Abbey Road Studios (merch) definitely for sale!
Abbey Road Studios Jack Leads T-shirt
Since last week’s rumoured sale of Abbey Road Studios, Andrew Lloyd Webber has considered making an offer, owners EMI called the reports unfounded and now the legendary recording facility has been given listed building status on the advice of English Heritage.
Quite a week. The launch of an official line of Abbey Road Studios merchandise couldn't be better timed.
The new range of laptop cases, notebooks and T-shirt designs were inspired by the iconic building’s rich history of recording residents and engineers, and the one-time cutting-edge, now iconic audio equipment used inside - including the TG12345 MK II desk.
Starting with the colourful Jack Leads example above, click through to see our favourite items…
Bass T-shirt
Paul McCartney's Hofner 'Violin' Bass? The Beatles? Abbey Road Studios? Obligatory, obviously.
Twin Guitar T-shirt
Hmmm, doubleneck Gibson EDS-1275... a Jimmy Page connection? Undoubtedly, Page's prolific session work would almost certainly have lead him to Abbey Road, but Led Zeppelin are surely better known for cutting discs at Olympic Studios? Regardless, it's a very nice T-shirt.
Double Tracking T-shirt
"Automatic doubletracking is one of the many inventions and advances in audio technology developed by Abbey Road Studios. This T-shirt is a bold reference to our legacy of innovation in music recording." Nuff
.
Eight Track Mind T-shirt
"Abbey Road Studio first introduced eight track recording and developed innovative ways of multi tracking in the 1960s. This T-shirt is a witty reference to our legacy of innovation in music recording." Witty indeed. And we want one.
Laptop cases
13-inch laptop cases (clockwise from top left): Electric Guitar case, EQ case, TG Desk case and Desk Three case. The 'TG' design replicates the TG12345 recording desk (a Mk II and Mk III version are still in use today), 'Desk Three' is one of the studio's control room desks (behind the Abbey Road Studio 'clipping mask' effect text) and the 'EQ' pattern is, well... an EQ pattern.
The 'Electric Guitar' model features an upside down Stratocaster - the most famous left-handed player to flip a Strat over and play it this way is of course Mr James Marshall Hendrix. To the best of our knowledge, Jimi never actually recorded at Abbey Road, but the reference is unmistakeable. There's also a cool t-shirt featuring the same print.
Notebooks
Last but not least is the range of notebooks including another TG Desk design, the Red EMI Tape Box (inspired by the little red boxes used to house 811 analogue professional recording tape) and the Recording Process notebook: Imagine, Score, Perform, Record, Mix, Master, Play.
If only it was that easy.
You can view and purchase the whole Abbey Road Studios merchandise range here (with more planned for later this year).
