April 6:
“Tomorrow Never Knows”
April 7:
“Got To Get You Into My Life”
April 11:
“Love You To”
George: ’62 Gibson J-160E acoustic (pickup moved to bridge side of soundhole)
April 13:
“Paperback Writer”
John: ’64 Gretsch 6120, ’66 Vox 7120 head and 4×12 2-horn cabinet
Paul: ’62 Epiphone Casino ES-230TD (Main guitar riff as well as his ’64 Rickenbacker 4001S bass; bass was “mic’d” using one of the studios large “White Elephant” speakers in reverse as a microphone.)
George: There is much debate as to who played what on this song. There’s a photo of George playing a Burns Nu-Sonic bass, but that was most likely only when rehearsing and working the song out. There are also sources that say he played rhythm guitar and added in some lead fills. Possibly on his Gibson SG which would probably have been played through the ’66 Vox 7120 head and 4×12 2-horn cabinet.
April 14:
“Rain”
Paul’s bass was “mic’d” using one of the studios large “White Elephant” speakers in reverse as a microphone.
Paul and John played the guitar parts.
April 17:
“Doctor Robert”
April 20:
“And Your Bird Can Sing”
April 21:
“Taxman”
April 27:
“I’m Only Sleeping”
April 28:
“Eleanor Rigby”
May 9:
“For No One”
Paul: Clavichord (everything except percussion)
Ringo: percussion
May 26:
“Yellow Submarine”
John: ’64 Gibson J-160E (pickup moved to bridge side of soundhole)
June 2:
“I Want To Tell You”
June 8:
“Good Day Sunshine”
George Martin: Piano
June 14:
“Here, There and Everywhere”
June 21:
“She Said She Said”
Specific song information added where known, otherwise here’s the general gear they were using at the time.
John:
’64 Rickenbacker 325
’61 Fender Stratocaster
’64 Gretsch 6120
’65 Epiphone Casino ES230TD
’64 Gibson J-160E (pickup moved to bridge side of soundhole)
Spanish classical acoustic
’66 Fender Dual Showman head and 2×15 cabinet
’66 Vox 7120 head and 4×12 2-horn cabinet
’65 Vox AC-100 Super DeLuxe head and 4×12 plus 2 horn cabinet
Vox AC-30
Paul:
’63 Hofner 500/1
’64 Rickenbacker 4001S (main bass for these sessions)
Custom ’63 Vox AC-80/100 head and 2×15
Vox 7120 Bass model and cabinet
Fender Bassman head, 2×12 cabinet (main bass amp)
’64 Epiphone Texan FT-79N acoustic
’62 Epiphone Casino ES-230TD
George:
’63 Gretsch Tennessean
Gibson ES-345TD
’65 Rickenbacker 360/12
’61 Fender Stratocaster
’65 Epiphone Casino ES230TD
’64 Gibson SG Standard
’62 Gibson J-160E acoustic (pickup moved to bridge side of soundhole)
Burns Nu-Sonic bass
’66 Fender Dual Showman head and 2×15 cabinet
’66 Vox 7120 head and 4×12 2-horn cabinet
’65 Vox AC-100 Super DeLuxe head and 4×12 plus 2 horn cabinet
Fender Bassman head, 2×12 cabinet
Sitar
Tambura
Vox AC-30
Ringo:
’64 Ludwig Super Classic set (#3, #4 was also available)
22×14 kick drum
13×9 rack tom
16×16 floor tom
14×5.5 Jazz Festival wood-shell snare (set #3)
14×5 Jazz Festival wood-shell snare (set #4)
20″, 18″ cymbals, 14″ hi-hats
Vocals:
Neumann U48
Other Equipment:
Framus Hootenanny 5/024/12 12-string
Steinway grand piano
Challen upright piano
Hammond RT-3, Leslie 145, with model 147 power amp
Harmonium
Vox Continental organ
Vox dual-manual Continental
Hohner Pianet
Clavichord
Mics:
Neumann U47 and U48: vocals, guitar (12″-18″ away) and piano
Neumann U67: acoustic guitar
Neumann KM56 below snare (beginning somewhere into the Revolver sessions)
AKG D19c: overhead for drums, piano
AKG D20: kick drum, bass amp
Special Notes:
- Paul’s bass amp on “Paperback Writer” and “Rain” was “mic’d” using one of the studios large “White Elephant” speakers in reverse as a microphone.
- With Geoff Emerick as the new engineer, this was the first album where the drums were run through the Fairchild 660 limiter (though it is speculated that Norman Smith may have done this on “You won’t See Me.”
- The end of the Rubber Soul sessions into these sessions were also the first sessions where the bass got its own track instead of being recorded with the drums.
- “Rain” would be the first recording where they used “varispeed” to record parts at non-standard speeds.
- “She Said She Said” is “one of the only Beatle records” Paul says never played on though there is some speculation that he may have been there for the bass on the rhythm track. Other speculation is that it’s George.
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