Paul McCartney's Keyboards and Synthesizers

In this image, taken in 1979 from the recording of his album "McCartney II", Paul can be seen playing a Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer.

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Before switching back to his old magical piano used in previous tours (Knight Upright) he used a Kurzweil PC2x in a magical piano wooden casing.

You can clearly see the Kurzweil PC2x in this Snapshot from "The Space within US" and in the video when he played in Madrid 2003 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F96G0BBHQSo&t=1h40m27s) starting approx. at 1h 40min 32s.

He used it on tour until after the 2005 tour. The last occurrence of this piano was when he played on the "Live and Let Die" live at the X Factor Finals in 2009 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkbnsTW3WCk at 7min, 22s where you can get a clear shot from behind)

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At 2:23 in the video provided, McCartney can be seen using the Yamaha CP70/80 within the performance (I am unsure on what model of the keyboard). I am unaware whether McCartney ever used this electric grand on any records bu it is evident he used it within live settings from the late eighties.

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If you know how a Fender Rhodes sounds, you can clearly notice that Paul McCartney uses one of these instruments during Rockshow. You can also see the back of the Rhodes in 0:50 and 1:05 and the left side in 1:07 while Paul uses it. If you listen to the intro of the song Magneto and Titanium Man you can lock fast that he uses a that kind of instrument. The film Rockshow was recorded during the "Wings over America Tour" in 1976. The title of the video says it was in 79 but it was in 76. The Rhodes Mark 2 was published in 1979 so it can only be that one which was released before the film Rockshow was recorded. So it can't be a Mark 2. Proof URL: fenderrhodes.com/pianos/mark2.html

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McCartney can be seen playing a Tubon in this photo.

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The instrument can be seen in the Spies Like Us music video at 1:09.

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Photo comes from “Tug of War” recording sessions

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In a 1979 photo from BlogSpot, Paul McCartney is seen in the studio with a Roland Jupiter-4 synthesizer. However, in this specific image, he is actually playing a Yamaha CS-80.

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It can partially be seen in this photo from the 1979 McCartney II recording sessions. You can also see it in this video from 2008, although it's unknown whether this is the same exact keyboard from the 1979 photo or not.

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In the video (e.g. in 1:21) you can see a beige Wurlitzer in Paul McCartney's studio. You can also see Paul sitting in front of this Keyboard in 44:00 in his Something NEW (Full Documentary) 2014 video.

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The solution was to take a left and right from a Kurzweil MicroPiano that is triggered via MIDI from McCartney’s onstage Yamaha piano?

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This video is a demonstration by Paul Mccartney, showing the Mellotron, and how Beatles used to make Strawberry Fields Forever.

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It's on top of Paul's Mellotron MkII in his home studio. You can see it in a video of Paul playing his mellotron, and also part of it in this video, starting at 5:15.

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It can be seen in this photo from the 1979 McCartney II recording sessions.

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ARP Pro-DGX in the background. From “Tug of War” recording sessions.

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this photo shows paul playing a hammond RT3 organ

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Another photo dating from the 1979 “McCartney II” recording sessions.

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the CZ-1 keyboard is listed in this blog

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the Hammond C3 Organ is listed in this blog

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the Oberheim OB-X is listed in this blog

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the Oberheim OB-Xa is listed in this blog

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the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 is listed in this blog

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Paul McCartney is mentioned in the Hog Hill Mill Blog under "Keyboards & Samplers" as using the Studio Electronics Midimoog.

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Paul McCartney is associated with the Wurlitzer 200, as noted in the "Keyboards & Samplers" section of the Hog Hill Mill Blog.

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the Yamaha DX1 is listed in this blog

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the Yamaha DX7 is listed in this blog

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the Yamaha S90 XS is listed in this blog

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the Roland D-550 is listed in this blog

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the Roland MKS-80 is listed in this blog

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the Roland MPG-80 is listed in this blog

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This is a community-built gear list for Paul McCartney.

  • Find relevant music gear like Microphones, Bass Guitars, Amplifiers, Effects Pedals, Pianos, Keyboards and Synthesizers, Studio Equipment, Software Plugins and VSTs, Headphones, and other instruments and add it to Paul McCartney.
  • The best places to look for gear usage are typically on the artist's social media, YouTube, live performance images, and interviews.
  • To receive email updates when Paul McCartney is seen with new gear, follow the artist.

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