Stu Brandt

I started playing drums when I was eight years old in New York. It was the pop time of Sam Cook, Gene Pitney, Sam and Dave and Booker T and The Mg’s, The Young Rascals, The Stones, Vanilla Fudge.
Then the Beetles hit and I started a band called the Lundy Beats. We were together about 6 years and became the local Brooklyn favorite. Playing all local dances, clubs and sweet sixteen’s. When that ended I moved on to an eight-piece R&B band. Playing funk and soul music all around New York City.
My life took a sharp turn and I found myself working at my Brothers club called The Electric Circus as the DJ and soundman. I didn’t play much music and eventually sold my drum set a 1964 set of Ludwig’s.
I didn’t pick it up again until many years later my daughter asked to learn how to play. I bought her a set and remembered how much I loved to play.
After gaining my confidence back I hooked up with the Aquamarines and fell in love with Surf music. I played with them for 3 years. Then in October 2005.Mark and I formed the El Dorado’s. In January on 2006 I also joined The Meshugga Beach Party.

Mark Scardello

Mark Scardello began playing guitar at age 16 and has never stopped playing. His influence then were “what was happening at the time”. He first heard the sound of an electric guitar while walking his neighborhoods and hearing The Ventures records music coming through the open windows of houses in his native Decatur, Illinois. His cousin had learned some guitar and piano from his Ray Charles influenced Black musician friends. He shared that soul with Mark and the ingredient of “feeling and soul” was added to the mix.
With not much else to do in an industrial and farm town, he plugged in and began a life long quest for the sound of an electric guitar. The Beatles exploded on the scene, the English invasion groups and all the groups that followed. Learning and performing at an early age Mark formed his first band at age 17 and began playing in the Midwest for the next fifteen years. He brought his enthusiasm for live performance and entertaining to Denver, Colorado and played for another twenty years in the Rocky Mountain area. Mark’s groups have shared the stage with many other influential Rock personalities such as REO, Nugent, Seeger, the Guess Who, Mayall, and Cocker.
Moving to California in 2000, he found the surf connection that started it all. Where else but at “ground zero” to pick up the ball and carry it? He was the original Rythem guitar for the Aquamarines. In October 2005 he helped form the Eldorado’s.“It’s all about my quest for the tone of a metal string, stretched over wood, and vibrating over a magnet wound with wire that drives me” states Mark. “Plug me in!”

Tim Corbett

It all started listening to Rush and Yes on the radio. My reaction was, “Wow! Who's that on the bass? Squire and Geddy Lee! What a unique sound and delivery. I wanted to play bass in this way stay true to the role of the bass player in a band, but be able to move around the fretboard in a way that adds not detracts from a song. This is what I strive for.
It has been a challenge playing the various types of music I have been involved with. Starting with the “All Night Band” which covered the music of Led Zepplin among others. After that, the path led to “Big Sky Mind” which was heavy alternative rock as well as a complete unplugged set which showcased the diversity of the band. Then on to “SFO” – a Joe Satriani Tribute band which was lead by Mike Fresquez, currently of “Power Age”. The journey then led to “The Fifth Element Band” which was a local Vacaville cover band.
In February 2006 I joined "The Eldorados Band" a surf instrumental band formed by two members of the Aquamarines. This is very exciting music to play on the bass guitar and I look forward to playing the favorites as well as our own music.

Scott Culbertson

It was 1977 in San Diego. My dad had wanted me to play violin, but my classmates in junior high convinced me that violin was for “nerds”(this was back when “the Fonz” was on everyone’s lunchbox) so I started hauling around my older brother’s vintage ’69 black and white Rickenbacker bass to 7th grade classes. Instant coolness. I remember listening to King Crimson and The Beatles while everyone else was into the Bee Gees and Fleetwood Mac. Disco Fever was in full bloom. I taught myself to play by ear, and played bass in garage bands that never played anywhere, as there was really nowhere to play. At 15, my first trip to a Camp Pendleton pawn shop netted a no-name Telecaster copy, and I had my first ever 6-string guitar. I taught myself bar chords, and started trying to play Zeppelin, Cheap Trick, and Judas Priest. In 1982 at 18, I quit playing bass, moved to SF, and stepped right into the raging SF post-punk scene. I played in the SubGenius Church noise-band Life Without Bob, then did four months with Faith No Man, at the time when Billy G changed the name to Faith No More and added Courtney Love, after that did a long stint in Yes No Maybe, and released 4 vinyl records on Reptile West Records, which I co-founded. In 1991, when the Bay Area original music scene took a breather, I discovered Chet Atkins and started traveling to Appalachia to learn from old thumbpickers of the 40’s and 50’s. This pursuit of the melodic/harmonic counterpoint of thumbstyle guitar somehow led me to the purity and beauty of Surf Music, and in 1995, along with some ex-members of Red Asphalt, I put together the Jaguars, which later became Lost Lake. But it would be another 12 years before I would find my way to the Eldorados…