Think For Yourself - The Beatles (Guitar, Bass and Organ Cover) - "THE MOCKER" - Rickenbacker 4003s

"Think for Yourself" was recorded on November 8, 1965. The song was written by George Harrison and stands out for its unusually direct and critical lyrics. It talks about disillusionment with an authoritarian or manipulative figure many interpret it as a social or political critique, though it could also be aimed at a personal relationship.

The basic track was recorded in just one take, including drums, bass, and two rhythm guitars. Later, several overdubs were added: George’s lead vocal, John and Paul’s harmonies, maracas, tambourine, Vox Continental organ, and most notably, a second bass part played by Paul McCartney using a fuzz effect. This was one of the very first times fuzz distortion was used so prominently on a bass in pop music. That fuzz bass doesn't just hold down the rhythm it plays a melodic role, almost like a lead guitar. Paul probably used a Maestro FZ-1 or a Tone Bender to get that sound.

GUITAR PARTS
It’s always been believed that the guitar part was played only by George, but after listening closely to the isolated basic track (before fuzz bass and organ overdubs), it became clear to me that John and George were both playing their Sonic Blue Stratocasters at the same time. You can hear one guitar doing short downstrokes and the other playing a more consistent rhythm part. Based on a few chord mistakes near the end (1:44) and the general playing style, I believe the short strums are John’s. It’s hard to tell exactly who’s doing what since both guitars sound almost identical and blend together, but I tried to recreate a cleaner, more defined version of both guitar parts based on what I hear.

BASE TRACK/TAKE 1 -
   • Think For Yourself (Take 1 / November 8 - ...  

FUZZ BASS
I recreated the fuzz bass using my “The Mocker” pedal by ‪@aclamguitars‬ (0:27). As I mentioned, I believe Paul used either an FZ-1 or a Tone Bender. I followed the original line pretty closely, but with a few variations and Paul-style improvisations. Some parts are tricky to figure out note for note because of the distortion, but after a lot of analyzing and listening, I think I got the bass line as close to the original as possible.

(The fuzz part is where I’m using a Strap, just so you can tell the difference)


*Sorry for the crackling sound you hear in some parts, it's due to the compression from my video editing software, not from the exported mix itself.

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INSTRUMENTS USED:
GUITAR
2008 Fender Stratocaster MIM Black (Painted Like Sonic Blue and Modified With Deluxe Drive Pickups)

BASS
2017 Rickenbacker 4003s Fireglo

PEDAL
Aclam "The Mocker" Vox UL730 Fuzz

KEYBOARD
Roland XPS-10 Synthesizer