Fixing a hole...

[Ash Telecaster]

Hello,

Another Beatles thread got me listening to the Beatles again. I've always loved the Beatles but I go through phases listening to things.

Anyway I was listening to Fixing a Hole and thought Harrisons lead tone was cool and unique and was wondering if anybody knows exactly what he used to get that tone.

I read somewhere that a particular Vox amp came with a built in fuzz circuit. Combined with using the Casino thats how he got it. I don't know if thats right.

Anybody know?

Thanks

 

[Ash Telecaster]

No Beatles fans? They are sooo Yesterday.

 

[hekawi]

This was how it was described in a past issue of "Guitar World":

The spare, tranquil arrangement is punctuated frequently by Harrison's double-stopped descending melody between the verses, and he resorts to some effective rockabilly-inspired riffing on the middle eight and in his solo.

Harrison used his Sonic Blue Fender Stratocaster for the session, getting a fair amount of distortion from his amplifier. Martin recalls that the gain, bass and treble controls on his amp were turned up high. In addition, the solo was phased on mixdown using Artificial Double Tracking. The effect can be heard clearly on mono mixes of the song, but is somewhat diminished on stereo versions, as the two tracks that creat the effect are panned separately rather than superimposed.


however,on occasion, Paul has claimed that he did the guitar solo himself on "Fixing A Hole".

 

[Ash Telecaster]

Wow, thats interesting info. So maybe it's the artificial double tracking that gives it that hollow sound.

Thanks hekawi!

 

[hekawi]

here's the mono mix in case you haven't heard it that way

 

[Ash Telecaster]

I'm not sure. I can hear the bass mistakes that I never noticed before but that might just be the head phones.

I love that guitar tone.

I think I am used to the stereo version. This is different.

Thanks for sending this!

 

[drf64]

however,on occasion, Paul has claimed that he did the guitar solo himself on "Fixing A Hole".

Well he is the only surviving Beatle so who can say?

 

[drf64]

well, no one asked....


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/mos...Cartney-likes-think-hes-remaining-Beatle.html

 

[studio]

well, no one asked....

It's okay, he'll tell us all anyway!
That's his character.

 

[Post Toastie]

Well he is the only surviving Beatle so who can say?

Did something happen to Ringo?

 

[drf64]

Did something happen to Ringo?

The link is to the Daily Mail article where Ringo says Paul thinks he's the only remaining Beatle.

 

[Ash Telecaster]

however,on occasion, Paul has claimed that he did the guitar solo himself on "Fixing A Hole".

I heard that said too. The descending double stops are very Harrison-esque but the guitar over the chorus is very reminiscent of something you might use as a bass line. Thats not foreign to Harrisons style either. I'm thinking Harrison did it.

I've also heard that Lennon played the bass while McCartney played the harpsichord which contradicts an interview with Martin where he said he played the harpsichord. The bass is a little rough on that track and thats unlike McCartney but the Harpsichord is very basic which is also unlike McCartney.

Could it be that Paul was dead? Just askin' the question!

 

[Ash Telecaster]

well, no one asked....


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/mos...Cartney-likes-think-hes-remaining-Beatle.html

HA! No kidding!

 

[trev333]

Sgt Peppers was the first real Beatles full LP that I listened to as a kid.... prior to that we had singles/radio/TV cartoon series songs,etc....

My older cousin got it soon after it came out.... I was in gr7, I think... every time we went over to visit I asked him to play it on his little record player .. he had a guitar as well.. so I could hold that and listen to the record.... he had a motor bike and would take us for rides......a cool dude....

I'd look at the pic on the sleeve.. at all the faces.... and remember all the songs note for note.....it was like adult Beatles... not the teenybopper yeh yeh yeh Beatles....

the songs were about people and life issues.... lovely rita, when I'm 64, she's leaving home, within you, without you... help from friends.... many themes that weren't just about holding hands with girls, etc....

I started to listen to them as a new entity after those days... and rarely listened to any "old " Beatles after those times....

 

[Joe Baggadonitz]

always thought McCartney did that solo

 

[hekawi]

always thought McCartney did that solo

me too. i figured it was Paul on his upside-down Esquire

 

[Ash Telecaster]

From The Beatles bible. (Don't know how reliable the source is)

"The backing track featured Paul McCartney on bass guitar, Ringo Starr on drums and George Martin on harpsichord on track one, and McCartney’s guide vocals and John Lennon’s rhythm guitar simultaneously taped onto track three. There was some bleed between the instruments which meant the guide vocal can be heard on track one.

Backing vocals were then overdubbed onto track four, and George Harrison added an eight-bar guitar solo onto track two.

They then overdubbed backing vocals, guitar and maracas to complete the song.

McCartney then recorded over his guide vocals and John Lennon’s rhythm guitar, adding in their place a new lead vocal performance. On the fourth track he double-tracked his vocals in places. Maracas were also added by Starr."

http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/fixing-a-hole/

 

[Ash Telecaster]

Here's another reference;

"George Harrison: lead guitar (1961 Sonic Blue Fender Stratocaster), "

http://oldies.about.com/od/thebeatles/a/The-Beatles-Songs-Fixing-A-Hole.htm

Some more info...

"The basic track was laid down very simply, with Paul on harpsichord, John on bass, Ringo on drums, and George on rhythm guitar; after laying down three takes, the song was put away. Two weeks later, Paul recorded a fourth take back at Abbey Road, then decided take 2 was the best of the lot, and double-tracked his vocal. Ringo added maracas, George came up with a solo, Paul laid down a second rhythm guitar track, John, George, and Paul added some backing "oooh"s and "doos" from the second bridge on, and the song was complete."

"Another band associate, Neil Aspinall, claims to have witnessed Paul playing the harpsichord, and the bass performance seems rather more like John's style (and, frankly, level of technical expertise). This was verified by second engineer Richard Lush. The sound of the guitar phrases during the verses are noticeably different than those of the solo."

 

[joshote]

Cool. Got tickets for Ringo and Paul this summer. Wish I could have seen George. I love his playing and his songs. Sometimes when I think my sound is too "trebly", I think about the sounds of the guitars on songs like "Fixing a Hole".

 

[Ash Telecaster]

Cool. Got tickets for Ringo and Paul this summer. Wish I could have seen George. I love his playing and his songs. Sometimes when I think my sound is too "trebly", I think about the sounds of the guitars on songs like "Fixing a Hole".

Wow, awesome, is that with the Allstars?

Trebly works well when you have more instruments, especially keys.