Vithanage Erandi Kawshalya Madhushani Jade Times Staff
V.E.K. Madhushani is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Entertainment.
Historic Console That Recorded Abbey Road to Go Under the Hammer
Iconic Recording Console Used for Beatles' Abbey Road Up for Auction
A console used to record the Beatles’ legendary Abbey Road album, found discarded in a skip, is set to be auctioned after an extensive four year restoration. Malcolm Jackson and his son, Hamish Jackson, from Hertfordshire, were part of a team dedicated to restoring this unique EMI TG12345 console, originally used at the famous Abbey Road Studios in north London.
This particular console, one of just 17 created by EMI, played a pivotal role in recording the Abbey Road album, released on 26 September 1969. It was donated to a London school after the Beatles' era, where it was eventually disposed of in a skip due to lack of knowledge about its significance and usage.
The console was rediscovered by chance when a passing musician noticed the intriguing switches and pulled it out of the skip outside a school in St John's Wood. “He was a guitarist and thought, ‘It’ll look great on my guitar,’” explained Malcolm Jackson. That chance rescue led to years of the console lying unused until the restoration project began.
Working under the guidance of Brian Gibson, a former EMI engineer who collaborated with the Beatles in the 1960s, the Jacksons' team carefully restored the console, enlisting the expertise of 31 British companies to revive its parts.
“It’s a one-of-a-kind piece,” Mr. Jackson Sr. noted, explaining that the console’s sound quality is unparalleled. “Anyone who owns this will have the best studio in the world.” Hamish Jackson agreed, emphasizing that the console’s unique sound quality becomes especially evident during recording.
On 29 October, this piece of music history will be auctioned by Reverb, an online music marketplace. While the console is fully functional and ready for music production, its legacy and rarity also make it a collector’s dream. Hamish Jackson added, “You’re buying into the story it’s that perfect combination of world-class engineering and remarkable history.”
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