Macca's Ric

[sloop_john_b]

Think For Yourself:

[maplered]

Our bass player recently acquired a vintage Hofner, and I'm surprised more people don't play them! I know I've often read they're too fragile/junky/insubstantial etc. but it plays beautifully and really has a wonderful and unique tone.
Of course, I do think Macca's best sounding bass work is on the Rick. There are so many songs, especially from the '67-'68 period that I hear his tone and it is truly definitive. His output from that era rates among some of the best recorded and creative basslines in pop ever. Hofner or Rick? I love them both.
As for the 'here's what he played on what' lists: it's George playing a bass (I suspect it's a Jazz bass) on Old Brown Shoe. I read an interview some years ago where George claimed the part, which makes sense when you recognize he's doubled it on guitar. And as for Something... sounds more like the Rick to me but I may be wrong!

"Something" is definitely the 4001S - there was an interview with Sir Paul in Bass Player a few years ago where he indicated this to be the case. A good deal of the bass line is played from the 8th to 12th fret and at the time the Hofner's intonation problems ruled it out.

BTW Hofners are great little basses - they are a bit idiosyncratic, but once you're used to them, you're hooked!

Agreed on Something. And listening to the isolated bass tracks seems to prove that. The Let It Be isolated tracks like Dig a Pony and I've Got a Feeling which were played on a Hofner definitely have a different bass sound then Something. Actually, listening to I Want You She's So Heavy, it sounds like the same bass sound as the Let It Be tracks. I always thought that was a Rick but now I think it's a Hofner.

I think on Old Brown Shoe, George claimed he "wrote" the part but it's both Paul and George doubling it on bass and guitar.

[maplered]

Think For Yourself:

That's really good. I actually really dig that Club bass too.

[shamustwin]

I had a '67 Hofner which was freakin awesome, sold it in a moment of insanity. I now have a Jetglo Club which is very nice, but not the same.

[nukebass]

Are modern Hofner basses well built? The reason I ask is that McCartney says he bought his bass in Germany for cheap because he didn't want to go into debt on a more expensive guitar like Lennon did. His issues with intonation are well known (one reason why he switched to the Rickenbacker) and he had it repaired prior to using it on Flowers in the Dirt to fix the intonation problem. I don't think he had played it since Abbey Road at that point. The reissue Hofners go for around $2000 and it seems odd that they would have been cheap in the 60s and expensive now if they are built the same way. I go back and forth wanting one and need to know if they are worth the money.

[antipodean]

Are modern Hofner basses well built? The reason I ask is that McCartney says he bought his bass in Germany for cheap because he didn't want to go into debt on a more expensive guitar like Lennon did. His issues with intonation are well known (one reason why he switched to the Rickenbacker) and he had it repaired prior to using it on Flowers in the Dirt to fix the intonation problem. I don't think he had played it since Abbey Road at that point. The reissue Hofners go for around $2000 and it seems odd that they would have been cheap in the 60s and expensive now if they are built the same way. I go back and forth wanting one and need to know if they are worth the money.

Back in the late '50s and early '60s West Germany was a low-cost manufacturer, so their product was cheap relative to the US, particularly given the tariffs that were imposed on imports from the US. To put it into perspective, Mercs were cheap relative to US cars available in Europe back then.

Modern German-made Hofners are well-made, but the 500/1 is not as sturdy as a P-bass simply due to the nature of the design. If you want a lightweight bass that sounds great but may not survive a major battering, a Hofner is the ticket.

[jps]

The '07 500/1V63 I used to have ( Evan) was very well built, and sounded fantastic, but as Evan noted above, it is a hollowbody instrument so more care is required compared to a solidbody instrument.

[teeder]

The Beatles were NOT particularly well known over here prior to their trip in 1964 and no one here knew that Paul was left-handed.

I know for fact that my dad took a right-handed bass to New York for the well known meeting, which was why Paul did not keep the bass, nothing more. Another lefty one was constructed later, reusing many of the parts off that original bass (for reasons unknown to me) and I presented him that one in Summer of 1965 when they did the Hollywood Bowl shows. End of story.

Awesome Info! Thanks for sharing that John!

[MusicScholar]

This is a question for John Hall but i'm sure this is just a rumor.

It's insane to think the people at RIC didn't know paul was left-handed. 1st The Beatles were the biggest thing on the planet at that point. Even the least musical of people would look at Paul and wonder "why is he holding his instrument the wrong way".

Sorry that you've chosen to phrase it this way . . . as such it doesn't particularly make me want to comment. Nevertheless . . .

The Beatles were NOT particularly well known over here prior to their trip in 1964 and no one here knew that Paul was left-handed.

I know for fact that my dad took a right-handed bass to New York for the well known meeting, which was why Paul did not keep the bass, nothing more. Another lefty one was constructed later, reusing many of the parts off that original bass (for reasons unknown to me) and I presented him that one in Summer of 1965 when they did the Hollywood Bowl shows. End of story.

Sir Paul McCartney with his Rickenbacker 5 string bass.

[DavyR]

I don't have the numbers in front of me (too late and I did this research a few months ago), but considering that Paul used his Hofner up through all of Help! and on all of the Let it Be sessions (that he actually played bass on), a Jazz bass on about three songs from The Beatles, plus Old Brown Shoe and Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam, and John or George used a Jazz or Fender Bass VI on perhaps 10-12 songs from '68-'69, and Macca didn't play on She Said She Said, the numbers crunched out to reveal that Paul used the 4001S on just about the same number of songs for which he used the Hofner, if I recall correctly. How's that for a run-on sentence?

Regardless of the exact numbers, Paul's identity with the RIck is unquestionable.

What research did you do and can you post it here? Do you agree with JakeK's listing? Thanks!

[DavyR]

Let's see if I can try and get the exact number of Beatles songs (that are released on the Stereo and Mono box sets) I know and believe Paul used the Hofner, Ric and Jazz on and how many songs George and John used the Bass VI and right handed Jazz on......................
..................
Whew! No one give me he77 about how long this is or how much free time I have or if I'm missing any. I just rolled these off the top of my head. Nothing to it.

Wow! Nice piece of work! Interesting.

[simer4001]

I have no doubt the Rickenbacker is a nice bass. I had the fortune of finding a Near Mint Hofner Beatle Bass made in 1967. Missing the truss rod cover and the final price was $5.00 at a garage sale. Originally marked 15.00 and no one bought it. Go figure. I am not a bass player, although it's fun to play. It is very light weight and hollow bodied. I'm sure with Paul being in his late 60's it's a combination of that and the fact that Hofner tone is McCartney. If you look seriously at things. Harrison only used the 12 string on certain occasions. He's best known for Gretch. Lennon is where the notoriety with Rickenbacker is.

Everyone knows these facts. I think Rickenbackers are awesome guitars. I have several. But why limit your tonal palette to one company. Unless of course you have to money wise. Isn't that why the Stratocaster was made.??????? No offense John I love my Rics.. I just don't see Paul dumping the Hofner he calls baby to play his Rickenbacker. Maybe on certain songs he will who knows. Will it spark a revolution? Probably only if your a Ric fanatic. JMHO

To say George only used it on certain occaisions... well, I wouldn't exactly say that! When he got it he used it often, and it became a huge part of that early sound. He even used it on the White Album.

It's not fair to say that John is the only one notorious for his RIC. John, Paul and George all played them and were known for it... and they all played Gibsons, Epiphones and Fenders as well. So I don't really see what your point is.

Lets not fail to recognize the impact George's playing of the 12 string had. It influenced Roger McGuinn who mastered the Rick 12 string and made it the signature sound of the Byrds. Roger McGuinn influenced Tom Petty, who influenced...

It goes on and on. It doesn't matter how many times George actually played the 360/12 or on which song. It created the legacy we all know and love today.

[teeder]

So basically...what you're saying is that Paul played the Rickenbacker on all of the tunes where the bass sounded fantastic. The ones where the bass sounded mediocre were the Hofner.

I understand now.

+1!