When pieces of Beatles history go up for sale, it's usually at auction, but that's not the case for the console that was used to record the band's final album Abbey Road. The legendary EMI TG1234 recording console will be available for a fixed price on Reverb starting October 29.
“Abbey Road is one of the best albums that’s ever been made, and it sounds so good because of this recording console,” said Dave Harries, who participated in numerous Beatles recording sessions with the console in the 1960s, in a press release. “Because of the way that Abbey Road was recorded, the album has a distinctive sound that hallmarked the future of pop recording.”
In addition to the Beatles' iconic 1969 album, the console was also used on all the members' solo projects including John Lennon’s standout single “Instant Karma!” and John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album, as well as Paul McCartney’s McCartney, George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass and Ringo Starr’s Sentimental Journey.
The EMI TG1234 was the first of just 17 consoles worldwide made by EMI. “This particular console is a one-off. It’s unique. You can’t replace it,” Harries added. “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.”
According to a press release, "the recording console underwent a five-year restoration process under the guidance of Beatles collaborator and former EMI engineer Brian Gibson" after being disassembled and untouched for five decades. "Gibson, along with a team of audio engineers and technicians, managed to reunite the console with 70% of its original parts, working with expert British companies to faithfully reproduce the replacement parts to seamlessly work alongside their older counterparts. After years of work, Gibson and his team were able to bring the console to almost exactly the same form as it was when it sat at EMI Studios," which is now Abbey Road Studios, named after the legendary album.
Watch a video about the iconic piece of equipment below and preview the Reverb listing here.