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by Derek Cullimore
The Beatles and their music; forty plus years on, is just as relevant and fresh today as it was when new. Their repertoire has crossed generations to become a staple of our culture. In addition to the sublime quality of their songwriting, the masterful vocals and tasteful musicianship, the overall SOUND of the fab four continues to thrive and inspire us. When listening to most Beatles recordings, the crisp, uncluttered sound of the group doesn’t date the music to being of any particular time period, and the sonic quality is still what many of us search for in music.
Taking their cues as a self-contained unit from Buddy Holly & The Crickets, the Beatles mastered the classic two guitars/ bass/ drums lineup that has been repeated infinitely since their inception. Take a close listen to any of their recordings, but specifically their early works. Every instrument has clarity in the mix, the guitars ring through, the drums and bass are full but crisp, and the vocals sit atop everything with startling clarity. While a great deal of credit for this can be given to the ace engineers of Abbey Road studios, the instruments chosen by the group were a major part of this equation as well (not to mention their always tasteful and economical playing).
In the early recording days of the group, John Lennon switched off between his short scale Rickenbacker 325 and a Gibson J-160E acoustic- electric. Played through his British-made Vox amplifier, these guitars sound strikingly similar in their chime and jangle and worked rhythm guitar magic that drove the band, along with Ringo's drumming. George's Gretsch guitars provided a clear twang with just a hint of bite, also played through a Vox amp. Paul's short scale Hofner bass provided very thick low tones that gave the recordings a massive low end. Altogether, this blend of different frequencies add up to the sound painting and the differences in tone allowed each instrument to breathe in the mix. While a Gretsch or Rickenbacker is fun to play and helps nail the tones, they are not necessary; any low-output single coil pickup can jangle in a similar sonic space. Want to get even more authentic? Try some period-correct flatwound strings (such as those made by Pyramid). As for the bass guitar sound, any bass strung with flatwounds with the treble rolled off can approximate the sound of Paul’s Hofner.
While the Gibson J-160E (as used by not only Lennon but George Harrison as well) is a very cool, iconic image, a true revelation occurred in 1965 when Paul McCartney purchased an Epiphone Texan acoustic guitar (a long-scale big brother to the Gibson J-45). Paul used this guitar, tuned a whole step down to "D", for one of the most popular songs of all time, "Yesterday". Paul still appears with this guitar today and it’s a gorgeous sounding instrument. The combination of its slope shoulder design, long scale, solid spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides, is best represented in modern guitars with the Collings CJ model.
In 1966, both John and George started using Gibson guitars (both had Epiphone Casinos, and George also used a Gibson SG) that added a strong low-end growl to their sound. Coincidentally, around this time Paul switched to a Rickenbacker bass that emphasized a sharper treble response than his Hofner. Coincidence or not, this switch still allowed their famous instrumental clarity as their new choices reflected a new sonic palette.
While the band, like so many guitar fanatics, experimented with many sounds in their later years, the last true revelation of the Beatles guitar quest was John and Paul's acquisition of Martin D-28 models in 1968. In the spring of that year, at Maharishi's camp in India, John and Paul picked up Travis-style picking from Donovan. Many songs written during this period reflected that style (most famously "Blackbird" and "Dear Prudence") and the D-28s, with their massive low end and crisp treble proved to be the perfect guitars for these incredibly influential recordings. Paul's D-28 is perhaps the most heard acoustic guitar ever, given the massive sales and continued popularity of "Blackbird" (how many times have YOU picked up a new acoustic guitar and tried out that famous opening lick?)
Not only do Beatle guitars look cool, but the lessons learned by their personal instrument choices can help us all in sounding at our best.
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