Rickenbacker 325

The guitar John played on stage in Hamburg was his blonde Ricky (the Rickenbacker 325 model). Exploiting the Ricky's unique tone, he played a very famous rhythm guitar riff in "All My Loving."   
"I play a pretty mean guitar in back." John Lennon on "All My Loving"   Rickenbacker Capri 325, a small semi-hollow body with three pickups, a 3/4 sized neck and body, and a Bigsby vibrato unit. John Lennon bought his first in Hamburg, Germany, in the early 1960's. Originally in a light natural wood finish, he painted it black later. It became a signature Lennon Beatle instrument through 1965; played on all the early records, TV performances and tours.

In "All My Loving," John played the main rhythm guitar part in the verses and choruses. This was an aggressively strummed triplet rhythm figure, somewhat like an updated banjo strum, using simple four-note chords moved around the fingerboard in a manner almost like a chord solo. The scale length and feel of the Rickenbacker's shorter neck makes the fast-moving part much easier to play than on a standard guitar, and lends a brighter, tighter unique sound to the chords.  

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George Harrison's brief, song-oriented guitar solo in "All My Loving" is a mini-masterpiece of early Beatle guitarwork. In it he adopted a Chet Atkins-inspired country guitar approach, exploiting his familiar pick-and-finger articulation and parallel double stops as a deliberate theme. He also employed the twangy tone of his familiar Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman guitar for a bonafide rockabilly/country result. 

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The Vox AC-30 was seen and heard by millions as Beatlemania ignited the world. Both John and George plugged their Rickenbackers and Gretschs into Vox AC-30 amps. One of the classic early Beatle tones! 

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Fender Stratocaster

When the Beatles were in the studio recording Help!, John Lennon and George Harrison acquired matching Sonic Blue Fender Stratocasters. George first played his on "You're Going To Lose That Girl." On "Nowhere Man," both John and George played their Strats together. The bright, sparkling tone made it an ideal Beatle guitar, as evidenced by Harrison's memorable, ringing chord-melody solo. 

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Rickenbacker 360/12

There are several auspicious historical and sonic points about "You Can't Do That." Recorded on February 25, 1964, it was the first time George Harrison played his brand new Rickenbacker 12-string on a Beatle song. It was a focal point and signature guitar of many future Beatle classics as "A Hard Day's Night'" "If I Needed Someone," "Ticket To Ride," and countless others. 

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Order Information

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Beatles Hits- Signature Licks
by Wolf Marshall
HL00695049…$19.95

Beatles Favorites- Signature Licks
by Wolf Marshall
HL00695096…$19.95
21 songs, 62 audio tracks, 88 pages.

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