total derail here, but Johnny, what tuning and gauges do you typically use? there are definitely some low low notes on staind recordings. lower pitch = lower tension so having high action would make a lot of sense to keep 'er clean.
Just curious.
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Take a look at McCartney's bass action.
- Thread starter GianGian
- Start date
total derail here, but Johnny, what tuning and gauges do you typically use? there are definitely some low low notes on staind recordings. lower pitch = lower tension so having high action would make a lot of sense to keep 'er clean.
Just curious.
I'm learning some Beatles songs for a band I'm involved with and I can tell you he was actually a pretty busy player. Listen to his playing on "Something".
I'm really enjoying his early stuff, just learned "Please, Please Me" for the first time after playing for a couple of decades. Good stuff!
He is sure busy, but I meant that the is not the kind of bass player that plays real fast stuff, like Geddy and the likes. It is possible to play his lines confortably with high action, even on a "normal sized" bass.
Man's game!
It seems that a lot of players at a certain level of Genius (McCartney and Jamerson come to mind) don't get hung up on the technical stuff and do a lot of things "wrong" when it comes to instrument set up. There's probably a lesson there.
It seems that a lot of players at a certain level of Genius (McCartney and Jamerson come to mind) don't get hung up on the technical stuff and do a lot of things "wrong" when it comes to instrument set up. There's probably a lesson there.
I have seen pics where the action appears higher than it is because of picture distortion, the angle etc, for what it's worth 
I just bought a 63 Reissue and the action is what I would consider high. Can't seem to get a slight amount of bow out of the neck no matter how much I tighten the truss rod. I've tightened the truss rod nut probably a quarter inch and the neck is still not dead straight. Also the bridge is set as low as possible but action is still high. Actually , if bridge base is shaved, I think the action could be much lower. But all in all with the higher than I am use to action, this bass is still fun to play and sounds awesome.
He used the Wal 5 exclusively on his 89-90 tour; think he started playing the old Hofner again a few years later ....
Alkali Ike
Gold Supporting Member
- Jan 1, 2011
- 2,857
- 15,669
- Disclosures
- I never actually learned to play very well
Dunno. For me really high action is just too chunky to fret well.
Sort of like trying to run fast through an acre of quicksand.
Sort of like trying to run fast through an acre of quicksand.
Paul is the ultimate entertainer in that he wants to please the audience. He contrasted himself to Bob Dylan who would cut a song from the next night's performance if it went over too well the night before. Sort of a weird contrarianism. I saw Paul last summer, and he knew everyone wanted to hear Beatles/Wings as opposed to new material, made a joke about it, and proceeded to give the audience what they wanted to hear. Same with playing the Hofners. He recognizes that it's his brand image (and no doubt still plays it for all the reasons that drew him to it in the first place). I've heard of other iconic artist's instruments described as "unplayable".
I've got two Hofners - a medium priced CT and a very inexpensive Ignition. Both have very low action, have fine intonation and are a blast to play. Sound wise, I like them a lot. I've been PBass person for decades but went on a Hofner kick in recent years. I'm not a bass player really, just a guy that happens to always wind up playing bass when in a band situation. The Ignition weighs less than 5 pounds - what a joy. I have a little PC recording setup at home so I took my most recent track and replaced the PBass with the ignition. Sounded just as good. If you're interested in hearing a $ 250 Hofner on a track, go here. If not , trust me, it's not bad.
Actually, he used the Wal for the first half of the show (when he wasn't playing guitar or piano) on these songs:
Figure of Eight
Jet
Rough Ride
Got to Get You Into My Life
Band on the Run
Ebony and Ivory (earlier in the tour)
Birthday (later in the tour)
We Got Married
He played the Hofner during the second half of the show on these songs:
This One
My Brave Face
Back in the USSR
i Saw Her Standing There
Twenty Flight Rock
Coming Up
Get Back
Starting with his 1993 tour he has used the Hofner exclusively on stage.
I apologize. I'm very late for the show here . In respect to Paul and his basses,action,melodic basslines and of course his using the Hofner when performing . On the White Album, he used a Fender Jazz,an early CBS Fender ( look at the machine heads ) . Michelle was the first song he used the Ric on, in the studio. I don't know if he used the Hofner again for recording ,with the exception of " Let It Be " .... Abbey Road sounds like a legitimate bass ,possibly the Rickenbacker. ( It definitely wasn't the Hofner on AR )
I've met Paul a few times and have talked with him quite a bit,but this goes back quite some time.
He is a people pleaser. One of the most real human beings I've ever met. You would never know he was one of the four. The Hofner, I'm sure serves two functions.first,it is so light and when you're doing close to three hour shows,at a " certain " age , I can understand that completely. Secondly, it's in Paul's DNA. If it wasn't for Paul, nobody would even know Hofner existed in the USA . It's iconic because of one man.
Personally, I like others feel it plays like a toy. Short. Scale ,not particularly well made ( look at the pups and machine heads ) and the sounds is not well defined,to me it sounds like a tuned bass drum. It would be virtually impossible to play slap bass on a Hofner.
Then again,with few exceptions, he used the Rick and Jazz from Rubber Soul, until Abbey Road ( LIB being the exception ) ...
Paul as others have suggested,wasn't a speed player, but he is without question one of the most melodic and tasteful players ever. Always seemed to play the best / correct / spot on etc. bass part for any given song. The fact that he wrote so many of them makes it all the other worldly .
Now to my point. As I'm sure you are all aware of Gibson EB1 violin bass. They sound like hell, in my opinion. Much like the Hofner.
So,in keeping with the idea of an electric bass,that has a small body,short scale neck ,lightweight and all that business .
Paul is an extremely wealthy man, has been for over fifty years. Why,oh why did he never sit down with an exceptional luthier,way back when, and say." I want a bass,similar in size to my Hofner, only I want one, that is handmade,from the best woods,hand carved hollow body with true F holes , ebony fingerboard between a short scale and full scale length , clover / cello machine heads ( you could design tuners in a 3/4 size fashion) two pups that have an ability, ( yet not realized ) that sound somewhere between an upright and electric bass and I'll work on it with you,regardless the cost. I want something light,well made, that has a sound like no other "
It could have been done. It may have to weigh a bit more,and body possibly a bit larger body,but still in keeping with the violin contours. Something like a horizontal cello ,only much,much smaller.
I'm seventy years old, been through the whole Beatles era, in real time ( There's a huge down side to that
...
I love the aesthetics of a string section,violin,viola,cello and contra bass . Just something about the visual of the instruments ,let alone the sound of an acoustic instrument.
People can say,that fifty some years ago,we didn't have the technology ,and even if we did, the laws of physics would dictate ,that what you are suggesting is impossible.
If we believe in that mindset,we are doomed to failure .
I play an old E series Fender p bass,57 maple neck,62 body, fretless.( had to have frets removed,as they didn't make a maple neck fretless ) High action ,flatwounds, and a 62 RI jazz fretted USA . I love Fender basses ,both serve a function. By the way the 85 E series 57/62 is EXACTLY QUALITY WISE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL US PRODUCTION MODELS ! Anybody that pays Fender for the crap they have been selling for past fifty years is being had. You have to pay $3000. and up for a CS, which is absurd. Get an E series 84-87 ,take out the pot/cap/1/4 inch and pups,replace with vintage harness and pups ,and you have the best bass money can buy. Hand wired ( soldered ) harness with oil/water cap,CTS or a number of other companies making caps, that are phenomenal,pups double handwound ( totally passive ) . You will even have a better bass than the originals. Cost for prewired harness with cloth pull back,pots,cap and 1/4 jack, best you can get will cost you $200. All hand wired . Double wound,if you like a lot of output $100. for the split p bass.
Same holds true for the jazz,only a bit more for harness and pups ,possibly $400. AT MOST !
P bass extremely heavy,but as I do sessions, I'm sitting all the time .
I've always maintained, if I had the fiscal resources, I would love to design a bass like,I'm describing about. Passive, not hot wired . I honestly believe it could be done. By short scale, I don't mean to the degree of a Hofner,something in the middle.
In closing. Has anyone ever heard of a bass like I described , in reality ? NOT the Gibson,they look great,but sound like hell, and again, an extended short scale neck. I understand the idea of balance . That said,these are all things that people with a passion for something figure out. Nobody to this day, thatnim aware of,produces an electric bass that sounds like an upright. ( I know, but that's amplification technology . Paul doubles some of his bass parts with an upright,this before Bill Blacks bass. Listen to break in " I'm Only Sleeping "
I'm new to this forum, so please bear with me, if what I wrote is redundant. If it has merit,please respond,would love to know what's going on in respect to anyone ever making a prototype violin Elec.Bass ...
Best
Jake
I've met Paul a few times and have talked with him quite a bit,but this goes back quite some time.
He is a people pleaser. One of the most real human beings I've ever met. You would never know he was one of the four. The Hofner, I'm sure serves two functions.first,it is so light and when you're doing close to three hour shows,at a " certain " age , I can understand that completely. Secondly, it's in Paul's DNA. If it wasn't for Paul, nobody would even know Hofner existed in the USA . It's iconic because of one man.
Personally, I like others feel it plays like a toy. Short. Scale ,not particularly well made ( look at the pups and machine heads ) and the sounds is not well defined,to me it sounds like a tuned bass drum. It would be virtually impossible to play slap bass on a Hofner.
Then again,with few exceptions, he used the Rick and Jazz from Rubber Soul, until Abbey Road ( LIB being the exception ) ...
Paul as others have suggested,wasn't a speed player, but he is without question one of the most melodic and tasteful players ever. Always seemed to play the best / correct / spot on etc. bass part for any given song. The fact that he wrote so many of them makes it all the other worldly .
Now to my point. As I'm sure you are all aware of Gibson EB1 violin bass. They sound like hell, in my opinion. Much like the Hofner.
So,in keeping with the idea of an electric bass,that has a small body,short scale neck ,lightweight and all that business .
Paul is an extremely wealthy man, has been for over fifty years. Why,oh why did he never sit down with an exceptional luthier,way back when, and say." I want a bass,similar in size to my Hofner, only I want one, that is handmade,from the best woods,hand carved hollow body with true F holes , ebony fingerboard between a short scale and full scale length , clover / cello machine heads ( you could design tuners in a 3/4 size fashion) two pups that have an ability, ( yet not realized ) that sound somewhere between an upright and electric bass and I'll work on it with you,regardless the cost. I want something light,well made, that has a sound like no other "
It could have been done. It may have to weigh a bit more,and body possibly a bit larger body,but still in keeping with the violin contours. Something like a horizontal cello ,only much,much smaller.
I'm seventy years old, been through the whole Beatles era, in real time ( There's a huge down side to that
... I love the aesthetics of a string section,violin,viola,cello and contra bass . Just something about the visual of the instruments ,let alone the sound of an acoustic instrument.
People can say,that fifty some years ago,we didn't have the technology ,and even if we did, the laws of physics would dictate ,that what you are suggesting is impossible.
If we believe in that mindset,we are doomed to failure .
I play an old E series Fender p bass,57 maple neck,62 body, fretless.( had to have frets removed,as they didn't make a maple neck fretless ) High action ,flatwounds, and a 62 RI jazz fretted USA . I love Fender basses ,both serve a function. By the way the 85 E series 57/62 is EXACTLY QUALITY WISE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL US PRODUCTION MODELS ! Anybody that pays Fender for the crap they have been selling for past fifty years is being had. You have to pay $3000. and up for a CS, which is absurd. Get an E series 84-87 ,take out the pot/cap/1/4 inch and pups,replace with vintage harness and pups ,and you have the best bass money can buy. Hand wired ( soldered ) harness with oil/water cap,CTS or a number of other companies making caps, that are phenomenal,pups double handwound ( totally passive ) . You will even have a better bass than the originals. Cost for prewired harness with cloth pull back,pots,cap and 1/4 jack, best you can get will cost you $200. All hand wired . Double wound,if you like a lot of output $100. for the split p bass.
Same holds true for the jazz,only a bit more for harness and pups ,possibly $400. AT MOST !
P bass extremely heavy,but as I do sessions, I'm sitting all the time .
I've always maintained, if I had the fiscal resources, I would love to design a bass like,I'm describing about. Passive, not hot wired . I honestly believe it could be done. By short scale, I don't mean to the degree of a Hofner,something in the middle.
In closing. Has anyone ever heard of a bass like I described , in reality ? NOT the Gibson,they look great,but sound like hell, and again, an extended short scale neck. I understand the idea of balance . That said,these are all things that people with a passion for something figure out. Nobody to this day, thatnim aware of,produces an electric bass that sounds like an upright. ( I know, but that's amplification technology . Paul doubles some of his bass parts with an upright,this before Bill Blacks bass. Listen to break in " I'm Only Sleeping "
I'm new to this forum, so please bear with me, if what I wrote is redundant. If it has merit,please respond,would love to know what's going on in respect to anyone ever making a prototype violin Elec.Bass ...
Best
Jake
I apologize. I'm very late for the show here . In respect to Paul and his basses,action,melodic basslines and of course his using the Hofner when performing . On the White Album, he used a Fender Jazz,an early CBS Fender ( look at the machine heads ) . Michelle was the first song he used the Ric on, in the studio. I don't know if he used the Hofner again for recording ,with the exception of " Let It Be " .... Abbey Road sounds like a legitimate bass ,possibly the Rickenbacker. ( It definitely wasn't the Hofner on AR )
I've met Paul a few times and have talked with him quite a bit,but this goes back quite some time.
He is a people pleaser. One of the most real human beings I've ever met. You would never know he was one of the four. The Hofner, I'm sure serves two functions.first,it is so light and when you're doing close to three hour shows,at a " certain " age , I can understand that completely. Secondly, it's in Paul's DNA. If it wasn't for Paul, nobody would even know Hofner existed in the USA . It's iconic because of one man.
Personally, I like others feel it plays like a toy. Short. Scale ,not particularly well made ( look at the pups and machine heads ) and the sounds is not well defined,to me it sounds like a tuned bass drum. It would be virtually impossible to play slap bass on a Hofner.
Then again,with few exceptions, he used the Rick and Jazz from Rubber Soul, until Abbey Road ( LIB being the exception ) ...
Paul as others have suggested,wasn't a speed player, but he is without question one of the most melodic and tasteful players ever. Always seemed to play the best / correct / spot on etc. bass part for any given song. The fact that he wrote so many of them makes it all the other worldly .
Now to my point. As I'm sure you are all aware of Gibson EB1 violin bass. They sound like hell, in my opinion. Much like the Hofner.
So,in keeping with the idea of an electric bass,that has a small body,short scale neck ,lightweight and all that business .
Paul is an extremely wealthy man, has been for over fifty years. Why,oh why did he never sit down with an exceptional luthier,way back when, and say." I want a bass,similar in size to my Hofner, only I want one, that is handmade,from the best woods,hand carved hollow body with true F holes , ebony fingerboard between a short scale and full scale length , clover / cello machine heads ( you could design tuners in a 3/4 size fashion) two pups that have an ability, ( yet not realized ) that sound somewhere between an upright and electric bass and I'll work on it with you,regardless the cost. I want something light,well made, that has a sound like no other "
It could have been done. It may have to weigh a bit more,and body possibly a bit larger body,but still in keeping with the violin contours. Something like a horizontal cello ,only much,much smaller.
I'm seventy years old, been through the whole Beatles era, in real time ( There's a huge down side to that
I love the aesthetics of a string section,violin,viola,cello and contra bass . Just something about the visual of the instruments ,let alone the sound of an acoustic instrument.
People can say,that fifty some years ago,we didn't have the technology ,and even if we did, the laws of physics would dictate ,that what you are suggesting is impossible.
If we believe in that mindset,we are doomed to failure .
I play an old E series Fender p bass,57 maple neck,62 body, fretless.( had to have frets removed,as they didn't make a maple neck fretless ) High action ,flatwounds, and a 62 RI jazz fretted USA . I love Fender basses ,both serve a function. By the way the 85 E series 57/62 is EXACTLY QUALITY WISE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL US PRODUCTION MODELS ! Anybody that pays Fender for the crap they have been selling for past fifty years is being had. You have to pay $3000. and up for a CS, which is absurd. Get an E series 84-87 ,take out the pot/cap/1/4 inch and pups,replace with vintage harness and pups ,and you have the best bass money can buy. Hand wired ( soldered ) harness with oil/water cap,CTS or a number of other companies making caps, that are phenomenal,pups double handwound ( totally passive ) . You will even have a better bass than the originals. Cost for prewired harness with cloth pull back,pots,cap and 1/4 jack, best you can get will cost you $200. All hand wired . Double wound,if you like a lot of output $100. for the split p bass.
Same holds true for the jazz,only a bit more for harness and pups ,possibly $400. AT MOST !
P bass extremely heavy,but as I do sessions, I'm sitting all the time .
I've always maintained, if I had the fiscal resources, I would love to design a bass like,I'm describing about. Passive, not hot wired . I honestly believe it could be done. By short scale, I don't mean to the degree of a Hofner,something in the middle.
In closing. Has anyone ever heard of a bass like I described , in reality ? NOT the Gibson,they look great,but sound like hell, and again, an extended short scale neck. I understand the idea of balance . That said,these are all things that people with a passion for something figure out. Nobody to this day, thatnim aware of,produces an electric bass that sounds like an upright. ( I know, but that's amplification technology . Paul doubles some of his bass parts with an upright,this before Bill Blacks bass. Listen to break in " I'm Only Sleeping "
I'm new to this forum, so please bear with me, if what I wrote is redundant. If it has merit,please respond,would love to know what's going on in respect to anyone ever making a prototype violin Elec.Bass ...
Best
Jake
I think you kind of answered your own question there. Paul shifted away from Hofner for a period looking for a different sound/feel/whatever and eventually came back to Hofner because he's old and things don't get lighter as you get older, they get heavier. He knows he can get the sound and playability he wants out of a Hofner 100% of the time without even thinking about it. It's basically almost a physical appendage to him at this point. He can pick it up and the notes just come out. He doesn't have to think about it. It's like any bass you've owned for a long time, your #1 that you're just used to. I'm not a fan of Hofner basses (though I don't dislike them), but I'm not sure I'd want to live in a world where Macca was now playing a Fodera instead of keeping it real.
And yes, this thread is crazy old.
Alkali Ike
Gold Supporting Member
- Jan 1, 2011
- 2,857
- 15,669
- Disclosures
- I never actually learned to play very well
At this stage of McCartney's career, fans want - expect - to see him playing the Hofner. I would be a little PO'd if I paid to see McCartney and he didn't use the Hofner.
