The Beatles as a four-piece live and in the studio, 1961–1966
| Period | Lennon | McCartney |
|---|---|---|
| August–December 1964 | 1964 Rickenbacker 325 1964 Rickenbacker 325/12 1964 Gibson J-160E Vox AC-100 amplifier | 1963 Höfner 500/1 bass Vox AC100 bass amplifier |
What kind of bass did The Beatles play?
The Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass (sometimes nicknamed the “Beatle Bass” or “Cavern Bass”) is a model of electric bass manufactured by Höfner under several varieties. It was introduced in 1955 and gained celebrity status during the 1960s as one of the primary basses used by Paul McCartney of The Beatles.
What bass did McCartney play on get back?
Hofner 500/1 basses
Hofner 500/1 basses
Paul McCartney’s bass of choice from 1966 onwards was a left-handed Rickenbacker 4001S model, but because McCartney envisioned Get Back as a return to the band’s rock and roll roots he decided to dust off his trusty Hofner 550/1 basses and play them once again.
What kind of bass does Paul McCartney use?
McCartney used his now-colorful Rickenbacker to record many songs for Sgt. Pepper, but he switched back to his Höfner and a Fender Jazz bass for The White Album and Let It Be sessions. He did, however, pull out the old Rickenbacker for the Abbey Road sessions in 1969.
Did The Beatles use a bass guitar?
Stu Sutcliffe was the first bass player in The Beatles, using a ’59 Hofner 500/5, but he left the band in 1961, and soon Paul switched to bass. Paul bought his first bass guitar in Hamburg in 1961. It was a left-handed Hofner 500/1, a type known since as a Beatle Bass or, for its shape, as a violin bass.
What bass did Paul McCartney use Abbey Road?
After using his Hofner and a 1966 Fender Jazz Bass across The White Album and Let It Be, McCartney returned to his Rickenbacker for the Abbey Road sessions, where its fat bottomed tone can be prominently heard on the slinky psych-groove of ‘Come Together.
What type of bass did John Lennon play?
Fender VI bass
1960s Fender VI bass
The Beatles received one in 1968, when Fender began supplying the group with gear, and both Lennon and Harrison played it on the White Album. The VI found use on the Let It Be sessions whenever McCartney was needed for piano duties.
Why did John Lennon hold his guitar so high?
Perhaps John began when he first played guitar with a cheap strap that was too short, and he just got used to it. It is a little funny, almost like he’s wearing pants that ride too high.
What was John Lennon’s favorite guitar?
Lennon continued to use the Gibson J-160E for the rest of his life. Not only was it used on every single Beatles album, but he also used it to write songs after the Beatles’ split in 1970. It was easily his favorite guitar and definitely had the most longevity of any of Lennon’s instruments.
How much would Paul McCartney’s bass be worth?
The Beatles icon Paul McCartney’s bass guitar was sold at auction for $496,100, making it the most expensive bass ever sold.
Did Paul play bass with a pick?
Paul played with a pick from his earliest days on the instrument, and continued this habit all throughout his career. It’s rare to find a Beatles where he plays with his fingers instead. Using a pick has a number of tonal advantages, particularly with the violin-style basses that Paul liked to use.
How much did Paul McCartney pay for his bass?
McCartney recalled buying his first Höfner 500/1 violin bass, a right-handed model that he turned upside down, for the equivalent of $45.
Was Paul McCartney considered a good bass player?
One of the Most Influential Bass Players
Paul’s own evolution as a bass player and, since he influenced the bass world in such an incredible way, on the evolution of bass music into rock.
Does John Lennon play bass on Let It Be?
McCartney played a Blüthner piano, Lennon played six-string electric bass (replaced by McCartney’s own bass part on the final version at the behest of George Martin), George Harrison and Ringo Starr assumed their conventional roles, on guitar and drums respectively, and Billy Preston contributed on Hammond organ.
Did John Lennon play bass on Helter Skelter?
“’Helter Skelter’ was a track we did in total madness and hysterics in the studio,” Ringo Starr once recalled. “Sometimes you just had to shake out the jams”—and they certainly did. “It sounded nothing like The Beatles,” Starr reflected. It remains unclear exactly why Lennon played bass on the track.
Why did John Lennon play a Rickenbacker?
The instrument was a brand new 1964 Rickenbacker 325, painted JetGlo black and very much an updated version of his beloved 1958 Rickenbacker. The instrument was made specifically for Lennon after Rickenbacker president F.C. Hall caught wind that the band had been using their instruments.
Does Paul McCartney still have his Rickenbacker bass?
I just saw a video interviewing his long time guitar tech Keith Smith and he said that the 4001S is still one of McCartney’s prime studio basses. He doesn’t play it live anymore due to the weight, it’s just to heavy for a 3 hour concert. Remember the man is 78 years young.
How many Hofner basses does Paul McCartney own?
The four basses are: the original he purchased in Hamburg in 1961 – the ’61 bass’; the bass he acquired in the autumn of 1963 – the ’63 bass’; the ‘Jubilee’ bass given to him by Höfner to play at the Queen’s Jubilee concert in 2012; and the 1967 bass he acquired and used for a private concert in 2016 – the ’67 bass’.
What bass was used on Helter Skelter?
The general belief was/is that it’s apparently John on Fender VI Bass. Even the Beatles Rock Band game shows him playing it during that song. The characteristic ‘clicky’ sound of the bass is similar to Whole Lotta Love which also had Fender Jazz Bass with flatwounds and a pick.
Who uses Fender Bass VI?
Other notables known to have recorded using the Fender VI include Peter Green, Jack Bruce (Cream), Steve Kilbey (The Church), Eric Clapton (at least he owns one), and Robert Smith of The Cure, Listen e.g. to Smith’s use of the Bass VI on several tracks on the Disintegration album from 1989, where the electric guitar
Why did the Beatles use Epiphone?
The reason he used an Epiphone Casino was that he loved the way it played and sounded. Even today, Paul McCartney says the Epiphone Casino – the one used during The Beatles’ heyday during the 1960s – is his favorite guitar of all time.