How It Was Recorded

The Beatles · Album, 1969

Abbey Road

This is an album-level record: the sources describe how the album as a whole was recorded, not one song. Where a detail belongs to a single song, the row says so.

Songs this record stands for: Come Together, Something. We found nothing specific to these songs, so this album record is the closest account we have.

GuitarDrumsKeysVerified4Reported2

What the sources do and do not say

Album record. Sources are Emerick's MusicRadar track-by-track and Guitar World's Abbey Road guide; neither describes microphones, amps or tracking chain for Come Together itself beyond the electric piano and tea towels. Other candidates (SOS remastering and Love pieces, Tape Op, Norman Smith) were read and cover mastering, remixing or earlier sessions, so no rows were taken. Reverb returned 403 and was not read.

Guitar

George Harrison

Amplifier

Leslie Rotary speaker cabinet (model not stated)

Reported

The article says Harrison used a Leslie rotary speaker cabinet on the album sessions to colour his lead lines.

Source: Guitar World, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Covers this kind of unit

IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5

amp and cabinet simulator

An amp and cabinet simulator that covers a wide range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets of this kind. It is not a model of this unit, so pick the nearest one in it by ear.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Native Instruments Guitar Rig 7 Pro (An amp and cabinet simulator that covers a wide range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets of this kind. It is not a model of this unit, so pick the nearest one in it by ear).

Drums

Ringo Starr

Instrument

Unidentified Tea towels (draped over drums)

VerifiedOne song

Ringo muffled his drums with tea towels on this song; Emerick says this suited its spooky mood where loud drums would have spoilt it.

Source: MusicRadar, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. The source does not name the model, so no specific plugin can be suggested.

Input chain

EMI TG12345

Verified

Solid-state recording console in Studio Two; Emerick says it gave the album's rhythm tracks a softer, less aggressive texture than the old valve desk.

Source: Guitar World, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Waves EMI TG12345 Channel Strip

channel strip

Made with Abbey Road Studios as a model of a TG12345 channel.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Unidentified Eight-track tape recorder (model not stated)

Verified

Eight-track recording meant Emerick had more mic inputs and could capture Ringo's kit in stereo for the first time, including mics under the toms.

Source: MusicRadar, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Approximate

Slate Digital Virtual Tape Machines

tape

Models two Studer machines, not this recorder. It gives the general behaviour of analogue multitrack tape.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Universal Audio Studer A800 Tape Recorder (Models a Studer A800, not this recorder. It gives the general behaviour of analogue multitrack tape).

Keys

John Lennon

Instrument

Unidentified Electric piano (model not stated)

VerifiedOne song

Lennon played the electric piano part on this song after Paul had first played it.

Source: MusicRadar, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. The source does not name the model, so no specific plugin can be suggested.

Moog Moog synthesizer (model not stated)

Reported

The article says the Moog was used for the first time on Because, for a French horn-like sound; it is not said to feature on Come Together.

Source: Guitar World, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Covers this kind of unit

Arturia Mini V

instrument

A Minimoog emulation, so it has the Moog oscillators and ladder filter. The source does not say which Moog was played, so it is not a model of the instrument on the record.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Universal Audio Moog Minimoog (Moog-approved Minimoog emulation with the same oscillators and ladder filter. The source does not say which Moog was played, so it is not a model of the instrument on the record).

Sources

  1. A guide to the recording equipment, songs and instruments featured on The Beatles' Abbey Road, Guitar World, 2019-09-26. Accessed 15 Nov 2026.
  2. Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick on the recording of Abbey Road, track-by-track, MusicRadar, 2024-10-31. Accessed 15 Nov 2026.
Verified

Stated by the engineer, producer or artist, or by the manufacturer.

Reported

Stated by a reputable secondary source.

Inferred

An educated suggestion, not a documented fact.

Disclosure: plugin links currently go straight to the maker and earn us nothing. If that changes, affiliate links will be marked here. Suggestions are chosen on fit, never on commission, and are kept separate from the recording facts. More.