Gear & Sound

The legendary instruments and studio magic behind The Beatles.

Rickenbacker Guitar

Rickenbacker 325

John’s punchy, jangly early-era guitar.

Used heavily from 1960–1964. Known for its bright tone and short scale length. Featured in early recordings and live shows.

Gretsch Guitar

Gretsch Country Gentleman

George’s warm, smooth rhythm sound.

Used during the early touring years. Featured on “All My Loving,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” and more.

Hofner Bass

Höfner Violin Bass

Paul’s iconic lightweight bass.

Known for its warm, round tone. Used throughout the Beatles’ live career and many studio recordings.

Rickenbacker Bass

Rickenbacker 4001S Bass

Paul’s secondary bass used throughout the later Beatles years.

Left-handed bass guitar, given to McCartney by Rickenbacker.

Ludwig Drum Kit

Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl Kit

Ringo’s defining drum sound.

Used extensively from 1963 to 1968. Contributed to the clean, punchy sound of early Beatles records.

vox Amplifier

Vox AC30 Amplifier

The Beatles’ classic live amp.

The bright, chiming Vox sound became synonymous with the band’s early energetic style.

tape recorder

Abbey Road Tape Machines

Innovative recording technology.

Used to pioneer double-tracking, loops, tape echo, and backwards recording techniques.

mellotron

Mellotron

Psychedelic textures & string sounds.

Used on tracks like “Strawberry Fields Forever.” One of the earliest sampling instruments.

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