How to Write, Play, & Record (1960s) Garage Rock Guitar

0:00 - Introduction
1:08 - Definition
5:55 - Getting the Sound
9:18 - Riff Examples
12:06 - In the Recording Studio
14:45 - Microphone and Pre-amps
18:45 - Musical Examples
31:30 - Conclusion

[Mario_DiSanto]

What's yer guys' favorite 60s "Garage Rock" Track?

[joshuagargalione]

I’m glad garage rock is coming back it’s one of my favorite genres. It is the base and the precursor to punk.

[emmettyoung]

its really cool that there’s a boom of garage rock after covid. a lot of kids playing music after being locked up for two years. it’s interesting that the circumstances that lead to the boom in the 60s are present today. easier access to recording technology, cheap instruments available and a huge emphasis on creativity

[Frisbieinstein]

Hey I played garage rock during the 1960's. I had five of those Silvertone guitars, and a Silvertone amp which was quite good. Then we graduated to garage free jazz.

[boblittle]

Holy reverb! I was a kid in the 60s, and this is the closest I've ever heard anyone come to capturing what it really sounded like. "Hollywood" ALWAYS gets it wrong. Always. You're completely right: recreating a sound requires putting yourself in the shoes of the people who were there. Most of these "garage" bands in the 60s were made up of guys you knew from around the neighborhood or maybe from school - many of whom weren't terribly proficient at their instruments. I like that you purposely made some of your drum parts sound a bit uneven and the fills a bit hurried which is exactly how some of those records sounded. Great job. I'm jealous 😁

[sfeddie]

I started playing in a garage band in the early 60's. Every teenage boy loved the music, you were ion a group of guys being "cool." And paraphrasing Graham Nash, " You're lying if you say you didn't get into a band to get laid." Rock on.

[hoggboyy]

This series is going to become the Bible for a new generation of kids who catch the punk bug. I would have killed to have a guide like this when I was getting into recording during the early 2000s.

[billkallas]

Been there, done that. Was in a garage band in the 60's, for three years, with High School friends. As they say..."Me and some guys from school
Had a band and we tried real hard, Jimmy quit and Jody got married, I should've known we'd never get far".
Like 99.9% of garage bands, I ended up getting married, and finally selling all my stuff.
On the bright side, I retired a few years ago, bought an amp and a few guitars, and started playing again.

[DarkSideofSynth]

- Hello, Quentin. How're you doing, man?
- Good, good. Feeling good. What's up?
- I've got some awesome music for your next film.
- Cool. Tell me more...
😎

[danielkerbein]

Trust me, you're nailing that old crunchy sound - even at times giving me a contact high. In 1965 I formed a band with 3 friends, practiced in my dad's service station garage. I started on a Silvertone type guitar then a slick but cheap Japanese Teisco, then a nice German Klyra. Our influences were Them, the Seeds & the Blues Magoos. We did parties & talent shows, small stuff because we couldn't afford the big amps True about the unending energy, girl attraction & angst! Today I build guitars as a hobby - including my first Strat.

[Juiceboxbrian]

I've been deep in the modern california garage rock scene since I was in high school. ty segall, osees, meatbodies, wand, fidlar, the frights, michael cronin, white fence and all that. Playing in bands like this has always felt so good and natural to me. It's really cool to see some of this represented on youtube

[BCRSIX]

Wow! A Bogen amp! I remember when ALL bands in Houston in the 1960's used a Bogen amp for their PA system (I had a 35-watt Bogen Challenger), and they all drove Allen speaker boxes. Allen is still in business, re-coning speakers just like they did in the 1960's (they re-coned Jimi Hendrix's speakers routinely - only one guy, Ronnie runs things now, and he's getting up there in age). Bogen PA systems were common in churches and schools back then. Great video!

[mikeweber]

Well I WAS there in the 60's and you did a nice job of capturing the essence. And seeing the photo of the Silvertone all-in-one guitar amp / case brought back sweet memories. They didn't provide ground or polarity options so if you guessed wrong plugging it in, you were in for a shock (I speak from experience).

[sea-ferring]

I didn't live through that era, but I have listened to a lot of garage rock and I think you nailed the aesthetic.

[Thecaptain]

As someone about the same age as you who also is heavenly into 60s music, it's the drums for me that nails it. That's the number one way to tell if a recording is either authentically old, or authentically replicated. The guitar, vocals, bass, keyboard, and whatever else they might have used is easy to replicate. The drums, that's hard! Most folks make them sound too good. It's all about capturing the drums, not each drum! You nailed this. Now I want to go listen to the Mystic Tide on FULL VOLUME!

[jsw]

Only a minute in and you are cranking out we the people my brother the man. Cool!

[johnkaplun]

About half way through and heres what I got.
Step 1: have cheap ass guitar
Step 2: don't get caught up in this whole 'tuning' bullshit too much
Step 3: nothing fancier than open chords and single notes

Love it man, keep it coming.

[fufusdufus]

I’m only a third of the way through and this is already my all time best favorite video. Well done. Bill (born March 1952)

[jmdean_]

Just watched the Drums video. Still picking my jaw up off the floor. I know you said watch this one first bur I need no refresher course. Ladies & gentlemen, this is how it's DONE right here !!

[kaivrock]

I was in 7th grade then. Every neighborhood had their own band that literrally practiced in the garage or basement. It's really some of the best music ever. Just a lot of snotty fun.