(Book). Now in paperback and updated with new material and photos, this acclaimed book is the first to examine the guitars, basses, drums, keyboards, amplifiers everything The Beatles used to become history's greatest rock 'n' roll band. It analyzes all the gear and how the trend-setting Beatles played it to sculpt an unforgettable range of sounds. Year by year, Beatles Gear examines in fine detail specific instruments, amplifiers, and other equipment used by each artist from the pre-Beatle days in 1956-57 Liverpool, throughout the global Beatlemania of the '60s, to the group's disbanding in 1970.

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Editorial Reviews

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

About the Author

Andy Babiuk (Rochester, NY) is a musician, writer and co-owner of the boutique music shop Tone Bender Music. He has been a professional in the music industry for more than 25 years and is a consultant to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame and to major auction houses in London and New York. He is the author of The Story Of Paul Bigsby: Father Of The Modern Electric Solidbody Guitar. He plays in the recording and touring band, the Chesterfield Kings and lives in Rochester, New York, with his wife, six children and a very large collection of guitars and music memorabilia.

Product details

Item Weight : 3.15 pounds
Paperback : 256 pages
ISBN-10 : 0879307315
ISBN-13 : 978-0879307318
Product Dimensions : 10.25 x 0.75 x 12.75 inches
Publisher : Backbeat Books; Revised Edition (October 1, 2002)
Language: : English

Best-sellers rank #840,079 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#420 in The Beatles
#508 in Music Recording & Sound (Books)
#1,268 in Popular Music (Books)

Customer Reviews:
181 ratings

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Scott

The Definitive Book on Beatles Gear

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2015

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A fab way to learn about the instruments on which all that great Beatles music was created. From Paul's iconic Hofner bass to George's Gretsch Country Gentleman, all the gear is in there. That includes some of the more obscure instruments, too. Learn about the prototype Vox amplifiers the Beatles used as well as their experimentation with Fender amps. Not only does Andy Babiuk do a great job on the writing, Beatles Gear has lots of color and black & white pictures. When you are done reading, plan a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland to see some of the gear first hand, such as Ringo's Ludwig drums. You'll even know the official color if you read Beatles Gear.

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Mark Janovec

Book fills a rare void in Beatles library

Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2002

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There have been Beatles books written by nearly everyone who ever came within a mile of the group. And many have been written by people who never even came that close!
However, Beatles Gear fills a void that previous books rarely touched on: the instruments the Beatles used. While this subject may only appeal to instrument enthusiasts and the most fervent Beatles fan, it does add something valuable to the history of the group. One feels Andy Babiuk really did his research and made an attempt to fully cover every instrument the band owned or played.
This book makes a nice suppliment to the "bible" that is Lewisohn's "Recording Sessions." The pictures are (mostly) beautifully rendered and many have not been seen before.
While this book is not for everyone, it makes the distinction of being a rare Beatles book that adds to wealth of knowledge already out there.

13 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Fab/Gear Book On Beatles' Gear

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2016

Verified Purchase

Great stuff...always liked looking at the equipment musicians used (I was a baseball equipment manager in an earlier life) as it has long been an ambition of mine to have a room full up instruments (except keyboards) I couldn't play. Fascinating look at all the vintage tools of the trade even if some of the photos weren't the actual instruments they used. But a likeness is almost as good as the real thing. Really enjoyed it and worth every penny!

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Amazon Customer

Great Resource for any Beatles Buff!

Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2020

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A detailed resource book for Beatles geeks out there. Delivery was very quick; the book print quality is superb and the content, at least for me, is quite comprehensive. Provides great info on all the gears used by the Fab Four.

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Road Reptile

Get your copy NOW!

Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2002

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The Christmas present I never got--so I bought my own copy. This book meticulously covers a topic not widely known by a lot of people, even fans of the Fab Four. It's about time someone wrote a book on the instruments and equipment the Beatles used to craft their wonderful songs. The book is a must for a Beatlemaniac's library, those interested in rock music, modern musical instruments, and the recording arts. However, I wish the author could have hired better, more thorough proofreaders, as this edition had a few incorrect spellings (e.g., look for "Geroge" Harrison). In addition, I , too, would like a section that lists the gear they used on each album or song. Despite all this, it's a great read, but it could use a few more tweaks. Maybe the revised (2002) edition will do the trick?

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Jamie Slavy

Finally

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2008

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This is a book that should have been published a long time ago. Great photos and they really do their homework and research as far as what instruments were used at what times. A must have for any Beatle fan. Think of it as a companion to the Beatles Recording Session book. Two complaints: 1. As with most Beatles material, they gloss over late 1965 and 66, especially with photos. This was when the Beatles were reinventing themselves artistically and created some of thier most critically acclaimed work and their most imitated sound. When a song sounds Beatle-esque it usually sounds like 1965/1966. Maybe it's a lack of documentation during this period. 2. There are a lack of info and pictures regarding the myriad other instruments which "Pepper" their songs. You get to see a Bach trumpet made famous by Penny Lane, but not much else. It's not that they should or could track down the original instruments, but more visuals would be nice as you read along. This is especially true with the indian instruments, which made up so much of the Beatle sound but are visually almost non-existant in the book. What about a Bass harmonica, French Horn, clarinet, Sitar, Tambora, Indian Harmonium, The EMI sound effects closet? A great book that could be perfect if not for these two flaws.

3 people found this helpful

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L. J. Gregory

Fascinating Insight Into The Beatles' Amazing Techniques and Sounds

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2015

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Incredible very specific accounting for practically all of the instruments, amplifiers, pedals, microphones, studios and recording gear, (you name it!) that the Beatles used on every album and just about every song. A goldmine of important information for students of music and audio engineering. The author has provided an incredible service for posterity in compiling this book!

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Top international reviews

Music Fanatic

Top book for Beatles fans and artists alike

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 15, 2016

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I've really enjoyed reading this book it not only gives you a great insight into the gear the Beatles used right down to the early fX pedals to their amps and guitars and other vocal fx in the studio but it almost tells the life story of each Beatle and lots of info on who they met along the way, how others influenced them etc etc. As a massive Beatles fan I've read quite a few books but this beats them all and if you play in a Beatles tribute band you will love this its a valuable asset.

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Jeppo

A brilliant book for all Beatles nerds everywhere!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 3, 2002

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Lewisohn's 'Sessions' gave us a great insight into the Beatles recording history, but too much was left unanswered. Not any longer because Andy Babiuk's book does much to fill in the gaps. Here is the definitive guide to how the Beatles got their sound. All the instruments used, some dating back to the mid fifties, have been tracked down & photographed with relevant details given. The photographs are perfect eye candy for anyone who loves old music gear and the text is well written with attention to detail. It is laid out in chronological order which is effective & has it's merits, though my only quibble would be the lack of a definitive chapter on HOW the Beatles were recorded. By this I mean the types of microphones, mixing desks & tape machines they used. These details can be found, though you have to do some sifting through the pages to get what you want about the studio gear itself. However, this is a superb book and essential reading for anyone who takes the Beatles music seriously.

21 people found this helpful

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Johnny Ridler

"Beatles Gear" Book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 2, 2013

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The "Beatles Gear" book is well written, informative and has excellent photographs of the musical instruments used by "The Beatles". It is a hard book to put down and I fully recommend this book to anyone interested in the musical evolution of this exceptional band.
The hardback book was delivered promptly and well packaged.
Thanks JJ Ridley

3 people found this helpful

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Ceedee

Excellent

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 6, 2013

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A nice big well written and well illustrated must have book for anyone interested in
guitars and/or the Beatles.
At this price it really is excellent value too.

2 people found this helpful

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Andy Best

Can be read for ever......

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2014

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Amazing insight into not just the equipment but how the Beatles developed their sound. A must for all fans! If your man is a fan ladies.....treat him to this. Prepare to spend some time alone afterwards though! ;-)

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F.H

Great...!!!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2014

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Dind't read it completely yet , but boy what a great book not only on the Beatles gear but also about the production and the way they made music...One of the best book so far about them.

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Mike

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 25, 2017

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Love this book .... easy read and very informative

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Ashley Hart

but I'm sure its ******* fantastic.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 24, 2015

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Still reading the stones one, but I'm sure its ******* fantastic.

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Anette Kristensen

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 25, 2016

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Absolutely fabulous.

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bluemuffins

a very happy dad: )

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 18, 2015

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Bought this as a Christmas present, a very happy dad :)

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Gj Jenkins

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2015

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grate book does what it says on the tin a must for all fans and musos

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terry hornby

This is a very exhaustive tome that tells you every ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 28, 2015

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This is a very exhaustive tome that tells you every detail of the Beatles choice of equipment throughout their career. An absolute must own for every Beatles aficionado.

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Rockndcl

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2016

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Fascinating...

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Mary Hetherington

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 23, 2015

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My husband is going to be over the moon with this present x

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Bertil

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2015

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Excellent item, great quality and fast delivery:-) Thanks!

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