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List of The Beatles instruments:
The Beatles started out like most other rock and roll
bands,employing a standard guitars/bass/drums instrumentation.
As
their touring days wound down, they became a full-time
studioband. Their scope of experimentation grew, as did the
paletteof sounds. This article attempts to list the instruments
used toachieve those results.
Not listed are instruments played by the Beatles session
playerssuch as cello, violin, saxophone, trumpet, French horn or
the 41-piece orchestra on A Day In The Life.
Guitars
Both Lennon and Harrison used the Gibson J- 160E, an
acousticguitar with an electric pickup at the base of the
fretboard. Theresonant character of the full acoustic body,
combined withthe electric pickup, meant that this guitar was
suseptible tofeedback, employed to great effect on the intro to I
FeelFine. Lennon used a Framus 12-string acoustic, which can beseen
in the movie Help! and heard on the title song and
Youve Got To Hide Your Love Away. This twelve-string guitar
accounted for audibly richer rhythm guitar parts on songs
likethese, in comparison to the six-string Gibsons. After
Sgt.Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Lennon moved on to a D-28from
C. F. Martin & Company (alternating between the J-160Eand the
D- 28 for The White Album) while Harrison upgradedto a Gibson J-200
Jumbo (which Lennon used on Two Of Usand other acoustic tracks on
Let It Be.)
Lennon primarily used a Rickenbacker 325 Capri from 1960
until1964. He purchased the guitar in Hamburg in its original
naturalfinish and used the guitar extensively throughout the
CavernClub performances. In early 1963 he sent the guitar off to
berefinished in its more popular black finish. This is the way
theguitar appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show performance in
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February 1964. Shortly after, he switched to a brand
newRickenbacker 325, a much more improved version of his 325Capri.
During the sessions for Help!, Lennon and Harrisonacquired matching
1961 Stratocasters. Lennons was used on
Nowhere Man and sparingly on the Sgt. Pepper album, whenit
disappeared from the groups guitar lineup, most likely stolen.
Harrison started off in the Cavern Club days playing a black
Gretsch Duo Jet. The Duo Jet was refurbished many years later and
featured on the cover and album Cloud Nine. Around1962 he switched
to a Gretsch Country Gentleman andGretsch Tennessean, both of which
he played until around1965. His second Country Gentleman was given
away to a
friend (Harrison was an avid sharer of instruments) and is
nowretained by Ringo Starr, while his first Country Gentleman fell
offThe Beatles van in 1965 and was crushed by a lorry. In
1964Harrison introduced the electric twelve-string into
mainstreampop. His Rickenbacker 360/12 twelve string-guitar was
aprototype. Only the second twelve-string guitar Rickenbacker ever
made, it was delivered specially to him during their first visitto
New York City. Harrison use of the 12-string inspired Roger McGuinn
of The Byrds to start using one too. Harrison used a
Gibson SG around 1966; these can be seen in promotionalvideos
for Paperback Writer and Rain, in addition to film ofthe recording
session for Hey Bulldog. He eventually gave thisguitar to Pete Ham
of Badfinger. Harrisons most prominentguitar from 1967 until early
1969 was a Fender Stratocaster.Obtained and used during the Help!
sessions, first used onYoure Gonna Lose That Girl, it was
originally Sonic Blue incolour until Harrison gave it a psychedelic
paint job, using,among other substances, his wifes sparkly green
nail polish. Thispsychedelic Strat, dubbed Rocky, is seen in the I
Am TheWalrus segment of Magical Mystery Tour, and in the All
YouNeed Is Love broadcast. Around this time Harrison also used
a1957 Les Paul model, which was given to him by Eric Claptonand was
once in the possession of, among other musicians,John Sebastian of
The Lovin Spoonful. Oringianlly a gold top
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