How to get the Beatles Let it Be era sound...?

MySweetRosewood · March 11th, 2006, 02:31 PM

Hi Guys,

I'm new, please be gentle!

I have one of the Japanese Rosewood reissues that have been mentioned on here a few times. It's a beautiful guitar and a joy to play. I'm really happy with it. I also have a Laney VC30 amp which I bought to try and replicate the AC30 sound. It's a decent amp.

But I really want to capture that Let it Be sound that George had with his own (miles better, but heavier too) Rosewood Tele.

Has anyone got any ideas? Is there anything I can do to enhance my current setup? Do I need effects?

Cheers all.

PS. I'm also trying to do an accurate cover of 'Don't Let Me Down' in my band and can't for the life of me find an accurate tab for the bit that George plays after John sings '...like she does...' George does a sort of slide down the neck, picking (what looks like) the 2nd and 5th strings. Most tabs seem to say it's a slide down from the top two strings on 14 to 12 and so on but it just doesn't sound right! Hope this is understandable!

Farfel · March 11th, 2006, 02:50 PM

I heard that George Harrison used on of these:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...mps?sku=480507
I hope that helps.

BrianF · March 11th, 2006, 02:55 PM

The Beatles used all brand new Fender amps back in the late 60's. Silverface Twin Reverbs ...George also used a Leslie cabinet...not sure if he used a Fender Vibratone (Leslie 16 re-branded).

zombywoof · March 11th, 2006, 03:29 PM

Just grabbed some photos I have that were taken in the studio and on the rooftop. I see a couple of what look like Fender 65 Twin Verbs. A friend of mine swears by Pyramid light guage flats for a "Beatles sound."

BrianF · March 11th, 2006, 05:35 PM

All your Beatles amp questions can be answered here.

For Let It Be era the Beatles used Silverface Twin Reverbs. Navigate to George's section and page to the correct era.

http://www.beatlesgear.com/

MySweetRosewood · March 11th, 2006, 05:56 PM

Thanks for the advice on the amps fellas. I will look into the Twin reverb, hopefully it won't be too expensive, though I fear it probably is!

What about that Don't Let Me Down tab question? Any got any ideas?

GuitarGeorge · March 11th, 2006, 07:14 PM

It sounds to me like the bridge pickup with a lot of the treble rolled off.

Start with the tone control in the full bass setting and slowly bring up the treble.

Maybe my ears are getting old and tired but I find myself to be using less treble these days.

milocj · March 11th, 2006, 07:34 PM

As long as you don't want to be so exact as to find a 1968 silverface Twin Reverb you probably won't have to shell out the really big bucks. Early to mid-70s SFTRs that are a little tattered cosmetically but still in good working condition can be found in the $500-650 range and probably a touch lower if it's really torn up on the outside. Twins haven't gone up in price crazily like the other amps because they're so loud and heavy that most people don't want to haul one around to gigs. If you're going to look for a Twin they went to an "ultralinear" design near the end that was 135 watts. I'm not sure if they sound very different from the earlier ones or nut.

In addition to the Leslie cabinet George also used a Vox wah-wah (which is heard on that slide down part that you mentioned) and some kind of a fuzz pedal on a few songs. A lot of times he seems to use the wah-wah as a tone filter by just setting in a position and leaving it, and also with just a touch of sweep to add to the effect.

Lyle Caldwell · March 17th, 2006, 07:51 PM

George used three amps in the Let it Be and Abbey Road period - a silverface Twin Reverb (rooftop and Twickenham), a blackface Deluxe Reverb (most album recordings), and a transitional Bassman (between blonde and black - many album recordings going back to Revolver).

I sent you that descending riff - he really is playing the sevenths and 6ths, not the octaves.

hekawi · March 17th, 2006, 08:17 PM

yeah, those were the aforementioned fender amps at the time. the beatles "agreement" with vox essentially expired when brian epstein died in 67. you still need the vox sound for the earlier stuff, though.

Bill Ashton · March 17th, 2006, 09:56 PM

...was to tell you "Leslie," but I am really not up on the later Beatles gear as the other posts will attest to.

But I do have several Telecasters and a Laney VC30 (mines a 112)...isn't that a nice sound?

OutlawSteph1975 · March 18th, 2006, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianF

All your Beatles amp questions can be answered here.

For Let It Be era the Beatles used Silverface Twin Reverbs. Navigate to George's section and page to the correct era.

http://www.beatlesgear.com/

Cool. I'll have to spend some time reading that, but I only see amp info. Where's the guitar info.?

Lyle Caldwell · March 19th, 2006, 09:45 PM

They haven't done the guitars and drums yet.

But George was primarily using the Rosewood Tele and "Lucy" the refinned '57 LP for Let it Be and Abbey Road. "Rocky" the Strat was used for some slide. His SG was given to Pete Hamm of Badfinger during the White Album/Let It Be era. His acoustics for these albums were primarily a Martin D-18 and a Gibson SJ-200.

March 11th, 2006, 02:31 PM	#1 (permalink)
MySweetRosewood TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 11	How to get the Beatles Let it Be era sound...? Hi Guys, I'm new, please be gentle! I have one of the Japanese Rosewood reissues that have been mentioned on here a few times. It's a beautiful guitar and a joy to play. I'm really happy with it. I also have a Laney VC30 amp which I bought to try and replicate the AC30 sound. It's a decent amp. But I really want to capture that Let it Be sound that George had with his own (miles better, but heavier too) Rosewood Tele. Has anyone got any ideas? Is there anything I can do to enhance my current setup? Do I need effects? Cheers all. PS. I'm also trying to do an accurate cover of 'Don't Let Me Down' in my band and can't for the life of me find an accurate tab for the bit that George plays after John sings '...like she does...' George does a sort of slide down the neck, picking (what looks like) the 2nd and 5th strings. Most tabs seem to say it's a slide down from the top two strings on 14 to 12 and so on but it just doesn't sound right! Hope this is understandable!

March 11th, 2006, 03:29 PM	#4 (permalink)
zombywoof Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Back in the Heartland Posts: 2,904 17 Photos	Fender & Pyramid Just grabbed some photos I have that were taken in the studio and on the rooftop. I see a couple of what look like Fender 65 Twin Verbs. A friend of mine swears by Pyramid light guage flats for a "Beatles sound." __________________ "I don't play a lot of fancy guitar. I don't want to play it. The kind of guitar I want to play is mean, mean licks." John Lee Hooker

March 11th, 2006, 05:35 PM	#5 (permalink)
BrianF Friend of Leo's Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Carlsbad, Ca Posts: 2,155 7 Photos	http://www.beatlesgear.com/ All your Beatles amp questions can be answered here. For Let It Be era the Beatles used Silverface Twin Reverbs. Navigate to George's section and page to the correct era. http://www.beatlesgear.com/

March 17th, 2006, 07:51 PM	#9 (permalink)
Lyle Caldwell Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 535	George used three amps in the Let it Be and Abbey Road period - a silverface Twin Reverb (rooftop and Twickenham), a blackface Deluxe Reverb (most album recordings), and a transitional Bassman (between blonde and black - many album recordings going back to Revolver). I sent you that descending riff - he really is playing the sevenths and 6ths, not the octaves. __________________ "Everybody sings about Memphis, but nobody ever does anything about it."

March 17th, 2006, 08:17 PM	#10 (permalink)
hekawi Friend of Leo's Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: greenville, sc Posts: 2,045	beatles sound yeah, those were the aforementioned fender amps at the time. the beatles "agreement" with vox essentially expired when brian epstein died in 67. you still need the vox sound for the earlier stuff, though.

March 11th, 2006, 02:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
Farfel Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Illinos Posts: 350 4 Photos	I heard that George Harrison used on of these: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...mps?sku=480507 I hope that helps.

March 11th, 2006, 02:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
BrianF Friend of Leo's Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Carlsbad, Ca Posts: 2,155 7 Photos	The Beatles used all brand new Fender amps back in the late 60's. Silverface Twin Reverbs ...George also used a Leslie cabinet...not sure if he used a Fender Vibratone (Leslie 16 re-branded).

March 11th, 2006, 05:56 PM	#6 (permalink)
MySweetRosewood TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 11	Thanks for the advice on the amps fellas. I will look into the Twin reverb, hopefully it won't be too expensive, though I fear it probably is! What about that Don't Let Me Down tab question? Any got any ideas?

March 11th, 2006, 07:14 PM	#7 (permalink)
GuitarGeorge TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 33	It sounds to me like the bridge pickup with a lot of the treble rolled off. Start with the tone control in the full bass setting and slowly bring up the treble. Maybe my ears are getting old and tired but I find myself to be using less treble these days.

March 11th, 2006, 07:34 PM	#8 (permalink)
milocj Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 393 3 Photos	As long as you don't want to be so exact as to find a 1968 silverface Twin Reverb you probably won't have to shell out the really big bucks. Early to mid-70s SFTRs that are a little tattered cosmetically but still in good working condition can be found in the $500-650 range and probably a touch lower if it's really torn up on the outside. Twins haven't gone up in price crazily like the other amps because they're so loud and heavy that most people don't want to haul one around to gigs. If you're going to look for a Twin they went to an "ultralinear" design near the end that was 135 watts. I'm not sure if they sound very different from the earlier ones or nut. In addition to the Leslie cabinet George also used a Vox wah-wah (which is heard on that slide down part that you mentioned) and some kind of a fuzz pedal on a few songs. A lot of times he seems to use the wah-wah as a tone filter by just setting in a position and leaving it, and also with just a touch of sweep to add to the effect.

March 17th, 2006, 09:56 PM	#11 (permalink)
Bill Ashton Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Central Massachusetts Posts: 495	My first impression... ...was to tell you "Leslie," but I am really not up on the later Beatles gear as the other posts will attest to. But I do have several Telecasters and a Laney VC30 (mines a 112)...isn't that a nice sound?

March 19th, 2006, 09:45 PM	#13 (permalink)
Lyle Caldwell Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 535	They haven't done the guitars and drums yet. But George was primarily using the Rosewood Tele and "Lucy" the refinned '57 LP for Let it Be and Abbey Road. "Rocky" the Strat was used for some slide. His SG was given to Pete Hamm of Badfinger during the White Album/Let It Be era. His acoustics for these albums were primarily a Martin D-18 and a Gibson SJ-200. __________________ "Everybody sings about Memphis, but nobody ever does anything about it."