Top 5 Beatles Guitar Solos by Paul McCartney

[Soulsaman]

From Guitar World...

http://www.guitarworld.com/top-5-beatle ... y?page=0,0

[chucksimms]

Cool. I know it's post Beatles but Maybe I'm Amazed is pretty great. I agree with Taxman as number one but would give Ticket to Ride the nod over Another Girl.

[JakeK]

I'd take "Helter Skelter" over "USSR"

[Soulsaman]

Paul did the leads on Ticket to Ride?
I never new that!

[shamustwin]

I thought he played the "Fixing A Hole" solo too, one of my fave Beatle solos.

[JakeK]

IIRC, George Harrison said in the Anthology book that he played the solo, remembering that he wanted to play the song live as a band, but Paul said no, that he wanted to start off with Ringo and the harpsichord, "and then we'll get to you."

George however, has stated that he played "And Your Bird Can Sing" pretty much in unison with Paul, while he and John played "Nowhere Man" in unison, too. He also said he doubled Paul's bassline to "Drive My Car" on guitar, while Paul played the slide guitar solo.

[shamustwin]

Fixing A Hole really sounds like McCartney... the way he digs that pick into the strings. Surprised to learn it's George.

[JakeK]

If George is telling the truth (with all the junk they were doing in Feb. '67...), the reports are saying it was his '61 Sonic Blue Strat (in just a few months would be painted and named Rocky), and the distortion is very odd on it. It sounds to me like a treble booster and a tube compressor of some sort. It's a great sound and a great solo.

We'll never know unless we either read the tape boxes or ask Paul!

The bass sound is Paul, though, but if it's supposed to sound like an upright, perhaps his Hofner came out?

[bosco64]

The bass sound is Paul, though, but if it's supposed to sound like an upright, perhaps his Hofner came out?

Maybe he used the mute on his 4001S...

[JM82]

I read once that John played the bass on Fixing a Hole, it's a bit too simple and repetitive to be Paul so it could be.

I think the solo sounds like it's double tracked or maybe they did that trick of playing two people playing in unison through one guitar amp - it sounds like a really subtle flanger but not the usual ADT they were using at the time.

[Remo]

Now I can hear that the solos on Good Morning, Good Morning and Taxman are played by the same guitarist.

[rictified]

I have always liked the lead guitar in Another Girl, surprised to find it's McCartney. I have always though his leads were a little sloppy but not this one, nice clear sound and and nice vibrato although it sounds like he misses a bunch of strings.

[ricmic]

I've read that they didn't care much for Georges efforts at soloing. Don't know how true that was. i always liked his style. Mark

[servant]

I've read that they didn't care much for Georges efforts at soloing. Don't know how true that was. i always liked his style. Mark

That might actually be true toward their middle period. Maybe his choppy, early style didn't suit the music. McCartney started taking some pretty hot lead spots (Ticket to Ride, Taxman, Sgt. Peppers, Fixing a Hole, Good Morning, Back in the USSR(?)). Then George had a resurgence (Something, Bathroom Window, Octopus's Garden, Let It Be).

[nukebass]

I think you have to be careful what you read and from what period. Sometimes Lennon would say stuff just to say it and I really don't know how much we can trust McCartney's memory or judgment. He took out all of George's lead parts on Hello Goodbye and Hey Jude. The Anthology cut of Hello Goodbye had good fills in them, too.