Beatles recording console used for ‘Abbey Road’ on sale
The Beatles’ console used to record their Abbey Road album has been restored and is going on sale.
The unique “one-off” EMI TG12345 recording console was used by the band on their iconic 1969 album, and it will be going on sale via the official Reverb shop of London’s recording studio experts, MJQ Ltd, on Tuesday.
Beatles collaborator and former EMI engineer Brian Gibson has spent five years helping with the restoration, with the technicians able to reassemble the console using 70 per cent of its original parts.
The remainder were “faithfully reproduced” to “seamlessly work alongside their older counterparts”.
Speaking to Reverb, Dave Harries – who was part of many Beatles recording sessions with the piece of kit in the 1960s – said: “Abbey Road is one of the best albums that’s ever been made, and it sounds so good because of this recording console.
“Because of the way that Abbey Road was recorded, the album has a distinctive sound that hallmarked the future of pop recording.”
Harries described the console as “unique” and irreplaceable, while still standing up “against any modern console”.
He added: “This particular console is a one-off. It’s unique. You can’t replace it.
“It sounds so good that it holds up against any modern console and, in many respects, it’s probably better.
“Because in those days, it was built to a different standard – cost, no object. EMI built this to be the best in the world.”
All four of the Fab Four – Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Ringo Starr, George Harrison and John Lennon – used the console for various solo projects.
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