Reggae/Dub experts- Hofner content

[corinpills]

I know that Aston Barrett passed his Hofner violin bass on to Robbie Shakspeare in the early 70's and that Robbie used it extensively with Peter Tosh. I was hoping someone might be able to list some tracks where either Robbie or Aston used the Hofner. Would that be the bass on early Wailers tracks? Like, before Island Records early. King Tubby stuff? Robbie with Black Uhuru, Culture or what? Robbie's discography is so long, there has to be some Hofner action in there somewhere!

 

[odysseios]

Here is one:

 

[corinpills]

I'm gonna bump this uo because I know somebody on Talkbass will have info to add here. I'm wondering if he just used the Hofner with Peter Tosh or if he used it on other recordings around the same time period.

 

[Moe Monsarrat]

I was on the last two tours that Peter did & also the 1st one. On the 1st one (the only one with Robbie & Sly) Robbie used the Hofner. He had a lot of trouble with feedback on stage but it sounded great. I remember on our very 1st gig together in Dallas his bass was still in transit on the plane & Robbie used my P bass in soundcheck. He liked it. We talked about it & he was determined to get a Fender Jazz. I know he used the Hofner on The Wailers "Burning" album (Concrete Jungle) although he only played one or two tracks. Also find his Hofner on Inner Circle's " Natty Take Over" from the "Rockers" movie soundtrack. There are probably at least 100 tracks from the 1970s that he played that bass on In later years he has used a PRS & a Steinberger, but now prefers the Jazz.

 

[odysseios]

"Natty Take Over" from "Rockers" is played by Justin Hinds and the Dominoes: is this the Robbie Shakespeare Hofner bass?

 

[Funky_Duck]

I found this on an on-line article titled "Dub Reggae's Low End Legacy" -

" He's often relied on the instrument of choice among most Jamaican bassists--the Fender Jazz Bass--although he's been enjoying a Paul Reed Smith Custom for the past
several years. ("The melodies seem to come a lot easier with that one," he says.) In his stint with Peter Tosh's Word Sound & Power, Robbie played a Hofner Beatle Bass-- a move he allegedly copped from Family Man-- and with Black Uhuru he could be seen oscillating between a Steinberger and the Jazz."

If you take the info related in this article, could it be that he only used the 500/1 on the Tosh sides?

Here's a link to the entire piece :

http://www.niceup.com/articles/dub_reggaes_low-end_legacy

 

[Mazatleco17]

The Wailers "Burning" album (Concrete Jungle)

Wasn't it "Catch a Fire"?

 

[Funky_Duck]

Wasn't it "Catch a Fire"?

You're correct! I have this LP here.

 

[DTF]

yes its catch a fire, I think robbie just did some over dubs on concrete jungle in england when chris blackwell remixed everything.

here are the 2 versions

the original



not sure about the instruments used though

 

[KoalaBass]

but do we know when family man gave the hofner to robbie?

 

[mankybass]

terribly dead post but for those who still want to see robbie playing the hofner live, here's a full playlist