Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four's Instruments, from Stage to Studio [Hardcover]

Andy Babiuk (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2002

We are proud to present this special 2002 "Love Me Do" Collector's Edition! Featuring many previously unseen photographs, this limited run of 1,500 hardcover books has been issued to mark the 40th anniversary of the release of The Beatles' first Parlophone single, "Love Me Do," and autographed by author Andy Babiuk! Even though their songs are known by millions around the world, only now has a book been published that reveals how The Beatles sounded the way they did. This lavishly illustrated hardcover volume is the first to examine all the instruments and equipment The Beatles used to compose, rehearse, perform and record some of the best-loved popular music of all time. It features over 300 color and black and white photos of The Beatles - many never before published - as well as prime memorabilia, including instrument sales receipts, manufacturers' ads, concert posters and more. The book's year-by-year format analyzes in detail The Beatles' entire touring and recording career. Beatles Gear was written by Andy Babiuk, a staff consultant to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a 20+-year employee of House of Guitars, and an advisor to auction houses on music-related memorabilia. Includes a foreword by esteemed Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Babiuk takes a unique approach to the Beatles' story by documenting the history of their music equipment. The Beatles are forever associated with particular instruments, and thoughts of them immediately conjure images of John's Rickenbacker, George's large, hollow-bodied Gretch, Paul's signature custom Hofner violin bass (the first left-handed bass the company ever produced), and Ringo on a Ludwig drum kit. Babiuk begins with Lennon's first guitar in 1956 and follows through to the band's final 1969 sessions at the Abbey Road studios. As he shows, their choice of instruments were outlets for their personalities and creativity, and they selected a particular make and model for its individual sound, used that sound to its fullest, and then progressed to the next. Though dubbed "the quiet one," Harrison proved the maverick, continually experimenting with guitars and instruments from other nationalities, leading to the important Eastern influence on the Beatles' music. Babiuk provides marvelous technical detail on all of the Fab Four's gear, with numerous photos of either their own instruments or identical models. A fresh perspective on the group's well-documented history will appeal to hardcore fans and interested lay readers alike. Michael Rogers, "Library Journal"
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A big, slick, exhaustively researched exploration of what made The Beatles sound like The Beatles." -- Rochester Democrat and Chonicle

"A fresh, highly readable perspective on the group's well-documented history...will appeal to hardcore fans and interested laymen. Recommended." -- Library Journal

"A lavish celebration of every known piece of musical equipment [The Beatles] used...large and colorful...well-researched..." -- Tower Records' Pulse! magazine

"A sure bet to be a 'must-have' under the Christmas tree for any rabid Beatles fan." -- Mondo Gordo

"An authoritative guide to The Beatles' equipment...Babiuk shows himself to be a persistent researcher and a writer of clarity." -- Mark Lewisohn, renowned Beatles expert, author of The Beatles Recording Sessions and of the Beatles Gear foreword

"May be the ultimate specialized study of The Beatles...the sheer mass of information is impressive...the pictures...are fab." -- Chicago Tribune

"The 'gift book'...a luxury item...to be held and admired.... Beatles Gear provides a history of their sound." -- Boston Globe

"The folks at Backbeat Books have a well-earned reputation...this year, they've got more 'must-have' additions, [including] Beatles Gear." -- The Ithaca Journal

"The ultimate Beatles fanatic book." -- San Jose Mercury News

"To make sure [your gift books] end up on coffeetables...here's our guide to the best, [including] Beatles Gear..." -- Playboy

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Backbeat Books; Revised edition (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879306629
• ISBN-13: 978-0879306625
• Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 10.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,072,430 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Andy Babiuk is a musician, writer, has been a professional in the music industry for more than 25 years and is the owner of a boutique music shop Andy Babiuk's Fab Gear http://andybabiuksfabgear.com. He is a staff consultant to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and consultant to major auction houses in London and New York. Babiuk is the foremost authority on the equipment used to create the Beatles' music. Andy perceived the need for a book about The Beatles' gear when he tried to emulate some of their recorded sounds for his own band, The Chesterfield Kings. Andy then embarked on six years of research for Beatles Gear, during which time he interviewed over 400 people who worked with or were closely associated with The Beatles, listened to hundreds of recordings, watched miles of film, and amassed a vast library of documents and photographic evidence of The Beatles using their instruments and equipment. The result is this most detailed account of The Beatles and the tools that they used, on-stage and in the studio. Beatles Gear is a book that manages to be both a historical document and an entertaining read. Andy and band mate Greg Prevost have been working together on a follow up to Beatles Gear entitled Stones Gear - a history of the equipment used by The Rolling Stones. Babiuk and Prevost have written, performed and produced multiple albums and continue to tour throughout the world with their popular band The Chesterfield Kings. The Story of Paul Bigsby: Father of the Modern Electric Solidbody Guitar is Babiuk's second book published in February 2009. Andy lives in Rochester, New York, with his wife, six children and a very large collection of guitars and music memorabilia. Contact Andy at his email; [e-mail]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous!!!, July 19, 2004

By 

J. C. Darling (Burbank, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four's Instruments, from Stage to Studio (Hardcover)

My favorite book on The Beatles has always been "The Recording Sessions" by Mark Lewisohn. It has been relaced, now - however remaining a close 2nd - by "Beatles Gear"!

This book is for those like me who are not only Beatles enthusiasts, but also musicians who want to know every little bit of info (or, as much info as they can get) on all the instruments, and amps, and drums, etc. that the Beatles used during their career. Being a huge Beatle fan (and musician, as stated already), I thought I had a pretty decent knowledge of their guitars they used. Well..... how little I actually DID know! I learned a few things, already, after only skimming through the book for the first time...... like that George had TWO Gretsch Country Gents that look similar but are different in their switch configurations. Look at the photos provided of George onstage at different shows, and lo and behold! Two different Country Gents! Cool!

Other invaluable bits of info for the Beatle fan who must know "everything".... Ringo had three different Ludwig drum sets - with which five different "The Beatles" logo drum heads were used on the kick drum over the few years they toured. Amazing!

We all know Paul has had two Hofner violin basses - a '61 and a '63 - of which the '63 model became his main axe..... and we know John had two Rick 325's, the first of which he had painted black, and the second that was black from the start. But, I didn't know he had a 12-string version of his famous black 325!

The book is full of great photos of the actual guitars bought and used by John, Paul, and George... and, where an actual guitar could not be located for photographing, an exact model is provided.

Equally important, and covered as extensively as the guitars and drums, are the amplifiers.... and the keyboards, as well.

I could go on and on, but it would be more fun for you to learn for yourselves! Buy this book!!! I don't know why it took me so long to buy it!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Technical Beatles, January 6, 2006

By 

BeatleBangs1964 (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Beatles Gear, Revised Edition (Paperback)

Get this book with Mark Lewisohn's "The Recording Sessions" for a glimpse behind the Beatle curtain at their recording instruments.

For people who are interested in the amps, musical instruments, recording devices and technology of that era, then you want to read this book. You also develop a heightened awareness of the Beatles' musical instruments such as the differences in both of George Harrison's Country Gents guitar. ("Before He Was Fab," a book co-authored by George's only sister describes a Rickenbacker the youngest Beatle bought in September of 1963 during his visit to Benton, Illinois). You also get some interesting detailed information on the different drum kits Ringo used; Paul McCartney's famous 1961 and 1963 Hofner bass guitars; John's famous acoustics and you even get the scoop on the Beatles' logo and how it changed on the drum kits! That was new to me and I've been an inveterate Beatle fan and Beatle expert for most of my life!

Readers are treated to photographs of the Beatles' instruments and other technical devices, e.g. recording equipment. I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Babiuk speak at a Beatles' convention and the man is truly a scholar. This is a book well worth having!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh, those glossy pictures!!, July 8, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four's Instruments, from Stage to Studio (Hardcover)

I have to say, I bought this book primarily for the photographs. The large, glossy, color photos of every guitar, bass, and drum kit ever used by the Beatles. It was an absolute dream come true. But, to tell you the truth, I got a lot more than just a lot of fantastic pictures. I decided, when I bought this book, that I would read it cover to cover, no matter what, automatically assuming that paragraphs about amps and microphones would bore me to death. Not so. The way Babiuk wrote sparked an interest inside me so that I was eating up the information on amps and microphones as fast as I was eating up the information on guitar strings and bass pick ups. This book puts everything in such an interesting light, that I have become re-inspired, and I now look for more than just a great color when buying a guitar.

Of course, if you are just buying it for the photos, you won't be dissappointed. An absolute plethora of pictures adorn the huge pages of this book, making it a real sight for guitar-starved eyes.