Yet another what bass did McCartney use thread...

LookIt'sSteve17 · #1 11-21-2006, 12:47 PM

I can't even figure out why I'm curious about it anymore, but because of the combined influence of the "What albums did McCartney play a Ric" and "What is a classic Jazz bass tone" threads, I wanna know if anybody would like to take a stab at what bass he used on "I Want You (She's So Heavy)."

Go ahead, stab it.

Tony G · #2 11-21-2006, 12:49 PM

wishbass?

lawsonman · #3 11-21-2006, 04:47 PM

I could be wrong but I think he still played the Hofner on Abby Road.I know he used a Ric on Sargent Peppers.

Phlintlock · #4 11-21-2006, 09:54 PM

Wondering this the other day and since the thread is here, why not ask, what did he play on "Baby you're a rich man". I can't get that awesome tone out of my head.

LookIt'sSteve17 · #5 11-21-2006, 11:06 PM

I've heard around the forum both that he used a Jazz for Abbey Road (as he did for most of the White Album) and that he used the Hofner for Abbey Road... I'm sure he used both, as some songs (like "Something") sound like a Jazz and I'm sure he wasn't quite done trying it out after the White Album and other songs (namely "Come Together") I'm sure are the Hofner.

By the by, word has it that "Baby, You're a Rich Man" was the Rick. +1 on that tone... that song made me want to learn how to pick.

EDIT: I've found a site that paraphrases McCartney as having said that the Hofner wasn't properly intonated until fairly recently and would start going out of tune from the third fret up. That'd knock it out of the running for "I Want You" but... I'm not completely convinced of the credibility of this info.

Skel · #6 11-22-2006, 10:35 AM

I would bet he used the Ric on "She's so Heavy". The tone has some sustain to it, unlike what he got with the Hofner, plus the Hofnter's intonation was usually off and he gets pretty far up the neck in this song.

I was listening for the millionth time to "Rain", "Because", "I'm Only Sleeping", "With a Little Help From My Friends", and a few others a couple days ago. I was reminded that; First - this guy should be a knight or something, and his wives should be very nice to him. The man's got serious bass game.

On songs like "Because", he gets that dead thump at the end of a note - no sustain, so I would guess he used the Hofner on at least some of these greats.

JjJosh · #7 03-28-2012, 01:53 PM

I know this forum is old as all hell but if you listen to the isolated track ripped from beatles rock band, it kind of sounds like the Fender Bass VI that was used at various points during the last few beatles albums.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FicPrYiga7U