Thinking about playing with a Surf Music band, but my gear is really a rock setup. What tweaks can I make to get a more authentic surfy sound? I have a jazz bass and Ric both with round wounds and an Ampeg 4vb with SVT212 Cab (I also have a GK MB150S with the matching extension cab). As it is today, I think I can kind of get there using the jazz bass and a pick/palm muting technique, but I'm also thinking I should put on flat wound strings and (maybe using the bridge mutes on the Ric) and use the GK instead of the Ampeg? Is there a setting on the V4B that can get close to a Fender Bassman sound which I think was the preferred setup of that era (along with a p-Bass). I've been thinking of getting rid of the Ampeg setup for a Fender 100T and neo cab for while, so if I stick with this genre, maybe I'll do that... Any Surf Bass players out there?
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Set up for Surf Bass with rock gear?
- Thread starter SpottedBass
- Start date
The Ric with the mutes and flats should get you there, imo.
Jazz bass strung with flats, played with a felt pick. You need a pleasant mix of flatwound thud and pick attack.
You already have all the equipment you need, just go play.
Stop worrying about your gear and go have fun!
Stop worrying about your gear and go have fun!
Can't use the jazz bass. Those are only good for jazz.
You need a Charvel Surfcaster bass.
You need a Charvel Surfcaster bass.
Can't use the jazz bass. Those are only good for jazz.
You need a Charvel Surfcaster bass.
I love the look of the Surfcaster, and really wanted one of these when they were first introduced. Unfortunately for me, the look is where the mojo ended.
Just roll the treble down and play. No need to overthink or even change strings.
I play surf music and surfy tunes.
There are two different schools of surf music. Stuff like Dick Dale that was fast and hard hitting and that bubble gum Beach Boys crap. I'm sure you can get what camp I fall into.
Most of the older stuff was a Fender bass with flatwounds because that's what they had. I remember some TBer who played surf in the 60s that had two bassists playing the same lines just to get some deeper bootyshaking music. If you start listening to some of the more modern surf stuff like Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, you can hear stuff like a Stingray with rounds. There are no rules! Play what you like. I believe that it's mostly phrasing anyway.
If you're curious I play a P-bass with either DR Hi Beams or Lo Riders. I use an Aguilar AG500 but will use whatever amp is behind me. I palm mute and play with a really heavy attack with my thumb. It seems to work well.
There are two different schools of surf music. Stuff like Dick Dale that was fast and hard hitting and that bubble gum Beach Boys crap. I'm sure you can get what camp I fall into.
Most of the older stuff was a Fender bass with flatwounds because that's what they had. I remember some TBer who played surf in the 60s that had two bassists playing the same lines just to get some deeper bootyshaking music. If you start listening to some of the more modern surf stuff like Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, you can hear stuff like a Stingray with rounds. There are no rules! Play what you like. I believe that it's mostly phrasing anyway.
If you're curious I play a P-bass with either DR Hi Beams or Lo Riders. I use an Aguilar AG500 but will use whatever amp is behind me. I palm mute and play with a really heavy attack with my thumb. It seems to work well.
I was in a surf rock band and used a P bass with a Jazz pickup in the bridge, strung with D'Addario rounds. I used both pickups full on with tone wide open. I found that if I soloed the split coil pickup it seemed almost overpowering with midrange. The PJ set up gave that scoop and top end that sat better in the mix.
A Gibson SG with the bridge pickup favored also works well. We usually include 4 surf-era tunes in our first set, including Pipeline, Penetration, Walk Don't Run, and Apache. The SG works very well for all of them. Pipeline in particular requires fussy EQ'ing.
We also cover Webb Wilder's "Sputnik", which he calls Swampadelic Surf Music. Well worth a listen if you've never heard it:
Bottom line IMHO is that pretty much any bass will work for surf-style music if you adjust the knobs and don't dig in too heavily.
We also cover Webb Wilder's "Sputnik", which he calls Swampadelic Surf Music. Well worth a listen if you've never heard it:
Bottom line IMHO is that pretty much any bass will work for surf-style music if you adjust the knobs and don't dig in too heavily.
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I don't play in a surf rock band, but I've been recording demos for surf rock songs I'm writing throughout the last six months. I think you could play instrumental surf rock fine with what you have, just a little knob turning and playing technique. Roll some treble off, turn some low end up, play near the neck. Plenty of variation in the genre, between classic and new bands. I started off using really thumpy tones lately I've started cranking the highs, mids and gain up a bit more so I can hear my fills and runs a bit more clearly.
Most of the surf bands around where I was playing were using Fender Precision basses above and away. Next popular seemed to be Rickenbacker, and then some few odds and ends. Papa Doo Run Run came down to the place we usually played at, back in 77 or 78 iirc, and I believe the bass player was using a Rick.
That was around the time I decided to try flat wounds on my pbass. So I agree with the others, just put flat wounds, or half-wounds, and adjust the tone and you should be reasonably there.
That was around the time I decided to try flat wounds on my pbass. So I agree with the others, just put flat wounds, or half-wounds, and adjust the tone and you should be reasonably there.
I use a P bass with roundwounds through a Markbass 2x10 / Little Mark II, mostly with a pick, some songs finger style plucking near the end of the fretboard.
