On which songs did The Beatles play their Fender Stratocasters?

It´s evident on "Nowhere Man", "If I needed someone" and "I want to tell you". But there must be more. F.e. I remember a photograph showing John Lennon with his sonic blue Strat during the Sgt. Pepper sessions.

 

That photo of John was taken during the rehearsal sessions for "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" on Feb. 28, 1967. Later on in the rehearsal, he moved back to his Epiphone Casino (George used his as well).

 

George is seen playing his strat (with psychedelic paint job) in the I Am The Walrus video clip from MMT. Whether he played it on the actual song itself, I am not sure. It's possible.

 

In February 1965 John is seen playing the strat, see pic below, and I believe John used it in 'Ticket To Ride'. George played his first Rick 12, listen to the intro, on this song, Paul played the little leads in it with his Casino and John , I believe, played the Strat. You can hear drone 'A' notes throghout the song and it sounds like a strat.



Here's more from those sessions

 

Cool pics. I had seen the John one but I hadn't seen the Paul and George ones.

 

Some more...

 

Not to get OT, but I love the color pic above of Paul holding a cigarette while trying to make a chord!

 

Wow, I've never seen those photos before.

It weird to see Lennon with a Strat. I actually did a double take with that one.

 

The rhythm guitar on With A Little Help From My Friends sounds like a Strat.

 

I did too, but because it looked more like a Lennon impersonator than Lennon at first glance.

 

Were they a bad match with the Vox's ?

 

Strats just didnt have a sound or look that I felt jived with The Beatles. The Tele George used in the later years sounded pretty cool though. Strats are just very dull and mellow if you arent used to playing one. Really have to use more attack and work for your tone. But regardless, they've got none of the pop, woodiness, or jangle that a Rick or Gibson/Epiphone hollowbody had. I would imagine they wouldnt be a great fit for a Vox. Strats sound best on a big EL-34 Marshall stack. Just ask Jimi.

 

Hmmm... I always got an amazing sound with my Strat(s) and AC-30s I've owned.

BTW, I believe "And Your Bird Can Sing" is Strats.

 

I recall reading Steve said they were Casino's.

 

Well you are probably a good strat player. Its possible to get a good sound on any amp with a Strat if you know how to work it. Heres a story...I changed from my Strat to my Rick 330 about a year ago as my primary guitar. Now, despite making improvements on the Rick...when I go back to the Strat, I have really "lost it". They just require very different skills. Once you get accustomed to playing one type, its difficult to get back in the groove with the other. I have a vague idea of The Beatles' guitar playing style, and it just doesnt seem they'd get along with a Strat. George did eventually get pretty good with it, but nothing that surpassed his playing with other guitars imo.

I'd be surprised if "And Your Bird..." is something other than the Epiphones. Can anyone identify them for sure?

 

I don't think they're Strats either. You can "hear the wood", for lack of a better term, of the Epiphones on those guitars on Bird.

 

I tend to agree. Sounds more like a Tele than a Strat to me, but the Epiphones make more sense.

 

My Recording The Beatles book is still on it's way.....anyone with it see anything about this? Or the Beatles Gear book?

 

I checked it. No specific info on "And Your Bird" that I saw, but it does state John's main guitar was the newly purchased Casino (they had 3 of them) during this time, used for nearly everything. No Teles were available. Only other 6 string electrics available (we know it was double tracked, not a 12 string), were 2 Strats and a Gibson SG. Strange that they got rid of the Ricks in '66...I loved their sound. However I realize they have a reputation for being a bit stiffer, harder to bend notes and such, than the Epiphones. Especially when you use those old fashioned flat wound strings.

 

I don't know if it's much help on this issue, but there is a guitarist who has produced two (and he's working on a third) instructional guitar DVDs on the Beatles music: http://www.to-a-tee.tv/index.html.

He's got clips posted for volumes one and two (clips 1 and 2 respectively). If you check out the clips, you will see that he us aiming for authenticity--he apparently owns versions of all/most of the guitars that the Beatles actually played!

And sure enough (and already mentioned above), on "Nowhere Man" he is pictured playing a psychedelic Strat! He claims to play all the guitar parts (apparently, 6- and 12-string parts, not bass guitar parts). I'm impressed.

 

George Harrison is quoted in Beatles Gear, p. 157, as saying this about the Sonic Blue Strats:

Actually, the Fenders were acquired in Feb. 1965 when the Beatles were working on Help!, so they could be on that album, too.

George is reported to have used his Gibson SG Standard, the blue Strat, and his Gibson J-160E on Revolver. John used his Epi Casino and Gibson J-160E. (p. 182) That beautiful SG was also used by John during the White Album sessions, and George later gave it to Pete Ham. Pete's brother found the guitar and auctioned it within the past couple of years, and IIRC, it went for around $400,000 to an unknown buyer (hopefully Olivia or Dhani).

 

This is the picture I was talking about. Really cool, isn´t it?

 

I'd say it's almost certain the harmony leads on "Bird" are Casinos, but I'm still on the fence about whether Lennon's rhythm guitar is his Casino or the Strat. In some parts it sounds like a Strat, others it doesn't.

Jason