Paul Mccartney tone on Abbey Road

[darthplagis]

Originally Posted by mccartneyman

You'll get disagreement from many people about whether Paul tuned down for "Something." I don't think he did, despite what was written in a transcription in Bassplayer a few years back. And many people think "She's So Heavy" is a Hofner because the bass is out of tune.

i never said he tuned down for 'something', i asked if the hofner could hold the dropped D for 'she's so heavy' and i think the 'out of tune' part is just the jam aspect of the song

but reading the link warnergt posted, the gear list makes sense, though im sure there are overdubs not listed on there, paul has a very distinctive style and tone on guitar and im sure he played more guitar than is listed.

[Gibenbackerbass]

I think Paul had his mind on many other things besides what bass he was playing.

Writting music
Getting married
Beatles break up & all the financial stuff that went along with it.
Recording his own album (yes I know it was released in '70, but he started doing things for it in '69.
And a million other things.

[iamthebassman]

Ho hum...

[winterburn69]

Originally Posted by warnergt

There used to be a great site listing all the Beatles gear here:
http://perso.wanadoo.es/sissu/aroad.htm
but it seems to have gone away.

You can still catch the cached data here:
http://cc.bingj.com/cache.aspx?q=abb...40aca,54663997

On Abbey Road, it lists the following:
Come Together - Paul Rickenbacker 4001S
Something - Paul Hofner 500/1
Maxwell's Silver Hammer - George Fender Bass VI
Oh! Darling - Paul Fender Jazz Bass
Octopus's Garden - Paul Rickenbacker 4001S
I Want You (She's So Heavy) - Paul Hofner 500/1
Here Comes The Sun - Paul Rickenbacker 4001S
Because - Paul Rickenbacker 4001S
You Never Give Me Your Money - Paul Rickenbacker 4001S
Sun King - Paul Fender Jazz Bass
Mean Mr Mustard - Paul Fender Jazz Bass
Polythene Pam - Paul Rickenbacker 4001S
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window - Paul Rickenbacker 4001S
Golden Slumbers - George Fender Jazz Bass
Carry That Weight - George Fender Jazz Bass
The End - Paul Rickenbacker 4001S
Her Majesty - NA

The RotoSound website says he used the Tru Bass 88 strings on all of Abbey Road? So does this mean he had at least 3 (maybe 4) basses strung with the 88s? I've only seen the Höfner strung with 88s, but that was during the Get Back sessions (January 1969) although the Abbey Road sessions started in February 1969.

[ScottTunes]

Originally Posted by winterburn69

The RotoSound website says he used the Tru Bass 88 strings on all of Abbey Road? So does this mean he had at least 3 (maybe 4) basses strung with the 88s? I've only seen the Höfner strung with 88s, but that was during the Get Back sessions (January 1969) although the Abbey Road sessions started in February 1969.

Like you, I too have only seen the one Hofner strung with 88s. AFAIK, the photographic evidence shows only the Hofner with the 88s as well... Although I thought I'd seen a photo of a fretless Ric with what could be 88s... But that would likely be well after The Beatles broke up.

[Misterwogan]

Originally Posted by mccartneyman

"God, No God?".

Here in Europe, that particular debate ended a long time ago. "Pick or No Pick" however still brings them out with flaming torches and pitchforks.

[nukes_da_bass]

"god or no god"?

QUOTE=Misterwogan;13784267]Here in Europe, that particular debate ended a long time ago. "Pick or No Pick" however still brings them out with flaming torches and pitchforks.[/quote]

Heathens

[3234718]

Originally Posted by Misterwogan

Here in Europe, that particular debate ended a long time ago.

Oh how I wish I was European

[Floyd Eye]

Originally Posted by 3234718

Oh how I wish I was European

One way tickets aren't all that expensive.

[GM60466]

Originally Posted by mccartneyman

I believe that "What Bass Does Paul Use?" can be added to "Fingers or Pick?" , "Flats or Rounds" , "Lone Gunman/Conspiracy?" and "God, No God?" as one of those questions that man will debate to the end of time without a definitive answer.

add taste great - less filling

[oboylebass]

Paul does indeed drop is low E string to D on "Something". Right at around 1:40 or 1:41 you can clearly hear a low D right before the guitar solo. The last three notes of that run are
E-D-C. That D note is a low D...it's a bit out of tune too!!

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Glass Onion" (from the White album) are the J bass I think. The tone is very different, kinda grindy and distorted.

Search youtube for isolated bass parts of various Beatles tunes. Takes some time, but there are some gems on there.

[jlepre]

Originally Posted by sarlscharisma

Does anyone know definitively what track Macca used his Fender Jazz on Abbey Road or was it used on all tracks?

From what I understand it only got used a couple of times?

What's a Track Macca?

[Floyd Eye]

Originally Posted by jlepre

What's a Track Macca?

It's an app for your I Phone that lets you follow Paul on all his zany adventures.

[ggvicviper]

Originally Posted by ScottTunes

Like you, I too have only seen the one Hofner strung with 88s. AFAIK, the photographic evidence shows only the Hofner with the 88s as well... Although I thought I'd seen a photo of a fretless Ric with what could be 88s... But that would likely be well after The Beatles broke up.

Actually, I thought I saw black strings with yellow silk ends on All You Need is Love and I am the Walrus, in which he had the Ric in hand.

[mjac28]

Abbey Road

Recorded: February 22 to August 20, 1969
Location: Abbey Road, Olympic and Trident
Released: September 26, 1969 (Apple)


Sir Paul used a 1963 Hofner bass, Rickenbacker 4001S and also a Fender VI and Jazz Bass and a Moog was used along with a bass on "Mean Mr. Mustard."
Abbey Road was the first and only Beatles album recorded with a solid state console.

[Dluxe]

In a Guitar Player interview from the late 70's Duane Eddy said he was in the studio at the time The Beatles were recording Abbey Road. He said it was Eric Clapton who played the lead on "Something." I mentioned that years ago on one of those old alt.beatles forums and nearly got run out of town! My logic was that he was remembering an event that had happened only 8 years ago but many still said that Mr. Eddy didn't know what he was talking about. I always thought the tone on that lead was similar to the tone Clapton got on "Gently Weeps".

[FrednBass]

Originally Posted by warnergt

There used to be a great site listing all the Beatles gear here:
http://perso.wanadoo.es/sissu/aroad.htm
but it seems to have gone away.

You can still catch the cached data here:
http://cc.bingj.com/cache.aspx?q=abb...40aca,54663997

On Abbey Road, it lists the following:
Come Together - Paul Rickenbacker 4001S
Something - Paul Hofner 500/1
Maxwell's Silver Hammer - George Fender Bass VI
Oh! Darling - Paul Fender Jazz Bass
Octopus's Garden - Paul Rickenbacker 4001S
I Want You (She's So Heavy) - Paul Hofner 500/1
Here Comes The Sun - Paul Rickenbacker 4001S
Because - Paul Rickenbacker 4001S
You Never Give Me Your Money - Paul Rickenbacker 4001S
Sun King - Paul Fender Jazz Bass
Mean Mr Mustard - Paul Fender Jazz Bass
Polythene Pam - Paul Rickenbacker 4001S
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window - Paul Rickenbacker 4001S
Golden Slumbers - George Fender Jazz Bass
Carry That Weight - George Fender Jazz Bass
The End - Paul Rickenbacker 4001S
Her Majesty - NA

I belive this is quite right.

[mjac28]

I just play everything on my Hofner it sounds good to me.

[FrednBass]

Originally Posted by oboylebass

Paul does indeed drop is low E string to D on "Something". Right at around 1:40 or 1:41 you can clearly hear a low D right before the guitar solo. The last three notes of that run are
E-D-C. That D note is a low D...it's a bit out of tune too!!

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Glass Onion" (from the White album) are the J bass I think. The tone is very different, kinda grindy and distorted.

Search youtube for isolated bass parts of various Beatles tunes. Takes some time, but there are some gems on there.

No, the run is C-B-A-G-F-E and then landing on C when the solo starts. But his E string was tune a little "flat", because his Rick had some intonation problems (that's why the 0-fret was added later on).
Check it out:
This guy playing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpwc-sXKgtk
And the original bass track
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f7HdjotWpQ

[ddnidd1]

While some people 'heard' McCartney was playing a Hofner, Jazz or Ric on a particular cut or album, I heard he actually died in the sixties - so who was really playing the bass parts and what bass were they playing?