Rating: 
Summary: I've Been Waiting For This One
Review: Ever since I read a quote attributed to this book back in 1999 (then titled "Beatle Guitars and Other Fab Gear"), I've been patiently waiting. After not being able to locate the book, I contacted the author and he told me it wouldn't be published until the end of 2000. Well, now it's out and I couldn't be more thrilled. I believe you will too!
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Summary: Best Beatles Book!
Review: For anyone interested in Beatles' music , this is THE book.The author is amazingly thorough in his research.The photos are beautiful.At the core , people's interest in the Beatles is about the music.This book perfectly and originally explains their history of instrumentation.No other book ever even attempted to do so.
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Summary: It's gear! It's fab!
Review: For the true Beatles fanatic (and is there any other kind?) comes this look at the specific guitars, electric keyboards and organs, effects pedals, drums and amps used by the Liverpool lads. The author is a musician himself, from the retro-rific Chesterfield Kings, and his interest in the Beatles "sound" led to extensive research into their original instruments... The topic may seem a little goofy at first, but after a bit of browsing, this handsome coffeetable book gets pretty engrossing. After all, what could be more iconic in rocknroll culture than a glimpse at the very Fenders, Gibsons and Hammonds from which so many pop hits would emanate. Babiuk also parallels the musical growth of the band to their acquisition of various instruments -- when John or George got a new guitar, it was often to learn a new performance style. A nerdy but neat look at the fab toys of out favorite moptop combo.
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Summary: Extensively Researched
Review: Great book by an outstanding musician. I live about 1 mile from the House of Guitars in Irondequoit, NY where Andy works with fellow Chesterfield King Greg Prevost. I would love to see Andy write a book on the equipment of Yes. I think just Rick Wakeman & Steve Howe's gear would be several hundred pages.
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Summary: I Want to hold your guitar
Review: I became a Beatles' fan on that 1st night of Ed Sullivan in February 1964. I was mesmerized by the music which became a driving force in my life-to this day. Naturally I had to pick up a guitar and try it for myself. Over the years I stared at pictures of the boys with their various pieces of equipment. As a musician and a fan I had to know every instrument they played. This book is a diehard Beatle fan's dream. In fact I wish that the book was longer. It tells the story of practically every instrument the boys played-what make/model, where it came from, what happened to it---you get the picture. Couple this book with Mark Lewisohn's Recording Sessions and you get an almost complete picture of the Beatles in the studio and on stage. As John said, "Ya shoulda been there!" Well, with this book, I am a little closer. Thank you, Andy.
(P.S. I am writing this in the shadow of my Epiphone Casino, my Beatle bass, and my Fender Twin Reverb Amplifier.)
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Summary: Beatles Gear is "gear"
Review: I have been waiting for this book for a long time.Having played guitar for thirty years and my own preference in musical equipment being somewhat different than the Fab Four, I nevertheless found the book fascinating. The author has done meticulous research and is the perfect companion to Mark Lewisohn's Recording Sessions. This is a must for "gearheads" and Beatle fans in general. It is not too technical keeping the electronically challenged interested but detailed enough for any "tubehead " to enjoy. A true tour de force. Thank you Mr Babiuk........Only one drawback though, I'm now obsessed more than ever to get that Vox AC30 Top Boost guitar amplifier I have always wanted. Thanks again----JTM
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Summary: Oh, those glossy pictures!!
Review: I have to say, I bought this book primarily for the photographs. The large, glossy, color photos of every guitar, bass, and drum kit ever used by the Beatles. It was an absolute dream come true. But, to tell you the truth, I got a lot more than just a lot of fantastic pictures. I decided, when I bought this book, that I would read it cover to cover, no matter what, automatically assuming that paragraphs about amps and microphones would bore me to death. Not so. The way Babiuk wrote sparked an interest inside me so that I was eating up the information on amps and microphones as fast as I was eating up the information on guitar strings and bass pick ups. This book puts everything in such an interesting light, that I have become re-inspired, and I now look for more than just a great color when buying a guitar. Of course, if you are just buying it for the photos, you won't be dissappointed. An absolute plethora of pictures adorn the huge pages of this book, making it a real sight for guitar-starved eyes.
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Summary: Beyond gear!
Review: I love guitars. And that's putting it mildly. I worship guitars. I eat, sleep, and breath guitars... if that makes sense. And, in fact, my dream guitar would be the 1964 black Rickenbacker 325 which John Lennon bought and was his favorite guitar for nearly three years. So, when I found this book, I absolutely had to have it. I spent weeks reading it (it's very large, long, and in-depth), but I loved every minute of it. The instruments are so amazing, from the famours Hofner bass, to the little known electric sitars presented to John and George way back when. This book even turned me on to recording equipment and amplifiers, which I had previously considered the lesser parts of making music. I was wrong. They are just as fascinating and important as guitars and drums. Of course, in order to enjoy this book, you really need to like what you're reading about. I wouldn't reccomend this for people who want to learn about the Beatles themselves. This book is about Beatle equipment and how they used it, not about the Beatles personal lives, although one could hardly mistake the subject of this book from the title and cover. A wonderful, detailed book with beautiful glossy photos and more information than you could wish for on everything from guitar volume knobs to bass drum pedals. A must for every rock music fanatic.
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Summary: you don't have to be a gearhead to love this book
Review: i'm a diehard beatles fan, but unlike most i'm not actually a musician myself. however, that didn't hinder my enjoyment of this book even one iota. it's written in a very accessible manner, full of great stories about the fab four in the studio and on the road. annectodes from friends, engineers, sales reps, and many more reinforce (as if we didn't already know)how amazing the beatle's all too brief tenure was. in addition it provides histories for each of the instruments used by the beatles, which can be almost as fascinating as tales about the boys themselves. any true beatles fan absolutely must own this book.
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Summary: Ultimate and Exhaustive!
Review: If truly compelling for the musicians out there,it's also revealing for the diehard fans;check out the original shipping
document for the first Lennon's Rickenbacker!
It's a well researched reference book and it goes directly amongst
the great Mark Lewisohn's books.
We ought to be thankful to Andy Babiuk for setting the record straight on a much overlooked matter.
This book is unique.
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