Is Paul McCartney's Rickenbacker bass wired backwards?

[MusicScholar]

Since his Rickenbacker was one of the first left handed models, many people have contended he was using his neck pickup when his toggle switch was all the way down in the bridge position.

[weemac]

I believe the general consensus on that one is:

Probably!

Eden.

[aceonbass]

Backwards, yes, but upside down, no. When the switch is up, it's still the neck pickup.

[MusicScholar]

Backwards, yes, but upside down, no. When the switch is up, it's still the neck pickup.

There's alot of people claiming it's the opposite, when the switch is down he's using his neck pickup.

[teeder]

IMO, it was originally wired so that when the switch was down, the Toaster was on. There are numerous photos of the switch down. I can't remember seeing a picture of it up. I can't think of any recording that sounds like the HS soloed. I don't know if it was changed when it went back to the factory in the '70's.

[teeder]

[Scotty_Guitar]

In the photo with glasses and an LP cover, the volume and tone controls appear to be reversed, with vol on top (closest to the strings). This, and p'up switch flipped "down" for neck p'up (toaster) would be consistent with a right handed wiring harness, which was likely already assembled, awaiting for installation. Also consistent with MacCartney's 4001S being the first with neck "toaster" pickup (s'posed to be a 4000S with added neck p'up?), and first left hander, etc... Rumor has it, anyway...

[aceonbass]

A right handed wiring harness for a 4001 can't just be put on a left handed instrument. The solid leads on the Ajax caps would break before you could twist the pickup switch around to where it had to be. Whatever went into Paul's bass was built for it, no matter how it's wired, although I tend to think it would have been a mirror image of a right handed harness.

[Scotty_Guitar]

A right handed wiring harness for a 4001 can't just be put on a left handed instrument. The solid leads on the Ajax caps would break before you could twist the pickup switch around to where it had to be. Whatever went into Paul's bass was built for it, no matter how it's wired, although I tend to think it would have been a mirror image of a right handed harness.

It seems logical that the control layout would be a mirror image of the right handed model.

McCartney's sound indicates neck pickup (best guess, based upon me trying to imitate his sound), and the photos indicate horse-shoe p'up...



It appears his knobs are set the same way as I set mine - Vol both at 100%, neck p'up tone near 50-60%... Again, best guess, of course. This guess *works* if Macca's volume controls are closest to the strings, and the tone controls "underneath," which is opposite of a right-handed model. Basically appears to be a "reworked" set of right handed controls from my perspective.

Here's my set-up:



If you rotate my set-up photo 180* and slide the tone and volume controls in opposite directions, it would seem to match Macca's... Again, best guess from photos...

Is it possible?

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

you never know where the knob pointer really is as they can be re-adjusted to point in any direction, unless you can really prove the controls are wide open on a particular instrument. for visuals, my knob pointers are pointing diagonally down like squire's, but are disconnected electrically as my pickups are only routed thru the switch then jack.

[teeder]

but are disconnected electrically as my pickups are only routed thru the switch then jack.

What's that doing for you Ron? I never use my tone controls, but do use the volume controls often (especially for the Toaster).

[MusicScholar]

I know Paul prefers 15 inch bass speakers in his bass cabinets. Perhaps he's using the bridge pick up because it was too muddy sounding with his neck pick up and those 15 inch speakers? In all the old pictures I've seen of him with The Beatles, it looks like he's using his bridge pick up.

[teeder]

It looks like he's using the bridge pick-up, but it doesn't sound like one.

[rickinroma]

was it wired backwards?
it probably was...considering the sound yes. It is unlikely that a 60s horseshoe with the cap produced such a bassy sound like we hear in the records wihout messing a lot with the amp and the eq in studio, which is an option of course.
But....if this was really the case, I don't see why one should mess changing the natural tone of the HS to achieve that Macca-on-rick tone without any effort and waste of energies...naturally... just switching to the neck pickup, in whatever position it is/was wired.
It is my understanding that a 60s original HS was pretty much lower in volume than the toaster...that is another sufficient reason not to use that bass playing it in less-volumed configuration.
Knobs positioning or pointing is just an additional detail as you can change it

[Seans]

I see some possibles,

Neck pup= switch down, assume 3 knobs are full on, so full volume and backed off tone. I'm going with this one.

Neck pup, assume 3 knobs are off, so mid volume on neck pup, tone full backed off.

Less likely, treble pup, knobs even or full, very unlikely.