The Beatles’ console used to record ‘Abbey Road’ has been restored and is going on sale.
The unique “one-off” EMI TG12345 recording console was used by the ‘Here Comes The Sun’ legends on their iconic final 1969 album, and the item will be going on sale via the official Reverb shop of London’s recording studio experts, MJQ Ltd, on October 29.
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 percent of its original parts.
The remainder were “faithfully reproduced” to “seamlessly work alongside their older counterparts”.
Speaking to Reveb, Dave Harries – who was part of manyn 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.
The ‘Hey Jude’ band recently saw off competition from Queen and The Rolling Stones to be named the ultimate British band a BBC Radio 2 poll organised to mark National Album Day – which has the theme of Great British groups this year – on October 19.