Paul McCartney and his Basses

[ICM]

It’s definitely 100% Lennon on bass helter skelter without a shadow of a doubt.

 

[southpaw723]

Another debate is who plays on oh darling. Always thought it was Paul but saw somewhere it was George. I still think Paul but who knows

 

[southpaw723]

All these years I assumed that Dear Prudence was the Rick, but hearing it in isolation I would testify in court that that is a Fender Jazz bass. It's both pickups, all knobs up all the way, bridge cover (with neoprene rubber mute), the stock Fender F80 flats, just like from the factory.

The "sonic fingerprint" of any guitar or bass is cemented by the physical location of the pickups, even more than what the pickups actually are. If you put two J pickups into a Rick, but maintained their original (Rick) position, it would still sound like a Rick. If you took a J bass, and relocated the pickups to where Rick places them, it certainly would not sound like a J anymore. So I would bet a large amount of money that this is the J. I'm kinda shocked actually.

The isolated tracks make my head spin more than they confirm things for me lol

 

[Craig4003]

Another debate is who plays on oh darling. Always thought it was Paul but saw somewhere it was George. I still think Paul but who knows

Mark Lewisohn says Paul was on bass for "Oh! Darling", but the 2019 50th Anniversary book says it was George. It's a very Paul bass line, so if George played it on the recording, I would bet Paul showed him what to play.

 

[bassnyc1]

Mark Lewisohn says Paul was on bass for "Oh! Darling", but the 2019 50th Anniversary book says it was George. It's a very Paul bass line, so if George played it on the recording, I would bet Paul showed him what to play.

.... or over dubbed it, as he often did. It makes one wonder why he didn't for "The Long and Winding Road,."

 

[jamro217]

Are you insinuating the black Explorer with the gothic knobs wasn't his? But the seller said...

 

[bassfiddlesteve]

I was going to start a new thread about this fascinating photo, but I decided to add it here.

In this picture, taken at Apple Studios on January 24, 1969, we see a total of five bass guitars! On the right is a sunburst Epiphone Rivoli (!) next to Paul’s Rickenbacker 4001S which is just a few days away from having its Fireglo finish and psychedelic accents sanded off. Also pictured are the bass guitars favored by John and George: the Fender Bass VI (center) and Fender Jazz Bass (leaning against the Twin Reverb amplifier on the right). Finally, behind Paul’s chair, we see his famous Hofner 500/1 bass. The headstock is next to the Fender Bass VI and you can see the setlist from Candlestick Park taped to the side where it remained for many years. All of these basses have been seen in other photographs except the Epiphone which is a real mystery. It looks like it's strung left-handed with black nylon tapewounds like he had on his Hofner at the time. Did it belong to someone else? Was Paul borrowing it for a day? We may never know.

- Steve

 

[bassnyc1]

Are you sure that isn't his Epiphone Casino guitar which he always says is his favorite electric guitar?

 

[bassfiddlesteve]

Are you sure that isn't his Epiphone Casino guitar which he always says is his favorite electric guitar?

Paul’s Casino guitar has a Bigsby tailpiece. If you zoom in you can that it’s a bass.

- Steve

 

[Lowendtech]

And not a guitar stand in sight.

 

[guygorilla]

When I saw them in '66 at Suffolk Downs in Boston, he played the Hofner on Paperback Writer.

Live, yes, but in studio a different story

 

[guygorilla]

I actually tried the foam mute in bridge of my first Rick..just to see what it would do.

....IT COMPLETELY DEADENED STRINGS..Nothing but THUMP...never used it again.

'Lazy man' method...I have put one of those 'scrunchy'....hair thing-ys on my ZON as I haven't yet learned how to mute enough strings on a 6er..one or two..always ringing out.
Frankly, I don't like the overall effect as it nearly deadens ALL strings as well. I am sure its me.. not the hair thing-y.

Agreed..I'm happier with the sound I get using a piece of foam between bridge and pickup

 

[Blazer]

I was going to start a new thread about this fascinating photo, but I decided to add it here.

In this picture, taken at Apple Studios on January 24, 1969, we see a total of five bass guitars! On the right is a sunburst Epiphone Rivoli (!) next to Paul’s Rickenbacker 4001S which is just a few days away from having its Fireglo finish and psychedelic accents sanded off. Also pictured are the bass guitars favored by John and George: the Fender Bass VI (center) and Fender Jazz Bass (leaning against the Twin Reverb amplifier on the right). Finally, behind Paul’s chair, we see his famous Hofner 500/1 bass. The headstock is next to the Fender Bass VI and you can see the setlist from Candlestick Park taped to the side where it remained for many years. All of these basses have been seen in other photographs except the Epiphone which is a real mystery. It looks like it's strung left-handed with black nylon tapewounds like he had on his Hofner at the time. Did it belong to someone else? Was Paul borrowing it for a day? We may never know.

- Steve

I always wondered why Paul didn't use a Rivoli in the band's 1966 tour since it would go perfectly with the Casinos played by John and George.

 

[Blazer]

Say, you guys, are you aware of a Dutch Beatles tribute band called The Analogues?

What they do is basically what the Fab Faux are doing too: NOT dressing up as the Beatles but perform the songs to the very best of their capabilities. But whereas the Fab Faux do so using cutting edge technology, the Analogues go old school all the way, outsourcing even the most rarest of instruments just to get the sound right.


Lead singer Jan Van Der Meij has a history with Dutch Rockbands such as Vitesse and Powerplay and when he was asked to be part of that he went "Sure, I'll take my strat and..." and the others going "No you'll play GENUINE vintage Rickenbacker and Gretsch guitars, like the ones John and George used."

 

[bassfiddlesteve]

I always wondered why Paul didn't use a Rivoli in the band's 1966 tour since it would go perfectly with the Casinos played by John and George.

That would have looked cool, but of course Paul had his own sunburst Casino. I think by this time he considered the Hofner 500/1 his trademark. He's said so in a few interviews. He took the Rickenbacker along on the 1966 tour as a backup, but he never played it in concert until the following decade.

I still want to know the story behind the Rivoli bass in that photo!

- Steve

 

[JimmyM]

That would have looked cool, but of course Paul had his own sunburst Casino. I think by this time he considered the Hofner 500/1 his trademark. He's said so in a few interviews. He took the Rickenbacker along on the 1966 tour as a backup, but he never played it in concert until the following decade.

I still want to know the story behind the Rivoli bass in that photo!

- Steve

Only thing I know is that Lennon stripped the finish off his Casino and thought it sounded better. I think George did, too. Paul probably did too.

 

[bassfiddlesteve]

Only thing I know is that Lennon stripped the finish off his Casino and thought it sounded better. I think George did, too. Paul probably did too.

Paul’s Casino still sports it’s original sunburst finish, but he did strip the finish off his Rickenbacker bass during the “Let It Be” sessions.

- Steve

 

[JimmyM]

Paul’s Casino still sports it’s original sunburst finish, but he did strip the finish off his Rickenbacker bass during the “Let It Be” sessions.

- Steve

Sorry Steve, I meant his Rivoli, not his Casino.

 

[shoulderpet]

Paul dubbed in the bass on Let It Be (the song).

That explains a lot, I heard the bass was played by Lennon but the bass on that song sounds like Macca and is played competently, nice tone imo

 

[DavyR]

BTW, there's an Ampeg Portaflex upfront in the pic on page 36 of the book included in the LIB box set...