Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

While we can all agree the any musicians choice of equipment influences how they play and sound in innumerable ways, what do you think is the top list of Fab songs that are really grounded around Rics? I guess one way to look at it is what songs just wouldn't sound complete with some other guitar on them? In no paticular order, I'd say something like this:

All My Loving (John's triplets)
A Hard Day's Night (intro and outro)
You Can't Do That (Both guitars, especially the solo)
Every Little Thing (That's John playing lead, right?)
Ticket To Ride (intro)
Paperback Writer (Paul's bass)

That's all that comes to mind for me, any other ideas? I figure the more songs I come up with, the more excuses to buy more guitars.

If I Needed Someone (George 12-string)
A Little Help from my Friends (Paul bass)
Magical Mystery Tour (Paul bass)
Hey Bulldog (Paul bass)

Hello Goodbye (Paul Bass)....I've been playing that on bass all week....

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds (Paul Bass)
+1 for Hey Bulldog...love that one.

I Should Have Known Better (george's 12-string)

'I Call Your Name' (12-string is all over it, and John's 325 has some nice chords)

speaking of chords... how about the "Chompy" 325 chords on 'She's A Woman'?

'I'm Happy Just To Dance With You' ... John's rhythm in this one is very 'All My Lovingesque.'

Lovely Rita & A Day In The Life---Paul's bass.

Rickenbacker 325-58
I Saw Her Sanding There
Misery
Chains
Boys
Ask Me Why
Please Please Me
Baby It's You
Do You Want To Know A Secret
A Taste Of Honey
There's A Place
Twist And Shout
It Won't Be Long
All I've Got to Do
All My Loving
Don't Bother Me
Little Child
Please Mister Postman
Roll Over Beethoven
Hold Me Tight
You Really Got A Hold On Me
I Wanna Be Your Man
Devil In Her Heart
Money (That's What I Want)
From Me To You
Thank You Girl
She Loves You
I'll Get You
I Want To Hold Your Hand

Rickenbacker 325-64 Miami
A Hard Day's Night
Happy Just To Dance With You
When I Get Home
You Can't Do That
Rock And Roll Music
Kansas City Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!
Words Of Love
Ticket To Ride
Tell Me What You See
Dizzy Miss Lizzy
Wait
Long Tall Sally
I Call Your Name
Slow Down
Matchbox
She's A Woman
Bad Boy
I'm Down
Day Tripper

I can't believe I left I Call Your Name off my initial list, I love that song. She's A Woman is another one the 325 really gives something special to.

To ask a slightly different (and possibly slightly silly) question, does anyone have a good explanation for why John's part was so prevalent on a small smattering of early songs, notably All My Loving, and a lot of the Beatles For Sale acoustic based numbers, but in a lot of other songs he is really buried in the mix. Both on the 325 and on the J160e, there are a lot times you really need to struggle to listen for his strumming. I would understand the explanation that with the technology of the day, there isn't going to be a lot of separation, but turn on All My Loving, and there you get John, right up with the lead guitar. It Won't Be Long is from the same album, but the lead guitar part really covers most of the rhythm. Or are my ears just bad....

Oh, Pete, I'd hate to be one to quibble, but are you sure that a 325 was used on the album recordings of all the songs you list. Ask Me Why and A Hard Day's Night sound like the J160e acoustic to me.

Perhaps, on songs like "All My Loving", John's part was a bit more integral to the song structure. Certainly on songs like AML and "I'm Happy Just to Dance..." you take the Ric out of the mix and it's a totally different drive to the song...not sure if that's true on a song like "It Won't Be Long". That's not to say his incredible sense of rhythm doesn't inform nearly every track, but some songs he simply carries.

Cowboy Joe;
According to The Complete Guide To The Beatles Instruments site,

http://perso.wanadoo.es/sissu/maingear.htm

John played both the Ric and the Gibson on Hard Days Night.

On Ask Me Why; George played the Gibson and John the Ric.

I can't vouch for how accurate the info is, however.

Sorry, I can't hear the 325 on A hard day's night.
To me, it is the J 160 E acoustic (on the right channel), George on 12 string (left channel),
with the intro chord, no solo, and an outro chord, similar to the intro chord, a piano (right channel)
and the solo played by George H. (on twelve string) together with piano played by George M both in half speed (edit piece) and the outro-edit-piece on the right channel (George on twelve string). And of course bass and drums and a Ringo playing congas and cowbell in one further take.
This latter fact and the half speed recording of piano and guitar is mentioned in Geoff Emerick's
book.

Isn't there one song in the mix of the 1963 recording work that was done with John on V81 and George playing his 425?

From the long list of John's 325 songs I think that the following are on his Gibson J-160E

Ask Me Why, Do You Want To Know A Secret, A Taste of Honey, From Me To You (You can hear the leakage of the acoustic sound in the vocal mics, especially when you listen to stereo mixes)

She Loves You, I'll Get You (photos from the session show John playing only the J-160e)

Kansas City (I have a feeling that this may be one of the last songs that John used the '58 on. There are photos of him with the guitar at those sessions — and it sounds to me as if this may have been the old workhorse)

BYW, John actually did play it on stage after the first US visit, on July 11, 1964 for the British TV show Lucky Stars (Summer Spin)

Forgot one: Baby It's You also on the J-160E