amplifiers, the other half of their guitar sound.
watt? I can't hear you!
nearly all of the amps used by the fab four were either
or
The relative importance of an on stage amplifier, was much greater in the early days of the Beatles. Sound reinforcement systems were crude at best, and often there were no stage monitors. (recently I read in an old contract for a Beatles concert in Cleveland, Ohio, where a "high fidelity PA system and monitor speakers" were a requirement along with 4 cots, 4 clean towels, and 4 Cokes for after the show.)
Amp cabinets were not normally miked, so the amp was the only way the audience could hear the guitar (or bass) & it was the only way the player could hear himself! So add the sound of Beatlemania screams...good luck hearing much of anything!
John & George often used the same model guitar;
Gibson J160E 
Epiphone Casino
Fender Stratocaster
but they were more likely to use the same model amp, even when their guitars weren't.
Seen here is the most famous
amp to date, being even more sought after today than 40 years ago!
the AC-30/6TB
a 30 watt 2-12 combo amp with reverb, tremolo & 6 inputs!
The AC-50 a 50 watt 2-12 head & cabinet set up with TV tray stand. These were used in their 1st U.S.tour and seen in the film,
A Hard Day's Night
a variant model of this one the
AC-50ST(super twin)
this one can be seen in use during the Royal Command Performance. It looks remarkably like the AC-30 when the stand isn't used and the head is on the ground off to the side as in the RCP.
Touring needs led to the use of larger and larger amps.
this amp is the
Super Beatle
a 100 watt head paired with a cabinet with 4-12" speakers developed especially for
Paul's bass amps will be discussed on the next page, but some of the amps were not strictly considered bass amps.
this one is the T-60
a 60watt head and cabinet set up,
used between '62 & '64.
An interesting side note here is that
like many other British groups,
the Who were using
this model T-60 Vox amp.
When pushing this amp for more volume, as was commonly done , the head would occasionally overheat and actually explode!
It's said that this very occurrence was the catalyst to the Who destroying their equipment on stage...out of sheer frustration!
the use of the T-100 head solved most of the overheating problems
the
AC100/Mark I
1964
the Conqueror
as seen in the Hello Goodbye promo
(w/ 730 cab.)
below is a model 7120 used during the Revolver & Sgt.Pepper sessions as well as the 1966 tour of Japan. A 730 model was used during the Sgt. Pepper session of "With A Little Help From My Friends" also known as Badfinger boogie...yes that is where the group Badfinger got their name.
In the early days at the Cavern and in Hamburg, the boys used some rather under powered amps. Usually the least expensive, second hand, American made if possible amps. These amps include an
Elpico AC55 used by Paul,
a Gibson GA-40 Les Paul, used by George
on to
