The Beatles - Money (That's What I Want) - Guitar Cover - Rickenbacker 325C58

Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)" is a prime example of how the Beatles could cover a song with a unique sense of style, building upon what other musicians had done before them. John's and George's guitar parts in this "With the Beatles" classic blend very well together, sounding as one massive rhythm guitar. As the original recording, some of the acoustic sound from the guitar was blended into my mix to simulate the guitar bleed in the vocal microphones. George Martin opens "Money" with piano, and John quickly follows with a guitar licked based around the main riff. He allows his 1958 Rickenbacker 325 to ring out by playing chords throughout the verses and choruses. Notice how John plays a B major barre chord instead of the usual B7 in the turnarounds after the intro and instrumental interlude (0:13, 1:35). On the final A chord during the vocal breaks, John briefly lets go of the A while transitioning to the A7 at the 5th fret. By doing this, he actually is playing the open D, G, and B strings, which is essentially a G major chord (0:21). George builds tension by continuing the E major riff during the intro and interlude even when John plays B7 and A7 chords. During the vocal breaks in the verses, George can be seen playing the A chord without his pointer finger in live performances. I recreated his fingering for authenticity! (0:40) He "walks up" from the E chord to the B chord in the verses with transition G and A notes (0:50, 1:51). George also plays a quick hammer on from the open A string during the B barre chord (0:52, 1:52). While George plays the regular riff to end the song, John plays a slight variant (2:40). Instead of sliding up to a G# and C like George, John instead plays an open E and B. To create even further tonal variation between the guitar parts, George finishes the song with a low E note with John strumming a sweet E major. Hear that great Rickenbacker chime! This Rickenbacker 325c58 was modified to have the exact appearance as John’s guitar from late 1963 onward. The original Kauffmann Vibrola was replaced with a Bigsby B5 while a Bigsby Bowtie bridge was used in place of the Rickenbacker roller bridge. The TV knobs were replaced with Burns polished aluminum control knobs. A black switch cap was added for authenticity to Lennon's 325. Instruments Used: John Lennon Guitar: Rickenbacker 325C58 (2003) George Harrison Guitar: Gretsch G5120 Amp: Vox AC15 Amp microphone: Audio-Technica AT2035 Acoustic microphone: Shure SM57