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Conference napalm::guitar

Title:GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion
Notice:Discussion of the finer stringed instruments
Moderator:KDX200::COOPER
Created:Thu Aug 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3280
Total number of notes:61432

2776.0. "Dick Dale" by LEDS::BURATI (Video Chicken One) Mon Jul 26 1993 23:24

    Originator of the "surf" guitar sound and creator of some truly scary
    sounding stuff. He has a new album called "Tribal Thunder".

    From an interview aired today on NPR:

    He hates his old recordings. He always has hated them because he was
    never allowed to get the big sound he likes. He's never listened to them
    at home and never even kept copies of them in his house.

    Leo Fender developed the Showman and Dual Showman model amps and started
    to use JBL speakers specifically for Dick Dale. Dale was striving to get
    a big deep powerful sound live and smoked everything else that Leo could
    throw at him. Leo and Freddy Travares finally went to see Dale perform
    and knew right away what it was he needed. Hence, the Showman with 15"
    JBLs. He also had some input on the Strat design.

    Unlike the Beach Boys, this guy is (was anyway) a big time surfer. The
    power of the big surf is what he says inspired his big sound. He's also
    been occassionally knocked 10 or 20 feet across the room by the lions
    and tigers he raises.

    He uses big strings: .014, .018, .018 (p), ... .060. He says the faces
    he makes when he plays are because of the pain in his fingers.


    And from listening to part of one of the new tracks:
    
    On the guitar, the guy's a wild man. He's out of control. This new album
    is the first one, according to him, that sounds right. If you tuned
    into some alternative rock station and heard it, you'd think it was
    Wayne and Garth or somebody very new.
    

T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
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2776.1String envy ??SUBSYS::GODINMy other preamp is a Tri-Axis.Tue Jul 27 1993 10:256
    What's his amp rig look like nowadays ? Does he record with a similar
    setup to what he uses live ?
    
    (.014 ??? Are you sure this guy isn't a frustrated bass player ? ;-)
                                                                    
    Paul
2776.2GANTRY::ALLBERYJimTue Jul 27 1993 11:108
    RE: Dick Dale and "input on the Strat design"
    
    I doubt it, unless it was with minor design changes.  If memory serves
    me correctly, the strat was designed in '52 or '53 -- which seems terribly
    early for Dick Dale to have been an influence.  
    
    						Jim
    
2776.3TECRUS::ROSTGraduate of More Science H.S.Tue Jul 27 1993 11:371
    The new album is on the Hightone label, by the way. 
2776.4LEDS::BURATIVideo Chicken OneTue Jul 27 1993 13:4720
    RE: current gear

    He didn't say.



>    RE: Dick Dale and "input on the Strat design"
    
>    I doubt it, unless it was with minor design changes.  If memory serves
>    me correctly, the strat was designed in '52 or '53 -- which seems terribly
>    early for Dick Dale to have been an influence.  

    Well '53, '54 with additional changes in body contour through '57. He
    mentioned body thickness.  Anyway, that's what he said.



    RE: Hightone

    Thanks, Brian. I couldn't remember the name.
2776.5Ride The Wild SurfTECRUS::ROSTKeef RiffhardThu Sep 30 1993 11:597
    Nice interview with Dick in today's Boston Globe.  He's doing two shows
    at Johnny D's in Somerville, MA next Thursday (10/7).  
    
    Sez he got his inspiration for surf music from his relatives who played
    the oud and from drummer Gene Krupa's jungle beats.
    
    							Kahuna
2776.6I remember -=B{}{}M=I remember -=B{}{}M=I remember B{}{}MFREEBE::REAUMEmy 2 vices - GTS and coastersMon Feb 27 1995 17:1610
    
       I picked up Dick Dale's newest CD , "Unknown Territory" today during
    lunch. I'll give it a listen and report on it soon. I've been looking
    for something different, and even though I listen to everything from
    Dream Theater to Beatles to Stone Temple Pilots, this could be really
    DIFFERENT!.
    
       BTW - this CD is also on the hightone label and is copyright 1994.
    
    							-John R-
2776.7Crank up that reverb and wait for the waves!VARESE::SACHA::IDC_BSTROh no! NOT Milan Kundera again!Tue Feb 28 1995 08:4224
    The last band I played in was a 60s R n'R/surf band. The other
    guitarist was absolutely berserk about Dick Dale (he'd had the
    opportunity of meeting him while in the States a few years ago and had
    even spent a few days at his house!). 
    
    His setup was a total copy of Dick Dale's, i.e. Fender Reissue Strat
    (Dick Dale Signature) played through a Twin Reverb (with the reverb
    setting constantly at 10!) and those monster strings (014s!). So when
    we did all those classic surf instrumentals (Wipeout, Pipeline, Banzai
    Washout, California Sun, Surf Beat, Hawaii-Five-0), he had that 
    twangy, high reverb sound down perfectly. Trouble was, he used
    *exactly* the same setup (and playing style!) for the R n'R
    numbers...and I'm afraid it just didn't sound right for "Something
    Else" by Eddie Cochran or "Hippy Hippy Shake" ;-)
    
    As regards the surf instrumental genre in general (Dick Dale & the
    Deltones, the Astronauts, the Trashmen, the Surfaris, the Chantels,
    etc.), I think it requires enormous discipline (rather than any great
    knowledge of chords/scales) on the part of the guitarist. It's a bit
    like  the Hank Marvin/Duane Eddy thing; you really have to pick cleanly
    if you're playing these single string melody lines. Any errors you make
    stick out a mile!
    
    Dom