I was lucky enough to get a 330 with an unlacquered fretboard when they briefly made them. I've owned at least 7 different Rickenbackers over the years, but my 2021 330 probably plays the best of all of them to me. I wish the Hi-Gains weren't overwound as much as they're currently aiming for - I had a late 90s 360 many years ago where the Hi-Gains were wound just about perfectly for me. I think if Ric could offer just a couple of customizations to the customer, it would be a really good thing.
Bought the Gibson 100th Anniversary model as soon as it came out (thank You, God!) and have adored her mellifluous tones ever since. I only use Optima gold 12 - 52s on her. What a great sound to tickle the tympanic membranes when one has loved the opening of “A Day in the Life”, right after “sugarplum fairies, sugarplum, fairies” count-in by John (oh, thanks to the “blue album” and the anthology series… And a bootleg or two CDs). I do keep a set of D’Addario 12-52s around for emergency situations, but I prefer the timbre of the Optima, formerly Maxima (a fabulous bassist called Michael Rhodes turned me onto Maxima during a recording session for Warner Brothers - I miss Michael and his incredible gifts). Thanks for your dedicated research, and for sharing your affection for this instrument… My favourite of my acoustics. God bless you with happiness, health and love. 🎸👨🏼⚕️🫶✌️♾️
Adore my J160-E, Gibson 100th Anniversary series. It sounds great mic’d and with a cord running it through almost anything. Her name is Heather (my wife). Bought it new and have used it on every recording that requires an acoustic (I prefer miking it unless “live” - thank you Line 6). 🎸👨🏼⚕️🫶✌️♾️🇬🇧🏴🇺🇸
Lovelovelove your Vox collection!! My cousin brought his Royal Guardsman over to my house back in 1970 to let a new guitar playing kid work with a real amp, I was in awe and will never forget that!
Very fine detective work. Just remember your J-160E probably has a so called tusq saddle insert where the FAB's all were ceramic, , , AND that Lennon's second J-160 featured one of the acoustic world's most scorned concepts : the hollow plastic bridge - just like McCartney's Texan btw. . ☺ Keep the spirit hovering Hi from Copenhagen P.S. - truss-r-covers ? search the J-200 in 1969.
Not possible he used the 425. He bought the guitar in Illinois in November 1963 during his solo visit to America, This boy was recorded on October 17 1963. So It could be the J 160 E, because he used it during the promo video, but it also sounds like the Ed Sullivan version when he used the Gretsch, I’ll go the Country Gentlemen Though
"George" left out one note - the G - in the ending lick...otherwise. Dead on accurate. For years I never knew it was a J-160 Lennon played on the recording. Sounded so electric....
I’m 70 and got my first real guitar, a Stella, in 1962. Sounds like the Beatles were just like us kids with little cash. Black Diamond were the cheapest strings, and the house brand at our Sears store. The three real music stores my dad took me to (Joliet, IL) usually sold the Gibson, Gretsch and Fender strings. By high school more round wound strings were sold for our electrics with plain G’s. I bought a couple of sets of Chet Atkins strings, but they were expensive - I recall spending $7 a set. Yes, we only changed strings when one broke. Oh, flat picks were three for 25 cents.
I should add so I'm not being too critical, British people are extremely resourceful but like Mr Smokestoomuch can take a bit before they work out the solution. The changing 1 string at a time though....Eric Clapton also did that. It must of been murder with intonation. Who knows maybe it made them better because of the struggle. Oh and Paul many years later in Musician Magazine, I prefer the shiny ones or something.
When I hear a Gibson J160E it has a fast decay sound I do not like. With flatwounds I would imagine it sounds dead. I can hear the mahogany plywood with the rounds though. I also realize why it was created, feedback. Like Ovation it was designed for utilitarian purposes, rather than sonic esthetics. I don't think anyone, namely George Martin was deeply critical of what instruments they were using. If I'm not mistaken George used an Italian Fender knockoff or something during the audition and Paul's cheap Hofner was feedbacking like a banshee so much it also cancelled the gig. They didn't seem to have any grand solutions(although while they went out for a bite the engineer or something solved the problem and probably should be the 5th Beatle). Go watch the brighter Let It BE movie Get Back and how Paul is so thick and close minded it never dawns upon him surely someone in London has a ruler, piece of bone, file and some glue to give him a new nut(his strings were popping out). They were so naive. I know George Harrison hs talked about strings over the years, mostly the G string. Really the whole lot of them seemed like fish out of water.
Rickenbacker has a "compressed round wound" that keeps the tone and sounds great on my 330. On my 650 Dakota I find that round wound gives better tone than the compressed or flat wound. Just one man's opinion on Rick strings
I have the exact sea foam green fender strat. Love it. But for some reason I thought it would be lighter. Came from Chicago Music Exchange and the packing was amazing !!
Paul, your video was so fascinating I had to watch again. There's lots of information here. As you've proved The Beatles used what came on their guitars initially. Do you think they then did the string swapping trick of moving everything down one & adding a lighter string on top, making the gauge comparable to a 9 gauge set of today? Your additional thoughts appreciated.
Thank you! I noticed a lot of packs back in the day (especially Gretsch strings) would come with an extra high E and B string. I think they used the B string in the G spot as well. Basically two B strings. Or they could have got an .011 pack and mixed it with a .012 back. Regardless, I don’t think they messed around with the low E, A, or D strings.
Very interesting and Well executed Exposé over The Beatles "Hardware Armory". But Please tell Me that You didn't play the D Major chord with an Open Low E string?! That's a No-No for any Beatle Guitarist - or Any Guitarist for that matter! I've seen that Done by only Too many YT Guitar videos. So Please add Your Thumb on the Second Fret on Your Low E string ... Thank You!
Excellent profile of Studio Two recording this classic track.....just saw these guys for the first time in Hopkington a couple of weeks ago......terrific band!
Hey Paul! Great Video! Can I ask that you do a breakdown on the strings that Paul Used on all of his basses in the Beatles? I’m a Bass player and I’m trying to figure out which strings he used for each era, specifically for the Hofner, during the paperback writer. If you could help me out with that, it would be a big help, thanks!
Amazing collection and I love the passion about Vox amps that you and your dad shared. I am curious how many of the JMI SS Vox amps made it over the the USA. I would also like to see more comparisons between the JMI SS amps and the Thomas built SS amps.
