Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

buzfluhart wrote:

dpowell wrote:Yeah, I'm sorry I but I can't remember where I heard about John on the Precision...however, I know it was a direct quote by Geoff Emerick or someone like that. I'll do some searchin'.

No mention of a Precision in either book (I could find), but as with Lewisohn, Emerick credits George with the lead on FAH.

As a bass player, I have to think that all three of the guitarist Beatles would have thought the Precision neck too wide. McCartney started with the Hofner, which is very small, then went to the 4001's slim neck and the Jazz. But it does sound like Paul's style to me.

The backing track and vocal to 'Fixing a Hole" were recorded at Regent Sound Studio, rather than at Abbey Road, and Geoff Emerick was not present for the session, which would account for the difference in bass tone. Also on page 325 of RTB it says "the band rehearsed and recorded a few takes of 'FAH', with George Martin sitting in on harpsichord" and Ian McDonald says that 'FAH' was the only song on Pepper not to have the bass overdubbed. If George Martin was on harpsichord for the recording of the backing track, Paul's got to be on bass. I can't imagine that he would have sat out the recording of the backing track.

The syncopation throughout and the octave skips starting with the second verse (esp that leap and glide at 1:01-1:04) seem totally synchronous with Paul's style of the time. I suppose that Paul could have instructed John to play the part 'just so' which wouldn't be out of character either, but the style, especially the easy, confident octave leaps, makes me think it's got to be Paul.

Like Dave said, the idea of John confidently playing a 34" P-Bass with a wide fretboard seems suspicious to me, just the physicality of it.

Overdubs for the song were done at Abbey Road, which probably included the guitar solo and harmonies. The tone of the solo sounds like Paul to me, again, as does the syncopation in the solo. The timing of the notes seems very much like George, and so does that twang. If it's Paul, it's Paul's most George-like solo.

Also, it occurs to me, speaking of difference in bass tone being partially due to studio and engineer, the tone of the bass on 'Fixing a Hole' is somewhat similar to Pete Quaife's tone on the Kinks' 'Village Green Preservation Society' album, and of course Pete used a Rickenbacker bass on that album as well.

Maybe I'm goin' crazy!!! I could swear I saw something about that...I don't have the Anthology or Beatles Gear books with me, though, which it was likely in. So, for now, just ignore it unless I can find that quote!

Although, I don't think neck size has much to do with whether or not it was played.

Just to push an issue I don't think we'll ever be able to solve unless some asks Paul directly, of all the thousands of Beatles pics I've seen, I don't think I've ever seen one with P bass in it, even on a stand in the background. Although Paul has played full-scale, wide-necked basses like the Wal and the Yamaha, he usually liked somewhat shorter & thinner necks like the 4001, the tiny Hofner 30" scale, and the slimmer Jazz. Once you get comfortable with a neck, you tend to stick with it. I just picked up a Hofner Icon and, after the last six years on a Lakland 35" 5-string, I have to tell you there are some dicey moments when I think the Icon neck is lot longer. Anyone have Paul's e-mail?

They most likely didn't own it, assuming one was used, of course. In a big studio like Abbey Road, there must have been a ton of instruments around.