Rare Photo - McCartney Plays 4001S

[actual_size]

Find Ricko

[actual_size]

one more

[1965]

one more

Never seen that one before. awesome

[nattiep]

It's.... BACKUP! WHY?!

[beefandbones]

Wow, I've never seen the photo taken from behind Ringo before! Nice find! I wonder if Paul ever had the chance to pull his Rick out on stage (er... never mind...) during the 1966 tours. I don't think there's any reason to think that he did, right?

[JakeK]

It would have been nice if he did, but I think he prefered the lighter weight of his Hofner.

[sloop_john_b]

Wish he had just popped a string on the Hof.

[servant]

It would have been nice if he did, but I think he prefered the lighter weight of his Hofner.

He is also still hung up on "you just expect to see me play the Hofner, don't you?" I don't know the exact quote, but I'm pretty sure
it had the word "iconic" in it.

He recorded Paperback Writer (and Rain?) with the Rick, and played the Hofner in the video. (Wasn't it the same with Revolution?)
Other than Hello, Goodbye, All You Need is Love, and I Am The Walrus, I can't think of a time we saw him play the Rick in a
"promotional film".

[rickboy88]

He also plays the 4001S in the "Hey Bulldog" session film, but not sure if it was ever used for promotional purposes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGrEZH7j1bQ

[beefandbones]

Yes, there's that quote from Paul about how he can't stand and play a Fender bass, that he has to sit and play it. I imagine he felt similarly about the Rick until he got used to it. In almost every studio shot from the mid-late 60s (I'm trying to think of exceptions) Paul is sitting and playing the Rickenbacker. He sat to play the Rick for the 'All You Need is Love' broadcast and the Lady Madonna/Hey Bulldog films, when they were recording, but he stood in the videos for 'I Am the Walrus' and 'Hello Goodbye' when they were just miming. But if he'd broken a string on the Hofner during that tour, he would have had to play the Rick. And with my time machine I would be there to photograph it.

[revolver323]

There is a rather large difference in playing the Hofner as compared to more "standard"shaped bass like the Fender or Rick, especially with a pick. Because of strap positioning on the neck (either with a button on the back of the bass or wrapped under the fingerboard) and the contour of the body, the Hofner hangs differently and your picking arm, wrist and hand are positioned differently. The curved back on the Hofner rotates the face of the bass away from you when standing. Sitting down, it's easier to get either Fender or Rick into a position that more closely approximates the Hofner. Or course this didn't stop him from using the Rick with Wings for almost 10 years or from using the Wal on the "Flowers in the Dirt" tour. The angles are differnt on these two pics, bu you can see a difference in the way the basses hang.

[servant]

I dunno, maybe he just likes to hear himself speak sometimes, so says "whatever" about the different basses??
Who can't stand up and play a bass? (Unless it's Me and a "stand-up bass"...)

I played a Rick 4001 and Hofner 500/1 every night in a " '60s in general / Beatles in particular " cover band many
years ago. To feel "comfortable" switching back and forth, I simply had my straps adjusted so that the length
from bottom strap button, over my shoulders and down to the middle of the neck was exactly the same. I never
had an issue with the angle at which either bass hung; the only issue was the different scale length.

Y (and his) MMV.

[ganister]

In some of these photos you can see the tone controls' settings and the toggle switch in down position. If the wiring harness in his bass is upside down, then which of the knobs are the toaster's volume and tone?

Seppo

[teeder]

I assume they are reversed also.

[ganister]

Thanks Kevin, could you be more specific? I'm asking because I only know the model 4000 with two knobs. Are the lower two knobs on Paul's bass for the toaster? Volume towards the neck, and tone closer to the bridge?

Seppo