Instruments and the Beatles

The Beatles recorded with a great many instruments during their years together. Ranging from the iconic Höfner 500/1 "violin" bass, to the relatively standard Fender Stratocaster, to George Harrison's sitar, they no doubt contributed to the overall quality and diversity of the Beatles' sound. The Beatles recorded with numerous "country" style guitars with f-holes, lending a unique sound to the rock-and-roll style of the Beatles, and later in their more experimental phase, a prime example being the Epiphone Casinos as seen with John Lennon in their final rooftop appearance, as well as those owned by George and Paul. The source of the feedback in the intro to "I Feel Fine" was a Gibson acoustic-electric, and George's Rickenbacker 12-string was featured heavily in their work. Paul's iconic Höfner bass, which cemented Höfner as a name in the instrument industry, was not necessarily the source of his iconic basslines; rather, he used his Rickenbacker 4001S for most of his career following Rubber Soul, utilizing its powerful low end for such hits as "Come Together". Ringo played Ludwig 4- and 5-piece drumsets throughout his career, with Zildjian and Paiste cymbals, with sound varying due to his constant experimentation with new muting techniques. The guitars and vocals were mostly recorded by the studio's provided Neumann microphones, although the drum mics were probably from AKG or Shure. Of note is their recording engineer, Geoff Emerick, who experimented with many recording techniques, some of which are now commonly used in many studios. One such method using a speaker as a microphone to record bass tones which would normally have blown out a microphone. They also recorded with a large number of keyboards, including a harpsichord, a Steinway upright, and even a Moog synth, as well as several other eclectic instruments, like the aforementioned sitar, harmonica, recorder, and assorted percussion such as bongos and timpanis. All of these myriad factors contributed to the unique, instantly-recognizable sound that is heard every time someone plays Abbey Road on Spotify, or spins up the White Album on vinyl, or clicks on "A Hard Day's Night" on YouTube, showing just how iconic the Beatles managed to become.