McCartney's Hofner a converted righty?

rickfan63 · Post by **rickfan63** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 2:29 pm

That first Hofner that Paul got was, I've read, stolen after the Let It Be sessions. And according to what I've read, Pete Best said he was with McCartney when he bought the bass, and has said it was special ordered for him. The bass he has now is the 1963 model given to him for the Beatles Royal Command Performance that same year I think.

roadrunners · Post by **roadrunners** » Thu Aug 25, 2005 9:36 am

I personally beleive that the cavern model was originally a righty with replaced top....heck, it may have had a hofner emblem under the pickgaurd it was simply a mater of telling the person who cuts and installs the hardware to make one left handed simply by selecting an unaltered top. It would be interesting to know wether or not the top mccartney had on his bass was intended to be a righty as most cavern basses in that period had the hofner logo on the body as well...

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Thu Aug 25, 2005 10:35 am

"..It would be interesting to know wether or not the top mccartney had on his bass was intended to be a righty as most cavern basses in that period had the hofner logo on the body as well..."

Doubtful, 'cause the only other lefty 1961 Cavern bass (Greg's) doesn't have one.

The tops are not cut for p/ups and controls until the bodies and necks are finished. If the bass was intended to be a righty, then it would have had that top removed and a new top blank installed, THEN cut/drilled for left-handed controls. There would be no evidence of holes being plugged...except for the jackplug. From all the pictures back in the day, it's in the right location on Paul's Cavern bass, so you'd have to see it up close to tell if there was a hole plugged on the side of the body...I doubt it really..

revolver323 · Post by **revolver323** » Thu Aug 25, 2005 2:56 pm

Brian pointed out on the original page of this thread that the headstock curve should be pointing the "wrong" way if the bass was just flipped over and a new top made. If he had a new top AND a new neck installed, why not simply order a lefty?

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 2:55 am

Dave, I'm afraid Brian may be incorrect on this.

Hofner Beatle Basses do not have a specific neck blank for right or left-handed versions, they are the same either way. The only things that would signify left-handed production would be side markers(on models with binding on the neck)and a left-handed nut. The neck blanks are merely flipped for leftys, i.e. rightys---only upside down.

apollo11 · Post by **apollo11** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:40 am

Here is a 61 lefty that was on ebay and then pulled.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7328451603&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

I would think that these were made at the factory as lefty's. These cost around 40 pounds back then, and it probably would have cost a lot more in materials and labor to go converting one to lefty by changing the top. If one was to convert, I'd think they would just change the nut and flip the bridge, as the control panel wouldn't look bad if it was upside down. Remember, it is a symetrical bass, and the control panel wouldn't really be out of place if it was at the top or the bottom.

apollo11 · Post by **apollo11** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:44 am

Let me add that the p/g would have had to be had to be custom made, too, and I don't think in 1961 there were people out there cutting pickguards like there are today. That had to come from the factory as a lefty.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 4:32 am

Right, I agree. It would have been easier just to cut on a different body/neck and start from there, rather than re-top a bass.

I guess after seeing Joe's re-topped '63/'64 500/1LH, it made think how easy it would have been for Hofner to do the same if someone would have wanted a lefty..but still more work. Paul's were factory lefty all the way, yes.

wolfgang · Post by **wolfgang** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 6:34 am

Höfner was big enough to export guitars to England
in the late 50s and early 60s. (West) Germany was well industrialised with a population of ca. 60 million people. Höfner invented the Violin Bass in 1956, it wasn't in an experimental state in the early 60s. My guess: it was no problem to produce a left handed bass if Paul McCartney ordered one.
Why should a guitar manufacturer convert an all ready produced guitar instead of making a new one? Does Rickenbacker convert a right handed bass to give it to McCartney? This discussion makes no sense to me...

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 7:00 am

Wolfgang wrote:

"...Why should a guitar manufacturer convert an all ready produced guitar instead of making a new one?.....This discussion makes no sense to me..."

This is why the discussion and debate is going on:

"Back in the midsixties Mr Rickenbacker (!) gave me a special left-handed bass. It was the first left-handed bass I´d ever had, ´cause the Hofner was a converted right-hand." ----Paul McCartney

For some reason, Paul was inclined to say this in an interview; perhaps his recollection of events is not clear, or the above quote by him is misunderstood by those who have read it...thus the basis for this thread.

apollo11 · Post by **apollo11** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 8:18 am

McCartney probably meant that it was a true left hand model, with cutaways. The Hofner was symmetrical, whereas the Ric was an obvious left-handed instrument, made for a lefty.

wolfgang · Post by **wolfgang** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 8:23 am

O.K., John. But if Andy Babiuk and his sources are right, then McCartney must be wrong. And the debate was whether McCartney is wrong or not.
My speculation is: he is wrong. Because of the symmetrical shape of the Violin Bass,
he could have used a right handed one
, restrung, but otherwise unchanged.
And then the short cut: I want this bass because I am left handed and this symmetrical bass is useful and good looking to me. The unexpected answer: yes, but you can have a left handed version, it is available on demand. Ha!
And again: I cannot imagine that Hofner converted a right handed bass to a left handed bass.
And: Because of its shape there are no "real" right handed or left handed Violin Basses!
They all look the same.
And: the second bass WAS left handed, and he got it before the 4001, " the first left handed bass I'd ever had"

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:10 am

The problem is McCartney constantly rewrites history. You can read an interview and then 6 months later read another and he says the exact opposite of what he said in the first one. You just get used to it.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:39 am

I'm in agreement on all points...My first post in this thread was, " Paul's Hofner violin basses were all factory leftys, period....".

I have always thought the idea that his '61 500/1 was a conversion from a right-handed bass to be far-fetched. I think the hundreds of pics taken of The Beatles during that period are enough evidence that it's a lefty all the way.

All of The Beatles have been revisionist historians at one point or another, McCartney being right up there for sure....

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:45 am

In addition, I'd like to add this:

"...And: Because of its shape there are no "real" right handed or left handed Violin Basses!
They all look the same...."

Being a lefty, and having owned 15 500/1s over that past 25 years---both right and left-handed, I can tell you that I would rather have a lefty, even though they're symmetrical. In spite of my preferences, I'm not gonna re-top my '57 500/1...I'll just keep playing it upside down. LOL