I know the Beatles were Fender users at times during their heyday. I heard the song "Revolution" the other day and was wondering how they got that neat overdrive, fuzz tone on the song. It almost sounds like a blown or punched out speaker. I know there wasn't a lot of effects processing around in those days, so what did they use?

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Guitar going straight into the board in the studio.

"The distorted guitar sound was achieved by putting the guitars through the recording console, which causes the channel to overload and create a fuzz sound."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolution_(song)

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

Check Google Books for :

"The Beatles' Gear" by Andy Babiuk

"As to the overdriven sound on Revolution, the credible sources (including George Martin) say that it was a guitar [possibly a Strat] plugged straight into the board and recorded too hot. No amp, just a too-hot signal that sounded like that when recorded."

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I've heard that they cranked the preamp on the board and routed it to another channel.

There was an article way back in GP. It was the board and the engineers weren't happy about it.

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According to Andy Babiuk's book Beatles Gear they used Vox Tone Benders for some distortion sounds,starting with Paul's fuzz bass line on George's Think For Yourself and most likely on Helter Skelter.They had experimented with Maestros in the studio but never used one on a recording.Thet used anArbiter Fuzz Faca on Let IT Be and Abbey Road. Recording engineer Geoff Emerick confirms that the overdriven distortion on Revolution was done at the mixing desk by overloading the signal. But technical engineer Brian Gibson says that the distortion was from overdriving the amps.Maybe it was a bit of both.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

There is a live version of them doing it in the studio, though it sounds like it is half live and half tracked. George is using a Les Paul and I believe John has his Casino.

John used the Casino almost exclusively from Revolver until The Plastic Ono Band where he retired it and started using the Les Paul Jr. with the Charlie Christian pickup.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Apparently Don Randall only visited the Beatles a year before they broke up and convinced them to use Fender amps, you can see them in the movie Let it Be. George is also seen using a Rosewood Telecaster.

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2012 Fender American Standard Stratocaster
2013 Fender Pure Vintage 65 Stratocaster
2003 Gibson ES-355
2015 Gibson Les Paul Traditional
2002 Gretsch Duo Jet
1980 Rickenbacker 360/12 Fireglo
2014 Martin 000X1AE
2014 Fender Blues Junior III