Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

JH has also said, either here or on his own forum that McCartney used Maxima’s. John Hammell, McCartney’s assistant was scrounging around looking for them when RIC discontinued them

"Paul used his 4001S bass mostly as a studio instrument. The bass sounds on Sgt. Pepper are from DI (direct injection/input) which will give you a different sound than just playing through an amp alone. I would use TI strings for the correct tone along with a DI box."

I read in Beatle's Gear that Geoff Emerick stated that he didn't go direct. And he engineered Sgt.Pepper. But he has had some accusations regarding inaccurate information.

I have heard that paul used primarily a Fender Bassman for that period.

For 'Paperback Writer', Geoff stuck a speaker directly in front of Paul's bass cabinet and used it as a mic.

I read Geoff's book too. Read page 151 regarding use of D.I. box on Sgt. Peppers with Lennon playing bass. Bass D.I. recording was in effect at that time. I do agree that some of the story fades in and out with details.

McCartney overdubbed most of his bass lines last. The Pepper bass tones are much more defined than 'Paperback Writer'.

Paul was using mostly Vox bass amps on Pepper. That seems to hold up from the photographic evidence from that era.

TI's are much more midrangey than Pyramids.

Now the next question is: what do you guys do with your EQ once you put the flats on?

I fitted my 4003 with Rotosound flats and I love 'em, but I can't quite tweak my EQ to get his sound.

I set treble on full with bright switch on and control highs with the tones on the bass, mid varies although usually near 12 o'clock or a little higher and bass from 3 to 5 o'clock, they sound good flat usually also though, this is with an old SVT.

Another huge factor in the Pepper bass sound was the use of heavy studio tube compression.

Hi Craig P,

Which Rotosounds did you use? Jazz RS77s which are the Monel 40 to 90 gauge, or a different set? You said you can't eq his sound in. Are you too trebly or bassy?

Thanks for the information. I like Rotos over D.A chromes. The lower tension works better for me (I won't feel like I'm damaging the neck) so I want to get them if I can get a close enough sound.

Using a V63 with pyramids through an Ampeg B100R - Lows at about 2 o'clock, high and low mids at 12 to 1 o'clock and high end around 2 to 3 o'clock. Back off the treble on the bridge pup. I'm close. I couldn't get this close with my '76 4001 no matter what I did. I have a set of chromes on my F####r jazz. I might put 'em on the V63 and see if I get closer to "that" sound.

If the amps were Vox, wouldn't they have been the JMI solid state models (Defiant/Conqueror/Supreme)? Some of the Pepper guitar parts were recorded using Conquerors, right? That would certainly have had an affect on the tone (& might explain why the tone sounds a bit D.I. at times).

Pepper Vox amps were 4 and 7 series UL hybrids. Those models had SS preamps but tube power sections.

There is only one reference to when Emerick mentions micing Paul's amp during the Pepper sessions. Paul recorded a bass line one night up in the control room. Geoff says he ran a "long cord" down the stairs out to his amp.

????

Geoff also mentions recording a bass line, with Lennonn playing bass, using a D.I. box during the Pepper sessions.

I don't think the Conquerors came into the studio until mid '67 / early MMT sessions. The Vox amp that is seen the most in Pepper photos almost exclusively is the UL730.

I think they also used Selmer amps in those sessions, anyway (just a tip) McCartney used to plug his guitars in a bass amp to record them. I think he's using a Selmer amp with a Vox cabinet in the Hello Goodbye video.

Ronn do you use the GHS Jazz Flats on your MMT 4001? These are my favorite strings (.95E) I'm terrified to put these on my C64S for fear of "Bridge lift" if I can use them let me know.

The new Recording the Beatles book mentions the use of the DI box, specifically on the Peppar album, and shows some pictures of it. They also talk about using tons of the Altec and Fairchild compressors too. I've always thought it was mostly DI and compression myself, with maybe the DI mixed in with some amp sounds from the 4 series and 7 series Vox amps. The Ric w/horseshoe and flats and mute on is essential too though.