Riff Tone

Taxman

The Beatles

Guitarrock1960s

Original Gear

Guitar1964 Gibson SG Standard

AmpVox 7120 (hybrid solid-state preamp/tube power amp, 4x12 Celestion T1225 speakers)

PickupsGibson PAF-style humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain3.5

bass6.5

mid8

treble7.5

reverb1.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1966. Riff section played by George Harrison. Gear confirmed for studio use on 'Taxman' riff; not live. Some sources speculate about alternate guitars (ES-345, Strat), but SG is most widely cited for the riff. Amp is the Vox 7120, newly acquired by the Beatles for Revolver sessions.

Tone Character(10)

rich crunchy low- to medium-gain drivepercussive attackscratchy treblenasal midrangewarm, muted and unusualBritish crunchtight rhythmmid-heavy punchbiting upper midsnot high-gain, but aggressive for 1966

Difficulty

The riff is rhythmically tight and requires clean muting and articulation, but uses straightforward chord shapes and moderate tempo, making it accessible to intermediate players.

Sources

The Beatles' guitars & amps: what they played on every album | Guitar World The Beatles' heavier side laid the groundwork for the rock revolution | Guitar World Alcam Guitars Dr Robert amp-in-a-box overdrive review | Guitar World

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