I saw this and just had to post it. It's a Paul McCartney music video of Juniors Farm and Paul is playing something I've never seen him play. It looks like some sort of Kay. Besides being a great tune I thought I would post the video for those interested in his varied bass gear.
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Junior's Farm
- Thread starter Yaralag
- Start date
wmhill
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- Aug 20, 2012
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I think you're correct on it being a Kay bass. I love Wings and that song in particular- but that bass tone is wretched.
Alkali Ike
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- Jan 1, 2011
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It (the tone) works perfectly for the song.
They are just lip syncing and that's the tone on that album, fit's the song in my opinion.
I agree. It, like every song from the Beatles and Wings, does fit the song. Every time I heard that song I never thought it was a terrible tone. But when I look specifically at that video and watch him play that bass I can’t help but think it’s terrible. Whenever I focus on any McCartney bass line I think “what a nightmare of a bass tone, I would never be happy with that”! It always sounds distorted and out of tune, even warbly. I would say the same about Jack Bruce in Cream. It fits the song and works but if you isolate it it’s awful. Just my observation and opinion.
Yes, that terrible tone must explain why McCartney's solo career was such a bust. 
I like the song and love the bass tone for it. Thump with a little drive. As others said it fits that song to perfection and I try to cop that tone when we play it. Give me a great bass line with that old-school slightly overdrive flats sound over fret-ganky noise and overplayed slap any day of the week.
In the late nineties/early 2000's I lived down the street from Curly Putnam's (aka "Junior") farm...
It's a original Kay K5970J Jazz Special Bass. Produced from 1960-1962. It's been said this bass is all over Red Rose Speedway.
I love that tone, it probably doesnt sound pretty on its own but in that mix its just the right amount of grit and grind, I would honestly be pretty happy with that tone
wmhill
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agree...great song and band...the tone of it seems flat or sharp at times...must be a 70's thing
That tone is what you get when you try to cut through with an Ampeg B15 - an underpowered tube amp, and no Di to fill in the missing low end (2 channels for bas?!?!). You emphasize what you have, even if it isn't pretty. It's just how things were in that era. Plus it had to be audible over an AM radio, which kids nowadays....have no clue what that means.
I think it's a cool bass, personally. It shows up in the "Ebony and Ivory" video too. Skip ahead to 1:28
Smooth_bass88
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- Oct 31, 2006
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Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
- 16,795
- Disclosures
- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
