Is Full Floating Tremolo Necessary For Surf Tunes?


mtbkr55
Registered User
Joined: 12/17/15
Posts: 19
mtbkr55
Registered User
Joined: 12/17/15
Posts: 19
03/05/2017 5:54 pm

Hi Mike. Been playing a little over a year. Really enjoy your lessons, your a great, patient, methodical instructor. I have an inexpensive Squier Deluxe Stratocaster. Due to tuning inconsistencies, I blocked it so the tremolo only pitches down. Can I get away with playing most surf tunes with that setup? It seems that surf music only uses the bar for accent, not full blown van halen or jeff beck stuff. For some reason, I'm really feeling the call of this genre, should I just invest in a better guitar?


# 1
Mike Olekshy
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 09/21/10
Posts: 1,050
Mike Olekshy
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 09/21/10
Posts: 1,050
03/06/2017 3:48 pm

Hi, great question! In my opinion, your guitar should be just fine for surf. You'll be able to get the desired trem and quick dive bomb sounds even with the blocked trem. In my experience, having to pull up on the bar to get a distinct vibrato going is pretty rare, and if you had to replicate it, most people listening wouldn't know the difference.

Surf music is so much fun to play! Most of it was recorded with Strats back in the day, so you should be good to go with the guitar you already have!

Happy surfing!

Mike


Keep rockin!
Mike Olekshy
GT Guitar Coach

# 2

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