Can you play Beatles without a Hofner?

[Ostie]

99% of your audience won’t know or give a damn that you’re not using a Hofner.

 

[Jeff Hughes]

Flats or tapes, a pick, palm muting, and some eq will you get you there.

Of course you kind of have to think like a guitar player playing a piano that is actually just a bass.

All about the attitude.

 

[burgerdj]

In my current band we rotate through a number of Beatles classics…all played on my Warwick 5. Never received a complaint

 

[MasterBrianD]

Absolutely not necessary, most people don’t even know the difference between a guitar and a bass.

BUT if you’re looking for a justification to splash out on new gear I’d say it’s as good a reason as any, if you want it, get it!

 

[pbass2]

Play the Ric, palm mute if you can (hard on a Ric I find) or use the mutes or add some foam. Make sure it's flats of some kind. Then, mess up your intonation a little bit and you'll be right there.

 

[rickenhawk]

Thanks to all that replied, entertaining as usual. I fully intent on using the Rick as I don't have a Hofner nor do I want one. I do however think that audiences notice the Hofner more than we may think. No one seems to notice George's Rosewood telecaster even since the Get Back mini series.
Also, if not for the Beatles and Paul in particular Hofner sales would be a small fraction of what they have enjoyed over the last 60 years.

 

[Acoop]

You can play Beatles on Tuba.

 

[SouthLatitude]

Fred Hofner played Beatles songs with a Fender P bass for years without complaint.

 

[Topkat13]

The Beatles would have been just as successful had Paul played a different bass. Does a fork define a well cooked steak?

 

[HMZ]

No you need a Rickenbacker.

 

[majbass]

Paul played other basses, particularly an early/mid 60s Jazz Bass

 

[boggus]

Some people say that Paul palm muted on bass. I don't know where this is coming from. Listening to some studio noodling inbetween songs, it doesn't sound so, at least when he had Hofner. When he used Rick and Jazz, he most likely just had the stock string mutes engaged.

 

[elkkid2]

Had to laugh because I actually bought a "Beatle Wig" in 1964 and I did pay $4.98 for it, which was pretty expensive back then. A local store got in a couple of shipments of them. You had to brush it a lot to get it into a shape that would actually look like a Beatle's haircut. You have to remember that, back in the early 60's, no one had long hair. Crew-cuts, flat-tops, and all around just short hair you could part on one side were the norm. Hair didn't even touch your ears let alone cover them.
I actually probably still have that around somewhere in my garage. I still have some 45's from back then tooincluding "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and a number of others.

I was thinking about the hair back then, and you're right! Butch cats, nothing touching the ears, YUP! This wig REALLY made a difference! Lol!

 

[Guitalia]

I'm amazed at how infatuated apparently most Americans are with the Beatles. As a Brit born in the 60's the last thing I want to hear (or worse, have to play) is more Beatles.

"Nobody listens to that band any more, they're too popular!"

 

[rickenhawk]

You can play Beatles on Tuba.

You are so right. Just listen to Maxwell Silver Hammer. It is George on the Bass VI (I believe) and is classic tuba.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

I was thinking about the hair back then, and you're right! Butch cats, nothing touching the ears, YUP! This wig REALLY made a difference! Lol!

And then here's me with actual long hair and sideburn chops in about 1972

while touring with a night club group.

 

[elkkid2]

And then here's me with actual long hair and sideburn chops in about 1972View attachment 5018665 while touring with a night club group.

VERY happenin' Man!

 

[Marko 1]

And then here's me with actual long hair and sideburn chops in about 1972View attachment 5018665 while touring with a night club group.

you look like a bee gee.

 

[4Mal]

For early Beatles, I personally enjoy playing it on a Hofner clone. Audience folks seem to react a bit as well. I do a lot of Beatles in one band... For the Ric era stuff... NEVER WILL I AGAIN TRUST IN A RIC. PERIOD. DOT. IME... they simply suck. Noisy, badly engineered POC... I have tried. Multiple times. Mostly due to Fish... nope I do Ric era Beatles on a Nordstrand Cat. Somehow I get away with it.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

you look like a bee gee.

Wish I had the $$$$ of a Bee Gee!