About this item
(Book) . This ultimate guide to all the gear used by the Beatles details exactly which guitars, drums, amplifiers, and keyboards the Fab Four embraced throughout their brief but revolutionary career, from their earliest days as the Quarry Men to the dissolution of the Beatles in 1970. It provides fascinatingly fresh insights into Beatle history, exploding myths and uncovering dozens of new stories along the way. John, Paul, George, and Ringo's moves from cheap early instruments to the pick of 1960s technology are carefully and entertainingly documented in an easy-to-read narrative, fully illustrated with many previously unseen photographs, a cache of rare memorabilia, and a unique collection of specially photographed instruments used by the Beatles. As we continue to find new ways to explore their sound, from vivid remasters of their original recordings to cutting-edge video games, the Beatles remain at the forefront of popular music. This landmark book is perfect for the fan absorbed by music rather than hairstyles, for the tribute-band member with an eye for detail, and for any reader with an abiding interest in the 1960s. With a foreword by acclaimed Beatle author Mark Lewisohn, Beatles Gear tells it like it was.
About the Author
Andy Babiuk is a musician, writer, producer, founding member of the Chesterfield Kings, has been a professional in the music industry for more than 30 years and is the owner of a boutique music shop Andy Babiuk's Fab Gear http://www.andybabiuksfabgear.com. He is currently in the band The Empty Hearts featuring Elliot Easton from The Cars on lead guitar, Clem Burke from Blondie on drums, and Wally Palmar from The Romantics on lead vocals and rhythm guitar. The Empty Hearts LP release, August 5th, 2014. He is a staff consultant to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and consultant to major auction houses in London and New York. Andy is a respected expert on vintage guitars and the foremost authority on the equipment used by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Andy perceived the need for a book about The Beatles' gear when he tried to emulate some of their recorded sounds for his own band, The Chesterfield Kings. Andy then embarked on six years of research for Beatles Gear, during which time he interviewed over 400 people who worked with or were closely associated with The Beatles, listened to hundreds of recordings, watched miles of film, and amassed a vast library of documents and photographic evidence of The Beatles using their instruments and equipment. The result is this most detailed account of The Beatles and the tools that they used, on-stage and in the studio. As a follow up to his first book Beatles Gear, Babiuk worked nine years resurching and writing Rolling Stones Gear - a history of the equipment used by The Rolling Stones. Andy worked directly with memebers of the Stones and photographed The Rolling Stones actual guitars and equipment. His critically acclaimed books Beatles Gear (2001) and Rolling Stones Gear (2014) are books that manage to be both historical documents and an entertaining read. Andy is also the author of the book The Story of Paul Bigsby: Father Of The Modern Electric Solidbody Guitar, published in February 2009. He has worked as the technical consultant and associate music supervisor of Davis Chase's feature film Not Fade Away released by Paramount Pictures in the fall of 2012. He lives in Rochester, New York, with his wife, six children and a very large collection of guitars and music memorabilia. He can be contacted at andy@andybabiuksfabgear.com
