Best PRS for Surf (both "modern" surf punk and classic 60s)?

[shinksma]

I have had a wild hair itching at me the last couple of years to dig into that classic surf sound, and to also get even more into the modern heavier version of surf that seems to have elements of punk or grunge mixed in), partly spurred by an ex-coworker who plays sax in a modern surf-punk band.

Check out the "Monsters of Surf" compilation album (you can sample on Amazon) for what I mean about the modern heavier fuzz-infused version.

Not interested in Beach Boys per se - they incorporated some surf sound elements and riffed on the culture, but the vocals make it a little too "polished" ("California Sound" or "Vocal Surf"). Surf music is mostly instrumental to me, splooshy reverb and termolo-style picking, with a rapid snare beat (seems like 2/4 or 8/8 with hits on 1, 4, 6).

I've got a Boss FRV-1 pedal on the way (I might eventually get a proper tank, depending on how serious I take this and how portable I need to have everything!), and have a couple of tremolo pedal options already, and quite a few OD/dirt/fuzz possibilities.

So the next thing is to play! The classic sound was often played on those early Fenders, Mosrites, and Dan Electros, including baritones (also gets you that spaghetti western sound!). And many of the current bands seem to like to use those. I have a F strat, but would prefer to play PRS, of course.

Basic configuration seems to be whammy bar, single coil, bolt-on. Hmm, sounds like a DC3 or EG, or a SAS with coils split, maybe.

I have a 305 and an SAS, plus the McSoapy is technically single coil, as is the 277 SH baritone with soapbars, but those latter two lack a tremolo bridge, which seems to be an essential gizmo. And I could use the split coils on other guitars.

And I know that given the right technique a good player can probably make any guitar sound "good enough" for surf, but where is the GAS in that?!

So, anyone here play a little/lots of surf, either variety, and what do you like to use from your PRS arsenal?

 

[dogrocketp]

I played surf for a hot minute, and relied very heavily on a Fender Amp and a Boss Equalizer. It took about 4 hours, but I got the equalizer to spit out a pretty good surf sound. My SAS naturally seems to have the best surf type sound. Go hear Los Straightjackets. They put on a good live show, and they`re great guys. My younger son`s first live concert was Dick Dale, and Los Straighttjackets. Their surf version of Sing, sing, sing blew me away.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I mean, you probably already have the guitars to do it but.. buying a new one is always the best. I'd go for the DC3, they can be had cheap if you're patient enough, and I really like mine.

 

[Whitecat]

The Starla would be pretty damn ideal for this. The S2 version should rip, especially, as the pickups are a little more aggressive than the Core variant.

 

[shinksma]

I mean, you probably already have the guitars to do it but.. buying a new one is always the best. I'd go for the DC3, they can be had cheap if you're patient enough, and I really like mine.

Yeah, DC3 seems like a good choice. The next question is: rosewood or maple fretboard?

The Starla would be pretty damn ideal for this. The S2 version should rip, especially, as the pickups are a little more aggressive than the Core variant.

I had thought about that, but the Bisgby might not give as deep a dive as desired, and the mahogany set-neck seems polar opposite of maple bolt-on. Still, worth considering.

 

[László]

Lots of guitars can do Surf well. If you follow this link, and scroll down to "Reel" on the page, and play the video, about 1:40 in you'll hear surf guitar over a techno style beat I played on either a Mira or CU22 through a Two-Rock Custom Reverb's clean channel for a Ford ad (can't remember which).

Not the expected combination but it worked just fine. The secret is Reverb and attitude.

http://www.artifactdetroit.com/

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Yeah, DC3 seems like a good choice. The next question is: rosewood or maple fretboard?

I'm glad I held out for a maple board. Plus you've got the 305 already.

 

[shinksma]

I'm glad I held out for a maple board. Plus you've got the 305 already.

My 305 is a maple board version!

But since the majority of my PRSi fretboards are rosewood, with a few ebony, and just the 305 and SAS with maple, I think the DC3 should be maple too.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

My 305 is a maple board version!

But since the majority of my PRSi fretboards are rosewood, with a few ebony, and just the 305 and SAS with maple, I think the DC3 should be maple too.

Ooh, that's rad!

If you decide to go rosewood, they seem to be easier and cheaper to find. But still.. maple.

 

[shinksma]

Lots of guitars can do Surf well. If you follow this link, and scroll down to "Reel" on the page, and play the video, about 1:40 in you'll hear surf guitar over a techno style beat I played on either a Mira or CU22 through a Two-Rock Custom Reverb's clean channel for a Ford ad (can't remember which).

Not the expected combination but it worked just fine. The secret is Reverb and attitude.

http://www.artifactdetroit.com/

Nice work!

And yeah, I agree that I could use any guitar to get a Surf sound. But the whole point of this thread is to figure out if a specific PRS model may get me closer, easier. And also to generate some discussion over the finer points of Surf music, I hope.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

...the Bisgby might not give as deep a dive as desired...

I don't know about that, a lot of the early surf players utilized a Bigsby.

Oh, and I follow this thread with interest, I love surf music. Clean tones rock!

 

[László]

Nice work!

And yeah, I agree that I could use any guitar to get a Surf sound. But the whole point of this thread is to figure out if a specific PRS model may get me closer, easier. And also to generate some discussion over the finer points of Surf music, I hope.

If you get a chance, check out the guitars made by Mosrite for The Ventures, one of the most important, seminal surf bands.

The fat dual pickups look like P-90s (who knows what the hell they were!), the neck pickup was angled instead of the bridge pickup, and they had much more gain than Fender single coils; the trem was a Bigsby copy, the fretboard was rosewood, and yes, basically the guitars were not at all like Fenders, except that they had bolt on necks.

Yet there's this persistent myth that you need a Strat with Maple board to do surf music. Early on, the Ventures' lead player used a Fender Jaguar, a guitar that had a 24" scale length (!), and the rhythm guy used a Strat, but by the mid 60s and continuing to now, they played Mosrites.

So how can there be only one PRS that takes you there authentically, any more than others, when the very founders of surf weren't all using the same thing? OK, maybe not a hollowbody...

I started playing in bands at the height of the surf era, and I promise that people played a variety of guitars, even in the name bands.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I love Surf music. It's really the first "aggro" music style IMO. The riffs are like thrash riffs but only using reverb for sustain instead of distortion.

 

[László]

I love Surf music. It's really the first "aggro" music style IMO. The riffs are like thrash riffs but only using reverb for sustain instead of distortion.

Right!

Surf was the badass music of the early to mid 60s. All the greaser bands with matching shiny suits and ducktail haircuts played it. Did I ever think that stuff was cool as a middle school cat!

 

[Screamingdaisy]

I love Surf music. It's really the first "aggro" music style IMO. The riffs are like thrash riffs but only using reverb for sustain instead of distortion.

I was listening to Jan and Dean the other day. Grew up with it since it was my Mum's music, but never really realized how aggressive it was until I was an adult... and Jan and Dean probably weren't that aggressive relative to what was out there...

 

[markd21]

That style/tone is important to my alt country/rock project. I just sold my SAS because it wasn't "authentic" enough. I can get by on my Paul's Guitar, spilt. BUT, to get me where I wanted I bought a Gretsch 6128T. There is something about the semi-hollow/chambered design and WEAK (4.8K on the bridge!!) pickups that make it happen. I can drive the reverb harder and there is a plucky bark that I can't get on a solid PRS. Even my SH CU22 wasn't close. They just drive too hard. Could I make it work? Yeah, but I was never pleased. Now that I have a Gretsch in the picture again, I am smiling ear-to-ear.







I know it's not a PRS, but......

It also takes fuzz and drive in a very cool, interesting way. As an instrument it really offers something that no other guitar does....

 

[Iceman101]

Starla S2 in Seafoam Green would be my choice

 

[shinksma]

If you get a chance, check out the guitars made by Mosrite for The Ventures, one of the most important, seminal surf bands.

The fat dual pickups look like P-90s (who knows what the hell they were!), the neck pickup was angled instead of the bridge pickup, and they had much more gain than Fender single coils; the trem was a Bigsby copy, the fretboard was rosewood, and yes, basically the guitars were not at all like Fenders, except that they had bolt on necks.

Yet there's this persistent myth that you need a Strat with Maple board to do surf music. Early on, the Ventures' lead player used a Fender Jaguar, a guitar that had a 24" scale length (!), and the rhythm guy used a Strat, but by the mid 60s and continuing to now, they played Mosrites.

So how can there be only one PRS that takes you there authentically, any more than others, when the very founders of surf weren't all using the same thing? OK, maybe not a hollowbody...

I started playing in bands at the height of the surf era, and I promise that people played a variety of guitars, even in the name bands.

Interesting you bring up "not a hollowbody". The one guitar in my arsenal that I found actually has the best "surf" sound through my HRDX (w/ on-board spring reverb unit) is my Epiphone Casino - I don't know why, maybe it is just luck with how it feels in my hands, but it seems to get there better than even my strat - the exception being there are no dive bombs possible on a whammy bar, since it has a trapeze bridge.

:shrug:

So again, I agree that no single model guitar is the only way to get that surf sound, any more than a single model guitar is required to get that rock'n;roll sound. I'm just looking for an interesting discussion. If I truly thought there was a "best if not only" guitar for that sound, I'd go over the surfguitar101.com and see what the consensus was. But it is nice (IMHO) to toy around with what various model guitars have been used in the past, what sound they created, and which PRSi might be able to re-create that sound most easily.

 

[László]

Interesting you bring up "not a hollowbody". .

Actually, I said "maybe" not a hollowbody, but that line was kind of tongue in cheek.

Point is, whatever works for you, works!

 

[garrett]

A Vela retrofitted with a Bigsby or a Jazzmaster bridge would be righteous!