Paul McCartney playing George's rosewood telecaster.

[rze99]

View attachment 925431 View attachment 925432

@rze99, You’ll be happy to know that it very well could’ve been an SG used on the riff! I checked my “Recording The Beatles” book and exhaustive as it is, there isn’t a “Track by track” list of the exact instruments used on a particular song (see the pic of the page that explains why). However, they do provide an official list of every guitar used by the Beatles during a particular year. So, here’s the pic of “1966”. As far as electrics used in 1966: Fender Stratocaster, Epiphone Casino, VOX Custom, and BAM! An SG! Maybe you nailed it after all!

Thanks for the post. Check out the PW track video and there is George with his SG. I think I had this fixed in my Brain. Cool vid too.

 

[rze99]

The Vox 7120 is an unknown sound to me in that I have never heard one in person so I can’t comment other than Vox provided it free (presumably) and it got used (presumably) so could be the the main ingredient in that tone. In which case why aren’t we all chasing one!

 

[rze99]

Blimey. This guy chased it.

 

[NiceTele]

View attachment 925431 View attachment 925432

@rze99, You’ll be happy to know that it very well could’ve been an SG used on the riff! I checked my “Recording The Beatles” book and exhaustive as it is, there isn’t a “Track by track” list of the exact instruments used on a particular song (see the pic of the page that explains why). However, they do provide an official list of every guitar used by the Beatles during a particular year. So, here’s the pic of “1966”. As far as electrics used in 1966: Fender Stratocaster, Epiphone Casino, VOX Custom, and BAM! An SG! Maybe you nailed it after all!

Paperback Writer and Rain sessions were done in the same couple of days in 1966, and on the promo video for Rain, George has his SG. John used a '63 Gretsch 6120 on the Paperback Writer session(there's photos of him in the studio using it) but didn't like the guitar and gave it to his cousin. Paul looked like he was messing around on George's Tele in the Get Back doco, rather than seriously playing it?

 

[Double Stop]

Paperback Writer and Rain sessions were done in the same couple of days in 1966, and on the promo video for Rain, George has his SG. John used a '63 Gretsch 6120 on the Paperback Writer session(there's photos of him in the studio using it) but didn't like the guitar and gave it to his cousin. Paul looked like he was messing around on George's Tele in the Get Back doco, rather than seriously playing it?

Interesting. Just looked at some notes regarding the “Paperback Writer” sessions in the book and it states that George primarily just played tambourine on it, and the only guitar part he contributed was the brief one at the end of each chorus. Paul was basically the main guitar player on it with John adding extra rhythm guitar. Paul could’ve used the SG for it, and George very well may have too for his minor guitar contribution (The SG is listed as one they used in 1966), but it could’ve been the Casinos, as well. The Gretsch 6120 is not listed among the ones they had in their “Herd” in 1966. I don’t think we’ll ever know for sure.

 

[rze99]

Here in this live clip, Macca actually says he used the Casino on the original Paperback Writer recording.

That's good enough for me!

 

[Double Stop]

Here in this live clip, Macca actually says he used the Casino on the original Paperback Writer recording.

That's good enough for me!

Mystery solved!

 

[doghouseman]

Never paid close attention, but I guess I always assumed Paul "re-strung" for his left-handed playing.
I used to know a "lefty" who played a right-strung guitar by just flipping it over. It was IMPOSSIBLE to follow along by watching his chording hand.

This guy used to play entire concerts on an upside down guitar!

 

[rze99]

Paperback Writer isolated guitar

 

[rze99]

Just did a little demo of my Casino into my late 60s Vox AC30 Top Boost with Celestion greenback speakers. The Casino is boosted via Drybell Unit67 to drive the amp front end a bit. The demo is designed to get a Paperback Writer type tone. The track is part of an original song composition by me.