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Guitar Tone on White album


not coaster MODERATOR

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In the Beatles recordings book it states the John was "on a mission" to create the most distorted track known to mankind.

This led to the electric version of Revolution. It says there was some concern about the song actually damaging the lathe cutting heads, or worse the stylus jumping out of the groove on playback of the finished record. Gotta love those Beatles, always trying to top everybody else.

 

I heard Ted Nugent was on a similar mission (getting the most distorted sound on record) but gave up after hearing Neil Young's "Hey Hey, My My (into the black)".

Neil's sound is just blistering on that one. I believe that comes from a Fender Firebird (mini humbucker) in a Les Paul, through an old modded Fender amp, with a "Whizzer" attached.

In two days, it won't matter.
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I like the colors used on that album. Take another listen to "I'm so tired".....guitar sounds fab. The ending to Dear Prudence is another fine example. Hey they'd done everything else.....they were just painting another picture.
Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in
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Originally posted by Hippie:

[QB]In the Beatles recordings book it states the John was "on a mission" to create the most distorted track known to mankind.

 

what is the name/publisher of that book,if you please?

s

AMPSSOUNDBETTERLOUDER
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Tedster, you are correct, Gibson Firebird. Please accept my formal apologies for such a foolish oversight!

 

Stanner,

pg. 142 from (one of my all-time fav. books, now out of print)EMI's "The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions"

quote from Phil McDonald, (tape OP) from the 7-11-68 session of "Revolution"

..."John wanted that sound, a really distorted sound. The guitars were put through the recording console, which was technically not the thing to do. It completely overloaded the channel and produced the fuzz sound. Fortunately, the technical people didn't find out. They didn't approve of 'abuse of equipment'. .....the basic rhythm of Revolution was blistering, with the 2 distorted guitars, handclaps, and 2 seperate and very heavy drum tracks, compressed and limited and generally squashed to sound hard and uncompromising...."

 

Also, in the book "Two of us" or "All you need is ears", or Beatlesongs, .. (I've read over 50 books on the Beatles, I'm not sure which one.)it makes mention of the huge amounts of bass & distortion requested by the Beatles, and the technical concerns of the lathe cutters & having to put tons of limiting up, to keep the masters in spec., to allow proper playback.

 

This past summer, I saw "The complete Beatles Rcdg. Sessions" in a cut-out bin at a Borders bookstore for 4.99. (no way this book should be in a bargain bin! ) If you are an audio person and you only read one book in your life, make it this one! I swear this book gives me inspiration when I hit a dryspell. I think I've read it 20 times.

Mark Lewisohn is the author and he is one of a very few people allowed in to listen to over 500 hours of the vaulted Beatles tapes at Abbey Road. Lewisohn has written several books on the Beatles, and I find his books to be the most accurate and interesting.

Anyway, I hope this helps.

 

-Matt

In two days, it won't matter.
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Me again,

The book titled "The Longest Coctail Party", written by a staffer at Apple, nicknamed, "House Hippie" (good name) :D , has some technical info. about the mastering process of (Apple) Beatle albums that is fairly interesting reading, all from an insiders point of view.

In two days, it won't matter.
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