Surfcaster Owners Club

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz269/dilver98/Surfcasters/59965918.png

I get the feeling this is going to the smallest club on the board... :smile:
ANYONE out there?

Kool!!!

Way cool

I would love to have one but they are damn expensive these days. Trying to get my hands on a Danelectro Hodad though, bit more in my price range.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc450/Adamvmiller/image.jpg
This is my first post here. Obviously I'm a tele fan but I stumbled upon the Surfcaster club. I bought this guitar around 94-95 I believe. I've read that green burst is the rarest finish. Anyone know anything about that?

Man, I was browsing ebay for a cheap electric 12 string, found this: http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Jackson-Surfcaster-12-String-Electric-Black-/220721548639

not cheap, but... damn. wouldn't mind playing that.

Looks good. I think the Charvels came out first. Then They started putting the Jackson name on them.

I remember when those came out. They were the first decidedly retro new guitar to come on the scene and I like how the design acknowledged - but didn't rip others off.

I almost bought one - turquoise, 12 string.

I have no doubt that the originals are very well made and very collectible guitars.

Cool club! :cool:

I've always lusted over the surfcaster! I first saw and heard one way back in the 90's played by Bruce Cockburn at Massey Hall in Toronto. His was a black Charvel, the readl Mccoy. I've heard the Jackson versions are not the best, but great things about the GRB kokopelli kokocaster guitars. None are easy to find up this way.

Can I say "I'd punch a sick baby in the face for one of these"? Cuz I would.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc450/Adamvmiller/image.jpg
This is my first post here. Obviously I'm a tele fan but I stumbled upon the Surfcaster club. I bought this guitar around 94-95 I believe. I've read that green burst is the rarest finish. Anyone know anything about that?

I've been doing quite a bit of research on these guitars, so I'll tell you what I know... You're probably right on the year you bought yours; the HT model with a humbucker was the last "true" Surfcaster model to be released and it was available from late '93-95. IMHO, the Surfcaster HT with humbucker offers the most versatility, especially when modded to split the humbucker coils (if you haven't done this yet, you might want to give it a try).

As far as colors go, yes, your Emerald burst is the rarest of the rare. I'd LOVE it if could post more pictures here, or on photobucket, flickr, etc. as you just don't see very many of them, ever! Seafoam Green is perhaps the most popular color, given the surf image, there a quite a few Cherry Sunburst (AKA "Star-glo) and you occasionally see a transparent Orange or Red every now and then. Another rare color that appears in the '92 & '93 catalogs is an odd pinkish fuscia color, which I've never seen a picture of, outside of the catalog.

You've got a VERY cool guitar, but you knew that :cool:

Lastly, the prices on Surfcasters aren't as bad as you'd be led to believe by eBay. Most of the Surfcasters on eBay don't sell, and you can pick one up for $700-1,000 if you're patient and persistent in your search. Not cheap by any means, but not the $2,000+ figures you see on eBay.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc450/Adamvmiller/image-5.jpg
http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc450/Adamvmiller/image-4.jpg
http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc450/Adamvmiller/image-3.jpg
http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc450/Adamvmiller/image-2.jpg

Here's a few more pics.

Damn. That's gorgeous. Like I said - you rarely see these. Thx for sharing.

Damn. That's gorgeous. Like I said - you rarely see these. Thx for sharing.

Thank you! It's my pleasure.

Here's mine 1992 Cherry Buirst

http://etheorist.com/charvel/1sm.jpg
http://etheorist.com/charvel/2sm.jpg
http://etheorist.com/charvel/6sm.jpg
http://etheorist.com/charvel/7sm.jpg
http://etheorist.com/charvel/13sm.jpg

I have nothing to do with this sale and know nothing other than what's posted, but I'll bet this sells for a lot less than the inflated $1,600+ prices others are asking. The seller seems pretty reasonable:

http://cgi.ebay.com/90s-Charvel-Surfcaster-Figured-Top-w-Tremolo-and-case-/270696554677?pt=Guitar&hash=item3f06c5a0b5

If anyone is in the market, it looks/sounds like it's in great shape.

I have nothing to do with this sale and know nothing other than what's posted, but I'll bet this sells for a lot less than the inflated $1,600+ prices others are asking. The seller seems pretty reasonable:

If anyone is in the market, it looks/sounds like it's in great shape.

I think stating that manufacture plant is conjecture, well thats just silly, we all know that a made in USA Telecaster is better than a korean one....other than that Yes! its a nice guitar, but its over 600 now and the reserve price is still not met..

Of course the auction will sell for less than the BIN prices on the other Chavels.. If the auction went higher the BIN then well you get it. Being a Surfcaster owner myself Im curious to see what it sells for...BTW mines the one listed at $1249... pretty fair price for an unplayed mint surfcaster

I think stating that manufacture plant is conjecture, well thats just silly, we all know that a made in USA Telecaster is better than a korean one....other than that Yes! its a nice guitar, but its over 600 now and the reserve price is still not met..

Of course the auction will sell for less than the BIN prices on the other Chavels.. If the auction went higher the BIN then well you get it. Being a Surfcaster owner myself Im curious to see what it sells for...BTW mines the one listed at $1249... pretty fair price for an unplayed mint surfcaster


So it ended up selling for $887.00. I still think that the "going rate" for Surfcasters is more along the lines of $750-950 and that the misperception that these guitars are super expensive is fueled by eBay listings that simply never sell.

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz269/dilver98/Surfcasters/59965918.png

I get the feeling this is going to the smallest club on the board... :smile:
ANYONE out there?

i think the smallest club on the board might be my 70's starcaster club
but these surfcasters are beautiful! never seen one in real life, how are they to play?

Surfcaster ingredients (IMO):

60% Rickenbacker
30% Jazzmaster/Jaguar
10% Danelectro

They're just such a cool design. Do we know who designed the Surfcaster? Was it Wayne Charvel, or someone else in the company. They stood out then and they stand out now as being quite different from anything else Charvel ever did.

i think the smallest club on the board might be my 70's starcaster club
but these surfcasters are beautiful! never seen one in real life, how are they to play?

Thanks Offsetfan! I've always wanted one, but it was further on down the list of Les Paul, Tele, Strat. Now I have two.

They both play very fast, to me at least, due to the wide/thin neck profile, with HUGE frets. They're 24 fret necks so the scale is more shredder as well. A very odd combination with the lipstick tube pickups and Ric/jazz master stylings, and the shark fin inlays. Yet somehow it all works. Some people hate thin necks as it can give people with big hands, fatigue. I find them incredibly comfortable and fast. If you ever get the chance to play one, I highly recommend it!

Hello to all my fellow Surfcaster enthusiasts, and let me introduce Blondie...

Rescued her from a guitar store about 18 months ago, and one trans-atlantic flight later, and we're all loved up.

Beaten and abused in a previous relationship, she arrived at my home cracked and chipped, but after a little t.l.c. she's as good as new.

Better, infact thanks to that lovely new TV Jones Classic + pick up in the bridge.

I decided to keep the original Duncan Designed lippy in the neck because it sounds great, and the middle pick up position was wired to give that out of phase sound.

Absolutely love my surf, and as much as I can admire all of your Surfcasters, my naturally relic'd, trans-ivory, black finned stunner still makes me gasp.

Hope you like her too...

Hello to all my fellow Surfcaster enthusiasts, and let me introduce Blondie...

Rescued her from a guitar store about 18 months ago, and one trans-atlantic flight later, and we're all loved up.

Beaten and abused in a previous relationship, she arrived at my home cracked and chipped, but after a little t.l.c. she's as good as new.

Better, infact thanks to that lovely new TV Jones Classic + pick up in the bridge.

I decided to keep the original Duncan Designed lippy in the neck because it sounds great, and the middle pick up position was wired to give that out of phase sound.

Absolutely love my surf, and as much as I can admire all of your Surfcasters, my naturally relic'd, trans-ivory, black finned stunner still makes me gasp.

Hope you like her too...

I think it looks amazing. Tell me, the TV Jones pickup got me thinking. Do the pickups require a measurement or do they come one size fits all? I really like the look of it!

I think it looks amazing. Tell me, the TV Jones pickup got me thinking. Do the pickups require a measurement or do they come one size fits all? I really like the look of it!

My TVJ is completely stock. No need for routing or body work of any kind.

Thanks to the guys on TV Jones website for steering me in the right direction, because I had the same concerns.

TV Jones Classic + just sounds fantastic in my Surfcaster. Expensive, but worth it.

And thanks for the compliment !

Gotta love a TV Jones in any guitar. And love the fact that you've brought your Surfcaster back to life - looks awesome.

Gotta love a TV Jones in any guitar. And love the fact that you've brought your Surfcaster back to life - looks awesome.

Thanks for that mate. I've got a few guitars, but my Surf's a little bit special for that very reason.

Serious cracks to the body, not just the finish; there is a 4 inch crack running horizontally right through from the lower screw on the pickguard. Some dolt at the factory must've gone beserk with an electric screwdriver when fitting the pickguard and, CRACK !

New owner of the 12 string variety here - top shelf chime machine
http://i908.photobucket.com/albums/ac284/nrand_photos/120101various_105.jpg

Late to the game I know, but here's a site with pictures of our Surfcasters (yes, 3 matching), used exclusively over the past 21 years of our 32 years together....pictures under sidebar "photo's", also youtube band's name for various video's of the Surfcasters in action.

www.eddyandthestingrays.com

I cant put my Stratocaster surfcaster down since I got it!

I guess my latest build should fit right in here...:lol:

.....more than on the 52ri threads..:roll:

cowabunga...:cool:.... / / ...:wink:

Had the Charvel 12 String briefly in 2004, which I foolishly sold. A couple of years later I started looking for another one with no luck. Considered various Rickies, then lass than a year ago I took the plunge and bought a Burns Double Six. Nice guitar but never really gave the same degree of satisfaction. Two weeks ago I found a Jackson version of the 12 String Surfcaster on eBay, cost me twice what the Charvel had cost in '04, but the smile has not left my face since picking it up. Will add a couple of photos later.