Rock 'n' roll and surf

[Daan]

Hi , i want to play surf / rock 'n' roll.
does anyone have good advice for that?
I am trying to learn some classic surf songs from tabs..
but what should i do for making songs?
Like combining lead riffs and chords in a song with one guitar for example.
Or single or double picking.
Also how to involve an organ in it?
Any suggestion is very appreciated.
Thank you

[cornflake]

I don't have much advice about playing surf rock & roll, but if you would like to hear some great surf rock & roll, check out The Danny Morris Band. He is incredible. http://www.dannymorrisband.com

[PonyOne]

Surf and rockabilly are very fun to play, which is why I blend it into songs my band does that are otherwise very hardcore.
My equipment is a Vox amp and a Danelectro Surf & Turf pedal played over an Epiphone SG Special with a Duncan Performer in the bridge. The two most vital parts of the hardware are the amp and the pedal; I've found that vintage brit-style amps by Vox or Marshall seem to work the best; Fender tube amps also work good, but I've never liked the sound over Crates, Peavys or pretty much any fully-digital amp. You'll want to use a Compressor pedal; these range from $30 for the Dano to around $80 for a Boss pedal. The Dano works great.

What you can do to get that short, chunky sound is rest your picking hand on the bridge of your guitar so that a little of it spills over to mute it at the ends (I discovered this one day when I was being lazy, but then learned that all the surf greats beat me to the discovery by about 50 years). I always use a pick and never strum. Also practice bending to get that wavery sound and if you have a guitar with a trem, use that, too.
There are definitely better guitars to use than an SG. I'm getting a super-ace Fender 50th anniverary '52 Telecaster Reissue (with black body, gunmetal pearloid pickguard and binding, and gold plated hardware... pics to follow soon) in the next couple weeks. Telecasters work extremely well for surf, and Strats aren't bad either, thoguh it's best to change the pickups. I've also tried it with a Rickenbacker 12-string, which is really cool, but only for a (high) price.