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What amp did Mccartney use in the 70s with Wings?
- Thread starter southpaw723
- Start date
I think you'll find he used whatever was put in front of him to use.
"...some guy said, 'What kind of bass strings do you use, Paul?' I said, 'Long shiny ones.'
"I don't know the model names of basses," he laughs, "I don't know about amps, I don't know about serial numbers. People say to me, 'I've got a fantastic L35.' I say, 'Oh... yeah?' It could be a motorbike for all I know. I'm just not like that, you know? With us it was always just Vox, Hofner--I never really got into the analytical end of it."
I think put behind him would be more accurate!
A little story that I always found amusing: Went to play a gig in a town in North Wales U.K. Setting up, I noticed some taped Xs on that stage. I was checking my amp out when the manager of the venue rushed up to me an told me I couldn't stand there. Puzzled, I looked down to see I was standing on one of the crosses. I asked why not and he replied "Paul McCartney stood there!" Even after forty odd years, I still get a tickle out of that!!!
Take a look at the rockshow video (1976?) on youtube. The video was recently reissued. As I recall they had Fender and Marshall amps.
I think put behind him would be more accurate!
A little story that I always found amusing: Went to play a gig in a town in North Wales U.K. Setting up, I noticed some taped Xs on that stage. I was checking my amp out when the manager of the venue rushed up to me an told me I couldn't stand there. Puzzled, I looked down to see I was standing on one of the crosses. I asked why not and he replied "Paul McCartney stood there!" Even after forty odd years, I still get a tickle out of that!!!
Ha, that is probably more accurate
Point still stands that if he didn't care or couldn't necessarily tell you what he was using, it really isn't that meaningful as information.
Cool story
The "Rock Show" video shows a line of amps slightly behind and off to Paul's left at an angle, and what look like Fender heads. Directly behind him are what look like bass cabs in a line but without heads. There's also left-handed Fender bass -- a Jazz, I think -- on a stand in to his left along with several guitars. There's a Marshall stack to his right that has a Fender head on it, but I suspect this is for Denny Laine's guitars. There are early rehearsal tapes of Wings on Youtube with Paul using a Fender head ans what looks like a bass bin with a center panel (like the Acoustic 360, but not that) under it. Of course this was in small room.
I just spent 2+ hours freeze framing back n forth to look close at the amps on stage at the "Rock Show" concert video. I've watched this video about 5,000 times in my life but oddly never inspected each and every amp so deeply, or maybe I did years ago and forgot, anyways...
Upon deep inspection I have come to the conclusion that the 2 blonde Bassman's are Jimmy and Denny's and that the Silverface Bassman head on the 2 Marshall cabs is Paul's Bassman, the rooftop Bassman he used for a looong time after the Beatles. It would make sense with that awesome bass tone that we hear from the recording of that tour, one of a middy and snarky quality, it makes sense. Upon even further inspection it's plugged in on the guitar channel, (the middle of the amp) and not the bass channel. (the left channel section it was plugged in on the rooftop). Weird, but oddly would make sense.
I've recorded with a 50 watt Silverface Bassman, and also played a bunch through the years, those amps are LOUD and have THEEE sound, guitar or bass. There's only Bass and Treble on each channel, and a deep switch on Bass channel and bright switch on Guitar channel.
The chrome coned huge speaker on the right side of the stage (near Joe's left ear) has a monitor wedge on it, so it is prob just a stage monitor of some sort, but hey who knows. Anyways, that's my take on it for the day. Now whether what we hear on the recordings is mostly the miked amp, a DI, a split of the 2, that's a toughy without hearing the isolated track!
PS -Another question would be did Denny also play bass through this amp too, or was it his own Bass setup and Paul's was hidden?
...too many questions
!!
Upon deep inspection I have come to the conclusion that the 2 blonde Bassman's are Jimmy and Denny's and that the Silverface Bassman head on the 2 Marshall cabs is Paul's Bassman, the rooftop Bassman he used for a looong time after the Beatles. It would make sense with that awesome bass tone that we hear from the recording of that tour, one of a middy and snarky quality, it makes sense. Upon even further inspection it's plugged in on the guitar channel, (the middle of the amp) and not the bass channel. (the left channel section it was plugged in on the rooftop). Weird, but oddly would make sense.
I've recorded with a 50 watt Silverface Bassman, and also played a bunch through the years, those amps are LOUD and have THEEE sound, guitar or bass. There's only Bass and Treble on each channel, and a deep switch on Bass channel and bright switch on Guitar channel.
The chrome coned huge speaker on the right side of the stage (near Joe's left ear) has a monitor wedge on it, so it is prob just a stage monitor of some sort, but hey who knows. Anyways, that's my take on it for the day. Now whether what we hear on the recordings is mostly the miked amp, a DI, a split of the 2, that's a toughy without hearing the isolated track!
PS -Another question would be did Denny also play bass through this amp too, or was it his own Bass setup and Paul's was hidden?
...too many questions
!!
Last edited:
I just spent 2+ hours freeze framing back n forth to look close at the amps on stage at the "Rock Show" concert video. I've watched this video about 5,000 times in my life but oddly never inspected each and every amp so deeply, or maybe I did years ago and forgot, anyways...
Upon deep inspection I have come to the conclusion that the 2 blonde Bassman's are Jimmy and Denny's and that the Silverface Bassman head on the 2 Marshall cabs is Paul's Bassman, the rooftop Bassman he used for a looong time after the Beatles. It would make sense with that awesome bass tone that we hear from the recording of that tour, one of a middy and snarky quality, it makes sense. Upon even further inspection it's plugged in on the guitar channel, (the middle of the amp) and not the bass channel. (the left channel section it was plugged in on the rooftop). Weird, but oddly would make sense.
I've recorded with a 50 watt Silverface Bassman, and also played a bunch through the years, those amps are LOUD and have THEEE sound, guitar or bass. There's only Bass and Treble on each channel, and a deep switch on Bass channel and bright switch on Guitar channel.
The chrome coned huge speaker on the right side of the stage (near Joe's left ear) has a monitor wedge on it, so it is prob just a stage monitor of some sort, but hey who knows. Anyways, that's my take on it for the day. Now whether what we hear on the recordings is mostly the miked amp, a DI, a split of the 2, that's a toughy without hearing the isolated track!
PS -Another question would be did Denny also play bass through this amp too, or was it his own Bass setup and Paul's was hidden?
...too many questions
You're right about the Silverfaces having THE sound. Hugely underrated as bass amps, the Bassman 100 is perfect.
I used two Bassmans back in the early '70's one blackface one silverface with a Gibson semi-hollow EB-2D and a Fender Jazz Bass. Traded the two Bassmans for a blonde Bassman then traded the Blondie for a Black Ricky 4001 and a Marshall Major head. Did all this in a stretch of about 6 months and after hearing all of the combinations recorded; never satisfied.
Eventually canned the Rick, the Marshall, the Gibson and the Jazz Bass. Found an old rosewood P Bass, picked up a couple of SVT's with 8-10's each and charged forward. Picked up a Music Man Stingray along the way during the "Disco Dark Ages"
They would direct record the instrument and mic the amp then compress or delay a track for an interesting effect. Engineers, wacky bunch.
The Beatles "Rooftop Concert"? All Fender amps & Billy Preston playing a Rhodes. Damnit those guys were tight for not performing live for how many years?
Whenever I played through a Fender Bassman I always plugged into the guitar channel to get more of that brighter, woody, Casady tone on my old Jazz bass, the bass channel sounded a little muddy to my ears. When I replaced it with an Ampeg V4B I appreciated the extra power but missed the top end of the Bassman.I just spent 2+ hours freeze framing back n forth to look close at the amps on stage at the "Rock Show" concert video. I've watched this video about 5,000 times in my life but oddly never inspected each and every amp so deeply, or maybe I did years ago and forgot, anyways...
Upon deep inspection I have come to the conclusion that the 2 blonde Bassman's are Jimmy and Denny's and that the Silverface Bassman head on the 2 Marshall cabs is Paul's Bassman, the rooftop Bassman he used for a looong time after the Beatles. It would make sense with that awesome bass tone that we hear from the recording of that tour, one of a middy and snarky quality, it makes sense. Upon even further inspection it's plugged in on the guitar channel, (the middle of the amp) and not the bass channel. (the left channel section it was plugged in on the rooftop). Weird, but oddly would make sense.
I've recorded with a 50 watt Silverface Bassman, and also played a bunch through the years, those amps are LOUD and have THEEE sound, guitar or bass. There's only Bass and Treble on each channel, and a deep switch on Bass channel and bright switch on Guitar channel.
The chrome coned huge speaker on the right side of the stage (near Joe's left ear) has a monitor wedge on it, so it is prob just a stage monitor of some sort, but hey who knows. Anyways, that's my take on it for the day. Now whether what we hear on the recordings is mostly the miked amp, a DI, a split of the 2, that's a toughy without hearing the isolated track!
PS -Another question would be did Denny also play bass through this amp too, or was it his own Bass setup and Paul's was hidden?
...too many questions
Watching 'Rock Show' right now.....first time too!
Yea the bass tone is bright & thuddy with little sustain imo....this would be the very early Silverface Bassman if im guessing, like a 1968 or 69 model (AA371)....4 ohm load.
Anyone want to guess what strings Paul used on this 'Rock Show' tour?
Yea the bass tone is bright & thuddy with little sustain imo....this would be the very early Silverface Bassman if im guessing, like a 1968 or 69 model (AA371)....4 ohm load.
Anyone want to guess what strings Paul used on this 'Rock Show' tour?
What he used for amps probably isn't what you're hearing, which is most likely DI anyway. Only the roadies know for sure.
