"Hey Bulldog" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps""

[So Low Bass]

Forgive me if these questions have been asked elsewhere but...

1. Hey Bulldog: What bass is Paul playing? Is it the J? The sound is SO different!

2. Weeps: To my ears, the bass sound like the Fender VI for sure. I read in several places that Paul played bass on the tune. I think it was George on the VI.

Are there any ideas?

[corinpills]

You will find the answer to #1 here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaRz-3DYV7c

footage shot during the recording of the song.

[Bubba Ghanoosh]

Yeah, I saw that on VH1 Classic.
Love the shot at 2:01.

[kraigo]

That's gotta be a pick. So Rick, pick and flats, up near the neck is my vote. I would think you could get somewhat close on a lot of basses (taking nothing away from Rickenbackers, but many of us don't have one!) with the flats, pick and up by the neck.

Thanks for posting that corinpills!

KO

[john_martin_sai]

Originally Posted by So Low Bass

1. Hey Bulldog: What bass is Paul playing? Is it the J? The sound is SO different!

[So Low Bass]

Originally Posted by corinpills

You will find the answer to #1 here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaRz-3DYV7c

footage shot during the recording of the song.

Sorry Corinpills,

Most of that video was shot for a promo of Lady Madonna. The only part of Bulldog is where Paul and John are standing at the mic. That short section, plus the Bulldog soundtrack, was cut into the promo. The video is mislabled and is yet another example of wrong and misleading information that has become "fact" today.

Thanks for trying to help, but in this case.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-42ZFa2nuxs

[iamthebassman]

1. Ric
2. Jazz

[corinpills]

Originally Posted by So Low Bass

Sorry Corinpills,

Most of that video was shot for a promo of Lady Madonna. The only part of Bulldog is where Paul and John are standing at the mic. That short section, plus the Bulldog soundtrack, was cut into the promo. The video is mislabled and is yet another example of wrong and misleading information that has become "fact" today.

Thanks for trying to help, but in this case.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-42ZFa2nuxs

From what I understand, they showed up to shoot a promo for "Lady Madonna" and instead recorded "Hey Bulldog." For years, that footage was synched up (to some extent) to lady madonna, but I'm pretty sure that is from the actual session for Bulldog.

[So Low Bass]

Originally Posted by iamthebassman

1. Ric
2. Jazz

I closed all of the books, and opened my ears with a pair of headphones and listened to Weeps again. To me, it's the VI. Not only does it have the thin growl like the VI (and totally unlike a J), but the added 5ths are a dead give away. It reminds me of John playing "Dig It".

[Ephi82]

I think it's very interesting that McCartney kept his lines very simple in "Weeps". Wonder if Harrison asked him to? Certainly allowed plenty of room for Clapton's small supporting riffs and his solos.......

It's generally very easy to pick out the Ric, (and the Hoffner) I dont know how anyone can make a definitive call between the Fenders.....

By the way, I have capoed a Jazz (short scale vibe) and equed it to sound like a Hoffner, pretty successfully......

[McHaven]

Weeps is definitely the jazz. Its totally McCartney's style IMO

[mccartneyman]

Paul was playing fifth on bass right from the start -- Listen to "All I've Gotta Do." I agree that it's Ric on Bulldog, Jazz on Weeps -- probably with the bridge cover mute cranked down a bit. If you have a Jazz with flats but no bridge cover, throw a sponge under the strings by the bridge and play with a pick. You'll see.

[iamthebassman]

Originally Posted by Ephi82

I dont know how anyone can make a definitive call between the Fenders.....

If you're talking deciding between a Jazz and the VI, just figure out who's playing, and if it's Paul you can rule out the VI.

[OldDog52]

I'm new here and I hope I'm not committing some kind of horrible faux pas by dredging up this thread, or worse that this is already covered elsewhere in a dozen other threads (but it probably is!). Anyway I'm particularly fascinated by the bass work in both Hey Bulldog and WMGGW. Those old 4/8-track studio masters seem like a gift now that stuff like this has come out:

Hey Bulldog, isolated bass, very clear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uza8a7lmPRA Alternate version with just bass, mostly very clear but a few parts with some kind of intermittent weird phasey thing going on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jYEFcHaJtU

While My Guitar Gently Weeps, very clear isolated bass & guitar (not Clapton's lead): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4shrXgJ-PY. Love that "sound".

WMGGW sure seems similar to what is purported to be John Lennon's bass work on Helter Skelter.

Apologies again if I'm dredging up old news.

[DanNowhere]

I love those isolated tracks when I can find them. I appreciate you posting them.