Paul McCartneys 5 String Rickenbacker Bass

[ggvicviper]

Originally Posted by FrednBass

"I played the Wal, and what I liked was I played very, very
normal bass, really out of the way, because I didn't want to
'feature.' There are one or two moments where I break a little
bit loose, but mostly I try to anchor the track. There's one
lovely moment when it modulates to *C*, so I was able to use
the low *C* of the 5-string--and that's it, the only time I use
the low one, which I like, rather than just bassing out and
being low, low, low. I play normal bass, and then there's this
low *C* and the song takes off. It actually takes off anyway
because a lot of harmonies come in and stuff, but it's a real cool
moment that I'm proud of. That's my Wal moment."

Magazine: Bass Player
Issue: July/August 1995
Title: Paul McCartney - Meet The Beatle
Author: Tony Bacon

I recall this interview. Wasn't he only talking about Free as a Bird, or am I mistaken?

[FrednBass]

Originally Posted by ggvicviper

I recall this interview. Wasn't he only talking about Free as a Bird, or am I mistaken?

Maybe he was.
But i just listened to Figure of Eight and he never goes below the regular low E... Never heard a song that he does, actually.

[Ric5]

Originally Posted by ggvicviper

I recall this interview. Wasn't he only talking about Free as a Bird, or am I mistaken?

I think you are correct ... and I believe he played the Wal on that song.

[Ric5]

Originally Posted by FrednBass

Maybe he was.
But i just listened to Figure of Eight and he never goes below the regular low E... Never heard a song that he does, actually.

I have a dvd at home somewhere where he plays the Wal and uses the B string for several notes in a song ... sorry I don't remember specifics.

[rockinrayduke]

I've lost hope he'll ever play a Ric again live, 4 or 5.

[FrednBass]

Originally Posted by rockinrayduke

I've lost hope he'll ever play a Ric again live, 4 or 5.

That's something i'd like to see

[PaulBoyer]

Originally Posted by Ric5

I know he has the 1964 4001s, and the 4003s5 pictured above. I think he also has 4004ci. I don't know what he has after that.

He has a fretless 4001, probably 1973 or 74 (don't see checker binding, but the bass pickup is at the half-inch position), and John Hall mentioned recently that PM also has (or had) a 4001V63 (or maybe a C64?).

[PaulBoyer]

Originally Posted by Ric5

That is a stock 4003s5 with black trim and it looks to have a painted fretboard as well.

Not a "stock" 4003S/5, but a Blackstar 5 which is the reason the fingerboard is painted black. The position markers are tiny "pin dots" and don't show well in this photo (they would be right underneath the A string). Only a handful of five-string Blackstars were made, so I feel safe in saying this may be the ONLY lefty of the breed.

[ShoeManiac]

That photo probably dates back to the late 1980's or early 1990's. At least just from looking at Macca himself. I can't recall ever having seen him use that bass live. But he did use his Wal 5 string live on the tour that yielded the live album Tripping the live fantastic. Linda bought him the Wal, and he used it on tunes like "Rough ride" and "Figure of 8" as I recall. There's a concert video of that which was released around the same time as the live album.

[Ric5]

Originally Posted by iiipopes

Are those Nordstram pickups on the 4004cii-5?

The neck is a bartolini and the bridge is Nordstrand. It also has an Audere preamp.

Rickenbacker should make the 4004cii5 again and put in Nordstrand Big Singles pickups at the factory and wire it with stacked pots.

[RedMoses]

I played a 5 string Ric once at 30th street Guitars in NYC, i think it was converted 4 string because the spacing was impossibly tight, dint know they actually came out like that in production. It was beat up and very expensive but sounded good, def a pick players axe, cant really fit fingers in there.

[Tarrbot]

Originally Posted by RedMoses

I played a 5 string Ric once at 30th street Guitars in NYC, i think it was converted 4 string because the spacing was impossibly tight, dint know they actually came out like that in production. It was beat up and very expensive but sounded good, def a pick players axe, cant really fit fingers in there.

You can. It just takes some adjustment on your attacking fingers.

I think it took me about 2 months to figure out how to play it like that.

I don't play mine with a pick at all. Sometimes I play the 4 stringer 4003 I have with a pick but usually I don't.

But yes, definitely a pick players axe... unless you adjust it like Ric5 states and widen the spacing out a bit.

[Baird6869]

Great jacket in any case.

I had a couch like that in 1989.

[mccartneyman]

Originally Posted by FrednBass

"I played the Wal, and what I liked was I played very, very
normal bass, really out of the way, because I didn't want to
'feature.' There are one or two moments where I break a little
bit loose, but mostly I try to anchor the track. There's one
lovely moment when it modulates to *C*, so I was able to use
the low *C* of the 5-string--and that's it, the only time I use
the low one, which I like, rather than just bassing out and
being low, low, low. I play normal bass, and then there's this
low *C* and the song takes off. It actually takes off anyway
because a lot of harmonies come in and stuff, but it's a real cool
moment that I'm proud of. That's my Wal moment."

Magazine: Bass Player
Issue: July/August 1995
Title: Paul McCartney - Meet The Beatle
Author: Tony Bacon

But he does use the B string in the "Flowers in the Dirt" LP, and not only on "Figure of Eight."

[PaulBoyer]

Originally Posted by ShoeManiac

That photo probably dates back to the late 1980's or early 1990's.

That would be right. The Blackstars were made from late 1987 to early 1990.

[mjac28]

Originally Posted by FrednBass

"I played the Wal, and what I liked was I played very, very
normal bass, really out of the way, because I didn't want to
'feature.' There are one or two moments where I break a little
bit loose, but mostly I try to anchor the track. There's one
lovely moment when it modulates to *C*, so I was able to use
the low *C* of the 5-string--and that's it, the only time I use
the low one, which I like, rather than just bassing out and
being low, low, low. I play normal bass, and then there's this
low *C* and the song takes off. It actually takes off anyway
because a lot of harmonies come in and stuff, but it's a real cool
moment that I'm proud of. That's my Wal moment."

Magazine: Bass Player
Issue: July/August 1995
Title: Paul McCartney - Meet The Beatle
Author: Tony Bacon

Very nice thanks for that

[ShoeManiac]

Originally Posted by Baird6869

Great jacket in any case.

I had a couch like that in 1989.

You know, the coat actually keyed me in closer on when this photo was taken. It looks more and more like it was from around 1990, because Macca wore that coat in some of the interview segments for The Beatles Anthology. While the Anthology came out in 1995, the interviews and production began as far back as 1990.

The thing is, I've only seen footage of Sir Paul using a couple of basses on that 1990 world tour. The '63 Hofner and the Wal 5 string. Otherwise he was playing guitar or piano on stage. And when he was doing that, Hamish Stuart was playing bass. And he plays right-handed!

Be that as it may, I recall seeing Rickenbacker 5 strings only once in a blue moon back in the early & mid 1990's. I'd love to try one, but I get the feeling that they might disappoint when it comes to string spacing.

[mccartneyman]

Originally Posted by mjac28

Very nice thanks for that

Could be that some of the fiver on "Flowers in the Dirt" is played by Hamish Stuart-- notably on "How Many People."

[Rahil]

^ indeed, Hamish Stuart played a 5-string on many of the live performances of songs that Sir Paul was on guitar/piano during those touring years 1989 - 1993

OFF THE GROUND album, from which songs were featured in the performances between 1991 - 1993 surely feature the B string, using mostly the C and D notes (such as on the low C and D on "peace in the neighbourhood" and the low C on "biker like an icon" and "c'mon people")

evidence
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...ElLpxTo#t=159s

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...dmJte6U#t=180s

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature..._qZ6ovJU#t=75s

as for FLOWERS IN THE DIRT, yes also, Hamish on 5-string for certain songs
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...BH_-Pyk0#t=23s

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...Mpsd6P_Y#t=37s

[Rahil]

Originally Posted by cfsporn

Paul McCartney and a five string? I don't know, it just seems weird.

Originally Posted by Ric5

He also has a 5 string Wal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlwLo8txw1k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...NAYFHBEEg#t=5s