LONDON (CelebrityAccess) — The custom console used to record Abbey Road, the Beatles final album in 1969, will go on sale on the audio gear marketplace Reverb.
“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. “Because of the way that Abbey Road was recorded, the album has a distinctive sound that hallmarked the future of pop recording.”
The unique console, known as the EMI TG12345 was custom-built by EMI Studios in 1968 and was used as the Beatles recorded Abbey Road the following year. The console was later used by multiple members of the band for solo projects, including John Lennon’s single “Instant Karma!” and his John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band record, Paul McCartney’s McCartney, George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, and Ringo Starr’s Sentimental Journey record.
According to Harries, the console was so popular with some members of the group that George Harrison attempted to buy one for himself from EMI but his offer was ultimately rejected over fears that it might end up in the hands of one of EMI’s competitors.
Eventually, the console was disassembled and went into storage for more than five decades before it underwent a full restoration, directed by former EMI engineer Brian Gibson. The restoration, which took more than five years to complete, allowed the console to retain 70% of its original working parts with replacements for the remaining components sourced from British companies who worked to recreate faithful reproductions of the original parts.
After the restoration, the console was demonstrated this fall after reverb gathered a group of audio engineers at Abbey Road Studios to put the console through its paces.
“This particular console is a one-off. It’s unique. You can’t replace it,” said Harries of the TG 12345, which was the first of just 17 consoles worldwide made by EMI. “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.”
The console’s listing on Reverb will go live on October 29th and will be available through the official Reverb shop of London’s recording studio experts, MJQ Ltd.
