JOHN LENNON - Rickenbacker question.....

Sorted. Thanks. Any speculation on the use of the Strat's volume control and not a pedal on the songs i listed above?

 

Recording The Beatles book has the answer!!! Just found it. I Need You is the answer. You mentioned this song earlier, however the volume guitar is again 12string Rickenbacker. And in George Martin's production notes from that recording day is this:

Finished at 4:35 Tuesday, On Track 2 (final overdub), George played a 12 string Rickenbacker with foot pedal.

So, George indeed got new volume pedal!

These production notes must be full of this kind of info we all want. Excerpts were published in Recording The Beatles.
I want them all, now!!!

Ondra

 

Thanks Ondra. Me too!

 

Just checked Ticket To Ride notes and there's a mention of John using Fender on Ticket To Ride!

Seems like John retired his Rickenbacker 325 for studio work in 1965 completely.
It's just my guess, but he might have used it for Dizzy Miss Lizzie though, as I believe he sang live while playing and being used to played on Rick so many times before... well my guess.

But I don't believe he used his Rickenbacker during Help sessions at all. Even the unreleased That Means A Lot has John playing Fender.

Ondra

 

I remember an interview with George (maybe in Guitar Player in the 80s) where he said that they always wanted Fender Strats (George had his eye on one in Hamburg, but ended up with a Futurama), but that they somehow got stuck with Gretch's and stuff, and that they were really happy to eventually get hold of the blue Strats. He mentioned how 'thin' the Gretch sounded in comparison. I have to say I agree. Give me a Strat or Epiphone any day.

 

I wouldn't agree that a Strat is going to sound "fatter" than a Gretsch with humbucking "filter-tron" pickups.

 

It's such a great pic this.....

 

I think what happened was that George went to look at a Strat in Liverpool but Rory Storm's guitarist got to it first! So George bought the '57 Gretsch Duo Jet from a sailor in Liverpool who bought it on a trip to the US.

 

Yeah that's right, except that it was in Hamburg that he saw the Strat. I just found the interview. I got a couple of things intertwined - When he mentions the 'puny' sound of the Gretsch, he goes on to talk about the Les Paul he got from Eric C. However, he does mention Strats elsewhere.
About the use of a volume pedal, he says that he found it hard to coordinate the volume pedal, so sometimes John would turn the guitar's volume control while George played! (possibly Baby's In Black?)

 

If this isn't a legitimate endorsement it's hard to believe it went
unchallenged by Epstein, especially when run in a "Johnny Dean" publication.

 

Epstein made a lot of mistakes but then the whole thing was new and a lot of the old showbiz stuff did not apply. The only endorsement between Epstein and a company was with VOX.

 

Hofner/Selmer also marketed "Beatles" strings, most likely made by Pyramid.

 

That may be. Still, the same company ran another ad in the same magazine five months previously. While not as overt as this one, its copy began with, "Listen to 'Beatles' John and George...That's the Great Rickenbacker sound."

How long does it take to say, "Cease and desist?"

Epstein was pretty good at that by April of 1965 when the advert I posted above appeared.

 

Cease and desist what? They played Rickenbackers. In public. That's all the ad points out. There is nothing in the ad that actually claims that John or George is endorsing them or praising them.

 

I'm a fan, not a lawyer. It appeared to me they crossed some line with a very strong implication of endorsement.

Jay Leno drives a bunch of Chevies. Can Chevrolet use his likeness without permission, without an endorsement deal?

 

Probably cannot use his likeness. But I don't believe you can prevent someone from pointing out what car you drive or guitar you play.

 

Here's a pic of the band in Llandudno, Wales in August 1963, using borrowed istruments (I think). Looks like George is using a Strat here.

 

A real alternate reality image! That was the subject of much conjecture on Beat Gear Cavern. Apparently that was a soundcheck. While waiting for Mal and Neil to arrive with their own gear, they borrowed Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas' equipment.

One of the guitarists doesn't have a Strat, but the other two Gibsons match (including the blonde bass). Same drum head too.

 

I think that's from the show. Can't remember where I read that...

 

I read somewhere that they had another engagement earlier that day, and their equipment hadn't arrived at the gig. Is is really just a soundcheck then? Wonder if Paul played that bass upside down or re-strung it? And where did the Strat come from? It also looks similar to a Watkins Rapier, but I think it's a Strat.

 

No way, they're not wearing their stage suits.

 

Damn, good point.

 

Here's another pic from Croydon in April '63. John is using his Rickenbacker, but George is using the J160E. I can only presume that he broke a string or something on the Gretsch and used the (electro) acoustic, which was the back-up guitar. I can't think of a song that he would specifically change to the acoustic for. Again, Ringo is using the Dakotas drum kit.

 

Here's a clearer version:



... and one from 25 April 1963 with Ringo using the Dakotas' drums at a NEMS showcase concert at Fairfield Halls, Croydon:

 

Ya beat me to it!

Note that Ringo's jacket is unbuttoned. Epstein must've had a fit!