Good setting for guitar surf sound?

Surf guitar is basically clean & bright with a lot of reverb. Try the American Clean amp, and pour on the reverb.

Scott is right. You may also want to add a basic EQ so that you can adjust the sound of the American Clean amp. If you are hearing a "wah wah" sound, it might be the Tremalo, but they rarely even used that.

If I remember correctly, the surf sound was accomplished with the very basics. A Stratocaster with a Fender Amp and the reverb cranked to full.

Do a search in the iTunes music store with "Dick Dale" as your search criteria. BTW-One of the tunes in the Pulp Fiction soundtrack is by The Tornadoes, which are from my home town of Redlands. Heard them at the bowl a few years ago and they were awesome.

Exactly, if I recall correctly, Dick uses a Fender Twin Reverb, or may he's now started to use one of the newer ToneMaster Amps, but it is loud, clean, treblely and full reverb.

Reverb and Chorus Pedal Effect

Well, in the beginning of surf music, there was no chorus effects. It was just loud clean and full reverb. And I can't say any of the contemporary surf groups I have heard used chorus, either.

I just use a little bit of chours from my multi pedal when i play surf stuff i think it makes it sound cooler

Well, I guess there's no hard rules. I was just pointing out the classic sound. Adding something to that, and you could be on you way to a whole new surf world 🙂

I love this sound, probably because I was a teen when it became popular. Thanks for posting how to make the sound in GB. Perhaps we'll hear a revival and reinterpretation of this sound sometime in the future. History may not always repeat or reinvent, but it would be fun to see what shape something like this would take. I am rather tired of the the repetitive sounds I hear today. Where are the innovators? (Just a rhetorical question... not looking to start a thread of responses.)

I thought Grunge was a good innovative sound. But haven't heard anything better since. I like the fact that some bands are reaching into the past. One group is actually reaching back 200 years-- the East Village Opera Company.

But to answer the original post, do this--

Choose American Clean guitar. Double-click the track to edit the instrument. Turn the reverb setting to 100%. Add Amp Simulation and choose either American Clean or American Crunch. Save this custom setting as "Surf Guitar".

If you choose the American Crunch, you'll likely have to back off the pre gain to clean it up for the classic surf sound. The Brittish Clean might also give good results if you want to experiment a bit with it.

Heavy gauge strings on a Fender Strat will make it sound a lot more authentic.

Trust me 😉

and if you are really wanting to sound authentic, heavy gauge
b Flatwounds

...and THIS!

Never used one of those, but I'd love to have one. That'd go great with my 64 Bassman, but my 67 Super Reverb has a pretty lush reverb on it, though.

Perfect, stick with that, and mic it with this.

Sweet.. (ala Napoleon Dynamite)