• McCartney On His Switching Of Basses

    From nyarlathotep1@nyarlathotep1@hotmail.com (Norbert) to rec.music.beatles on Thu Feb 6 15:17:42 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.music.beatles

    Musician: Why did you switch [from the Hofner to the Rickenbacker]?

    McCartney: It was given to me. Back in the mid-60s, Mr. Rickenbacker
    gave me a special left-handed bass. It was the first left-handed bass
    I'd ever had, 'cause the Hofner was a converted right-hand. It was a
    freebie and I loved it. I started getting into it on Sgt. Pepper. And
    now I'm playing a Yamaha.

    Musician: How come?

    McCartney: Because they gave me one -- I'm anybody's for a free guitar!

    -- from the 1980 Musician interview

    It wasn't "Mr. Rickenbacker" who gave Paul the bass, it was a
    Rickenbacker worker named F.C. Hall. Paul started working with it well
    before Pepper; it's on Rubber Soul if I am not mistaken.
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  • From pamelam1@pamelam1@mindspring.com (pamina58) to rec.music.beatles on Mon Feb 10 12:39:22 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.music.beatles

    Can you tell the difference?
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  • From nyarlathotep1@nyarlathotep1@hotmail.com (Norbert) to rec.music.beatles on Mon Feb 10 16:04:09 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.music.beatles

    Generally speaking, the Rickenbacker has a clearer and treblier tone
    than the Hofner -- and I think Paul's embrace of the Rickenbacker from
    Revolver till Let It Be coincided with his playing becoming much more
    prominent and innovative. Paul said that his "prize period" on the bass
    was 1966 - 1967. (I don't know; he's damned good on the White Album and
    Abbey Road.)

    He had the Rickenbacker for Rubber Soul, but there's dispute as to which
    bass he used on which track.
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  • From pamelam1@pamelam1@mindspring.com (pamina58) to rec.music.beatles on Tue Feb 11 18:14:22 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.music.beatles

    Interesting. Thank you!
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  • From nyarlathotep1@nyarlathotep1@hotmail.com (Norbert) to rec.music.beatles on Tue Feb 11 19:16:25 2025
    From Newsgroup: rec.music.beatles

    McCartney's Yamaha bass, BTW, was the highly regarded BB 1200. It's an all-around great instrument with the "neck-through body" construction
    that was fashionable among some companies in the 70s. He used it on
    "With A Little Luck," and it sounds great.

    Oh, and it became the highest-selling bass ever auctioned off, at just
    under $500,000.
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