Why Did John Lennon Have Such Lousy Guitar Amp Tones?

[BG76]

He should have followed Carl Wilson's lead: Fender Jaguar + Fender Showman. Live and learn. Or not.

 

You do know Tommy Tedesco played a Telecaster on most of those recordings, right?

 

That being said, I own some Jazzmasters (59, 63 and 66) and my Mosrite sounds light years better through my BF Dual Showman:)

 

[Django Sentenza]

You do know Tommy Tedesco played a Telecaster on most of those recordings, right? That being said, I own some Jazzmasters (59, 63 and 66) and my Mosrite sounds light years better through my BF Dual Showman:)

 

Nope, Carl Wilson played his own guitar parts. At least during the time he was playing a Jaguar (first four albums or so). Note that the live guitar parts sound just like the recordings (ie Surfin USA, Stoked, etc)

[BG76]

Nope, Carl Wilson played his own guitar parts. At least during the time he was playing a Jaguar (first four albums or so). Note that the live guitar parts sound just like the recordings (ie Surfin USA, Stoked, etc)

 

I would have thought he was using the Rickenbacker and that bad ass 61 Les Paul Custom (White SG style) at that time along with the Jaguar.

 

I remember seeing his Jaguar for sale with the Endless Summer ATA case about 10 or 15 years ago. Very cool guitar.

CW: I was playing a 6-string Rickenbacker for a few weeks. When the group really got going we bought a Fender Stratocaster, a Precision Bass, some drums, and some other guitars. I played a Stratocaster for a couple of years.

 

BH: Did Fender eventually endorse you?

 

CW: Yes. After the group got real popular, Fender asked us to endorse their instruments. I think the deal was they'd give them to you then you'd let them print ads and stuff like that. This was around 1962.

 

BH: Have you endorsed any other make of guitar?

 

CW: I don't think so.

 

BH: What combination of guitar and amp did you use in the early to mid-'60s?

 

CW: It was a Stratocaster and a [Fender] Dual Showman.

 

BH: At that time in the '60s, what guitar players did you admire?

 

CW: In the early part of the '60s I was influenced by the Ventures. We [beach Boys] learned how to play all of their songs just by listening to the records. So we learned how to do it by ear.

 

BH: What other guitars did you own at that time?

 

CW: I had a Fender Jaguar for a while.

 

BH: What kind of strings were you using?

 

CW: Heavy. I think they were Fender. Then I switched to Ernie Ball medium gauge in the mid '60s. As the years have gone on, I started to play regular Slinkys. That's what I use now, but I'd like to switch to a lighter string for more flexibility and ease in playing.

 

 

At any rate, I like Fender offsets fine. I still prefer my old Mosrite to any of the Fender offsets though.

 

Here is a 66 I just got:

 

 

with candy

 

 

Here is a '59 - but that amp is the main reason I bought the set. Very rare - if you look at the first channel the volume control is the center knob. Best amps Fender ever made IMHO (and I have a couple old tweeds).

 

 

Of course, you probably have one of these, but here is mine:

 

 

Here is one I'm building (from scratch - not a bolt-together job) for something different. I would have done a thread but those are frowned upon here:

 

 

Here is a dreadful POS that is kind of neat for the low price I paid:

 

 

 

 

This is more my style for an offset:

 

[Django Sentenza]

learned how to play all of their songs just by listening to the records. So we learned how to do it by ear. BH: What other guitars did you own at that time? CW: I had a Fender Jaguar for a while. BH: What kind of strings were you using? CW: Heavy. I think they were Fender. Then I switched to Ernie Ball medium gauge in the mid '60s. As the years have gone on, I started to play regular Slinkys. That's what I use now, but I'd like to switch to a lighter string for more flexibility and ease in playing. At any rate, I like Fender offsets fine. I still prefer my old Mosrite to any of the Fender offsets though. Here is a 66 I just got: with candy Here is a '59 - but that amp is the main reason I bought the set. Very rare - if you look at the first channel the volume control is the center knob. Best amps Fender ever made IMHO (and I have a couple old tweeds). Of course, you probably have one of these, but here is mine: Here is one I'm building (from scratch - not a bolt-together job) for something different. I would have done a thread but those are frowned upon here: Here is a dreadful POS that is kind of neat for the low price I paid: This is more my style for an offset:

 

Very early on he played a Strat. Then he switched to Jag for several years, while Al Jardine played Strat. When Carl switched to his Rick, sometimes Al would play the Jag.

 

Love that first Jazzmaster. Quality gear all around!

 

[video=youtube;FgDApIGvFxA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgDApIGvFxA

[SEANFIR]

Also you have to bear in mind that for its time, this was glorified punk and Garage band music, recycled by guys that clearly "got it" and were it not for them,  rock may well have died with Buddy Holly, who played the biggest part in their name, and a lot of their sound was considered "dubious" in quality, as most groups of the era were playing GAWD AWFUL clean and bone dry amp tones, while the Beatles were taking their small German Selmer amps and turning them up to 11. It wasn't uncommon for TWO GUITARISTS, including the early Beatles, to plug into the SAME AMP. Some of those amps had separate inputs for multiple instruments and guitars... which was purely dreaming in the part of the makers! British Vox amps, before someone plugged a Rangemaster treble boost, or before that, the tube echoplex with the echo nearly mixed out, were low gain and by all accounts "dark and rubbery" sounding... even in their earliest recordings, there are definitely tones evidencing tone tweaking and driving of the Vox amps in various ways, that were never the sound of "stock" Vox amps. All My Loving from June 1963, evidences a treble Rhythm by John on a Short scale Rik solid body with George on the boxy Gretsch tone. Both are years ahead, if you compare to the other players at that time. 

[PintoMusic]

I enjoyed reading this thread... I’ve been debating buying a Casino or maybe a Guild Manhattan w/P90’s... thinking I’ll get more of a Beatles tone with a guitar like one of those. I’m sure a lot of people turn right to the Casino for Beatles tones.

After doing a bit of research, I’ve learned that a lot of the Beatles’ guitar sounds that I like... weren’t even played on a Casino... but an SG or Strat... or some kind of Gretsch... which means I already own similar guitars... and the Casino... as cool a guitar as it is... is a little too mythical?