Beatles Facts - BeatlesFacts.org: Gretsch

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

George Harrison's Guitar Style

There are many little-known Beatles facts concerning George Harrison's evolution as a guitarist. Harrison owned a cheap acoustic, as did most Liverpool youth interested in the skiffle craze, but his first electric guitar was a Grazioso. Few people know that, like Lennon, Harrison formed a skiffle group in his youth. Harrison's group was called The Rebels.

Harrison joined Lennon's Quarreymen as that band's youngest member--someone who could play better than McCartney or Lennon in the late 1950s. As the years passed and the Quarreymen/Beatles played Hamburg, the long hours onstage helped shape Harrison's playing. It is reported by some that he also received tips on playing lead guitar from Tony Sheridan, for whom the Beatles recorded while in Hamburg.

As the Beatles became more famous, Harrison was regarded as competent, although he is not known for being a virtuoso in the vein of Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton. He was influenced in his youth by the music of Carl Perkins and Chet Atkins. He played Gretsch guitars in the early days of the Beatles (as did Atkins), using both a Tennessean and a Country Gentleman. He moved on to a Rickenbacker twelve string shortly before the making of A Hard Day's Night, and the sound was so distinctive that it heavily influenced David Crosby and Roger McGuinn of the Byrds.

Beginning with All Things Must Pass, Harrison became more and more enthusiastic about the slide guitar, which he used heavily until his death in 2001. The slide guitar is evident on all his solo recordings to a greater or lesser degree, and he also used the slide during his days with The Traveling Wilburys.

Harrison also became an accomplished player on acoustic guitar, playing acoustic or classical guitar on several tracks for the Beatles and his solo records. Most memorable of his acoustic work perhaps are the songs "Here Comes the Sun" and "My Sweet Lord." For both songs (and many others), he used a Gibson Hummingbird, although he also used a Martin D-28 frequently, as did the other Beatles.