McCartney - Acoustic?

[bassist1962]

Alright, I looked up the reference in 'The Beatles Recording Sessions'.

On June 14, 1967 recording commenced for the rhythm track of 'All You Need Is Love', with Paul on Double Bass. Bass guitar was added about ten days later.

[WRBass]

Originally Posted by bassist1962

Alright, I looked up the reference in 'The Beatles Recording Sessions'.

On June 14, 1967 recording commenced for the rhythm track of 'All You Need Is Love', with Paul on Double Bass. Bass guitar was added about ten days later.

What a musician! In 1967, he had only been playing bass guitar for 6 years. He was only 25 years old in '67. He was already in a very successful band that was touring and releasing albums. He was also writing music, singing, playing guitar and piano. I've heard there was some time devoted to partying as well. And he had time to learn how to play Double Bass and make it sound that good?

[Jake deVilliers]

Originally Posted by WRBass

What a musician! In 1967, he had only been playing bass guitar for 6 years. He was only 25 years old in '67. He was already in a very successful band that was touring and releasing albums. He was also writing music, singing, playing guitar and piano. I've heard there was some time devoted to partying as well. And he had time to learn how to play Double Bass and make it sound that good?

You left out trumpet, recorder and ukulele!

[gflat]

Originally Posted by WRBass

And he had time to learn how to play Double Bass and make it sound that good?

There you go. That’s the question. Is it or isn't it a double bass you hear on that song? If it is, I agree, it’s surprisingly impressive. But it might be an electric bass that we're hearing.

The written accounts of what he's playing are just way too contradictary. That's why I'm trying to get experienced bass players to listen to the song and give an opinion based on what their ears tell them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLxTpsIVzzo

[Russell Bergum]

Originally Posted by ryco

Sounds like a thumpy Ric with flatwounds and the bridge mute engaged.

I totally agree. I listened to this on a good set of headphones, and I'm convinced it's an electric bass. If you listen to the fills he does in the middle part (1:40 to 2:30), it really sounds like a muted Ric with flats, using a pick. I think it's a good example of how you can make an electric sound like an upright.

[bassist1962]

Originally Posted by gflat

There you go. That’s the question. Is it or isn't it a double bass you hear on that song? If it is, I agree, it’s surprisingly impressive. But it might be an electric bass that we're hearing.

The written accounts of what he's playing are just way too contradictary. That's why I'm trying to get experienced bass players to listen to the song and give an opinion based on what their ears tell them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLxTpsIVzzo

IT's both double bass and bass guitar. The band played over the original rhythm track. Kind of a double tracked bass part.

[gflat]

Originally Posted by bassist1962

IT's both double bass and bass guitar. The band played over the original rhythm track. Kind of a double tracked bass part.

I do appreciate you looking it up. I'm pretty familiar with the varying accounts of the recording process for this song.

The key thing is that when you listen to the recording (on record or the broadcast video) you only hear ONE bass part, and ONE bass. Even if it were possible for McCartney to use the Ric to double a bass part that has so many little variances in it, that's not what you hear. It doesn't have the sound of two basses layered -- in this case it would be an electric doubling an acoustic.

Either the double bass was buried in the mix or the electric was. He played both, but you're only hearing one. The question is, which one?

[gflat]

Originally Posted by Russell Bergum

I totally agree. I listened to this on a good set of headphones, and I'm convinced it's an electric bass. If you listen to the fills he does in the middle part (1:40 to 2:30), it really sounds like a muted Ric with flats, using a pick. I think it's a good example of how you can make an electric sound like an upright.

Thanks for giving it a listen and pointing out a particular section. That's two votes for a Ric with flatwounds, and a bridge mute.

It's amazing that it could be at all difficult to tell, considering that the choice isn't even between a double bass and an electric played with fingers, but between a double bass and an electric played with a pick. He gets such a "fingers on an acoustic" attack at times.

Thanks again.

[Jake deVilliers]

Hmmm. I just listened to the hifi version (Just add &fmt=18 to the YouTube URL) and it sure sounds like DB to me. there's a bobble at 3:14 that couldn't have happened on a fretted instrument.

Check it out.

[gflat]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

...it sure sounds like DB to me. there's a bobble at 3:14 that couldn't have happened on a fretted instrument.

Nice trick with the “&fmt=18” extension. I never knew you could do that. I'll include the revised link at the end of this post.

I listened to the bobble at 3:14, but not being a bass player of either type it doesn’t have the same meaning that it does to you. I value your qualified assessment of it though. That’s why I asked. I had read your credentials from your previous post to this thread and I was hoping you'd give it a listen and let me know what you thought. Thanks.

If the bass tone wasn't so consistent throughout the song I’d say that they were mixing between acoustic and electric -– switching back and forth at different points. But the basic bass tone is the same throughout.

Thanks for your input.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLxTpsIVzzo&fmt=18