- Aug 21, 2008
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What bass did McCartney Use?
- Thread starter Pimpernel Smith
- Start date
+1
That seems to be the consensus on that particular track. And it's got this amazing lilting bounce to it. And ever since I learned that it was Paul singing the bass line, "I will" has had a place in my heart for that little detail alone.
Yeah, I was there too .. an amazing show with Krist, Dave and Pat the icing on the cake!
I also noticed that when Paul wasn't playing his Hofner, Brian Ray was playing a gold Epiphone Jack Casady sig. That totally cracked me up.
The Jack Casady signature bass is a great bass despite the affordable price.
Can you imagine having to pass McCartney's critical ears to play bass in his band? I'd be a bundle of nerves. Play bass for McCartney?? No way.
I wonder if it's fitted with Pyramid flats to push it close to the Hofner sound.
Can you imagine having to pass McCartney's critical ears to play bass in his band? I'd be a bundle of nerves. Play bass for McCartney?? No way.
I wonder if it's fitted with Pyramid flats to push it close to the Hofner sound.
With all due respect, Jimmy, McCartney used to use Labella strings, but recent photographic evidence shows that he's using Pyramid flats with dark green silks for at least the past year and a half.
Pimpernel, taking us on a little lark, are you? Listen to I WIll in headphones and there's no doubt it's him singing the bass line. Frisky. What's your next puzzle?
And that's based on what evidence? To my knowledge, there are only two photographs of him with a Jazz taken during the entire five months of sessions for the White album. The arguments over which bass on which track have raged for decades, and show no signs of stopping anytime soon. I highly doubt he'd just stop using the Rick, which was his favourite bass for recording with since October 1965. Or the Hofner, which was still used on occasion in the studio.
At any rate, since this thread is about how he SANG the bass part for "I Will", that kinda blows playing a Jazz on the entirety of the White album out of the water.
There's a wide range of basses on the White Album. This thread is focusing on "I will", which features Paul singing the bass line.
That being said, there are plenty of other basses on the record. Indications are that there were bass parts played not only by McCartney but by George Harrison and John Lennon, too. And when they were playing bass, it was either a Fender Bass VI or a Fender Jazz. Those tracks seem to include "Back in the USSR" and "Helter Skelter".
There's also indications that Paul played a Fender Jazz. And yes, there's been plenty of discussion on which tracks Paul played that on. A few of them outwardly seem to include "Yer Blues", "While my guitar gently weeps", "Glass Onion" and "Everybody's got something to hide except for me and my monkey". As for other songs? Those are in dispute. The Hofner seems to surface on the single version of "Revolution" which doesn't appear on the album, but was recorded at the same time. And some other tracks seem to feature the bounce that's indicative of McCartney on his Rickenbacker.
The best answer? We don't really know which bass in particular was on a given track, and likely will never know for certain. The one person who might have given that sort of insight, Mal Evans, died in the 1970's, and that knowledge passed on with him.
I wonder,given that most of the many guitars everyone is trotting out on this show seem to be vintage,if the gold top bass Brian is playing is a real vintage Gibson,rather than the Epi JC reissue? I've also seen Brian playing an SG type bass on previous tours.
Actually, Brian Ray plays an Epiphone Jack Casady onstage with PMC. His Twitter feed is pretty cool, and he answers gear questions from time to time. I actually asked him about what strings he likes on his Jack Casady and he passed on that info to me.
The OP should check out this thread. All documented here w/photos...
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f28/paul-mccartney-his-basses-856808/
Two other essential books for chronicling Beatles gear are:
"Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four's Instruments, from Stage to Studio" by Andy Babiuk
http://www.amazon.com/Beatles-Gear-Fours-Instruments-Studio/dp/0879309563
"Recording The Beatles: The Studio Equipment and Techniques Used to Create Their Classic Albums" by Kehew & Ryan
http://www.recordingthebeatles.com/
Here's a photo of Paul playing a Fender Jazz bass during the White Album sessions:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f28/paul-mccartney-his-basses-856808/
Two other essential books for chronicling Beatles gear are:
"Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four's Instruments, from Stage to Studio" by Andy Babiuk
http://www.amazon.com/Beatles-Gear-Fours-Instruments-Studio/dp/0879309563
"Recording The Beatles: The Studio Equipment and Techniques Used to Create Their Classic Albums" by Kehew & Ryan
http://www.recordingthebeatles.com/
Here's a photo of Paul playing a Fender Jazz bass during the White Album sessions:
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Maybe you should read it again. We were discussing the Faces, in which RONNIE Lane was a member.
ShoeManic:
I started the thread, light-hearted, just to liven things up. All in good fun.
Man, you can't tell us that you asked Brian about his choice in strings for the Jack Casady model, and not tell us what he said.
I've owned a JC bass since 1998.
Dying to know.
Cheers, mate.
I started the thread, light-hearted, just to liven things up. All in good fun.
Man, you can't tell us that you asked Brian about his choice in strings for the Jack Casady model, and not tell us what he said.
I've owned a JC bass since 1998.
Dying to know.
Cheers, mate.
