Surf rock guitar: budget project

thefsb · May 5, 2020

I have a lot of relatively difficult study, practice and composition homework and I like to take a break from that by playing something that's just good fun. For now that's surf rock. I'm also quite taken with the Sahara sound, especially Mdou Moctar. But I don't have the right kind of guitar. I've never had a strat-type guitar and I don't know much about them.

The project concept is to buy a cheap guitar mail order from a retailer that will accept it back if I don't like how it feels/plays. If I'm happy with it then I'll put in nice SD puckups.

Requirements: low cost, modern neck (e.g. 12" radius), trem.

Q1: Is it practical to convert an HSS guitar to SSS? There are many more options if so.

Q2: To get that well-known strat bridge pickup sound, does the pup need to be mounted on a pickguard or would mounting it in the guitar body work as well? For example, would Yamaha PAC112V make a less suitable platform than a PAC112J.

GuitarStv · May 5, 2020

Re: Surf rock guitar: budget project

1 - Converting HSS to SSS should work . . . you'll need a new pickguard though, and you might need to chisel a small amount of wood depending on how the cavity was routed (I needed to do this with my Charvel So Cal to put in a strat bridge pickup.

2 - The pickup makes the sound. How it's mounted to the guitar makes somewhere between very little and no difference at all.

Mincer · May 6, 2020

Re: Surf rock guitar: budget project

That sounds like a fun project. You would just need a new pickguard with the right sized hole in it. The pickup's location has a lot more to do with the sound than how it is mounted in the guitar. Do you have ideas of what brand you want? What's your budget? Fender-type guitars can be had at many price points, and what they skimp on the most is the hardware.

St_Genesius · May 6, 2020

Re: Surf rock guitar: budget project

Yeah, the world does not want for cheap Strats. Or mid-priced Strats. Or expensive Strats.

If there were such a thing as a "standard" electric guitar, it would be an SSS Strat.

The world is your Strat-shaped oyster. Bob is your Strat-playing uncle.

BenPerkins · May 6, 2020

Re: Surf rock guitar: budget project

I would budget for locking tuners. What are you using for an amp and reverb?

Chistopher · May 6, 2020

Re: Surf rock guitar: budget project

Well this is an easy one to think out isn't it?

3 SSL-1s (reverse bridge slant optional), Dick Dale wiring, synchronized tremolo, and heavy bass strings. Or at least that's how I did mine way back when I had one.

What do you plan to do to it?

thefsb · May 6, 2020

Re: Surf rock guitar: budget project

Thanks so much for the excellent info. This is really great.

I had talked myself into some theory in which the pickguard was the top of an acoustic box, vibration of which affects the pickups in a way that's a necessary part of how the strat gets its sound. Why else would the ugly pickguard be standard on all SSS guitars?, I reasoned. I'm pleased to put this silly speculation out of its misery.

And this means that the guitar I'd like to use, a Yamaha Pacifica, which has the bridge humbucker mounted in the body rather than in the pickguard, might be even easier to convert than an HSS guitar with the H in the pickguard. Use a rout adapter, maybe with a reverse slant.

I am very much tempted to treat myself to a Pacifica 612VIIFM. It has very nice components and the two SC pups are probably what I would upgrade a budget guitar to. And I agree with St_Genesius that locking tuners are a real boon.

For reverb I use EHX Oceans 11. It's tank is wonderful. For a surf tone I have time = 1 o'clock, tone = 2 o'clock, 16.75 inch springs and preamp drive = 11 o'clock.

For amp, for the time being, I have a cheap multi FX (Zoom G1 FOUR) with a program of my own usign RC boost, Hiwatt 100 amp, Fender Bassman cab, and tremolo. It's pretty good. I really worked hard on using its Fender amp models but didn't like them. This unit will be replaced in due course with something better, probably one of the Headrush boards.

Chistopher, that info is great. Thanks! I hadn't thought about string guage but it makes total sense when you think of his playing style. And Slinky's weren't a thing yet in 1960. I recall an interview with Hank Marvin in which he explained that a key skill was his ability to play the crazy heavy strings that were all you could get back then.

What do I plan to do to it? You mean hardware and wiring mods? That will have to wait until I get the guitar but the PAC612VIIFM has two SSL-1 pups so one obvious possibility would be to replace the bridge HB with another of SSL-1.

Mincer · May 7, 2020

Re: Surf rock guitar: budget project

The Yamaha Pacifica is one hell of a guitar, and a really great platform to mod. The only issue might be finding a different pickguard if you want to change the neck pickup. That is a great color, too!

NegativeEase · May 7, 2020

Re: Surf rock guitar: budget project

I prefer the more cowboy/desert meets surf tone of a DeArmond pickup personally -But a Yamaha Pacifica is about as powerful of a Strat platform for the money that you can buy...

so good for so little.

Post some videos with what you end up doing.... gotta hear your surf tonez

Synapsys · May 7, 2020

Re: Surf rock guitar: budget project

For the best Surf Rock tone I'd go with a Jazzmaster or a Jaguar. The Dick Dale strat tone is not my thing.

Got a Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster new for €200. Swapped the stock Duncan Designed for a Duncan Vintage Jazzmaster set.
Surf tone for days, and cheap.

beaubrummels · May 7, 2020

Re: Surf rock guitar: budget project

There’s a Humbucker to angled Strat single conversion plate in existence. Just buy an SSL1 bridge and pop it in and done.

GuitarStv · May 7, 2020