GUITAR BEAT!

We're now moving officially into a 50th year anniversary period in Beatles history. The band set major trends for the sights and sounds of the sixties, including a thriving Beat music scene around the world. Here are some of the main Gretsch and Hofner axes that established their early sound in Hamburg and Liverpool- all made fairly recently as re-issues by the manufacturers! Which early Beatles axe are you? Check them out and start your own Beat group. Two great sources for vintage-style instruments are Rock 'n Roll Vintage here and North Coast Music here. To learn more about these and other Fab instruments, see the excellent book, Beatles Gear here. Check out the Vintage Hofner website here for detailed info and images of old and new instruments. *added: by coincidence, the new issue of Guitar World magazine features a very lengthy article about every Beatles recording session and the gear they used. Details here.

Gretsch George Harrison 1957 Duo Jet (custom shop & signature editions)

Hofner 500/1 Electric Bass ('61, '62, '63, '64, German and Asian models available).

Hofner Club 40 John Lennon model (rare! only 120 produced)

Hofner President 500/5 Stuart Sutcliffe Electric Bass (just released!)
Which early Beatles axe are you?