McCartney's Abbey Road bass tones
Thatis the one I had pegged for the Hofner also, (I Want you etc.) I thought it was so obvious that I wouldn't mention it and see how many others thought the same thing, to me it's obvious. The tone on that song is soft like a Hofner, and I still think half of his intonation problems on the Hofner were caused by his playing too hard, with a short scale bass it is very easy to bend the strings too much and I don't think he is a light player. Hofners are very delicate basses. Although the intonation does seem much better on that song than earlier Hofner songs, but I agree he had a certain style when he played the Hofner and I hear it on that song in addition to the sound of it.
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beefandbones
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OK, I'm going to venture a few guesses, based on what my ears heard this morning on the walk to work. I haven't checked sessions or dates, though. Just using my ears.
The Rickenbacker and the Hofner couldn't be more different in sound. The Jazz, though, falls somewhere in the middle of these two and muddies the water. I hear the basses Paul used during his last year with the Beatles in this way:
Rickenbacker - bold, fluid, glassy
Hofner - warm, dark, puffy
Jazz - the wild card. Has a unique chunky spanky quality that neither the Rick nor the Hofner have. But it can sound pretty similar to both.
Here Comes the Sun is a great example of Paul's late period Rick sound. The Ballad of John and Yoko and Don't Let Me Down are good examples of the Hofner. While My Guitar Gently Weeps is in my opinion the 'most likely' of all late period Beatles songs to feature the Jazz Bass.
Of course, I'm sure Paul could have played just about *any* bass with flatwound strings, through the same amp, through the same compression, in the same studio, and it would have still sounded like Paul. So these are just my guesses.
Come Together - Rickenbacker. The bass slide that coincindes with Ringo's tom fills after the main riff convinced me. It's too glassy to be anything else.
Something - Jazz or possibly Hofner. Listen to the way the first bass note fades away in a puff. Very atypical of Paul's Rick sound. Darker, too.
Maxwell's Silver Hammer - Hofner. The bass sound has a barky, hollow resonance that makes me think it's the Hofner. Which was a surpise to me!
Oh Darling - Jazz or Rick. Guesses, anyone?
Octopus's Garden - Jazz or Rick. Anyone?
I Want You - Hofner.
Here Comes the Sun - Rickenbacker. I think it's the most textbook example of Paul's Rick sound on Abbey Road.
You Never Give Me Your Money - Rickenbacker.
Polythene Pam/SCITTBW. Not sure about PP, but Bathroom Window sounds like a Rick. Since they were recorded in one go, PP must be the Rick, too.
Golden Slumbers/CTW - Rickenbacker
The End - Jazz or Rick.
And in one generalization that makes no sense, The bass sounds on side one are harder for me to identify than on side two.
The Rickenbacker and the Hofner couldn't be more different in sound. The Jazz, though, falls somewhere in the middle of these two and muddies the water. I hear the basses Paul used during his last year with the Beatles in this way:
Rickenbacker - bold, fluid, glassy
Hofner - warm, dark, puffy
Jazz - the wild card. Has a unique chunky spanky quality that neither the Rick nor the Hofner have. But it can sound pretty similar to both.
Here Comes the Sun is a great example of Paul's late period Rick sound. The Ballad of John and Yoko and Don't Let Me Down are good examples of the Hofner. While My Guitar Gently Weeps is in my opinion the 'most likely' of all late period Beatles songs to feature the Jazz Bass.
Of course, I'm sure Paul could have played just about *any* bass with flatwound strings, through the same amp, through the same compression, in the same studio, and it would have still sounded like Paul. So these are just my guesses.
Come Together - Rickenbacker. The bass slide that coincindes with Ringo's tom fills after the main riff convinced me. It's too glassy to be anything else.
Something - Jazz or possibly Hofner. Listen to the way the first bass note fades away in a puff. Very atypical of Paul's Rick sound. Darker, too.
Maxwell's Silver Hammer - Hofner. The bass sound has a barky, hollow resonance that makes me think it's the Hofner. Which was a surpise to me!
Oh Darling - Jazz or Rick. Guesses, anyone?
Octopus's Garden - Jazz or Rick. Anyone?
I Want You - Hofner.
Here Comes the Sun - Rickenbacker. I think it's the most textbook example of Paul's Rick sound on Abbey Road.
You Never Give Me Your Money - Rickenbacker.
Polythene Pam/SCITTBW. Not sure about PP, but Bathroom Window sounds like a Rick. Since they were recorded in one go, PP must be the Rick, too.
Golden Slumbers/CTW - Rickenbacker
The End - Jazz or Rick.
And in one generalization that makes no sense, The bass sounds on side one are harder for me to identify than on side two.