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A bass for playing Beatles

#62
What era Beatles?

For early stuff, the Hofner Club Ignition. It's a single cutaway semi-hollow that delivers that hollow bass tone without the goofy looks of the 501... I don't prefer the 501, either.

Mid-career Beatles, Rick 4001 if Paul's on bass. If Paul's on the piano, it's probaly Lennon on a Bass VI.

McCartney solo in the 70's? Yamaha BB.
 
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#65
Nemo2000 said:
Hello everyone.
I've been offered the opportunity to play bass in a cover band that also plays some of The Beatles' masterpieces. Therefore, I'd like to achieve a bass sound as close to the original as possible.
Unfortunately, I don't want to spend money on a Hofner violin bass, which I don't like at all (purely for aesthetic reasons; I don't want to offend anyone). So, I've considered a few alternatives: 1) using my Fender Precision with a fretwrap at the bridge and flatwound strings, or 2) buying a used Fender Coronado II bass, or 3) buying a used Epiphone Jack Casady bass, or 4) buying a new Hofner Verythin bass. As for options 2), 3), and 4), there's no opportunity to try these basses before purchasing them.
Which of the above alternatives do you think would be best for my purpose? (please, do not consider money, only the sound!) Thanks!
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@Nemo2000 -
Since 2012 I've been in an acoustic/electric Beatles band with a bunch of buddies of mine who sing their tails off (we're not impersonators.)
In order to achieve Paul McCartney's tone, several folks here have shared the details...this is certainly what I've found:
- Flatwound strings (I prefer Thomastik flats for several reasons - tone, low tension feel, and they last forever.)
- Play with a pick
- Front pickup only
- Tone turned all the way down (or close to it.)

Bass-wise, I've played Rics in this band since 2014. I started off using 4003 basses (the 4003S was introduced a few months after I purchased my 2014 4003,) but since last year I've been playing my dream bass - a Rickenbacker 4005V:
1758111962895.png


All of the basses you're considering will do the job as long as you follow the bullet points.

BTW, I couldn't hang with the Hofner either. ;)

No matter what, have fun! Playing McCatney's parts (especially on the later material) is a blast.:D
Boneless said:
If you want to go with a Hofner-type bass but not a violin bass, you could get a Club.

www.thomann.it

Höfner HCT-500/2-SB Club-Bass

Basso elettrico Serie Club-Bass Contemporary, Forma del corpo: corpo semi-hollow con blocco centrale (Center Block) e cutaway, Top: legno di abete rosso, Corpo: acero, Manico in 3 pezzi: acero/faggio/acero, Tastiera: jatoba, 22 tasti, Lunghezza...
www.thomann.it www.thomann.it

This is the Contemporary version, which is "not quite a true hollowbody but close to it", or you could even get the Ignition version, which is closer to the real deal but even cheaper.

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It plays well, but it's reaaaaally shoddy. I have one and I love it to bits, but the fit and finish is laughably bad :D
In my opinion, a Hoefner is one of those basses with a very specific personality that you should really try out.

But yeah. A Hoefner will cover the first few albums (up to Rubber Soul, I think? Or Revolver? Can't remember). Then it's a Rick 4001. In both cases, just the neck pickup. I don't care much for the "bass" switch on the Hoefner; it rolls off the treble completely. But that's how McCartney used it (that and the rhythm position engaged, IIRC). I modded mine to have a master volume and a master tone, and the switches switch between pickups... and I added a middle pickup, but it was an experiment, I ended up using the neck pickup 100% of the time anyway. I always think of mounting a different pickup there in the middle, possibly a TV Jones Thunder'blade or Thunder'Mag pickup, but I've never got round to doing it.
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+1
MrAB4003 said:
This! I would get a Rickenbacker 4003S! They're closer in nature to the 4001 that Paul used in the Beatles and later with Wings. They're also less than a regular 4003. People also like them more ergonomically than regular 4003s.
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+1. Additionally, Ric necks have been KILLER since 2023 (very shallow and comfortable.)
 

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#68
Nemo2000 said:
Hello everyone.
I've been offered the opportunity to play bass in a cover band that also plays some of The Beatles' masterpieces. Therefore, I'd like to achieve a bass sound as close to the original as possible.
Unfortunately, I don't want to spend money on a Hofner violin bass, which I don't like at all (purely for aesthetic reasons; I don't want to offend anyone). So, I've considered a few alternatives: 1) using my Fender Precision with a fretwrap at the bridge and flatwound strings, or 2) buying a used Fender Coronado II bass, or 3) buying a used Epiphone Jack Casady bass, or 4) buying a new Hofner Verythin bass. As for options 2), 3), and 4), there's no opportunity to try these basses before purchasing them.
Which of the above alternatives do you think would be best for my purpose? (please, do not consider money, only the sound!) Thanks!
Click to expand...
Well...
If you want to fake the Hofner violin bass tone - without a violin bass? Pretty much any twin pickup, short scale hollow-body bass - with tapewounds, or "Old School" flats - will work. A Chinese Hofner Icon Club Bass, for instance... The Epi Jack Casady, though? Umm.. not so much. It's a long scale bass - with one pickup. I own one - and I like it a lot. But, the early Beatle's bass tone comes from the short scale hollow-body bass's quick decay, and the short scale's "only the fundamental note" tone. The JC bass's long scale harmonic overtones? Well, played back to back with any of my hollow-body shorties? Very obvious, which is which...
As for the later Rickenbacker tone? Well, a 4003 Rick, with the tone cap cut into the bridge p/u, and a set of Optima 4440 RB Flats will do you proud. My '01 4003 is set up that way, and except for the higher output - compared to the 52 y/o pickups in my '73 4001? Very, very close... If you don't want a Rick? Well... got a Fender Jazz Bass? Takes some fiddling around - and the right flat wounds (or tapes) - but you can get close enough. I have 2 or 3 basses that can fake a Rick pretty well - including an '06 Carvin LB-20 that was expressly built to do just that - but, any long scale solid body bass with twin SC pickups (or 'buckers that can both be split - like my MM 4HH Stingray Special) and the right strings, will get you close... :cool:
 
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#69
DWBass said:
Seriously, only another bass player would even care. The average music listener could care less about tone or what bass you play.
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This has been my experience. An audience member might say, "Cool looking bass!" to me. Even most bandmates didn't care. I would bring different basses to rehearsals and gigs. My choice was sometimes just a matter of what looked best with the shirt I was wearing. P, J. Squier, GL, Yamaha, Cort, cheap, expensive, 4string, 5string, flats, rounds. Usually their only comment was, "Is that a new bass? or I like that color."

This is opposed to the guitarists, who were always swapping guitars and playing with their pedalboards, chasing the sound on the record.
 
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#71
We've had this conversation before. If you want to sound like Paul McCartney then you'll need to use his fingers. Also, a Hofner Beatle bass. That is the bass that nails the early McCartney tone.

That said, you're not starting a tribute band. Play the P.
 

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