msb Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 Nobody expected it to have a flat back. It was a bit of a shock for them. So none of the various Cavern Bass reissues have been accurate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 A quote from the article: "So the reissue you made was better? No, it was wrong, because we discovered something no one knew. And if they say they knew, they lie. When we turned it around, we discovered Paul’s bass has a domed, rounded back, not a flat one, while all the ‘61 reissues including the copies we made - and some other people made - have flat backs. We were very surprised" So the surprise appears to be that it has a rounded back - everyone (even Hofner) expected it to be flat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
floFC Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 12 minutes ago, bass_dinger said: So the surprise appears to be that it has a rounded back - everyone (even Hofner) expected it to be flat. Do we know why? Was round back a special option at the time? Or McCartney remembered it being flat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 6 minutes ago, floFC said: Do we know why? Was round back a special option at the time? Or McCartney remembered it being flat? Again, from the article, it seems that nobody knows why the round back existed. "In 1961 the basses had solid spruce tops and flat backs, so it was not what we expected. Later, at the end of the year, the tops became laminated plywood, so maybe this is an experimental bass? A prototype? It was a transitional year, so I can imagine Paul going into the Steinway shop, they phone Höfner and ask for a left handed bass, Höfner agrees and maybe they thought: “What can we use? Maybe this prototype? Oh well, it’s only for a kid in Hamburg.” We’ll never know, but it would be typical Höfner. In the end it’s very interesting to know all the replicas are wrong, even the ones we made, ha ha!’ " 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 It's made of plywood and sat in a loft for 50 years? I'd be surprised any of it was flat. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers_Williamson Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 1 hour ago, TimR said: It's made of plywood and sat in a loft for 50 years? I'd be surprised any of it was flat. They probably didn't want to mention the domed front, sides (albeit they mentioned the broken neck, nack....d pick ups, replaced tone controls (before it went in the loft), refinished body, hybrid machineheads)....what's not to like! And all worth how much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 5 minutes ago, Piers_Williamson said: They probably didn't want to mention the domed front, sides (albeit they mentioned the broken neck, nack....d pick ups, replaced tone controls (before it went in the loft), refinished body, hybrid machineheads)....what's not to like! And all worth how much? I've got a bass in the loft. Only because I'd hate to chuck it in the skip. When I'm famous it'll be worth millions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 Comparing and did anybody mention the problem he had intonating it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted February 17 Author Share Posted February 17 (edited) Haha! there was a comparison of scratches dings and knocks done…it’s seemingly legit. mental. i do wonder if the Funk Machine will turn up in my lifetime though 😫 Edited February 17 by AndyTravis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassfinger Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 (edited) Read a very interesting piece on how it was tracked down. Discreet enquiries with the two suspects, now elderly, with a promise of no recriminations uneathered a pub landlord to whom it was sold. And so on they went down the chain. It seems a little unclear to me if the most recent custodian somehow realised spontaneously what he had, or if the amateur sleuths were closing in and he decided to fess up (the timing seems remarkably coincidental to me after 51 years, but I might just be an old cynic) and pocket the bung from a grateful Macca. I wonder if Harrison's stolen guitar, originally thought to have been stolen along with the bass at Abbey Road on 21/01/69, will ever come to light? Being a big Harrison fan I'd quite like that in my loft. Edited February 17 by Bassfinger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 with it being strung right handed and the bridge looks like it's been moved, someone (who doesn't know what they're doing?) has been messing about with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloney Balderdash Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 (edited) 41 minutes ago, PaulWarning said: with it being strung right handed and the bridge looks like it's been moved, someone (who doesn't know what they're doing?) has been messing about with it The bridge on these basses is not attached to the body and moves around freely only held back by the downward pressure of the tuned up strings. And I assume whoever had it strung it right handed because they didn't happen to be lefthanded, it's not like the bass works or sounds any different that way. Edited February 17 by Baloney Balderdash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 The picture on the BBC looks like it’s been badly photoshopped for some reason, not the bass, the guys left hand. Maybe it’s just my brain playing tricks, but it looks wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloney Balderdash Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 (edited) On 17/02/2024 at 12:33, ezbass said: The picture on the BBC looks like it’s been badly photoshopped for some reason, not the bass, the guys left hand. Maybe it’s just my brain playing tricks, but it looks wrong. It is not the sharpest photo, probably to get the bass in absolute focus. But his hand/arm looks perfectly fine, it is just a bit hard to see the lines of the hands and arms on that photo, which kind of makes the hand and lower arm melt together, and again the lower arm with the upper arm, behind it, because it is not 100% in focus and sharp. Absolutely nothing wrong with it. Edited February 18 by Baloney Balderdash 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Nada Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 Loads of details here: https://www.debassist.nl/muzieknieuws/artikel/2-29077/paul-mccartneys-first-hfner-is-back?fbclid=IwAR2zFoM5u-eKYQaIErdIhaLsDu8ryKT4MPo9mJTogDQd0DGzsVVhj60494U 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonestar Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 On 15/02/2024 at 21:25, Geek99 said: Pah he will never amount to anything… loser He was in Wings though; "the band the Beatles could have been." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 3 hours ago, lonestar said: He was in Wings though; "the band the Beatles could have been." Yes but they were sh1t Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloney Balderdash Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 1 minute ago, Geek99 said: Yes but they were sh1t So was Beatles. Guitar music was on the way out. Well, true, that took until the new millennium, but on the way out non the less... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 (edited) 9 minutes ago, Baloney Balderdash said: So was Beatles. Guitar music was on the way out. Well, true, that took until the new millennium, but on the way out non the less... Agreed, both were still sh1t though Edited February 17 by Geek99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baloney Balderdash Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 (edited) 48 minutes ago, Baloney Balderdash said: So was Beatles. Guitar music was on the way out. Well, true, that took until the new millennium, but on the way out non the less... 39 minutes ago, Geek99 said: Agreed, both were still sh1t though There is still hope for guitar music though: Edited February 17 by Baloney Balderdash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 (edited) I’m sorry …# heresyalert I just don’t think the Beatles were all that and all the descendant bands were a bit meh…I’m not saying they were not musically talented, just more the sum of the parts than the whole order your tar and feathers now Edited February 18 by Geek99 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveK Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 (edited) 12 hours ago, Geek99 said: I’m sorry …# heresyalert I just don’t think the Beatles were all that and all the descendant band were a bit meh…I’m not saying they were not musically talented, just more the sum of the parts than the whole order your tar and feathers now Are you a flat-Earther, perchance? Edited February 18 by SteveK 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burns-bass Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 13 hours ago, Geek99 said: I’m sorry …# heresyalert I just don’t think the Beatles were all that and all the descendant band were a bit meh…I’m not saying they were not musically talented, just more the sum of the parts than the whole order your tar and feathers now Music is not a competition! The idea we have to rank and judge art comparatively is utter nonsense. To give it a classical parallel, Bach is still the granddaddy of piano music yet people keep playing and creating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 14 hours ago, Geek99 said: I’m sorry …# heresyalert I just don’t think the Beatles were all that and all the descendant band were a bit meh…I’m not saying they were not musically talented, just more the sum of the parts than the whole order your tar and feathers now Well, Wings didn't contribute anything to the progress of music (and they were shit). The Beatles did have some influence on their peers and successors, however you rate their own music. Some of their influence was negative, though, such as people thinking that the wretched Hofner violin bass was not only playable but even good. Poxy things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 24 minutes ago, tauzero said: Well, Wings didn't contribute anything to the progress of music (and they were shit). The Beatles did have some influence on their peers and successors, however you rate their own music. Some of their influence was negative, though, such as people thinking that the wretched Hofner violin bass was not only playable but even good. Poxy things. How come you get to use profanity? glad I’m not the only one who didn’t think much of wings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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