Best guitar to play surf music

[ScareDe2]

I have watched many sound demonstrations and strangely I have yet to come across a guitar player who really achieve something with a Stratocaster when playing surf music. I know Dick Dale used one, but to this day I still prefer the sound of Jaguars and Telecasters for this genre. I have also found the Squier Surf Stratocaster version which would be my current third choice.

I know it's a telecaster forum but contribute honestly and give us your thoughts about what is the best sounding guitar for surf music.

 

[Peegoo]

I like the Strat and the Jazzmaster for surf and spy.

 

[knavel]

Stratocaster particularly the hardtail one. I have a 1959 hardtail strat and it was the best by far. I had on old Jaguar and Jazzmaster and sold both of them after one gig.

Also when I met Alessandro Alessandroni who played guitar (and did all the famous whistling) on the Ennio Morricone songs after a gig he did in London in 2001, he was playing even then the only electric guitar he's ever owned (his words to me) a 1961 Stratocaster.

But nothing will top what Dick Dale said to my band and I when we went to his house in 29 Palms before Pulp Fiction when only about 25 people were going to his shows. "Dick, what do you think of Jaguars and Jazzmasters--how come you never play them?" Instant retort: "Toy guitars!" Ha ha ha, we still laugh about that moment.

 

[Killing Floor]

Dano

 

[Chiogtr4x]

I play surf on any of my guitars, including my acoustics*

IMO it's a combination of right hand attack and really precise fretting and phrasing. A real 'feel thing'

Of course, delay, Reverb, Tremolo are fantastic to have, but you can do w/o if you are a good player

I guess my 'attitude' comes from playing any kind of music, on any kind of guitar (it just happens, over a long time)

* ideally, I'm going back and forth between the middle PU, and bridge pickups on my Dano or Strat- big clean tone w/a little breakup- Reverb AND slapback for me...

 

[artdecade]

BC Rich Warlock.

 

[SixStringSlinger]

If you don't play it right, no guitar can save you.

If you do play it right, any of these will do.

 

[Dostradamas]

Bridge Stratocaster pickup no tone

 

[lousy13]

Whatever you've got.

 

[Ghostdriver]

I played in a surf band ( the Exterminators) and our lead guy used a Jaguar, I used a Strat, but i sometimes popped a Jazzmaster on, still great. The golden rule i thought was always Single Coil for Surf ! Saying that though didnt see many surf bands with the Tele !

 

[nickmsmith]

Jaguar is the stereotypical surf sound. That would be my starting point. Middle position.

strats had quite a good run with it too. But jags have that surf sound by default.

big part of the sound is picking technique, tremolo usage, and the reverb. You can get a convincing sound from a traditional Tele, but you’ll be lacking the whammy bar in most cases.

 

[naneek]

Stratocaster would be the obvious answer.
All of the mexican, latin american, and brazilian surf bands played cheap japanese catalog guitars, so that would be my other answer. Those latin garage surf bands sounded crazy.

 

[FortyEight]

I mean just about anything would do. But I'm not really a surf expert. I think your amp might play a bigger role. Choose a bridge pup on any guitar, eq the amp with not a lot of bass.

Or when I use my 8" vox with the bridge pup on my Strat, it's got a very surfy vibe with just a bit of gain. But I could say that for my Tele too. You might have to roll off the volume a little with a humbucker equipped guitar. But I'm guessing you could get a LP to sound surfy with the right, amp and settings.

 

[loopfinding]

Jag or JM. With flats too. The plunk plus honky middle is the winning sound. Tele middle is good, better than strat, but tele doesn’t have that thuddy lack of sustain. Or the vibrato. The strat is not bad but just not my first choice.

 

[985plowboy]

I am not a surf music player.
But I’d think that any single coil guitar played with the right technique through the right amp would work ok.

I owned a ‘71 Jaguar for a summer.
I liked it, but it had nowhere near the cojones of my Tele.
It went in a trade.

 

[naneek]

Saying that though didnt see many surf bands with the Tele !

Technically it was a punk band, bur here is some surf on a telecaster by the Plugz in the repo man soundtrack. starts at around 50 seconds in.

*bilingual profanity warning

 

[FortyEight]

Oh snap, I forgot about the vibrato.....

 

[brookdalebill]

Jazzmaster or Gretsch Chet with Filtertrons and a Bigsby would get my vote.
So, other.
No Jaguars, please.

 

[Guithartic]

Stratocaster particularly the hardtail one. I have a 1959 hardtail strat and it was the best by far. I had on old Jaguar and Jazzmaster and sold both of them after one gig.

Also when I met Alessandro Alessandroni who played guitar (and did all the famous whistling) on the Ennio Morricone songs after a gig he did in London in 2001, he was playing even then the only electric guitar he's ever owned (his words to me) a 1961 Stratocaster.

But nothing will top what Dick Dale said to my band and I when we went to his house in 29 Palms before Pulp Fiction when only about 25 people were going to his shows. "Dick, what do you think of Jaguars and Jazzmasters--how come you never play them?" Instant retort: "Toy guitars!" Ha ha ha, we still laugh about that moment.

I think I’m getting an American Original 50s Strat, which has Pure Vintage’59 pickups, but I was concerned it might not be versatile enough to play hard rock or classic rock or surf stuff. What pickups does your ‘59 have, and is it versatile? Thanks.

 

[ScareDe2]

I will add Yamaha SG's all have great sounding surf type of sound :