The Beatles */ Roll Over Beethoven - Guitar Cover ’’ Gretsch G5120 - Rickenbacker 325C58

George Harrison takes the lead on The Beatles’ 1963 cover of Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven“. The song begins with George’s lead guitar, one of the only times his guitar can be heard by itself on a finished recording. Notice the position George plays the D major chord during this opening is at the 10th fret (0:03), which can be seen on numerous live performance videos (notably the 1964 “Around The Beatles“ TV special). John comes in with his Rickenbacker 325 rhythm guitar up high on the neck. During live performances, John would vary the position on the neck in which he played the G and A Chuck Berry shuffle riffs, sometimes up high and other times low. However, in the studio recording John plays exclusively at the 10th and 12th frets until the very last A chord. The rhythm guitar most prominently heard throughout the song is John’s, while George’s can only be clearly observed during lead parts and other isolated rhythm incidents. For this cover, I mi
Back to Top