Andy owns and plays a 1996 Rickenbacker 325-V63, this guitar is a direct reissue of the Rickenbacker made specifically for and presented to John Lennon in 1964 to replace his battered and road weary 1958 model 325. Johns model was actually built in 1964 with the serial number DB122 and became his favorite guitar for live and studio use throught '64 and '65. Andys 'Ricki' is also a short-scale model, 'jetglo' in colour with the same 2-layer pickguard, Ac'cent vibrato unit and extra balance control as Johns original.

FACT: John also had a 12-string version of the 325. Yoko Ono still owns all three of Johns Rickenbacker 325's.

Andy plays and owns a gorgeous 1999 Gibson J-160E. This guitar is identical to the guitars bought by John and George in 1962, listed in early Gibson catalogues as the 'electric jumbo model' (due to it being fitted with an electric P-90 pickup and electric control knobs). When plugged into an amplifier the guitar gives an early approximation of a miked acoustic. Todays advanced technology has allowed Andy to fit an additional 'Fishman' pickup across the sound hole of the guitar, with an additional Jack socket stratigically hidden in the back strap button. A combination of the two pickups allows Andy to recreate all sounds acheived byy Lennon with this guitar, live and recorded.

FACT: Johns guitar was stolen in 1963 during a Christmas show at the Finsbury Park Astoria. John bought a replacement J-160E in 1964 almost identical to his first. This second version was later painted psychedelic blue and pink by the artists 'the Fool' in '67 and then sanded back to wood in 1968.

Lennon and Harrison purchased two Casinos in 1966for the Revolver sessions (Paul already owned one a year earlier). Lennons guitar was Sunburst and had a regular Epiphone 'trapeze' tailpeice. This guitar was painted brightly by the artists 'the fool' in 1967 and was eventually sanded back to wood in 1968. Andy owns a newer version that was originally varnished natural blonde but also put through the stripping process to unfinished wood. Andys guitar was refitted with the same gold Grover tuners as Johns and also more unusal features such as the black disk on the pickup selector switch, an odd black volume knob amongs the other gold ones and the pick guard mounting hardware.

FACT: Johns ES-230TD is still owned by Yoko Ono, still in natural wood and it is currently displayed in the John Lennon museum in Tokyo, Japan.

Georges Epiphone Casino was identical to Johns except it was fitted new with a Bigsby tremlo system, he later also removed the pickguard. Georges guitar was also sanded back to wood in 19968 to allow the guitar to 'breath'. Mel owns a 1997 sunburst version of this guitar also with the Bigsby and minus its pick guard (emulating Georges around 1967).

FACT: It was believed by Harrison that the Casinos became much better guitars once the paint was removed.

Ian from The Beatalls aquired the reissue of Georges 12-string Rickenbacker (the 360V64-12) in 1996, the same time Andy bought his 325V63. The guitar is an excellent and exact replica of George Harrisons December 1963 version (serial number CM107) in which he made world famous in the film 'A Hard Day's Night' and still owns at the time of his death. Although The Beatalls version is owned by Ian it is always played by Mel who plays George! This guitar is responsible for the 'jingly-jangly' sound on Beatle songs such as 'A Hard Day's Night', 'You Can't Do That' and 'Anytime At All'.

FACT: Rickenbacker employ a non-standard 12-string tuning system on the 360-12 so that the player hits the thicker, lower string first on the downstroke before the octave string.

The Beatalls are most proud of owning this instrument, it is an original 1964 Gretsch Country Gentleman in pristine condition identical in evert way to Georges second and mainly used version. Georges first Gent employed a 'screw-down' mute string damping system but this guitar was exchanged by George for one with dual 'flip-up' mutes. The Beatalls version is owned by Ian but used by Mel and was purchased in November 1996. The guitar has gold hardware, fake painted f-holes, stepped Grover tuners and a Bigsby tremelo system exactly the same as Georges.

FACT: Georges Country Gentleman fell off the back of The Beatles touring van in 1965 on the M1 motorway and was consequently smashed to pieces by a following lorry!

Finally a guatar owned AND played by Ian, the Hofner 500/1 was bought in 1988 in a state of total disrepair. It had no pearl scratch plate or Hofner badge, it had had the hofner tuners replaced with non-standard versions and had very, very worn paint, down to wood in many places. The neck of the instrument was warped and was almost seperated from the body with worn fretting making the bass almost unplayable. As the guitar was an original 1964 model it was decided to restore the instrument. Against all odds the guitar now exists in excellent condition with many replacement Hofner original parts. The guitar even has a Hofner strap and round-wound strings fitted and was refinished to match the colours of Pauls second and favorite Hofner Violin Bass. Ians Hofner is identical to Pauls bass purchased in 1963. Both Ians and Pauls model have the newer Hofner badge on the headstock and spaced apart 'staple' type pickups. Paul used his bass with The Beatles from 1963 to 1969 and has retrieved it for use again in recent years.

FACT: Pauls bass is still owned by him today and still has a 1966 U.S. tour set-list sellotaped to the side of the body. Paul was offered but never took delivery of a one-off gold plated hardware version of the bass by the Hofner company in 1964. This bass is owned by Music Ground in Leeds and Doncaster.

Paul used a Rickenbacker 4001/S bass in the studio years of The Beatles (1966 to 1969). Pauls bass was originally 'fireglo' in colour but was later decorated by the artists The Fool and eventually stripped back to wood in 1969. Paul also used this bass through the majority of Wings. Ians bass was puchased new in 1990 and is a 1989 4003 model also in fireglo. The bass looks very similar to Pauls but differs in that it has improved electrics, white edge binding front and back and inlayed pearl 'shark-fin' fret markers. The bass gives the same distinctive Rickenbacker sound and is used by The Beatalls for later Beatles material.

FACT: Most Rickenbackers including this bass have a stereo output socket that puts both pickups on different sides of the stereo image.