Rare Photo - McCartney Plays 4001S

[leftybass]

That last pic taken during the LIB/Get Back sessions above shows that Paul only had the front of the bass sanded off at first, for the neck and peghead are still Fireglow. Cool.

I think the bass was sanded during the LIB sessions. He had it completely sanded in Soho. I would think that the previous picture was before the work was done. Just a guess.

I agree, it could be just a moment pictured right before it was taken to be sanded.....

[bigbajo60]

Interesting little detail in those Ram session pics... looks like a polishing cloth or some such rag folded up under the strings between the HS and bridge. Maybe he's recording 'Oh Woman, Oh Why', 'cause I always thought that song featured a very heavily muted bass tone.

[rickboy88]

Good observation! I'd never seen those RAM pics. Sort of glad I started this thread as I'd never seen the vast majority of these images.

[craig55]

Here are some more you may like...

[craig55]

Probably fall 75 into 75 when Jimmy joined-Juniors Farm was his first.
It really is an amazing bass. I would love Ric to put out a MMT painted model.
It is the holy grail (or at least one of them).

[ricky4001]

another Jap '66 pic

[actual_size]

More

[simer4001]

Here is a shot of the bass around 1970. After the original sanding, but before the horns were shaven.

[actual_size]

Full page ad from the April 25, 1970 issue of Billboard.

[jojo99]

I wonder how Paul managed to nick a chunk off the lower bout of his pickguard as shown in the photos....it's a fairly flexible piece of material, and it's in such an odd spot-- how in the heck could that have happened? A too-tightened screw? I can understand the tip of a TRC getting caught on something and breaking, but this?? (I'm convinced the broken pickguard is the secret to Macca's sound, ala Eric Johnson who seemingly swears a piece of lint on his strat alters his tone).

[teeder]

My guess is, for some reason, they attempted to remove the guard without unscrewing that screw location.

[rickinroma]

I wonder how in the heck could that have happened?

Considering how they kept their instruments even in the studio...without gutar stands....down on the floor or in the best cases just using their amp cabinet as a stand... no wonder

Ricks and other beatle instruments are like the holy grail for us feticist beatlemaniacs...at that time they were just objects for them

[teeder]

I wonder if we could pin point down when the cracked guard happened by dating the pictures?
May not be enough pictures from that time frame though.

[craig55]

I would say very early on. Perhaps 1965-66. I remember Paul quoted as saying the guitars were not really handled with care and that Mal did drop his Ric.

[revolver323]

Considering how they kept their instruments even in the studio...without gutar stands....down on the floor or in the best cases just using their amp cabinet as a stand... no wonder

Ricks and other beatle instruments are like the holy grail for us feticist beatlemaniacs...at that time they were just objects for them

In all my years of playing in clubs, I didn't use a bass stand until the last three. Just flip it around and lean it against the amp. I don't think I ever laid it on a floor, though. Of all the Beatles, I think George was probably the most likely to have treated his guitars well. However, McCartney still has his Hofner, Casino and the Texan.