Reverb is another often overlooked amp that would do it for you, and they sound fantastic. I have both Twin and Vibro, most times I prefer the Vibro. It has 100 watts, reverb, tremolo, and a single 15" speaker. My JBL D130F was in need of repair, so I installed a EVM15L. Killer amp, lots of everything... I like the 15" better than two 12's- personal preference. My son got a Vibro with a Gauss 15" speaker in it, again it needs repair... but I remember vividly just how great those big orange Gauss speakers sound.. amazing. These are usually a bit less expensive than Twins, too. Good luck! __________________ Please visit my website! If you are driven to play, you will find a way.

May 4th, 2006, 02:40 AM	#22 (permalink)
getbent Moderator Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Benito County, California Posts: 10,585 37 Photos	some good sf cl http://www.craigslist.org/sfc/msg/157128571.html http://www.craigslist.org/nby/msg/155998255.html http://www.craigslist.org/sfc/msg/156518978.html Probably all worth the drive from Ventura! the quad twin would be a beast, but really cool... I toyed with buying that one just for playing really, really loud about twice a year... (which coincides with when one of my buddies visits and much makers is imbibed) __________________ 'never pet a burning dog'

May 4th, 2006, 10:39 AM	#23 (permalink)
4mal Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: The Gorge Posts: 2,198	Actually unles you need blistering loud a 45 watt Pro Reverb combo or a Band Master head would do fine. We do some surf. My guitarist has an SF Twin and a Blues Deluxe - the Blues Deluxe had the speaker replaced and was re-tubed. It rocks for surf. Actually it rocks period. Those amps are sort of over-looked. He just snagged a 22 watt 4x10 Dr Z and is now looking for the outboard rev unit.

May 4th, 2006, 02:07 PM	#24 (permalink)
jjw43 Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Ventura Posts: 148	Thanks Bent and all for the continued suggestions Contacted those sellers on Craigs List, we'll see. __________________ employee discount?

May 4th, 2006, 04:21 PM	#25 (permalink)
eddiewagner Friend of Leo's Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: ROCK!linghausen/germany Age: 50 Posts: 4,125 27 Photos	music mans are real good too. the big ones are still easy on the bugdet.... __________________ My Drum/Guitar-Duo: www.myspace.com/captaintwangandhisrhythmcat

May 4th, 2006, 06:32 PM	#26 (permalink)
JohnnyCrash Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lost Angeles and Orange County Posts: 7,128	Any Fender amp with plenty of headroom and spring reverb will be good. For Surf I'd really recommend the standalone Reverb unit though. For blues, Rockabilly... or ANYTHING the standard amp reverb is more than plenty good, BUT the standalone unit is almost required for the Surf sound... almost more important than the amp.