What guitar on Day Tripper?

karl_teten · Post by **karl_teten** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 4:45 pm

I have the studio out takes from the SOUL sessions with about 12 takes with Day Tripper. The guitar tones are more articulate in these recordings and not as heavily compressed as the final mix.

The opening riff is double tracked with two different guitars. First guitar sounds like a Strat in the bridge position. Second lead guitar comes in when the riff repeats before the third rhythm guitar begins.

The second lead guitar sounds like the Gibson 345. The tone sounds near identical to my old Les Paul Custom, clean, in the bridge position.

AC30's.

took38years · Post by **took38years** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:46 pm

According to Rob Taylor's DVD, Beatles to a Tee, it is the Tennessean on which George played the Day Tripper licks. He shows two guitars, both the Tennessean. He seems to know his stuff, so I'd bet on Rob's information.

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 8:04 pm

Karl, where did you get those outtakes? I'd like to get a copy of those myself.

karl_teten · Post by **karl_teten** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 8:51 pm

There is no official source that says what guitars Harrison actually used on Day Tripper so everything is ones own opinion.

I get my bootleg stuff at mom and pop record stores and eBay.

Look for stuff like this http://cgi.ebay.com/Beatles-SOUL-SESSIONS-Rubber-Soul-Era-Sessions-2-CDs_W0QQitemZ4826032473QQcategoryZ307QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

wolfgang · Post by **wolfgang** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 12:13 am

just heard a studio outtake of Day tripper starting with "take one" and ending with a raw version of the released take:
to me there is a
1)Stratocaster for rhythm guitar (probably John,
he is also counting in, it's his song)
2)George on guitar, playing the lick and doing this scale up the fretboard with a volume pedal (or using the volume pot?), eventually comming back to the lick after switching through some p.u. combinations.
3) the lick is doubletracked by George with a second guitar track.
4) the first part of the solo played by a strat (probably John)
5) a second part of the solo played by George

I thought the p. u. combination switching after the solo, when the first guitar comes back to the lick was the 345 varitone rotary switch, but now I think he used the tennessean.

I love this discussion anyway

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 10:34 am

FWIW, here are the guitars according to this fan website: http://perso.wanadoo.es/sissu/pm2.htm#1

The website does contain a bibliography (source material, not citations).

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:08 am

Gary: FWIW is the correct way to look at info such as this. Few people have the time or the resources to conduct the research necessary to nail down details such as these. It is usually recycled info based on somebody's best guess.

Without any reference material at hand, wasn't George's ES-345 a 'loaner' that he used for only a short tour and a video shoot? Just because it may appear in a promo video, doesn't mean it was ever used in the studio. Coincidentally, John is also seen 'playing' his 325 in the same video.

craviola990 · Post by **craviola990** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:29 am

I must say this; the rythym guitar does sound "Metallic & 325ish". Hey have you guys ever noticed; on the double tracked riff, after the B solo,. and into the third verse, ONE of the guitars playing the riff drops out for one or two notes?! I've noticed this since I was a kid. It goes a little "Dead & Mushy" for a note or two. One of those mistakes that almost sounds like it's supposed to be there!! I'm not sure if this was "Repaired" on the "1" CD or not... Thanks, Christian

wolfgang · Post by **wolfgang** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 12:10 pm

..."got a good reason" and "she's a big teaser"
is a double tracked Paul...

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 2:25 pm

Googling "es-345" "day tripper" shows quite a few references to it being the ES-345. Of course it's likely that many of them are just referencing eachother but barring any other evidence popping up I'd have to say George used the ES-345 for Day Tripper.

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 2:52 pm

wolfgang · Post by **wolfgang** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 4:05 pm

well, the second, overdubbed guitar has a special sound, a relatively low resonance frequency of about 650 Hz, not very bright. Maybe someone could try this:
Vox amp, bright channel, bridge pickup and for the 345: varitone off ("1"-position) and treble pot in cut position or for the Gretsch: master tone select up or down position.
Wich guitar comes closer?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 8:12 pm

Paul played a Nu Sonic bass on some cuts?

kog · Post by **kog** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 9:43 pm

Agree with the folks that think it's the Tenny in bridge position on the opening and main riff. To me it sounds double-tracked on the Tenny. I can get the same sound out of my own and my VOX AD30VT with the AC30 setting, treble cranked up and bass down to about 3.

I must admit I'm stumped on the lead break. It DOES sound like two different guitars to me, could be a Strat, just not sure. I DO think the John used his 325 on the rhythm portion. I also have duplicated the unique sound with my own 325C58, and it again (at least to me) sounds dead on.

Yeah, we'll never really know, but thanks for playing our game. We have some lovely parting gifts...

And to Christian -- yeah, I thought I was nuts or had some weird version, but I also heard those dropped notes in the 3rd verse. I hadn't noticed it for 40 years until I was really try to "hear" everything with a set of headphones, trying to get the guitar parts right. Ok, cool, I'm not crazy.

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 10:15 pm

IMHO..... all the analizng of and guitars and amps seems a it bit AFTER-THE-FACT.

Doesn't it seem reasonable (Occams's Razor) that George did ideed play the ES 345 on 'Day Tripper' ?