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07-10-2012, 05:24 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Jersey | | Quote:
Originally Posted by -=DanAtkinson=-  It's interesting that there is so much debate on which bass Paul used on which track. The Hofner, Ric, and Jazz are all drastically different in design/construction. But it is very difficult to identify them by ear.
Paul always sounds like Paul, because the tone is in the fingers...and heart. Not so much in the instrument. And certainly not in the species of wood, the type of bridge, the nut, etc. | Macca's tone is very much about his technique, first and foremost. His use of the pick and palm muting are among the biggest factor in getting his sound.
But there's a point at which selecting a specific instrument is also going to affect the tone. The bass tone on "Yer Blues" from The White Album would be pretty tough to get with the Hofner. And did Macca have an instrument that could get that springy sound on "With a little help from my friends" with a bass other than the Rick? It's debatable. Especially since tone shaping and recording technology in the mid 1960's were limited in their capabilities. |
07-10-2012, 08:32 PM
| | | | I'm confused. Aren't the bass parts in "Paperback Writer" and "Drive my Car", and the "Michelle" solo, all about the 4001?
It's why I play a 4003. |
07-10-2012, 08:35 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Atlanta, GA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by ShoeManiac Macca's tone is very much about his technique, first and foremost. His use of the pick and palm muting are among the biggest factor in getting his sound. | I believe he used foam mutes, not palm muting. |
07-10-2012, 09:10 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Tarpon Springs, FL | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Crg2 the "Michelle" solo | Michelle solo? The only solo on that record is George's guitar part.
- Steve |
07-11-2012, 01:28 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2012 Location: Redwood City, CA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by ShoeManiac Macca's tone is very much about his technique, first and foremost. His use of the pick and palm muting are among the biggest factor in getting his sound.
But there's a point at which selecting a specific instrument is also going to affect the tone. The bass tone on "Yer Blues" from The White Album would be pretty tough to get with the Hofner. And did Macca have an instrument that could get that springy sound on "With a little help from my friends" with a bass other than the Rick? It's debatable. Especially since tone shaping and recording technology in the mid 1960's were limited in their capabilities. | Funny thing. I've spent part of this evening getting the bass part down to With a Little Help from My Friends -- on my Hofner Ignition. So take that, all you gear experts.
Bass off, Treble off, bass pot about 65%, treble pot about 10%. LaBella Deep Talkin' 0.050 - 0100 flats, 1.0 mm teardrop pick. No palm muting (for a change); instead, a very firm, precise, glancing pick stroke with the tip only, about an inch up the neck from the neck pickup. Amp gain up high, pick pressure is light. To my ears it gets the pluck, fluidity, and warmth of that line we all love so much.
Isn't that why we love Sir Paul? His bass lines don't just carry the song, they are the song.
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07-11-2012, 01:30 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2012 Location: Redwood City, CA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by -=DanAtkinson=- I believe he used foam mutes, not palm muting. | Where did he put the foam mutes on the Hofner? I'd say he had to use his palm.
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07-11-2012, 12:06 PM
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Originally Posted by music fun Where did he put the foam mutes on the Hofner? I'd say he had to use his palm. | He never uses palm mute.
On the Hofner he SOMETIMES uses foam, and most of the time he doesn't mute at all. On Rick he uses the mute that comes from factory.
Paul is using a foam mute here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edIqdKLL6o4
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07-11-2012, 02:06 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2012 Location: Redwood City, CA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by FrednBass He never uses palm mute.
On the Hofner he SOMETIMES uses foam, and most of the time he doesn't mute at all. On Rick he uses the mute that comes from factory.
Paul is using a foam mute here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edIqdKLL6o4 | Fun. That clip was good to see again.
Son of a gun: there's that foam, glamor shot at 1:50. Thanks for the education.
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07-12-2012, 12:35 AM
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Endorsing: Ampeg | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Apopka, FL | | Mute on a violin bass with dead flats is overkill 
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07-12-2012, 05:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Steve Boisen Michelle solo? The only solo on that record is George's guitar part.
- Steve | Nope. That's Paul. |
07-12-2012, 10:55 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Tarpon Springs, FL | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Crg2 Nope. That's Paul. | Well, even if Paul played the solo, it's an electic guitar and not a bass.
Just so we are talking about the same thing, the "solo" in my mind is the melody played at the 1:26 mark and occurs again at the end of the song. You can hear Paul's bass beind the solo which is played on the lower register of an electric guitar. I've always understood that this guitar part was played by George Harrison and was "suggested" by George Martin.
- Steve
Last edited by Steve Boisen : 07-12-2012 at 11:02 AM.
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07-23-2012, 07:48 AM
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Originally Posted by Steve Boisen Well, even if Paul played the solo, it's an electic guitar and not a bass.
Just so we are talking about the same thing, the "solo" in my mind is the melody played at the 1:26 mark and occurs again at the end of the song. You can hear Paul's bass beind the solo which is played on the lower register of an electric guitar. I've always understood that this guitar part was played by George Harrison and was "suggested" by George Martin.
- Steve | It's his Ric bass. Get out a Ric bass, and try it. Sounds similar instantly. |
07-23-2012, 10:30 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Tarpon Springs, FL | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Crg2 It's his Ric bass. Get out a Ric bass, and try it. Sounds similar instantly. | It would be fun to imagine it's Paul taking a bass solo in 1965, but I'm quite certain it's George Harrison on an electric guitar. In fact George Martin says so in this video.
- Steve
Last edited by Steve Boisen : 07-23-2012 at 10:27 PM.
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12-11-2012, 07:46 AM
| | | | I'm curious about his tone on the white album. Was he using flats or those black nylon strings? the pics of him with the jazz bass don't show black strings.. |
12-11-2012, 08:16 AM
| | | Yes, George Martin wrote that solo for "Michelle", and George Harrison played it on guitar.
Fascinating thread!
Just as a sidebar: It has to be absolutely crazy being Paul or Ringo. Imagine encountering this kind of scrutiny and thinking, "I've forgotten more about myself than I even realized." 
I remember a video interview with Ringo where he was asked about a specific Beatles song and he couldn't remember which album it was on! |
12-11-2012, 11:54 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Wales, U.K | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Crg2 I'm confused. Aren't the bass parts in "Paperback Writer" and "Drive my Car", and the "Michelle" solo, all about the 4001?
It's why I play a 4003. | The Paperback writer bassline was played by George Harrison on a Burns bass according to Bass Guitar Magazine (UK) when the review for the Burns reissue ran. There was a pic within the article of George playing one at the session.
This news freaked me out as Paperback Writer is my fave Beatles bass tone and the reason I bought a 4001 many years ago!
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12-11-2012, 01:33 PM
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Originally Posted by miles'tone The Paperback writer bassline was played by George Harrison on a Burns bass according to Bass Guitar Magazine (UK) when the review for the Burns reissue ran. There was a pic within the article of George playing one at the session.
This news freaked me out as Paperback Writer is my fave Beatles bass tone and the reason I bought a 4001 many years ago! | You touched on another interesting thing about the Beatles: They switched instruments so frequently that I'm consistently surprised by learning who played what. |
12-11-2012, 01:46 PM
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Originally Posted by miles'tone The Paperback writer bassline was played by George Harrison on a Burns bass according to Bass Guitar Magazine (UK) when the review for the Burns reissue ran. There was a pic within the article of George playing one at the session.
This news freaked me out as Paperback Writer is my fave Beatles bass tone and the reason I bought a 4001 many years ago! | well, always take with caution what bass magazines say unless it's an interview: I had one that was saying that Sgt pepper was released one year before Revolver and that abbey road was recorded before let it be. |
12-11-2012, 02:45 PM
|  | Hello Mangs | | Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Munchkin Land | |
Quote:
Originally Posted by dougjwray You touched on another interesting thing about the Beatles: They switched instruments so frequently that I'm consistently surprised by learning who played what. | Why did they do this?
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12-11-2012, 04:21 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: UK | | | Just addressing the mute on a violin bass point made a while back: If you go back to post #7 you can see some foam wedged under the strings of his violin bass for some of the let it be sessions.
BTW, does anyone know what settings he prefers on his hofner in terms of the switches and PU selection? I'm guessing its mainly the neck PU, but does he play on the rythm or solo settings?
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