If you’re like me, you know about the Beatles reissues this week to commemorate September 9, 2009. You know, 09/09/09, number 9, etc.
In the course of 7 years of Beatledom, the fab four released 13 proper albums in the states. And The Beatles were pretty much the first self contained band that wrote their own music, performed their own songs and released their own albums. From Please Please Me up until The End, the Beatles were groundbreaking in many respects. And much of their catalog is killer.
While no one would argue that John, Paul, George and Ringo were virtuosos at their respective instruments, they did have a signature sound. They also utilized certain guitars, basses and amps that screamed BEATLES. Among other instruments, George Harrison played a lot of Gretsch guitars. For example on many of their early recordings, he played a Gretsch Duo Jet with Dynasonic single coil pickups:
Gretsch G6128TDS Duo Jet
John Lennon played Epiphone Casino guitars as well as Rickenbacker’s like this 360/6 in MapleGlo:
Rickenbacker 360 Six String
And Paul McCartney was most famous for playing a Hofner Beatle Bass. Eastwood has reissued a similar bass called the Club Bass which looks and sounds a great deal like the Beatle Bass
Eastwood Club Bass
A lot of The Beatles sound was because of their Vox Amps. Vox AC15s and later Vox AC30 amps projected their bright, chimey melodies.
Vox AC15 Hand Wired Heritage Classic Amp
Ringo Starr played the drums and I’m sure he played some cool kits but I own a guitar shop not drum shop and I’m not certain which drums he played.
