Solo Tone

Michelle

The Beatles

Guitarrock1960s

Original Gear

Guitarc. 1963-65 Gibson ES-345

Amp1963 Vox AC30 Top Boost combo (two Celestion T530 12-inch speakers)

PickupsGibson PAF humbuckers (likely bridge pickup, mono out, Varitone bypassed)

Amp Settings

gain3

bass6

mid7

treble6.5

reverb2.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, Rubber Soul sessions, 1965. Solo section. Some debate exists about the exact guitar (ES-345 vs. SG Standard), but most reputable sources and session photos point to the ES-345. Amp is confirmed as Vox AC30 Top Boost. No evidence of live performance with this exact setup.

Tone Character(10)

warm and vocal-likeslightly nasal midrangesmooth sustainarticulate and clear note separationmildly overdriven edge-of-breakuppercussive attackscratchy trebletouch-sensitive dynamicssinging, horn-like phrasingnot heavily compressed

Difficulty

The solo is moderate in difficulty, requiring expressive phrasing, smooth slides, and dynamic control, but does not involve fast runs or advanced techniques.

Sources

The Beatles' guitars & amps: what they played on every album | Guitar World

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account